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Dhikr & Du'a · Through the day

Gatherings

أذكار المجلس

What to say while you sit, and the words that seal it

The first is what the Prophet ﷺ would quietly repeat as he sat, seeking forgiveness again and again in a single sitting. The second is the kaffarat al-majlis, the expiation of the gathering, said right before you leave.

Both are short. Say them in Arabic where you can, lean on the transliteration while you learn, and make the closing words a habit you reach for as you stand to go.

  1. 1

    Seeking forgiveness as you sit

    عن ابن عمر قال : كان يعد لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم في المجلس الواحد مائة مرة من قبل أن يقوم "رب اغفر لي وتب علي إنك أنت التواب الغفور"

    Ibn Umar (ra) said:

    My Lord, forgive me and accept my repentance; indeed You are the Ever-Relenting, the Most Forgiving.

    sahihIbn Majah 2/321

    Ibn Umar reported that the Prophet ﷺ would repeat this many times in a single sitting, asking his Lord to forgive him and turn to him in mercy. It keeps the heart returning to Allah even mid-conversation.

  2. 2

    Kaffarat al-majlis: the expiation of the gathering

    سُبْحـانَكَ اللّهُـمَّ وَبِحَمدِك، أَشْهَـدُ أَنْ لا إِلهَ إِلاّ أَنْتَ أَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَأَتوبُ إِلَـيْك

    Subhānaka Allāhumma wa biḥamdik, ash-hadu an lā ilāha illā ant, astaghfiruka wa atību ilayk.

    Glory is to You, O Allah, and praise is to You. I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but You. I seek Your forgiveness and repent to You.

    sahihAt-Tirmidhi 3/153

    The words said before you rise. Aisha reported the Prophet ﷺ sealed every sitting, recitation and prayer with them, and he taught that whoever says them is forgiven whatever idle talk slipped into the gathering.

Sealing the sitting

There is a mercy in being given a way to undo what a gathering may have spoiled. The Prophet ﷺ said that whoever sits in a gathering with much idle talk and then says the words of expiation before rising will have it forgiven. So nothing has to be carried out of the room with you.

O Allah, glory and praise are Yours. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but You. Forgive whatever we let slip as we sat, and let us rise lighter than we came.

Questions

What is kaffarat al-majlis?
It is the expiation of the gathering, a short du'a the Prophet ﷺ taught us to say before leaving any sitting. He said that whoever says it will be forgiven whatever slipped into the gathering, such as idle or careless talk. It seals the sitting on a clean note.
When exactly do I say it?
Right at the end, as you are about to get up and leave the gathering. Aisha reported that the Prophet ﷺ did not sit in a gathering, recite Qur'an, or pray without sealing it with these words.
Is there something to say during the gathering too?
Yes. Ibn Umar reported that the Prophet ﷺ would seek forgiveness many times in a single sitting, asking his Lord to forgive him and turn to him in mercy. It keeps the heart returning to Allah even in the middle of company.

Prophetic adhkar transcribed verbatim from Hisn al-Muslim (Sa'eed al-Qahtani) via sunnah.com; al-Bukhari and Muslim taken as sahih, jayyid/reliable as hasan. Recitation audio: the official Hisn al-Muslim audio (hisnmuslim.com) for the adhkar. Selection follows Hisn al-Muslim, with thanks to lifewithallah.com; framing is Buruja's own. FOR SCHOLAR REVIEW: confirm every Arabic text, reference, repetition count and grading before publication.

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