214 – It is narrated from ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib—may Allah be pleased with him—that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, whenever he stood for prayer, would say:

“I have turned my face toward the One who originated the heavens and the earth …” up to the words, “among the Muslims. O Allah, You are the Sovereign; there is no god but You. You are my Lord and I am Your servant …” to the end of the supplication. Recorded by Muslim.

In one of Muslim’s versions it states: “That is to be recited in the night prayer.” (1)

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Hadith grading
Regarding the author’s words, “In a narration in Muslim: ‘that is in the night prayer,’” al-Mubārakfūrī says in Tuhfat al-Aḥwadhi: “This ḥadīth is reported by Muslim through two chains, and in neither of them is there any mention that it is specific to the night prayer. Al-Tirmidhī transmits it through three chains, and none of them contain that wording. Abū Dāwūd relates it through two chains, and again the phrase does not appear. Thus the author—may Allah have mercy on him—erred in attributing that addition, and Allah knows best.”

The complete wording of the supplication is: “…in pure monotheism, submitting to You, and I am not of those who associate partners with You. Indeed my prayer, my rites, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of all worlds; He has no partner. With that I have been commanded, and I am of the Muslims.”

Lexical notes
• “I have turned my face”: that is, I have directed my worship and devoted it exclusively to the One who originated the heavens, and so on.
• “The Originator of the heavens and the earth”: al-faṭr means initiating creation; here it refers to the One who began the creation of the heavens and the earth, bringing them into existence without any prior model.