Al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib is reported to have said: ''I said to the prophet: 'O Messenger of Allah teach me something to ask Allah most high'. He replied: 'Ask Allah for well-being'. I waited several days, then called on him again. 'O messenger of Allah, ask Allah for well-being in this world and in hereafter'''.

The above prayer should take the form: ''O Allah, we ask you for forgiveness and well-being in this world and the hereafter (Allahuma inna nasa'olaka al Afw wal Afyyah fel dunyya wal akherah)''.

Here are some more prayers (Dua's) which the prophet used to say and to teach his companions. Ibn Umar said: ''It rarely happened that the prophet left a gathering without saying: ''O Allah, put in our hearts a portion of fear with which you would help us to reach paradise; and a portion of certainty (Yaqin) with which you make it easy for us the benefit of our hearing, sight and strength as long as you keep us alive; and make these oulast us. O Allah, contrive our vengeance upon those who oppress us, and give us victory over our enemies. O Allah, make not this world our greatest worry, nor the highest reach of our knowledge. O Allah, appoint not for us rulers who have no mercy upon us'''.

In Arabic, the above dua' should be pronounced like this: '' Allahoma Aqsim lana men khashyatek ma tubalighna bihi jannatak, w min al-yaqin ma tuhawwanu bihi alayna masaib addunya. Allahumma mattina bi asmai'na wa absarina wa quwwatina ma ahyaytana, wa jalhu alwarith minna, wa ja'al thara'ana ala man zalamana wa ansurna ala man ad'aana, wala taj'aal addunya akbar hamina wala mablagha ilmina, wala tusalit alayna man la yarhamuna''.

Ibn Masoud said that the prophet used to say: "O Allah, I ask you for guidance and piety, virtue and freedom from want''. In Arabic: Allahumma ini Asa'olaka Al huda wal tuqa wal Afaf wal ghina''.

In another version of the same Hadith, Tariq said: that when a man came and asked, "messenger of Allah, how should I speak when asking something of my lord?''

The prophet said, ''Say, O Allah, forgive me, have mercy on me, guide me, grant me good health and provide for me' ( Allahuma aghfir li warhamni wahdini wa afini warzuqni). These words combine your {interests in} this world and the next world''.

Abu Hurayrah reported that the prophet used to say: ''O Allah, set right my faith, which is the safeguard of my affairs; set right my worldly life, which I have to live; set right my life in the hereafter, to which I shall be returned; make life a source of abundance for me in every good and make death a relief for me from all evil'' (in Arabic): '' Allahuma Aslih li dinii alghi hwa Ismat Amri, waslih li Akhirati al-lati fiha maadi, wa jaal al hayaa zeyadatan li min kullli khayr wajaal al mwta rahtan li min kol sharr''.)