Dua for Leaving Home
Where this dua comes from
The hadith frames this dua as protective in a specific, almost narrated sense: it's said that when a person recites it, they're told (by an angel, in the wording of the report) "you are guided, defended, and protected," and a devil withdraws from them. Whether taken literally or as a way of describing the psychological effect of the words, the content of the dua is straightforward — it's a three-part statement of trust (tawakkul) that covers what's about to happen outside the home: named in Allah's name, relying on Allah for the outcome, and disclaiming any independent power to control what happens next. It pairs naturally with the entering-home dua as a matched set for the two moments that bracket time away.
When to recite
At the doorway, on stepping out.