Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
bukhari:7477Yaḥyá > ʿAbd al-Razzāq > Maʿmar > Hammām > Abū Hurayrah

The Prophet ﷺ said, "None of you should say: 'O Allah! Forgive me if You wish,' or 'Bestow Your Mercy on me if You wish,' or 'Provide me with means of subsistence if You wish,' but he should be firm in his request, for Allah does what He will and nobody can force Him (to do anything).  

البخاري:٧٤٧٧حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ عَنْ مَعْمَرٍ عَنْ هَمَّامٍ سَمِعَ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ لاَ يَقُلْ أَحَدُكُمُ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي إِنْ شِئْتَ ارْحَمْنِي إِنْ شِئْتَ ارْزُقْنِي إِنْ شِئْتَ وَلْيَعْزِمْ مَسْأَلَتَهُ إِنَّهُ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَاءُ لاَ مُكْرِهَ لَهُ  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Muslim, Abū Dāwūd, Tirmidhī, Ibn Mājah, Mālik, Aḥmad, Ibn Ḥibbān, Nasāʾī's Kubrá, Suyūṭī
bukhari:6339ʿAbdullāh b. Maslamah > Mālik > Abū al-Zinād > al-Aʿraj > Abū Hurayrah

Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "None of you should say: 'O Allah, forgive me if You wish; O Allah, be merciful to me if You wish,' but he should always appeal to Allah with determination, for nobody can force Allah to do something against His Will."  

البخاري:٦٣٣٩حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ عَنْ مَالِكٍ عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ؓ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ لاَ يَقُولَنَّ أَحَدُكُمُ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي اللَّهُمَّ ارْحَمْنِي إِنْ شِئْتَ لِيَعْزِمِ الْمَسْأَلَةَ فَإِنَّهُ لاَ مُكْرِهَ لَهُ  

muslim:2679bIsḥāq b. Mūsá al-Anṣārī > Anas b. ʿIyāḍ > al-Ḥārith / Ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. Abū Dhubāb > ʿAṭāʾ b. Mīnāʾ > Abū Hurayrah

None of you should say to Allah (like this): O Allah, grant me mercy, if thou so likest. The supplication (of his) should (be permeated with) conviction (that it would be accepted by the Lord), for Allah is the Doer of (everything) He likes to do, and there is none to force Him (to do or not to do this or that).  

مسلم:٢٦٧٩bحَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ مُوسَى الأَنْصَارِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا أَنَسُ بْنُ عِيَاضٍ حَدَّثَنَا الْحَارِثُ وَهُوَ ابْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي ذُبَابٍ عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ مِينَاءَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ لاَ يَقُولَنَّ أَحَدُكُمُ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي إِنْ شِئْتَ اللَّهُمَّ ارْحَمْنِي إِنْ شِئْتَ لِيَعْزِمْ فِي الدُّعَاءِ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ صَانِعٌ مَا شَاءَ لاَ مُكْرِهَ لَهُ  

abudawud:1483al-Qaʿnabī > Mālik > Abū al-Zinād > al-Aʿraj > Abū Hurayrah

"One of you should not say (in his supplication): O Allah, forgive me if You please, show mercy to me if You please.' Rather, be firm in your asking, for no one can force Him."  

أبو داود:١٤٨٣حَدَّثَنَا الْقَعْنَبِيُّ عَنْ مَالِكٍ عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ لاَ يَقُولَنَّ أَحَدُكُمُ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي إِنْ شِئْتَ اللَّهُمَّ ارْحَمْنِي إِنْ شِئْتَ لِيَعْزِمِ الْمَسْأَلَةَ فَإِنَّهُ لاَ مُكْرِهَ لَهُ  

tirmidhi:3497al-Anṣārī > Maʿn > Mālik > Abū al-Zinād > al-Aʿraj > Abū Hurayrah

“None of you should say: ‘O Allah forgive me if You wish. O Allah have mercy on me if You wish.’ Let him be firm in asking, for there is none that can compel Him to do things.”  

الترمذي:٣٤٩٧حَدَّثَنَا الأَنْصَارِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا مَعْنٌ حَدَّثَنَا مَالِكٌ عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ لاَ يَقُولُ أَحَدُكُمُ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي إِنْ شِئْتَ اللَّهُمَّ ارْحَمْنِي إِنْ شِئْتَ لِيَعْزِمِ الْمَسْأَلَةَ فَإِنَّهُ لاَ مُكْرِهَ لَهُ قَالَ هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ  

ibnmajah:3854Abū Bakr > ʿAbdullāh b. Idrīs > Ibn ʿAjlān > Abū al-Zinād > al-Aʿraj > Abū Hurayrah

Messenger of Allah (saas) said: "No one among you should say: "O Allah, forgive me if You will.' Let him be definite in his asking, and no one can compel Allah."  

ابن ماجة:٣٨٥٤حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ إِدْرِيسَ عَنِ ابْنِ عَجْلاَنَ عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لاَ يَقُولَنَّ أَحَدُكُمُ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي إِنْ شِئْتَ وَلْيَعْزِمْ فِي الْمَسْأَلَةِ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ مُكْرِهَ لَهُ  

malik:15-30Mālik > Abū al-Zinād > al-Aʿraj > Abū Hurayrah

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z Zinad from al-Araj from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ''When you are making dua do not say; 'O Allah, forgive me if You wish. O Allah, forgive me if you wish.' You should be firm in your asking, for there is no compelling Him."  

مالك:١٥-٣٠وَحَدَّثَنِي عَنْ مَالِكٍ عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ لاَ يَقُلْ أَحَدُكُمْ إِذَا دَعَا اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي إِنْ شِئْتَ اللَّهُمَّ ارْحَمْنِي إِنْ شِئْتَ لِيَعْزِمِ الْمَسْأَلَةَ فَإِنَّهُ لاَ مُكْرِهَ لَهُ  

ahmad:9968Wakīʿ > Sufyān > Abū al-Zinād > al-Aʿraj > Abū Hurayrah

"One of you should not say (in his supplication): O Allah, forgive me if You please, show mercy to me if You please.' Rather, be firm in your asking, for no one can force Him." (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 1483)  

أحمد:٩٩٦٨حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ عَنْ سُفْيَانَ عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ عَنِ الْأَعْرَجِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لَا يَقُولَنَّ أَحَدُكُمْ اللهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي إِنْ شِئْتَ اللهُمَّ ارْحَمْنِي إِنْ شِئْتَ وَلَكِنْ لِيَعْزِمِ الْمَسْأَلَةَ فَإِنَّهُ لَا مُكْرِهَ لَهُ  

ahmad:7314Sufyān > Abū al-Zinād > al-Aʿraj > Abū Hurayrah Yablugh Bih

Messenger of Allah (saas) said: "No one among you should say: "O Allah, forgive me if You will.' Let him be definite in his asking, and no one can compel Allah." (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 3854)   

أحمد:٧٣١٤حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ عَنِ الْأَعْرَجِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ يَبْلُغُ بِهِ

النَّبِيَّ ﷺ إِذَا دَعَا أَحَدُكُمْ فَلَا يَقُلْ اللهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي إِنْ شِئْتَ وَلَكِنْ لِيَعْزِمْ بِالْمَسْأَلَةِ فَإِنَّهُ لَا مُكْرِهَ لَهُ  

ahmad:8237

The Prophet ﷺ said, "None of you should say: 'O Allah! Forgive me if You wish,' or 'Bestow Your Mercy on me if You wish,' or 'Provide me with means of subsistence if You wish,' but he should be firm in his request, for Allah does what He will and nobody can force Him (to do anything). (Using translation from Bukhārī 7477)  

أحمد:٨٢٣٧

وَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لَا يَقُلْ أَحَدُكُمْ اللهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي إِنْ شِئْتَ وَارْحَمْنِي إِنْ شِئْتَ وَارْزُقْنِي لِيَعْزِمْ مَسْأَلَتَهَ إِنَّهُ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَاءُ لَا مُكْرِهَ لَهُ  

ahmad:10867ʿAlī > And Rqāʾ > Abū al-Zinād > al-Aʿraj > Abū Hurayrah

"One of you should not say (in his supplication): O Allah, forgive me if You please, show mercy to me if You please.' Rather, be firm in your asking, for no one can force Him." (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 1483)  

أحمد:١٠٨٦٧حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيٌّ أَخْبَرَنَا وَرْقَاءُ عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ عَنِ الْأَعْرَجِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لَا يَقُولَنَّ أَحَدُكُمْ اللهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي إِنْ شِئْتَ اللهُمَّ ارْحَمْنِي إِنْ شِئْتَ لِيَعْزِمِ الْمَسْأَلَةَ فَإِنَّهُ لَا مُكْرِهَ لَهُ  

ahmad:10310Isḥāq > Mālik And > ʿAbd al-Raḥman Mālik > Abū al-Zinād > al-Aʿraj > Abū Hurayrah

[Machine] Malik informed us, and I recited to Abdul Rahman from Malik, from Abu Zinad, from Al-A'raj, from Abu Hurayrah, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "None of you should say, 'O Allah, forgive me if You will, O Allah, have mercy on me if You will.' Let him be resolute in the matter." They both said, "All of us agreed that there is no compulsion in this regard."  

أحمد:١٠٣١٠حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ قَالَ

أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ وَقَرَأْتُ عَلَى عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ مَالِكٌ عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ عَنِ الْأَعْرَجِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ لَا يَقُولَنَّ أَحَدُكُمْاللهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي إِنْ شِئْتَ اللهُمَّ ارْحَمْنِي إِنْ شِئْتَ لِيَعْزِمِ الْمَسْأَلَةَ قَالَا جَمِيعًا لَا مُكْرِهَ لَهُ  

ahmad:10494Muḥammad b. ʿAbdullāh b. al-Zubayr > Sufyān > Abū al-Zinād > al-Aʿraj > Abū Hurayrah

[Machine] On the authority of the Prophet ﷺ who said, "None of you should say, 'O Allah, forgive me if You will, O Allah, have mercy on me if You will.' He should be firm in his request, for indeed nobody can compel Allah." Abdullah (bin Mas'ud) said: Thus it was written in the book of Abu Mu'ayyad, and the abundance of water should not be prevented from flowing, just as the abundance of divine favors should not be prevented.  

أحمد:١٠٤٩٤حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ عَنِ الْأَعْرَجِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ لَا يَقُولُ أَحَدُكُمْ اللهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي إِنْ شِئْتَ اللهُمَّ ارْحَمْنِي إِنْ شِئْتَ لِيَعْزِمِ الْمَسْأَلَةَ فَإِنَّهُ لَا مُكْرِهَ لَهُ قَالَ عَبْدُ اللهِ كَذَا كَانَ فِي كِتَابِ أَبِي مُبَيَّضٌ وَلَا يُمْنَعُفَضْلُ الْمَاءِ لِيُمْنَعَ بِهِ فَضْلُ الْكَلَإِ  

ذِكْرُ الزَّجْرِ عَنْ أَنْ يَقُولَ الْمَرْءُ فِي دُعَائِهِ: رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي إِنْ شِئْتَ

ibnhibban:977Ibrāhīm b. Isḥāq al-Anmāṭī > Yaʿqūb b. Ibrāhīm > Ibn Mahdī > Sufyān > Abū al-Zinād > al-Aʿraj > Abū Hurayrah

[Machine] From the Prophet ﷺ , he said, "None of you should say: 'O Allah, forgive me if You will, for there is no compulsion for Him (Allah), but he should say: 'O Allah, forgive me if You will, and then make a firm determination for the matter.'"  

ابن حبّان:٩٧٧أَخْبَرَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ الْأَنْمَاطِيُّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَعْقُوبُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ مَهْدِيٍّ عَنْ سُفْيَانَ عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ عَنِ الْأَعْرَجِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ «لَا يَقُلْ أَحَدُكُمُ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي إِنْ شِئْتَ فَإِنَّهُ لَا مُسْتَكْرِهَ لَهُ وَلَكِنْ لِيَعْزِمِ الْمَسْأَلَةَ»  

nasai-kubra:10343Muḥammad b. ʿAbdullāh b. Yazīd > Sufyān > Abū al-Zinād > al-Aʿraj > Abū Hurayrah

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "A person should not say, 'O Allah, forgive me if You will, O Allah, have mercy on me if You will.' Instead, he should be determined in making supplications."  

الكبرى للنسائي:١٠٣٤٣أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ عَنِ الْأَعْرَجِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لَا يَقُلِ الرَّجُلُ اللهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي إِنْ شِئْتَ اللهُمَّ ارْحَمْنِي إِنْ شِئْتَ وَلَكِنْ لِيَعْزِمِ الْمَسْأَلَةَ  

nasai-kubra:10344Muḥammad b. Bashhār > ʿAbd al-Raḥman > Sufyān > Abū al-Zinād > al-Aʿraj > Abū Hurayrah

Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "None of you should say: 'O Allah, forgive me if You wish; O Allah, be merciful to me if You wish,' but he should always appeal to Allah with determination, for nobody can force Allah to do something against His Will." (Using translation from Bukhārī 6339)   

الكبرى للنسائي:١٠٣٤٤أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ عَنِ الْأَعْرَجِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ لَا يَقُلْ أَحَدُكُمُ اللهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي إِنْ شِئْتَ وَلَكِنْ لِيَعْزِمِ الْمَسْأَلَةَ فَإِنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى لَا مُسْتَكْرِهَ لَهُ  

suyuti:26470a
Request/Fix translation

  

السيوطي:٢٦٤٧٠a

"لا يَقُولَنَّ أحَدُكُمْ اللَّهم اغفرْ لي إنْ شِئِتَ، اللَّهمَّ ارْحَمنى إِنْ شِئِتَ، اللَّهمَّ ارْزُقنى إنْ شِئِتَ، ولِيَعزم المَسْألةَ، فإنَّهُ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَاءُ لا مُكْره لَهُ".  

مالك، [حم] أحمد [خ] البخاري [م] مسلم [د] أبو داود [ت] الترمذي [هـ] ابن ماجة عن أبي هريرة