Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (رضي الله عنه) said:

“On the day of Al-Khandaq (Battle of the Ditch), we said: O Messenger of Allāh, is there anything we should say, for our hearts have reached our throats.

He said: “Yes, say”: [Singular form in brackets]

اللَّهُمَّ اسْتُرْ عَوْرَاتِنَا وَآمِنْ رَوْعَاتِنَا [اللَّهُمَّ اسْتُرْ عَوْرَاتِي وَآمِنْ رَوْعَاتِي]

Allahummastur Aw’raatinaa wa amin Raw’aatinaa [Allahummastur Aw’raati wa amin Raw’aati]

O Allah, cover our defects and weaknesses, and relieve us of our fears [O Allah, cover my defects and weaknesses, and relieve me of my fears]

Then (Allah) struck the faces of the enemy with the wind, and defeated them with the wind.”

[Recorded by Ahmad 3/3, and al-Bazzār 3119.

This was also recorded by Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal from Abu ‘Amir Al-`Aqadi (Tafsir ibn Kathir 33:9-10).

Authenticated by al-Albani in as-Sahihah 2018]

PS: These words are also part of the Morning and Evening Adhkar. See Abu Dawood 5074 & Ibn Majah 3871 & Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 698.

Explanation of the Dua:

The Prophet’s (ﷺ) saying: ‘… O Allah cover my ‘Aw-rat’ (defects and weaknesses)…’ – means cover my defects, my mistakes and my shortcomings, and everything which will sadden me if it is uncovered.

Included in this is the protection from one’s private parts being exposed.

The private area for men is that which is between the navel and the knees; while the private area for women is the whole of her body.

It is befitting of the woman to strictly observe the recitation of this supplication, especially in this era in which women’s shamelessness and immorality in every corner of the earth is on the increase, and there is an absence of care or concern for covering and Islamic dress.

One (female) is showing her forearm, another is uncovering her thigh, a third is showing the lower and upper part of her chest and throat, while others are doing that which is much more severe and filthy than this.

At the same time the virtuous, protected Muslim woman avoids all of this, and she is always constantly asking Allah to protect and preserve her from trials (and corruption), and to favour her with the covering of her ‘awrah (i.e. all that must be covered and not revealed).

The Prophet’s (ﷺ) saying: ‘…and relieve me of my ‘Raw-at’ (fears)…’ – al-Amnu (safety and security) is the opposite of Khawf (danger). Raw-‘at is the plural of raw-‘ah which means fear and sadness.

This entails asking Allah to distance him from every matter which frightens him, saddens him or causes him distress. The use of the plural here (Raw-at) is an indication that these fears are many.

[Excerpt taken from the book ‘Explanation of the Morning and Evening Adhkār (Words of Remembrance of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ)’ Taken from ‘Fiqh al-Ad’iyah wal-Adhkār’ Shaykh Abdur-Razzaq ibn Abdul-Muhsin al-Badr]