“O Messenger of Allah, which supplication is the best?” He ﷺ said: “Ask Your Lord For Al-ʿĀfiyah and Al-Muʿāfāh in this world and in the Hereafter.” Then he came to him on the second day and said: “O Messenger of Allah, which supplication is the best?” So he ﷺ said to him similar to that. Then he came to him on the third day, so he ﷺ said to him similar to that. He ﷺ said: “So when you have been given Al-ʿĀfiyah in this world, and you have been given it in the Hereafter, then you have succeeded.”

أَنَّ رَجُلاً جَاءَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَىُّ الدُّعَاءِ أَفْضَلُ قَالَ سَلْ رَبَّكَ الْعَافِيَةَ وَالْمُعَافَاةَ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالآخِرَةِ ثُمَّ أَتَاهُ فِي الْيَوْمِ الثَّانِي فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَىُّ الدُّعَاءِ أَفْضَلُ فَقَالَ لَهُ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ أَتَاهُ فِي الْيَوْمِ الثَّالِثِ فَقَالَ لَهُ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ قَالَ فَإِذَا أُعْطِيتَ الْعَافِيَةَ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَأُعْطِيتَهَا فِي الآخِرَةِ فَقَدْ أَفْلَحْتَ قَالَ هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ إِنَّمَا نَعْرِفُهُ مِنْ حَدِيثِ سَلَمَةَ بْنِ وَرْدَانَ

I said, “O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, if I come to know which night is the Night of Decree, what should I say in it?” He said, “Say:

allāhumma innaka ʿafuwwun karīmun, tuḥibb al-ʿafwa, faʿfu ʿanni

O Allah, You are Pardoning and Generous; You love pardon, so pardon me.”

قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ عَلِمْتُ أَىُّ لَيْلَةٍ لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ مَا أَقُولُ فِيهَا؟ قَالَ: قُولِي:

«اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ كَرِيمٌ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي»

“I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, teach me something that I may ask Allah, [Mighty and Sublime] for.’ He ﷺ said: ‘Ask Allah for Al-ʿĀfiyah.’ Then I remained for a day, then I came and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, teach me something that I may ask Allah for.’ So he ﷺ said to me: “O Abbas, O uncle of the Messenger of Allah! Ask Allah for Al-ʿĀfiyah in the world and in the Hereafter.”

قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ عَلِّمْنِي شَيْئًا أَسْأَلُهُ اللَّهَ ﷻ قَالَ سَلِ اللَّهَ الْعَافِيَةَ فَمَكَثْتُ أَيَّامًا ثُمَّ جِئْتُ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ عَلِّمْنِي شَيْئًا أَسْأَلُهُ اللَّهَ فَقَالَ لِي يَا عَبَّاسُ يَا عَمَّ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ سَلِ اللَّهَ الْعَافِيَةَ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالآخِرَةِ

“Allah has not been asked for anything more beloved to Him than being asked for Al-ʿĀfiyah.]

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَا سُئِلَ اللَّهُ شَيْئًا أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ أَنْ يُسْأَلَ الْعَافِيَةَ هَذَا حَدِيثٌ غَرِيبٌ لاَ نَعْرِفُهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ حَدِيثِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ الْمُلَيْكِيِّ