Is it acceptable for a woman to say in her du’a (supplication), “Allahumma anta rabbiy la ilaha illa anta khalaqtani wa ana amatuka (O Allah, You are my Lord, there is no god but You, You have created me and I am your female slave)” or should she say “ana ‘abduka (lit. I am Your male slave)”?


Praise be to Allah.

The matter is broad in scope.
She may say the words that suit her (i.e., the feminine form) and say Ana
amatuka (I am Your female slave), or she may use the wording of the du’a
that is narrated, because it is describing the person who is speaking, and
may apply to both male and female. 

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah
was asked about a woman who heard in the hadeeth “Allahumma innee ‘abduka
wa’bnu ‘abdika, nasiyati bi yadika (O Allah, I am Your slave, son of
Your slave, my forelock is in Your hand)” and she persisted in using this
wording. It was said to her: Say “Allahumma innee ‘amatuka bint amatika …
(O Allah, I am Your female slave, daughter of Your female slave…)” but
she insisted on reciting it in the wording that she had been using. Was she
right or not? 

He replied: 

Rather she should say “Allahumma
inni amatuka bint ‘abdika ibn amatika (O Allah, I am Your female slave,
daughter of Your (male) slave, son of Your female slave). This is more
appropriate. But if she says ‘abduka ibn ‘abdika, then it is
acceptable in Arabic usage, like the word zawj (spouse) which may be
applied to both male and female. End quote. 


Majmoo’ Fatawa Ibn Taymiyah
(2/177). 

Ibn Hajar al-Haythami (may
Allah have mercy on him) said in al-Fatawa al-Kubra (5/342): A
woman may say in sayyid al-istighfar and similar du’as: Wa ana amatuka
bint amatika (I am Your female slave daughter of Your female slave) or
bint ‘abdika (daughter of your male slave). But if she says ana
‘abduka (lit. I am Your (male) slave), this is acceptable in Arabic
usage, like the word shakhs (person) which may be used for both male
and female. End quote. 

Al-Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn
Baz (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about this and he replied: The
matter is broad in scope, insha Allah, but it is better for her to say
Allahumma inni amatuka wa’bnatu ‘abdika wa’bnatu amatika (O Allah, I am
Your female slave, daughter of Your male slave, daughter of Your female
slave), and so on. This is more appropriate and more befitting for her. But
if she says the wording that is narrated in the hadeeth, it does not matter
insha Allah, because although she is amah she is also ‘abd,
one of the slaves of Allah (‘ibaad Allah). End quote. 


Majmoo’ Fatawa Ibn Baz
(6/76). 

And Allah knows best.