Forgiveness, prayers from righteous people, faith, and the commands of seeking Allah’s protection

① Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates from the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), who narrates from his Lord Almighty, saying:

إذا أذنب عبد ذنبا فقال : اللهم اغفر لي ذنبي . فقال تبارك وتعالى : أذنب عبدي ذنبا فعلم أن له ربا يغفر الذنوب ويأخذ بالذنب

“When a servant commits a sin and says, O Allah! Forgive my sin, Allah the Blessed and Exalted says: My servant has sinned, yet he knows that his Lord is the One who forgives sins and also punishes for sins.”
And in another narration:

اعمل ما شئت فقد غفرت لك

“Do whatever you wish, I have forgiven you.”

① Sayyiduna Umar ibn Khattab رضي الله عنه states, I asked the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم for permission to perform Umrah, he granted me permission and said:

لا تنسانا يا أخي من دعائك

“O dear brother! Do not forget us in your prayers.”
Sayyiduna Umar رضي الله عنه states, the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم spoke words that are more beloved to me than having all the things in the world. And in one narration, he said:

أشركنا يا أخي فى دعائك

“O dear brother! Include us in your prayers.”

① Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه narrates, the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

ادعوا الله وأنتم موقنون بالإجابة ، واعلموا أن الله لا يستجيب دعاء من قلب غافل لاه

“Pray to Allah in such a manner that you are certain of acceptance, know that Allah does not accept a supplication made with a heedless and careless heart.”

② It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq رضي الله عنه that he stood on the pulpit and began to weep and said, the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم stood on the pulpit and wept in the first year and said:

سلوا الله العفو والعافية ، فإن أحدا لم يعط بعد اليقين خيرا من العافية

“Ask Allah for forgiveness of sins and well-being, for none among you has been given anything better than well-being after certainty.”

① It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:

تعوذوا بالله من جهد البلاء ، ودرك الشقاء ، وسوء القضاء ، وشماتة الأعداء

“Seek refuge in Allah from severe hardship, from encountering misery, from a bad decree, and from the joy of enemies.”

This indicates that knowledge and power belong solely to Allah Almighty. The servant has no control over it. He only receives what Allah has decreed for him. It is as if he says: O my Lord! You are capable before You create in power. You were capable of granting it to me before and remain capable after.

The following benefits are derived from this hadith:
① A servant cannot be capable despite doing any work.
② Allah Almighty has complete knowledge about the occurrence of anything concerning the servant, his intention towards it, and His power over it. Therefore, it is obligatory for the servant to refer all matters to Allah Almighty, attribute the ability to avoid sins and do good deeds to Him alone, and ask his Lord in all affairs.
Ibn Battal said: Severe hardship means every kind of intense difficulty that a person neither has the strength to bear nor the power to remove.
Some have said: Such hardship that one prefers death over it.

Ibn Battal said: Misery refers to misfortune in the matters of this world and the Hereafter.

Ibn Battal said: Here, “Qada” (decree) means the one who decrees, because Allah’s command is entirely good and contains no evil. Others have said: Qada refers generally to the eternal decree in the pre-eternity concerning universals, and Qadr refers to the detailed decree about the occurrence of particulars related to those universals.

Ibn Battal said: The joy of enemies means such happiness that breaks the heart and affects the self. The Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) taught the Ummah to seek refuge with this supplication because Allah Almighty protected him from all these things. Qadi Iyad (may Allah have mercy on him) also explained it similarly.
Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said: It cannot be precisely determined; rather, it is probable that the Prophet (peace be upon him) sought refuge from his Lord because his Ummah might be afflicted by these, and the narration of Mustawrad in the imperative form supports this.

② Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to supplicate:

اللهم إني أعوذ بك من العجز والكسل والجبن والهرم ، وأعوذ بك من عذاب القبر ، وأعوذ بك من فتنة المحيا والممات

“O Allah! I seek refuge in You from incapacity, laziness, cowardice, and old age, and I seek refuge in You from the torment of the grave and the trials of life and death.”

③ It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to supplicate:

اللهم إني أعوذ بك من الجوع فإنه بئس الضجيع ، وأعوذ بك من الخيانة فإنها بئست البطانة

“O Allah! I seek refuge in You from hunger, for it is an evil companion, and I seek refuge in You from treachery, for it is an evil neighbor.”

④ It is also narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:

اللهم إني أعوذ بك من الفقر والقلة والذلة ، وأعوذ بك من أن أظلم أو أظلم

“O Allah! I seek refuge in You from poverty, scarcity, and humiliation, and I seek refuge in You from committing oppression or being oppressed.”

⑤ And from the same narrator, it is reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to supplicate:

اللهم إني أعوذ بك من عذاب القبر ومن عذاب النار ومن فتنة المحيا والممات ومن فتنة المسيح الدجال

“O Allah! I seek refuge in You from the torment of the grave, the torment of Hell, the trials of life and death, and the trial of the False Messiah (Dajjal).”

⑥ It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to supplicate:

اللهم إني أعوذ بك من الجنون والجذام والبرص ومن سيئ الأسقام

“O Allah! I seek refuge in You from leprosy, vitiligo, madness, and all evil diseases.”

⑦ Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with both of them) reports that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:

اللهم إني أعوذ بك من زوال نعمتك وتحول عافيتك وفجأة نقمتك وجميع سخطك

“O Allah! I seek refuge in You from the loss of Your blessings, the change of Your well-being, Your sudden punishment, and from all Your displeasure.”

⑧ And from the same narrator, it is reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to supplicate:

اللهم إني أعوذ بك من قلب لا يخشع ومن دعاء لا يسمع ومن نفس لا تشبع وعلم لا ينفع، أعوذ بك من هؤلاء الأربع

“O Allah! I seek refuge in You from a heart that does not fear, a supplication that is not heard, a soul that is never satisfied, and knowledge that does not benefit; I seek refuge in You from these four things.”