Du'a al-Sabah (ar|دُعاء الصَّباح) (literally the supplication of Sabah, orison of the morning) is a prayer advised by the first Imam of the Shiites, Ali ibn Abi Talib, to be recited in the morning.[1] This prayer was written on the 28th of September in the year 646 (11th of Dhu al-Hijjah in the year 25 AH)[2] by Ali ibn Abi Talib, learned from Muhammad ibn Abdullah, the Prophet of Islam. Du'a al-Sabah is mentioned by Mohammad-Baqer Majlesi in his books Bihar al-Anwar and Salah. In a treatise by Yahya ibn Qasim Alavi (seventh century AH), it is claimed that a copy of this prayer was written in Kufic script by Imam Ali himself.[3] The oldest authentication related to the Du'a al-Sabah[4] is the book "Ikhtiar al-Misbah" written by "Sayyid Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn Hessan ibn al-Baqi al-Qurashi" in 1255 (653 AH).
This prayer is also known as the Du'a al-Sabah of Amir al-Mu'minin,[5] [6] [7] and most of the material contained in this prayer,[8] [9] is consistent with the teachings of "Quran and Islamic narrations"[10] [11] and has been mentioned in other prayers. Mohammad-Baqer Majlesi advised to recite this prayer after the dawn salah; Sayyid ibn Baqi also recommends reciting it after the dawn supererogatory salah.[3]
The text of the Du'a al-Sabah is as follows:[12] [13]