Iftitah Prayer, Dua Iftitah Meaning, and Dua Iftitah Hadith Explained

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Hi, dear readers! Are you looking for an explanation of the Iftitah prayer, the meaning of Dua Iftitah, and the Dua Iftitah hadith? If your answer is “Yes,” congratulations! You're reading the right article. In this article, I will explain all these important topics. As Muslims, it's crucial to understand them. That's why I've written this article—so make sure to read it till the end!

Specifically, I will cover three important aspects regarding the Iftitah prayer, Dua Iftitah meaning, and the Dua Iftitah hadith:

Do You Have to Read Iftitah Prayer in Salat?

The first important question to address is: "Do you have to read the Iftitah prayer during Salat?" I want you to understand this clearly because it's a crucial aspect of the Iftitah prayer.

Before I give you a specific answer to this question, let me clarify one thing: not all recitations in Salat are obligatory. Some are mandatory, while others are Sunnah (optional but beneficial).

What is Dua al-Iftitah?

Obligatory recitations in Salat include:

• Takbiratul Ihram (Opening Takbir).
• Niyyah (Intention of Salat).
• Surah al-Fatihah.
• Rukuk (Bowing).
• I'tidal (Standing after Rukuk).
• Sujud (Prostration).
• Dua between the two prostrations.
• Final Tashahhud.
• Salam (Salutation).

Sunnah recitations in Salat include:

• The Iftitah prayer.
• Early Tashahhud.
• Qunut prayer.

To answer your question: "Do you have to read Iftitah prayer in Salat?" The answer is "No," as the Iftitah prayer is not an obligatory recitation in Salat. It is a Sunnah reading.

This is a brief explanation regarding whether the Iftitah prayer is mandatory in Salat. As Muslims, we must understand that.

Dua Iftitah Meaning in English

The second important topic is the meaning of Dua Iftitah in English. Understanding this meaning is vital for a deeper connection with the prayer.

There are two variants of Dua Iftitah: a longer and a shorter version. I will explain the shorter version first, and we'll explore the longer version in the hadith section later.

Short Dua Iftitah (Arabic)

إِنِّيْ وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّذِيْ فَطَرَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ حَنِيْفاً وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِيْنَ إِنَّ صَلَاتِيْ وَنُسُكِيْ وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِيْ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِيْنَ لَا شَرِيْكَ لَهُ وَبِذَالِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِيْنَ

Dua Iftitah Meaning in English

"Verily, I turn my face to Allah, who created the heavens and the earth, in the condition of accepting Islam. I am not one of the polytheists. Verily, my prayer, my worship, my life, and my death are for Allah, the Lord of the universe. There is no partner for Him. This is what I was commanded, and I am one of those who surrender."

This is a brief explanation of Dua Iftitah's meaning in English. As Muslims, it's important for us to comprehend this.

Dua Iftitah Hadith

The third and final important topic is the Dua Iftitah hadith. Understanding the hadith is essential to fully grasp the significance of this prayer.

Dua Iftitah Hadith (Arabic)

عَنْ عَلِيٍّ بْنِ أَبِيْ طَالِبٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ عَنْ رَسُوْلِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ كَانَ إِذَا قَامَ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ قَالَ ؛ وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّذِيْ فَطَرَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ حَنِيْفاً وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِيْنَ إِنَّ صَلَاتِيْ وَنُسُكِيْ وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِيْ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِيْنَ لَا شَرِيْكَ لَهُ وَبِذَالِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِيْنَ ، اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ الْمَلِكُ لَا إِلَهَ إلَّا أَنْتَ ، أَنْتَ رَبِّيْ وَ أَنَا عَبْدُكَ ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِيْ وَاعْتَرَفْتُ بِذَنْبِيْ فَاغْفِرْ لِيْ ذُنُوْبِيْ جَمِيْعاً إِنَّهُ لَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوْبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ وَاهْدِنِيْ لِأَحْسَنِ الْأَخْلَاقِ لَا يَهْدِي لِأَحْسَنِهَا إِلَّا أَنْتَ وَاصْرِفْ عَنِّيْ سَيِّئَهَا لَا يَصْرِفُ عَنِّيْ سَيِّئَهَا إِلَّا أَنْتَ ، لَبَّيْكَ وَسَعْدَيْكَ وَالْخَيْرَ كُلُّهُ فِيْ يَدَيْكَ وَالشَّرُ لَيْسَ إِلَيْكَ أَنَا بِكَ وَإِلَيْكَ تَبَارَكْتَ وَتَعَالَيْتَ أَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَأَتُوْبُ إِلَيْكَ . رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ . وَفِيْ رِوَايَةٍ لَهُ إِنَّ ذَلِكَ فِيْ صَلَاةِ اللَّيْلِ

Dua Iftitah Hadith Meaning in English

From Ali bin Abi Talib (radliyallahu anhu), from the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), he said: "When he stood for prayer, he would say, 'I turn my face to Allah, who created the heavens and the earth, in a condition of accepting Islam. I am not one of the polytheists. Verily, my prayer, my worship, my life, and my death are for Allah, the Lord of the universe. There is no partner for Him. This is what I was commanded, and I am one of those who surrender. O Allah, You are the Ruler. There is no god but You. You are my Lord, and I am Your servant. I have wronged myself and confessed my sins, so forgive all my sins, for no one forgives sins but You. Guide me to the best manners, for no one can guide me to them but You. Save me from bad manners, for no one can remove them but You. I respond to Your call and am eager to obey You. All good is in Your hands, and evil is not near You. You are pure and exalted. I ask for Your forgiveness and turn to You in repentance.'" This hadith is narrated by Muslim. In another narration, he mentions that this prayer is specifically recited during the night prayer.

Please pay attention to the bolded sentences in the hadith. These are the longer versions of Dua Iftitah.

This concludes the explanation of the Dua Iftitah hadith. As Muslims, we should understand its significance.

That's a brief explanation of the Iftitah prayer, the meaning of Dua Iftitah, and the Dua Iftitah hadith. Do you have any questions? If so, feel free to ask!

I hope this article is useful. May it bring you closer to understanding these important aspects of our faith. Ameen.

See you again in the next article!