Whenever the Messenger of Allah ﷺ traveled, he would seek refuge from the hardships of the journey, the gloom of return, decline after prosperity, the supplication of the wronged, and finding any distressing sight upon returning to family and property.In another narration it adds, "He would begin with his family upon his return."In another wording, whenever the Prophet ﷺ traveled he would say, "O Allah, You are the Companion in travel and the Guardian over the family. O Allah, accompany us in our journey and watch over our family in our absence. O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the hardships of the journey, the gloom of return, decline after prosperity, the supplication of the wronged, and any distressing sight concerning family and property."
كان رسول الله ﷺ إذا سافر يتعوذ من وعثاء السفر، وكآبة المنقلب، والحور بعد الكون، ودعوة المظلوم، وسوء المنظر في الأهل والمال. زاد في رواية: يبدأ بالأهل إذا رجع. وفي لفظ: كان النبي ﷺ إذا سافر يقول: اللهم أنت الصاحب في السفر، والخليفة في الأهل، اللهم أصحبنا في سفرنا، واخلفنا في أهلنا، اللهم إني أعوذ بك من وعثاء السفر، وكآبة المنقلب، ومن الحور بعد الكور، ومن دعوة المظلوم، ومن سوء المنظر في الأهل والمال.
Muslim narrated it in the Book of Hajj (1343:426) from Zuhayr bin Harb, who said, Ismail bin Ulaya narrated to us, from Asim Ahwal, from Abdullah bin Sarjas, and he related it with the first wording. The addition was also narrated by Muslim (1343:427) through Abu Muawiya, from Asim, with the same chain. Ibn Majah narrated it (3888) through Abu Muawiya, with the same chain, in which he said, "and when he returned he said the same thing." Tirmidhi narrated it (3439) through Hammad bin Zayd, from Asim Ahwal, with the same chain, and he related it with the second wording. Tirmidhi said, "This is a hasan sahih hadith."As for his saying, "min al-hawr baada al-kawn" or "min al-hawr baada al-kawr," it has been transmitted both ways. Tirmidhi said, "The meaning of his saying, 'al-hawr baada al-kawn or al-kawr,' and both readings have a valid sense, is simply the turning back from faith to disbelief, or from obedience to disobedience. It means turning back from one thing to another, from good to something bad."Nawawi said in his commentary on Muslim, "As for his saying, 'wal-hawr baada al-kawn,' this is how it appears in most manuscripts of Sahih Muslim, 'baada al-kawn' with the nun. In fact, it is scarcely found in the manuscripts of our lands except with the nun, and this is how the precise memorizers of hadith recorded it in Sahih Muslim. The qadi said, 'This is also how Farsi and other transmitters of Sahih Muslim narrated it.'" He said, "Udhri narrated it as 'baada al-kawr' with the ra. He said, 'What is well known in the narration of Asim, which Muslim related from him, is with the nun.'"The qadi said, "Ibrahim Harbi said, 'It is said that Asim erred in this, and that the correct form is al-kawr with the ra.'" I say, meaning Nawawi, "This is not as Harbi claimed. Rather, both are valid narrations. Among those who mentioned both narrations together is Tirmidhi in his Jami, along with many hadith scholars. Abu Ubayd and many scholars of language and rare hadith expressions also mentioned both." He then quoted Tirmidhi's statement and said, "Other scholars have said the same, that the meaning with both the ra and the nun is turning back from steadfastness or increase to decrease." They said, "The narration with the ra is taken from the winding of a turban, meaning its wrapping and gathering, while the narration with the nun is taken from al-kawn, the verbal noun of kana yakunu kawnan, meaning to exist and to be settled."Maziri said, regarding the narration with the ra, "It has also been said that its meaning is, 'I seek refuge in You from turning back from the community after having been part of it,' for it is said, 'kara his turban' when he wound it, and 'hara it' when he unwound it. It has also been said, 'We seek refuge in You from having our affairs corrupted after their soundness, just as a turban becomes disordered after being properly set on the head.'" And regarding the narration with the nun, Abu Ubayd said, "Asim was asked about its meaning, and he said, 'Have you not heard their saying, hara after having been kana, meaning he was in a fine state and then turned back from it?'" And Allah knows best.As for his saying, "and when he returned he said the same thing," it means that when he intended to return from his journey to his home, he said the same words.