The Dua of Light

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It is also related by Ibn ‘Abbas that he once stayed the night as a guest of Maymuna, who was his aunt, and the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. They slept on their blanket lengthways, and he slept at the end, crossways. After they had all slept for a while, the Prophet rose in the middle of the night to pray the tahajjud prayer, and Ibn ‘Abbas joined him.

They both did wudu’, and he prayed eleven rak’ats with the Prophet. Then they both went back to sleep again until dawn. Bilal called the adhan and the Prophet did another two short rak’ats, before going into the mosque to lead the Dawn Prayer.

Ibn ‘Abbas said that one of the du’as that the Prophet made during this night was: 

“O Allah, place light in my heart, light in my tongue, light in my hearing, light in my sight, light behind me, light in front of me, light on my right, light on my left, light above me and light below me; place light in my sinew, in my flesh, in my blood, in my hair and in my skin; place light in my soul and make light abundant for me; make me light and grant me light.”

This hadith was transmitted by Muslim and others. The wording of Muslim, in Arabic, may be found below.

( وَعَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ { أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم صَلَّى فَجَعَلَ يَقُولُ فِي صَلَاتِهِ أَوْ فِي سُجُودِهِ : اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ فِي قَلْبِي نُورًا , وَفِي سَمْعِي نُورًا , وَفِي بَصَرِي نُورًا , وَعَنْ يَمِينِي نُورًا , وَعَنْ شِمَالِي نُورًا , وَأَمَامِي نُورًا , وَخَلْفِي نُورًا , وَفَوْقِي نُورًا , وَتَحْتِي نُورًا , وَاجْعَلْ لِي نُورًا أَوْ قَالَ : وَاجْعَلْنِي نُورًا } . مُخْتَصَرٌ مِنْ مُسْلِمٍ )