Supplication against Abu Lahab's Son "O Allah Send One of Your Dogs Against Him"

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

والعاقبة للمتقين

 

In the previous entry I talked about the destruction of two of the Prophet’s implacable adversaries, Amir b. Tufail and Arbad b. Qays who suddenly died of plague and a lightning strike respectively. In the case of Amir, an Angel was sent by Allah who hit Amir’s knees with his wings knocking him into the dust. Two massive ulcers then grew on Amir’s knees resembling that of a camel’s, and this deadly afflicted cost him his life immediately thereafter while he was seeking refuge in the house of a woman of Bani Salul.

Another one of the Prophet’s worst enemies was the son of the wretched Abu Lahab, namely, Lahab or Utayba b. Abi Lahab, who used to abuse and ridicule the beloved Prophet ﷺ. Therefore, the Prophet ﷺ invoked a prayer against him, saying:

 

اللَّهُمَّ سَلِّطْ عَلَيْهِ كَلْبَكَ

“O Allah; send against him a dog of Yours”

 

When Utayba, while setting out on a journey to the Levant, learnt of the Prophet’s special prayer against him, he became extremely fearful. However, his companions reassured him. They told him that at night they would surround him, and that they would place him at the top of their piled up luggage so that no one would be able to reach him without first going through them. But when night fell, a ferocious lion appeared out of the wilderness, pounced over everyone and went straight for Utayba, taking him away and devouring him. (Mustadrak al-Hakim) Thus the supplication of the Prophet ﷺ was amazingly and literally fulfilled, and is yet another mighty sign of him being a true Prophet of God.