Three things in three words
It covers what a person is, does, and wants.
أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ مُنْكَرَاتِ الأَخْلاَقِ وَالأَعْمَالِ وَالأَهْوَاءِ
Aʿūdhu bika min munkarāti-l-akhlāqi wa-l-aʿmāli wa-l-ahwāʾ
“I seek refuge in You from bad character, bad deeds, and bad desires.”
Where this comes from
The order runs inward. Deeds are what people see. Character is what produces them. Desires are what is underneath both, and they come last because they come first.
The full narration
Ziyad bin `Ilaqah narrated from his uncle, that he said:“[The Prophet (ﷺ)] used to say: ‘O Allah, I seek refuge in You from evil character, evil actions, and evil desires (Allāhumma innī a`ūdhu bika min munkarātil-akhlāqi wal-a`māli wal-ahwā’).’”
Source
Jāmiʿ at-Tirmidhī · 3591
Ṣaḥīḥ
- Ahmad Muhammad Shakir: Sahih
- Al-Albani: Sahih
- Zubair Ali Zai: Sahih