A common complaint.... a one of a kind answer

Imaam Ibnu Taymiyyah رحمه الله تعالى was asked,

"What is the cure for a person who has been gripped with illness? A person who is in the clasp of destruction? What does a person do if he has been overcome by laziness? How can I be a person who is assisted by Allaah? What is the solution for a person who has been defeated by confusion, for whenever he tries turning to Allaah سبحانه و تعالى his desires prevent him and whenever he seeks to be productive, failure haunts him?"

The Imaam رحمه الله تعالى responded,

دواؤه الالتجاء إِلَى الله ودوام التضرع وَالدُّعَاء بِأَن يتَعَلَّم الْأَدْعِيَة المأثورة ويتوخى الدُّعَاء فِي مظان الْإِجَابَة مثل آخر اللَّيْل وأوقات الْأَذَان وَالْإِقَامَة وَفِي سُجُوده وَفِي أدبار الصَّلَوَات

"His cure is to turn to Allaah سبحانه و تعالى and continue pleading with Him in Du'aah by learning the Du'aah of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) and to carefully choose the times when Du'aah is answered, like the last part of the night, and between the call for prayer and Iqaama, and during prostration, and after prayer.."

وَيضم إِلَى ذَلِك الاسْتِغْفَار فَإِنَّهُ من اسْتغْفر الله ثمَّ تَابَ إِلَيْهِ متعه مَتَاعا حسنا إِلَى أجل مُسَمّى

"He should add to this Istighfaar (asking Allaah for forgiveness), for a person who does this and is subsequently forgiven, Allaah سبحانه و تعالى will give him a life of enjoyment until an appointed time."

وليتخذ وردا من الْأَذْكَار طرفِي النَّهَار وَوقت النّوم وليصبر على مَا يعرض لَهُ من الْمَوَانِع والصوارف فَإِنَّهُ لَا يلبث أَن يُؤَيّدهُ الله بِروح مِنْهُ وَيكْتب الْإِيمَان فِي قلبه

"Let him also adopt a portion of remembrances in the morning and evening and before falling asleep, and let him patiently resist the matters that prevent and distract him from doing this, for it will only be a matter of time before Allaah will start sending him assistance from Him and will write 'imaan within his heart."

Ponder upon this!

When Umar bin al-Khattab (رضي الله عنه) was walking in the market, he passed by a man who was supplicating,

اللهم اجعلني من القليل اللهم اجعلني من القليل
“O Allaah, make me from the few! O Allaah make me from the few!”

So Umar said to him, “Where did you get this du`a’ (supplication) from?” And the man said, “Allaah in His Book says:

و قليل من عبادي الشكور
‘And few of My servants are grateful.’

(Saba, 34:13)

So ‘Umar wept and admonished himself,

“The people are more knowledgeable than you, O Umar! O Allaah make us from Your ‘few’ servants.”

Beneficial Dua.

                                                               

'Abbās (رضي الله عنه) - the uncle of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, came to the Prophet and said, “Ya Rasūlullāh, teach me a du'ā'.” 

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم  said: “O my uncle, say:

"Allāhumma inni asaluka al-'āfiyah.

(O Allāh, I ask you for 'āfiyah).”

What is 'āfiyah?

'Āfiyah means:

*To save me from any afflictions;

*To be healthy, you are in 'āfiyah;

*To have enough money;

*To live, you are in 'āfiyah;

*To have your children protected, you are in 'āfiyah;

*And if you are forgiven and not punished, you are in 'āfiyah.

'Āfiyah means:

“O Allāh, protect me from any pain and suffering.”

**This includes the dunya & the ākhirah.

'Abbās  رضي الله عنه thought about this for a while, and then he came back after a few days and said: “Ya Rasūlullāh, this du'ā' seems a little short. I want something Big.” (paraphrased)

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “My dear uncle, ask Allāh for 'āfiyah for wallāhi, you cannot be given anything better than 'āfiyah.”

It is a simple du'ā'. Sincerely mean what you say.

“O Allāh, I ask You to be saved from any distress, grief, hardship, harm. Don't test me.”

All of this is included in:

“Allāhumma inni asaluka al-'āfiyah”

(Riyadh As-Saliheen, Sunan At-Tirmidhi)

An Important Du’a

The Prophet صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم used to make the following Du’a (i.e. supplication, invocation) as reported by at-Tabaraanee in his book 'ad-Du’a' on the authority of Abu Hurairah رضي اللّه عنـه:

اللهمَّ إني أعوذُ بكَ...من خليلٍ ماكر عينَه تراني، وقلبُه يرعاني؛ إن رأى حسنة دفنها، وإذا رأى سيّئةً أذاعها)

"O Allaah! I seek refuge in you from a companion who plots (against me); his eyes observe me and his heart spies on me; if he sees any good (from me) he conceals it and if he sees any bad (from me) he exposes it."

The above hadeeth has been authenticated by al-Imaam al-Albani رحمه الله as found in his book as-Silsilatu as-Saheehah (3137). He رحمه الله used to end some of his works of research with this Du’a.