The Prophet ﷺ said, "Would you like to strive earnestly in supplication? Say, 'O Allah, help us to give You thanks, to remember You, and to worship You well.'"
عن النبي ﷺ قال: أتحبون أن تجتهدوا في الدعاء؟ قولوا: اللهم أعنا على شكرك وذكرك وحسن عبادتك.
Ahmad (7982) narrated it. He said, I read to Abu Qurra Zubaydi Musa bin Tariq, from Musa (meaning Ibn Uqba), from Abu Salih Samman and Ata bin Yasar, or from one of them, from Abu Hurairah, and he mentioned it. Its isnad is sahih. The uncertainty in the isnad is not a defect, for both Abu Salih and Ata bin Yasar are reliable.As for what is narrated from Abu Hurairah, who said, a supplication I memorized from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ which I never abandon, "O Allah, make me magnify Your gratitude, increase my remembrance of You, follow Your counsel, and preserve Your charge," its isnad is daif. Tirmidhi (3604/2), Ahmad (8101), and Tayalisi (2676) all narrated it through routes from Faraj bin Fadala, from Abu Saeed, or Abu Saad, from Abu Hurairah, and he mentioned it. Its isnad is daif because of the weakness of Faraj bin Fadala, and there is disagreement about the name and lineage of his teacher, who is unknown. Tirmidhi said, "This is a gharib hadith."On this subject there is also a report from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ called Salman the Good and said, "The Prophet of Allah wishes to give you some words that you may ask the Merciful for, that you may turn to Him with, and that you may supplicate with by night and day. Say, O Allah, I ask You for soundness within faith, and faith within good character, and success followed by prosperity, and mercy from You, and well-being, and forgiveness from You, and good pleasure." Nasai narrated it in Amal al-Yawm wal-Layla (21), and Hakim (1/523), both through the route of Abdullah bin Walid, from Abdullah bin Abdul-Rahman bin Hujayra, from his father, from Abu Hurairah, and he mentioned it. Hakim said, "This is a hadith sahih in isnad." I say, in its chain is Abdullah bin Walid, who is Ibn Qays Misri. A group narrated from him, and Ibn Hibban mentioned him among the reliable narrators, but Daraqutni weakened him, saying, "He is not to be relied upon."On this subject there is also a report from Anas, who said, the Prophet ﷺ would say in his supplication, "O Guardian of Islam and its people, keep me firm in it until I meet You." Tabarani narrated it in Awsat (Majma Bahrayn 4678), and through his route Diya in Mukhtara (270/6), and Abu Yaala (Matalib 2965), all through routes from Abul-Wasil Abdul-Hameed bin Wasil, from Anas bin Malik, and he mentioned it. The wording is Tabarani's. Tabarani said, "It is not narrated from Anas except through this isnad. Abul-Wasil narrated it alone." I say, no one has affirmed the reliability of Abul-Wasil Abdul-Hameed bin Wasil except that Ibn Hibban mentioned him among his reliable narrators. Ibn Hajar mentioned this hadith in the biographical entry for Abdul-Wahid bin Wasil Abu Wasil, and quoted from Azdi that he weakened him. It appears that they are the same person, and one of the narrators erred in his name. Allah knows best.Likewise, what is reported from Umar bin Khattab is not sound. He said, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ taught me, saying, "Say, O Allah, make my secret better than my public conduct, and make my public conduct righteous. O Allah, I ask You for a share of the good things You give people, of wealth, family, and children, that neither leads astray nor misleads others." Tirmidhi (3586) narrated it from Muhammad bin Humayd, who related to us from Ali bin Abu Bakr, from Jarrah bin Dahhak Kindi, from Abu Shayba, from Abdullah bin Ukaym, from Umar bin Khattab, and he mentioned it. Tirmidhi said, "This is a gharib hadith. We do not know it except through this route, and its isnad is not strong." I say, it is as he said, for in its isnad is Abu Shayba, who is unknown. It is possible that he is Abu Shayba Wasiti, whose name is Abdul-Rahman bin Ishaq, who is daif. Muhammad bin Humayd is Razi, who is also daif.Likewise, what is reported from Abu Hurairah is not sound, that a man said, O Messenger of Allah, I heard your supplication tonight, and what reached me of it was that you said, "O Allah, forgive me my sin, expand my provision for me, and bless me in what You have provided me." He said, "Do you see that they left anything out?" Tirmidhi (3500) narrated it from Ali bin Hajar, who related to us from Abdul-Hameed bin Umar Hilali, Saeed bin Iyas Jareeri, from Abu Sulayl, from Abu Hurairah, and he mentioned it. Tirmidhi said, "This is a gharib hadith. Abu Sulayl's name is Durayb bin Nufayr, and it is also said Ibn Nuqayr." I say, Durayb did not hear from Abu Hurairah, as Mizzi stated. As for Abdul-Hameed bin Umar Hilali, this is how it appears in Tirmidhi's version, but it is a mistake, as Mizzi stated. The correct name is Abdul-Hameed bin Hasan Hilali, as it appears in Tabarani's Mujam al-Saghir (1019). The majority of scholars weakened him, among them Abu Zura, Ahmad, and Ibn Madini, while Ibn Main's opinion of him varied.Shuba disagreed with him, narrating it instead from Abu Masud (who is Saeed bin Iyas Jareeri), from Humayd bin Qaqa, from a man who used to watch over the Prophet of Allah ﷺ, and he mentioned it. Ahmad (23114) extracted this hadith from Muhammad bin Jafar, from Shuba, through this route. There is also disagreement about it on Shuba's authority, but the reliability of his narration ultimately rests on Humayd, or Ubayd, bin Qaqa, whose situation is unknown. See Tajil Manfaa (477/1). Haythami likewise faulted it on this basis in Majma (11/110).It is also narrated with similar wording from Abu Musa Ashari. Ahmad (19574) narrated it through routes from Abu Majliz (who is Lahiq bin Humayd), from Abu Musa. There is doubt about whether Abu Majliz actually heard from Abu Musa, and Ibn Hajar leaned toward this view in Nataij Afkar (263/1).