this walk of mine.” Ahmad narrated it from Wakī‘, from Fudayl ibn Marzūq, from ‘Atiyya, from Abū Sa‘īd al-Khudrī, from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who said:

“Whoever says, when setting out for prayer, ‘O Allah, I ask You by the right that those who ask of You have upon You, and by the right of this walk of mine. I have not set out in insolence or arrogance, nor to show off or gain a reputation. I have set out to avoid Your displeasure and seek Your pleasure. I ask You to save me from the Fire, admit me to Paradise, and forgive my sins, for none forgives sins except You,’ will be accompanied by seventy thousand angels seeking forgiveness for him, and Allah will turn His Face toward him until he completes his prayer.”

This hadith is narrated by ‘Atiyya al-Sālihiyya from Abū Sa‘īd, and he is weak by the consensus of the scholars. It has also been narrated through another chain, which is likewise weak. Nor does its wording provide any proof for this practice: the right that those who ask have upon Him is that He answer them, and the right that worshippers have is that He reward them. This is a right that Allah Most High has established upon His noble Self through His truthful promise, as the scholars unanimously agree, and by making it obligatory upon Himself, according to one of their views. This has already been discussed at length.

This is comparable to the three men who petitioned Him in the cave through their deeds. One petitioned Him through his outstanding devotion to his parents; another through his remarkable restraint from sexual immorality; and the third through his exemplary fulfilment of a trust. Allah commanded these deeds and promised to reward those who performed them. Thus, this is like what He relates of the believers in His words:

“Our Lord, we have heard a caller calling to faith, ‘Believe in your Lord,’ and we have believed. Our Lord, forgive us our sins, remove from us our misdeeds, and cause us to die among the righteous.”

And He, Most High, said:

“Indeed, there was a group of My servants who said, ‘Our Lord, we have believed, so forgive us and have mercy upon us, for You are the best of those who show mercy.’”

And He, Most High, said:

“Say, ‘Shall I inform you of something better than that? For those who fear Allah, with their Lord are