Supplications on meeting an enemy or a ruler

اَللّٰهُمَّ اِنَّا نَجْعَلُكَ فِيْ نُحُوْرِهِمْ وَنَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنْ شُرُوْرِهِمْ

O Allah! We put You alone against them, and we seek refuge in You from their evil.

1. Sahih, Sunan Abi Dawud, no. (1537), al-Mustadrak of al-Hakim (2/142), who graded it sahih and adh-Dhahabi agreed with him, Sahih Ibn Hibban, no. (4765), Musnad ar-Ruyani, no. (461), and al-Albani graded it Sahih in “Sahih Abi Dawud” (5/263) no. (1375)

   In the narration of Musnad ar-Ruyani, no. (461), Qatadah stated clearly that he was told it directly, so the objection of a break in the chain and of his 'an'anah is not correct. For details see: Anwar an-Nasihah (d/1537)

اَللّٰهُمَّ اَنْتَ عَضُدِيْ وَ [اَنْتَ] نَصِيْرِيْ بِكَ اَحُوْلُ وَبِكَ اَصُوْلُ وَبِكَ اُقَاتِلُ

O Allah! You alone are my support and You alone are my helper. By Your enabling alone I move about, by Your help alone I attack, and with You alone I fight (the enemy).

1. Sahih, Sunan Abi Dawud, no. (2632), the wording is his, Sunan at-Tirmidhi, no. (3584), where the addition in square brackets is found, Sahih Ibn Hibban, no. (4761), and al-Albani graded it Sahih in “Sahih Abi Dawud (7/383)” no. (2366)

   In this chain there is the 'an'anah of Qatadah, but in the narration of Musnad al-Harith, “Abu Mijlaz Lahiq bin Humayd” supports Qatadah. Some narrated it from Abu Mijlaz as mursal, and in some manuscripts of Musnad al-Harith too this narration is mursal, but Hafiz Ibn Hajar (RH) saw it in one manuscript as connected as well and expressed reliance on it, [al-Matalib al-Aliyah bi-Zawa'id al-Masanid ath-Thamaniyah (9/406)]

   Since Abu Mijlaz is a narrator who narrates mursal, it is quite possible that he heard it from Anas (RA) as well and sometimes, shortening it, narrated it as mursal. However, even if it is taken as mursal, its chain as a mursal is sahih, so it can be used as a supporting narration.

   Besides this, in another sahih hadith the words “اَللّٰهُمَّ بِكَ اُحَاوِلُ وَبِكَ اَصُوْلُ وَبِكَ اُقَاتِلُ” are established; see: [Musnad Ahmad, Maymaniyyah edition (4/332), and its chain is sahih according to the conditions of Muslim]

   In the light of these supporting narrations, this hadith is established as fully sahih. All praise is for Allah. For further details see: Anwar an-Nasihah (d/2632)

حَسْبُنَا اللّٰهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيْلُ

Sufficient for us is Allah, and [He is] the best Disposer of affairs.

1. Sahih al-Bukhari, no. (4563), as-Sunan al-Kubra of an-Nasa'i, no. (10364), at-Tawakkul ala Allah of Ibn Abi ad-Dunya, no. (31).

   Sahih al-Bukhari clearly has that Ibn Abbas (RA) said: “وقالها محمد” ﷺ, “that is, Muhammad ﷺ said these words”. This makes clear that this narration is explicitly marfu', so for some to call it mawquf with reference to Sahih al-Bukhari itself is wrong.

   Note that in Sunan Abi Dawud, no. (3627), Musnad Ahmad (6/24) and others there is another marfu' hadith of the Prophet's saying with the words “حسبي الله ونعم الوكيل”, but in its chain Baqiyyah is a mudallis who does tadlis at-taswiyah, and hearing is not stated clearly all along the chain, so this chain is weak.