Is there a virtue of reciting ‘Allahumma barik fil mawti wa fima ba’dal mawt’ [O Allah! Bless me in death and in the stages after death] twenty five times daily?
Answer
2) Imam Tabarani (rahimahullah) has recorded the following narration:
Sayyidah ‘Aaishah (radiyallahu ‘anha) once asked Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), “[Is it correct that] a martyr [shahid] is only one who is killed in the path of Allah? Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, ‘ O ‘Aaishah! If that was the case then the martyrs from my ummah will be very minimal, whomsoever says ‘Allahumma barik fil mawti wa fima ba’dal mawt’ twenty five times daily and passes away on his bed, Allah will grant him the reward of a martyr”
(Al Mu’jamul Awsat, Hadith: 7672)
However this Hadith has been transmitted through a chain that consists of unknown narrators as well as a narrator who has been accused of reporting a fabricated narration.
(Majma’uz Zawaid, vol. 5 pg. 301, Tanzihush Shari’ah, vol. 1 pg. 115)
2) The following Hadith has been cited in certain non primary Hadith sources:
Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was once asked, ‘Besides the martyrs, will there be anyone else among them on the Day of Judgement’? Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) responded, ‘Yes, whoever remembers death twenty five times daily’.
‘Allamah ‘Iraqi (rahimahullah) has stated that he has not come across a chain of narrators for this Hadith.
(Al Mughni ‘An Hamlil Asfar, Hadith: 4134)
This Hadith can therefore not be verified and is not suitable to be quoted until it can be verified.
3) Imam Sufyan ibn Sa’id Al Thawri (rahimahullah) would recite the following du’a:
“Ya Rabbi, Sallim sallim, Rabbi barik li fil mawti wa fima ba’dal mawt” [O My Rabb! Protect me, O My Rabb! Bless me in death and in the stages after death]
(Musnad Ibnul Ja’d, Hadith: 1796)
There is no harm in reciting this du’a as many times as one wishes since the meaning is excellent without regarding it a Sunnah.
See here for the different type of martyrs.
And Allah Ta’ala knows best.
Answered by: Moulana Suhail Motala
Approved by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar
Checked by: Moulana Haroon Abasoomar