Some Supplications and Their Superiorities

A- Supplication at Bed-Time:

The Prophet, peace be upon him, instructed his Companions that when they go to bed they should supplicate, "In Your name, O Lord, I lay me down to sleep. And by Your leave I raise myself up. So if You take away my soul during sleep, forgive it, and if You keep it alive after sleep protect it just as You protect Your pious servants (Bismika rabbi wada’tu janbi wa bika arf’uhu, fa’in amsakta nafsi farhamha, wa in arsaltaha fahfadh ha bima tahfadhu bihi ‘ibadakas salihin)." (Agreed Upon).

The Prophet, peace be upon him, said to Bara, "When you go to bed make Wudu (ablution) as you do for the regular prayer, and then lie down on your right side and say, ' O Allah, I surrender my soul to You, and I turn my face toward You, and I trust my affairs to Your care. I turn to You in fear and hope. There is no refuge nor any protection against You except in You. I believe in Your book which You have revealed to Your Prophet whom You sent (Allahumma aslamtu nafsi ilayk, wa wajjahtu wajhi ilayk, wa fawwadtu amri ilayk, wa alja’tu dhahri ilayk, raghbatan wa rahbatan ilayk. La malja’a wa la manja minka illa ilayk, amantu bikitaikal ladhi anzalt, wa binabiyyikal  ladhi arsalt)'."  Then he added, "If you die, you will die in your true nature, and these words will be your last words." (Agreed Upon).

B- Supplication When one is in Debt and Distress:

'Ali related that a slave, who had agreed on terms of his freedom with his master, came to him and said, "I cannot pay my master as I agreed in the terms of freedom, so help me." 'Ali said to him, "Let me teach you the supplication that the Prophet, peace be upon him, taught me. If you say it, Allah will cause your debt to be paid even if it be as great as a mountain. Say, 'O Allah, make Your lawful bounties sufficient for me so as to save me from what is unlawful, and from Your grace grant me sufficient abundance to make me free from the need of all except You'." (Reported by Tirmidhi, who considers it sound)

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported, "One day the Prophet, peace be upon him, entered the mosque. He saw there a man from the Ansar called Abu Umamah.  He asked, 'What is the matter with you that I see you sitting in the mosque when it is not the time of prayer.' He replied, 'I am very much worried and in great debt, O Messenger of Allah!' The Prophet said, 'Let me teach you words to say so that Allah will remove your worries and settle your debt?' He exclaimed, 'Of course, O, Messenger of Allah.' The Prophet said, 'Say in morning and evening, "O Allah, I seek refuge in You from all worry and grief. I seek refuge in You from incapacity and slackness. I seek refuge in You from cowardice and niggardliness, and I seek refuge in You from being overcome by debt and being subjected to men".' The man said, 'When I did that, Allah removed all my worries and settled my debt'." (Reported by Abu Daw'ud).