Any Valid Du’aa’ that May be Recited During the Exams

Is there any valid du’aa’ that may be recited during the exams?



Question:
What is the ruling on reciting some du’aa’s before exams and afterwards, such as the du’aa’ said when starting to revise, “O Allaah I ask You for the understanding of the Prophets and the memory of the Messengers and angels who are close to You, make my tongue fresh with Your remembrance and my heart humble to You and obedient You, for You are sufficient for me and You are the best disposer of affairs.” And when going out of the house and heading towards the exam, can I say, “O Allaah, in You I have put my trust and I submit my affairs to You, and there is no refuge from You except with You.” And at the end of the exam: “Praise be to Allaah Who has guided us and we could not have been guided had not Allaah guided us.” And when stumbling over an answer: “There is no god but You, glory be to You, verily I was one of the wrongdoers. O Ever-Living, O Sustainer, by your mercy I seek help,” and many others.

Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.

There is no report in the Sunnah which suggests what can be said during the exams. The du’aa’s that are widespread among students and are said during revision or when receiving the exam papers or when stumbling over an answer or when handing in the paper, etc., all have no basis in the Sunnah, either in saheeh reports or da’eef reports. Rather they are all fabricated and are falsely attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

Attributing any such thing to the Sunnah when one knows that it is not part of the Sunnah makes a person one of those who tell lies against the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

It was narrated that al-Mugheerah ibn Shu’bah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “Telling a lie against me is not like telling a lie against anyone else. Whoever tells a lie against me deliberately, let him take his place in Hell.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1229; Muslim, 4.

Whoever spreads these false ahaadeeth and other like them, knowing that they cannot be soundly attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is telling lies against the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his sin is the same as the sin of the one who fabricated them.

It was narrated from al-Mugheerah ibn Shu’bah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever narrated from me a hadeeth which he thinks is false is one of the liars.” Narrated by Muslim in the Introduction to his Saheeh.

There is a proven du’aa’ for leaving the house, but it is not as described by the questioner. The phrase is “Yaa Hayyu yaa Qayyoom bi rahmatika astagheeth (O Ever Living, O Sustainer, by Your mercy I seek help).” There are ahaadeeth which indicate that this is to be said at times of hardship and difficulty. All of that includes exams and other difficulties. There follow the ahaadeeth which have been narrated concerning that:

1 – It was narrated that Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever says – when leaving his house – Bismillaah, tawakkaltu ‘ala Allaah, laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa Billaah (In the name of Allaah, I put my trust in Allaah, there is no power and no strength except with Allaah), it will be said to him: You are taken care of and you are protected, and the Shaytaan will keep away from him.” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 5095; al-Tirmidhi, 3426; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.

2 – It was also narrated that Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: If something upset him, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would say: “Yaa Hayyu yaa Qayyoom bi rahmatika astagheeth (O Ever Living, O Sustainer, by Your mercy I seek help).” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 3524; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 3182.

3 – It was also narrated from Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “O Allaah, nothing is easy but that which You make easy and You can make hardship easy if You will.” Narrated by Ibn Hibbaan, 3/255; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 2886.

4 – It was narrated that Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The prayer of Dhu’l-Noon when he was in the belly of the fish: ‘Laa ilaaha illa Anta, subhaanaka inni kuntu min al-zaalimeen (There is no god but You, glory to You, verily I was one of the wrongdoers).’ A Muslim never calls upon his Lord with these words concerning any matter, but his prayer is answered.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 3505; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 1644.

Conclusion: It is not permissible to invent du’aa’s and attribute them to Islam. What has been narrated in the ahaadeeth that may be said during times of hardship and difficulty is sufficient.

And Allaah knows best.

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