All perfect praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.
This supplication is part of a Hadeeth (narration) narrated on the authority of Ibn ‘Umar both. In the Hadeeth it was reported that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, never ceased saying the following supplication every morning and every evening:
"Allaahumma inni ’as’aluka al-‘afwa wa al-‘aafiyata fi ad-dunya wa al-aakhirah, allaahumma inni ’as’aluka al-‘afwa wa al-‘aafiyata fi dini wa dunyaaya wa ’ahli wa maali. Allaahumma ustur ‘awraati wa aamin raw‘aati, allaahumma ihfathni min bayn yadayya wa min khalfi wa ’an yamini wa ’an shimaali wa min fawqi wa ’a‘oothu bi‘athamatika ’an ’ughtaala min tahti (O Allaah, I ask You for forgiveness and well-being in this life and in the Hereafter. O Allaah, I ask You for forgiveness and well-being in my religion and worldly affairs, and my family and my wealth. O Allaah, conceal my ‘Awrah’ (all private things from body parts to feelings you want to keep hidden from others) and relieve my dismay. O Allaah, protect me from the front, the back (behind), my right, my left and from above, and I seek refuge in Your Greatness that I may be attacked from below.”)" [Abu Daawood, An-Nasaa'i, Ibn Maajah and Al-Haakim who judged its chain of narrators as Saheeh]
"I seek refuge in Your Greatness that I may be attacked from below" means, according to the interpretation of Wakee‘ ibn Al-Jarraah "Protect me from the sinking of the earth beneath my feet."
And Allaah Knows best.