اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنِي وَسَدِّدْنِي، وَاذْكُرْ بِعَفْوِكَ صَفْحِي، وَبِتَوْفِيقِكَ اجْتِهَادِي
O Allah, guide me and set me aright, and remember my faults with Your forgiveness, and my efforts with Your guidance.
Allahumma ihdini wa saddidni, wa-dhkur bi-'afwika safhi, wa bi-tawfiqika-jtihadi.
When to Read
This dua is particularly relevant when you earnestly desire to meet someone of great spiritual stature, whether it's a righteous scholar, a pious individual, or even when contemplating the blessed era of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. It's a prayer for divine assistance in achieving such a valuable encounter, seeking Allah's help to make the meeting beneficial and aligned with His pleasure. Recite it with sincerity before embarking on a journey or making specific arrangements to meet such a person.
How to Read
Recite this dua with sincere intention and a humble heart. Begin with the Basmala (Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim). Raise your hands as you would for other supplications, seeking Allah's favor. Visualize the righteous individual you wish to meet and ask Allah to facilitate the meeting in a way that brings you closer to Him and allows you to benefit from their knowledge and piety. Focus on the meaning of the words: seeking Allah's guidance, asking Him to correct your path, and seeking His pardon for shortcomings while acknowledging His support in your efforts.
Virtues & Benefits
This dua encapsulates the essence of seeking divine aid for spiritual growth and righteous connections. It reflects the understanding that even in seeking to meet the best of creation or their inheritors, our success is entirely dependent on Allah's tawfiq (divine help). By asking Allah to 'guide me and set me aright,' we acknowledge our own fallibility and need for His direction. The plea to remember our faults with His forgiveness and efforts with His guidance highlights a deep awareness of our limitations and a reliance on Allah's mercy and support to make any endeavor, including seeking a righteous meeting, fruitful and pleasing to Him.
Source & Authentication
It was narrated from Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'When one of you asks Allah for something, or supplicates for something, he should do it with determination, for he is asking Allah, and there is no one who deters Him from what He gives. And the most beloved of the earth to Allah is that from which He is asked for 'afiyah (well-being), and the most beloved of the people to Allah is the one who asks Him for 'afiyah. Then he said: 'O Allah, guide me and set me aright, and remember my faults with Your forgiveness, and my efforts with Your guidance.'