Sharh Hadith "Labbayk Allahumma Labbayk
- Author died
- 795 AH
- Editions
- al-Fārūq al-Ḥadīthah lil-Ṭibā‘ah wal-Nashr
Sharh Hadith "Labbayk Allahumma Labbayk" (Explanation of the Hadith "Here I Am, O Allah, Here I Am") is a devotional and theological treatise by the Hanbali scholar Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali (736–795 AH / 1335–1393 CE), explaining a comprehensive daily morning supplication taught by the Prophet ﷺ .
Subject and Primary Source
The treatise is structured as an exposition of a hadith recorded by Ahmad ibn Hanbal and al-Hakim al-Nisaburi on the authority of the Companion Zayd ibn Thabit . In the report, the Prophet ﷺ taught Zayd a supplication and instructed him to commit his family to recite it every morning, beginning with:
قُلْ حِينَ تُصْبِحُ: لَبَّيْكَ اللهُمَّ لَبَّيْكَ وَسَعْدَيْكَ، وَالْخَيْرُ فِي يَدَيْكَ وَمِنْكَ وَبِكَ وَإِلَيْكَ... "Say in the morning: 'Here I am, O Allah, here I am, at Your service; all good is in Your Hands, and from You, through You, and to You...'"
Structure and Themes
Ibn Rajab provides a phrase-by-phrase commentary addressing linguistic derivation, jurisprudence, theology, and spiritual ethics:
- Linguistic Meaning of Talbiyah: Ibn Rajab explains that لَبَّيْكَ اللهُمَّ لَبَّيْكَ (Labbayk Allahumma labbayk) signifies answering God's call repeatedly and continuously rather than a literal dual number, comparing it to the Quranic phrasing ثُمَّ ارْجِعِ الْبَصَرَ كَرَّتَيْنِ ("Then return your gaze twice over") . He traces its root to labba bi-l-makan ("to remain in a place and adhere to it"), indicating constant adherence to obedience and swiftness in response . Similarly, he defines sa'dayk as continuous service and submission .
- Theology and Divine Will (al-Mashiah): Commenting on the phrase وَالْخَيْرُ فِي يَدَيْكَ وَمِنْكَ وَبِكَ وَإِلَيْكَ ("and all good is in Your Hands, and from You, through You, and to You"), he explains that all goodness originates from God, is sustained solely through Him, and returns to His proximity in the Hereafter . He analyzes the clause submitting all statements, vows, and oaths to God's antecedent will, linking it to the realization of God's exclusive Lordship (tawhid al-rububiyyah) and absolute power .
- Legal Discussions on Exceptions (al-Istithna'): Ibn Rajab reviews scholarly positions—including those cited by Abu Sulayman al-Khattabi, Abu Dawud, and Malik ibn Anas—concerning whether intending an exception (in sha' Allah) at the beginning of the day or after an oath protects against perjury or sin .
- Guardianship over Speech: Addressing the clause concerning prayers and curses, the author highlights the pitfalls of the tongue, discussing prophetic warnings about improper cursing and how preemptively entrusting one's praise and blame to God's judgment shields a believer from transgression .
- Spiritual Aspirations: Ibn Rajab expounds upon the supplication's closing requests, including dying upon Islam, being joined with the righteous, contentment after divine decree (al-rida ba'da al-qada'), the delight of life after death (bard al-'aysh ba'da al-mawt), longing to meet God, and the bliss of gazing upon His Countenance in Paradise .
Method
Ibn Rajab supports his commentary by drawing on related prophetic traditions, Quranic verses, and the statements of early scholars and ascetics, such as al-Hasan al-Basri and Ibrahim ibn Adham . Throughout the text, he integrates lines of devotional poetry to illustrate spiritual longing, sincere detachment from sensory worldly pursuits, and the distinction between the nourishment of the physical body and the nourishment of the soul .
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