(Extracted from the book “How to Perform Ruqyah on Yourself – Protection & Treatment from Evil Eye, Magic, and Possession” by Shakhbūt bin Ṣāliḥ bin ʿAbd al-Hādī al-Marrī)
Arabic (Al-Baqarah 155–157):
وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ الَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَتْهُمْ مُصِيبَةٌ قَالُوا إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ أُولَئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَاتٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ وَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُهْتَدُونَ
Translation:
“And give glad tidings to the patient — those who, when a calamity strikes them, say: Surely we belong to Allah, and surely to Him we shall return. Upon such people are blessings from their Lord and His mercy, and they are the rightly guided.”
Some of the Salaf, when consoled over a calamity, would say:
“How can I not be patient upon a calamity when my Lord has promised me three things — each of which is more beloved to me than the whole world and everything in it?”
① His blessings (ṣalawāt)
② His mercy
③ His guidance
Arabic:
إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ، اللَّهُمَّ أَجْرْنِي فِي مُصِيبَتِي وَاخْلُفْ لِي خَيْرًا مِنْهَا
Translation:
“Indeed, we belong to Allah and indeed to Him we shall return. O Allah! Grant me reward in my calamity, and grant me better than it in exchange.”
“Whoever says this when afflicted, Allah grants him reward for his calamity and gives him something better in place of it.”
This phrase إنا لله وإنا إليه راجعون is a proven and powerful remedy for calamities, and it is the best path to receiving a better replacement.
If the afflicted person reflects, he will see that the reward stored for him with Allah is far greater than the loss he suffered.
Had this calamity not occurred, he would not have earned this reward.
He should also think that Allah could have tested him with something even worse.
The believer must be certain that whatever befell him could never have missed him, and whatever missed him could never have befallen him.
Arabic (Al-Ḥadīd 22–23):
مَا أَصَابَ مِنْ مُصِيبَةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي أَنْفُسِكُمْ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابٍ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ نَبْرَأَهَا...
Translation:
“No calamity strikes on earth or within yourselves except that it is written in a Book before We bring it into existence… so that you may not grieve over what escapes you, nor exult arrogantly over what He gives you. And Allah does not love every self-deluded boaster.”
Let him soothe his pain by recalling the suffering of others. Every valley has its share of fortunate ones (i.e., those who succeed through patience).
Crying and lamentation do not bring anything back; rather, they increase the pain.
Lamentation pleases the enemy, harms the friend, angers Allah, delights Shayṭān, destroys the reward, and weakens the soul.
A person will return to Allah just as he came into this world — without wealth, family, or companions.
Only his deeds will accompany him:
If good — a good companion;
If bad — an evil companion.
Even if the lost wealth were to remain forever, the reward stored by Allah is far greater —
including Bayt al-Ḥamd (the House of Praise) in Paradise, built for one who says إنا لله وإنا إليه راجعون and is patient.
When a believer’s child dies, Allah asks the angels:
“Have you taken the soul of My servant’s child?”
They say: “Yes.”
Allah asks: “Did you take the soul of his beloved one?”
They say: “Yes.”
He asks: “What did My servant say?”
They say: “He praised You and said: إنا لله وإنا إليه راجعون.”
Allah says:
“Build for My servant a house in Paradise and call it Bayt al-Ḥamd (The House of Praise).”
“And whoever is displeased, for him is displeasure.”
“When Allah loves a servant, He tests him. Whoever is pleased (with the decree), for him is pleasure; and whoever is displeased, for him is displeasure.”
And he said:
“Whoever wails and laments, for him is wailing (meaning: punishment for it).”
A person must know that eventually he will be forced to be patient, but this forced patience has no virtue.
“Indeed, patience is at the first strike of calamity.”
The One who decreed the calamity is the Wisest of judges and Most Merciful of the merciful.
He tests to see the servant’s patience, faith, and submission to destiny, and to hear his pleas and humility.
“When Allah intends good for a person, He afflicts him.”
Were it not for worldly trials, man would fall into arrogance, self-admiration, hardness of heart, and other diseases that could destroy him.
Thus, calamities are mercy and protection from greater harms.
The pains of this world are transformed into the joys of the Hereafter, and the pleasures of this world become the hardships of the Hereafter.
“The sweetness of this world is the bitterness of the Hereafter, and the bitterness of this world is the sweetness of the Hereafter.”
◈ Patience Over Calamity
❀ Allah, the Most High, says:
Arabic (Al-Baqarah 155–157):
وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ الَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَتْهُمْ مُصِيبَةٌ قَالُوا إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ أُولَئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَاتٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ وَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُهْتَدُونَ
Translation:
“And give glad tidings to the patient — those who, when a calamity strikes them, say: Surely we belong to Allah, and surely to Him we shall return. Upon such people are blessings from their Lord and His mercy, and they are the rightly guided.”
Some of the Salaf, when consoled over a calamity, would say:
“How can I not be patient upon a calamity when my Lord has promised me three things — each of which is more beloved to me than the whole world and everything in it?”
Reference: This meaning is taken from Ibn al-Qayyim, Zād al-Maʿād 4/146
The three promises of Allah are:
① His blessings (ṣalawāt)
② His mercy
③ His guidance
Reference: ʿUddat al-Ṣābirīn, Ibn al-Qayyim: 131
◈ The Supplication for Calamity
❀ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
Arabic:
إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ، اللَّهُمَّ أَجْرْنِي فِي مُصِيبَتِي وَاخْلُفْ لِي خَيْرًا مِنْهَا
Translation:
“Indeed, we belong to Allah and indeed to Him we shall return. O Allah! Grant me reward in my calamity, and grant me better than it in exchange.”
“Whoever says this when afflicted, Allah grants him reward for his calamity and gives him something better in place of it.”
Reference: Muslim: 918
This phrase إنا لله وإنا إليه راجعون is a proven and powerful remedy for calamities, and it is the best path to receiving a better replacement.
◈ Reflections for the One Afflicted by Calamity
✦ Recognize the Immense Reward in Patience
If the afflicted person reflects, he will see that the reward stored for him with Allah is far greater than the loss he suffered.
Had this calamity not occurred, he would not have earned this reward.
He should also think that Allah could have tested him with something even worse.
✦ Firm Belief in Destiny
The believer must be certain that whatever befell him could never have missed him, and whatever missed him could never have befallen him.
❀ Allah says:
Arabic (Al-Ḥadīd 22–23):
مَا أَصَابَ مِنْ مُصِيبَةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي أَنْفُسِكُمْ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابٍ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ نَبْرَأَهَا...
Translation:
“No calamity strikes on earth or within yourselves except that it is written in a Book before We bring it into existence… so that you may not grieve over what escapes you, nor exult arrogantly over what He gives you. And Allah does not love every self-deluded boaster.”
✦ Comfort Yourself by Remembering Others Afflicted
Let him soothe his pain by recalling the suffering of others. Every valley has its share of fortunate ones (i.e., those who succeed through patience).
✦ Know That Crying and Wailing Does Not Change Anything
Crying and lamentation do not bring anything back; rather, they increase the pain.
Lamentation pleases the enemy, harms the friend, angers Allah, delights Shayṭān, destroys the reward, and weakens the soul.
✦ Realize That Ultimately One Must Return Alone to Allah
A person will return to Allah just as he came into this world — without wealth, family, or companions.
Only his deeds will accompany him:
If good — a good companion;
If bad — an evil companion.
✦ The Reward of Patience Surpasses the Lost Wealth
Even if the lost wealth were to remain forever, the reward stored by Allah is far greater —
including Bayt al-Ḥamd (the House of Praise) in Paradise, built for one who says إنا لله وإنا إليه راجعون and is patient.
❀ The Prophet ﷺ said:
When a believer’s child dies, Allah asks the angels:
“Have you taken the soul of My servant’s child?”
They say: “Yes.”
Allah asks: “Did you take the soul of his beloved one?”
They say: “Yes.”
He asks: “What did My servant say?”
They say: “He praised You and said: إنا لله وإنا إليه راجعون.”
Allah says:
“Build for My servant a house in Paradise and call it Bayt al-Ḥamd (The House of Praise).”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Tirmidhī: 1021
✦ Whoever Is Pleased With Allah’s Decree, For Him Is Pleasure
“And whoever is displeased, for him is displeasure.”
❀ The Prophet ﷺ said:
“When Allah loves a servant, He tests him. Whoever is pleased (with the decree), for him is pleasure; and whoever is displeased, for him is displeasure.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Tirmidhī: 2396 — authenticated by al-Albānī
And he said:
“Whoever wails and laments, for him is wailing (meaning: punishment for it).”
Reference: Aḥmad: 5/427; al-Ṣaḥīḥah: 146; Ṣaḥīḥ al-Jāmiʿ: 2110
✦ Forced Patience Has No Reward
A person must know that eventually he will be forced to be patient, but this forced patience has no virtue.
❀ The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Indeed, patience is at the first strike of calamity.”
Reference: al-Bukhārī: 1283; Muslim: 2140
✦ Allah Tests Out of Wisdom and Mercy
The One who decreed the calamity is the Wisest of judges and Most Merciful of the merciful.
He tests to see the servant’s patience, faith, and submission to destiny, and to hear his pleas and humility.
❀ The Prophet ﷺ said:
“When Allah intends good for a person, He afflicts him.”
Reference: al-Bukhārī: 5645
✦ Calamities Prevent Arrogance and Destruction
Were it not for worldly trials, man would fall into arrogance, self-admiration, hardness of heart, and other diseases that could destroy him.
Thus, calamities are mercy and protection from greater harms.
✦ The Bitterness of the World Is the Sweetness of the Hereafter
The pains of this world are transformed into the joys of the Hereafter, and the pleasures of this world become the hardships of the Hereafter.
❀ The Prophet ﷺ said:
“The sweetness of this world is the bitterness of the Hereafter, and the bitterness of this world is the sweetness of the Hereafter.”
Reference: Aḥmad: 4/310; authenticated by al-Dhahabī and al-Albānī in al-Ṣaḥīḥah: 1817
