I TOOK MY elderly parents to the airport last night. They were not excited about the long trip ahead. I understood how they felt.
Travelling long distances by road, rail, sea, and air has been made so easy with modern transport and mass tourism, that we may forget what a blessing it is and all the associated uncertainties and challenges like traffic, bad weather, lost or stolen belongings, accidents, health problems etc that can affect us at any time.
In the excitement of the adventure (or the boredom of sitting through endless miles), we can forget that travel is a time when dua is accepted, as the challenges we face bring us closer to Allah. Thus, travelling is more than just moving from one place to another; it is an opportunity for spiritual connection.
The Messenger ﷺ said: “Three dua are answered without a doubt: The dua of the oppressed, the dua of the traveller, and the dua of the parent for his son.” (Tirmidhi)
When the Messenger ﷺ would mount his camel to set out on a journey, he would say takbeer three times, then he would say:
سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي سَخَّرَ لَنَا هَذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لَهُ مُقْرِنِينَ وَإِنَّا إِلَى رَبِّنَا لَمُنْقَلِبُونَ
‘Perfect is the One Who has placed this (transport) at our service and we ourselves would not have been capable of that, and to our Lord is our final return.’ (az-Zukhruf 13-14)
اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ فِي سَفَرِنَا هَذَا الْبِرَّ وَالتَّقْوَى وَمِنَ الْعَمَلِ مَا تَرْضَى اللَّهُمَّ هَوِّنْ عَلَيْنَا سَفَرَنَا هَذَا وَاطْوِ لَنَا بُعْدَهُ اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ الصَّاحِبُ فِي السَّفَرِ وَالْخَلِيفَةُ فِي الْأَهْلِ وَالْمَالِ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ وَعْثَاءِ السَّفَرِ وَكَآبَةِ الْمَنْظَرِ وَسُوءِ الْمُنْقَلَبِ فِي الْمَالِ والأهلِ
‘O Allah, we ask You for righteousness and piety in this journey of ours, and we ask You for deeds which please You. O Allah, facilitate our journey and let us cover its distance quickly. O Allah, You are the Companion on the journey and the Successor (the One Who guards them in a person’s absence) over the family. O Allah, I seek refuge with You from the difficulties of travel, from having a change of heart and from being in a predicament, and I seek refuge with You from an ill-fated outcome regarding wealth and family.’ (Tirmidhi)
This dua for travelling is not just a ritual. They are not words that we parrot off without reflection. Rather, they are an expression of iman, devotion and our mindfulness of Allah in every action that we do.
It is a sincere plea for Allah’s protection, guidance, and blessings, recognizing His control over life and that our safety and well-being are in His hands.
We seek protection from all the harms, accidents and misfortunes that can easily arise to ourselves and the things we love and strive for.
We remind ourselves that the life of this world is fleeting and how needy and reliant we are on Him.
We ask Allah for barakah in our travel so benefitting us in the dunya and the akhirah.
We find comfort as we place our journey in the care of the Divine.
Living For Islam 