Question :
What is the ruling of Sharia on Du`aa Al-Arsh? What are its virtues? And, is it sound or not? This Du`aa starts with "One day Gabriel came to me while I was praying behind the Maqam of Abraham….."
The Answer :
All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.
The Du`aa Al-Arsh that has gone viral on the internet is fabricated, so it isn`t permissible to pass it on or narrate it, and whoever does so is threatened with the severest of punishments. This is because it was narrated that ‘Ali (May Allah be pleased with him) said: "The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said: “Whoever tells a lie about me deliberately, let him take his place in Hell.” {Bukhari & Muslim}.
This Du`aa isn`t known in the books of Sunnah and not passed on by the reliable Muslim scholars. Rather, some people spread it deliberately to pervert and defame the religion of Islam.
Moreover, this Du`aa contains many strange phrases, such as (O Allah, we ask You by Your name, which is written on the wing of Gabriel, on Mikhael and the forehead of Israfil…….).
Ibn Hajar (May Allah have mercy on him) said: "Amongst the evidences indicating that this Du`aa is fabricated is that a severe punishment is set for doing something so small." {An-Nukat Ala Mokhadimat Ibn As-Salah, vol.2/pp.843}.
In conclusion, there are Du`aas narrated from the Prophet {Peace and blessings be upon him}, and the one who limits himself to them will be on the safe side as far as the teachings of Sharia are concerned. In addition, some scholars have collected and printed the Du`aas mentioned in the Quran and the Prophetic Sunnah, so be keen on learning and saying them. One famous Du`aa that the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) used to say is "Our Lord, grant us the good things in this world, and the good things in the next life, and save us from the punishment of the Fire." And Allah the Almighty Knows Best.