Dhikr & Du'a · Through the day
For Other People
أذكار العشرة والصحبةThe words of good companionship
Each of these belongs to a moment with another person: when someone does you good, when they pray for you, when they say they love you for Allah, when a loan is repaid, when you are praised, and when you praise someone else. Reach for the one that fits the exchange.
They are short by design, meant to be said out loud and in the moment. Use the Arabic where you can and the transliteration while you learn, and let the meaning shape how you treat the person before you.
- 1
Returning a greeting or kindness: "And you"
وَلَكَ
Walaka
And you.
Ahmad 5/82, and An-Nasa'i in 'Amalul-Yawm wal-Laylah pA simple reply that turns a kind word back toward the one who offered it.
- 2
Thanking someone: "May Allah reward you with good"
جَزاكَ اللهُ خَـيْراً
Jazākallāhu khayra.
May Allah reward you with good.
sahihAt-TirmidhiJazak Allahu khayran. The Prophet ﷺ said whoever says this to the one who did him good has given him the fullest praise, handing the reward to the only One who can truly repay it.
- 3
When someone says "I love you for Allah's sake"
أَحَبَّـكَ الّذي أَحْبَبْـتَني لَه
Aḥabbaka ‘lladhī aḥbabtanī lah.
May He for Whose sake you love me, love you.
hasanAbu Dawud 4/333Ahabbakal-ladhi ahbabtani lah. You meet love for Allah's sake with a du'a that the same love be answered by Allah Himself.
- 4
Blessing the one who feeds or hosts you
بارَكَ اللهُ لَكَ في أَهْلِكَ وَمالِك
Bārakallāhu laka fī ahlika wa mālik.
May Allah bless you in your family and your property.
sahihSahih al-Bukhari (Fath al-Bari 4/88)Asking Allah to bless your host in their family and their wealth, a du'a the Prophet ﷺ would make for those who served him.
- 5
When a loan is repaid
بارَكَ اللهُ لَكَ في أَهْلِكَ وَمالِك، إِنَّما جَـزاءُ السَّلَفِ الْحَمْدُ والأَداء
Bārakallāhu laka fī ahlika wa mālik, innamā jazā'us-salafi ‘l-ḥamdu wa‘l-adā'.
May Allah bless you in your family and your wealth, surely the reward for a loan is praise and returning (what was borrowed).
sahihIbn Majah 2/809A blessing for the one who lent to you: the reward for a loan is heartfelt praise and returning what was borrowed.
- 6
Replying to a blessing: "And may Allah bless you"
وَفيكَ بارَكَ الله
Wafīka bārakallāh.
And may Allah bless you.
Ibn As-Sunni, pWa fika barakallah. When someone says barakallahu fik, you return the blessing to them in kind.
- 7
When you must praise someone to their face
قال صلى الله عليه وسلم: "إِذَا كَانَ أَحَدُكُم مَادِحاً صَاحِبَهُ لاَ مَحَالَةَ فَلْيَقُلْ: أَحْسِبُ فُلاَناً وَاللَّهُ حَسِيبُهُ، وَلاَ أُزَكِّي عَلَى اللَّهِ أَحَداً، أَحْسِبُهُ - إِنْ كَانَ يَعْلَمُ ذَاكَ - كَذَا وَكَذَا"
If any of you praises his companion then let him say:
If any of you praises his companion then let him say: I consider (such and such a person), and Allah is his Assessor, (meaning: and I cannot claim anyone to be pious before Allah) if you know of this (good character trait in the person) to be such and such (saying what he thinks is praiseworthy in that person).
sahihMuslim 4/2296The Prophet ﷺ taught that if you must praise a companion, say only what you genuinely see and add that Allah is his true assessor, for you cannot declare anyone pure before Allah.
- 8
When you are the one being praised
اللَّهُمَّ لاَ تُؤَاخِذْنِي بِمَا يَقُولُونَ وَاغْفِرْ لِي مَا لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ [وَاجْعَلْنِي خَيْرًا مِمَّا يَظُّنُّونَ]
Allāhumma lā tu'ākhidhnī bimā yaqūlūn, waghfir lī mā lā ya`lamūn [waj`alnī khayran mimmā yaẓunnūn].
O Allah, do not call me to account for what they say and forgive me for what they have no knowledge of [and make me better than they imagine].
sahihAl-Bukhari, al-Adab al-Mufrad 761Turn the praise into a du'a: ask Allah not to hold you to account for what they say, to forgive what they do not know, and to make you better than they imagine.
The courtesy of the believer
Notice how often the reward in these du'as is simply handed back: someone blesses you, and you ask Allah to bless them; someone loves you for His sake, and you ask that He love them. Good is kept moving between believers, and Allah is named as its source every time. This is what it means to be easy, grateful company.
O Allah, make us a mercy to those around us, quick to thank, quick to bless, and quick to love for Your sake alone.
Questions
- What do I say to thank someone?
- Say Jazak Allahu khayran, may Allah reward you with good. The Prophet ﷺ taught that whoever says this to the one who did him a kindness has given the fullest praise. It is a du'a, not just a thank-you, and it returns the favour to the One who can truly repay it.
- What do I reply when someone says they love me for the sake of Allah?
- Reply Ahabbakal-ladhi ahbabtani lah, may He for whose sake you love me, love you. The Prophet ﷺ taught us to meet love for Allah's sake with a du'a that the same love be answered by Allah Himself.
- What should I say when someone praises me?
- Turn to Allah with a du'a: O Allah, do not take me to account for what they say, forgive me for what they do not know, and make me better than they imagine. Praise can swell the soul, and this keeps the heart honest before Allah.
- How do I respond if I am the one praising someone?
- The Prophet ﷺ warned against absolute praise. Say what you genuinely see as good, and add that Allah is the one who truly knows them and that you do not declare anyone pure before Him. It keeps praise truthful and free of flattery.
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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