hadith works on dua (prayer, supplication, litanies)

here are some famous books compiled by hadith masters on the dua'a of the Prophet sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam. may Allah humiliate insidious enemies of islam who try to belittle (al-iyadhu billah) the dua'a of the Prophet sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam - or consider that the words of any tom, dick and harry as no different than the matchless, and august speech of the Messenger of Allah sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam.

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in the preface of al-adhkar, imam nawawi says:

Allah, the Greatest, Azeez (He who is Matchless; has no similitude), the most Wise has said: "Remember me and I will mention you." And He has said (exalted is He): "I have not created Jinn and Men except that they worship Me".

By this, we know: that among the most superior - or the in fact the most superior - state of a slave (of Allah) is when he remembers the Lord-Sustainer of the creation. and when the slave is busy in reciting those words of prayer and remembrance [adhkar al-waridah] that have been reported from the Messenger of Allah sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam.​

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explaining the above statement, allamah ibn allan in his futuhat al-rabbaniyyah, 1/15 says:

qaDi iyad has said: Allah ta'ala has given permission for invoking Him (doing dua) and has taught the creation [the manner and words of] prayer in His Book; the Prophet sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam has taught his followers [ummah] how to beseech [i.e. do duaa]. In this three things have come together - knowledge of tawHid, knowledge of language and counsel to the ummah.

It is not appropriate for anyone to deviate from the duaa of the Prophet sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam. The devil has waylaid some people at this juncture and turned them into an evil folk - that they create prayers and are busy with those prayers instead of following the Prophet sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam.​

in fact, the wahabis and literalists take this argument to scorn dalayil al-khayrat and some other duas which have been composed by ulama and arifin. that is a different issue, and we will not discuss it here. there is no dispute that it is certainly permissible to do dua in one's own words and in any language.

however, there is also no disagreement that the BEST of all duaa is that dua which is in the words of the Prophet sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam. because those words are gems gleaned from the treasure trove of Prophetic Knowledge which no other has access to. these hallowed words have an effect which cannot be found elsewhere. every muslim knows this - even an illiterate muslim will acknowledge this.

only a zindiq is bereft of this knowledge.

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may Allah ta'ala protect us from devils in jinn form and devils in human form.