Authored by: Fadhilat al-Shaykh Hafiz Abdul Sattar Hammad (may Allah preserve him)
[Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, 2716]
"O Allah! I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done and from the evil of what I have not done."
I asked the Mother of the Believers, ʿĀʾishah (رضي الله عنها), what supplication the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would often recite. She referred to the above-mentioned supplication.
This supplication encompasses a plea for:
❖ Protection from the consequences and evil of one’s past deeds.
❖ Divine aid to abstain from evil acts in the future.
❖ Acknowledgement of human weakness, seeking distance from sins one has not committed yet—lest a person persist in falsehood and find satisfaction in it.
A comprehensive supplication of the Prophet ﷺ in this regard is:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ وَالْجُبْنِ وَالْهَرَمِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ فِتْنَةِ الْمَحْيَا وَالْمَمَاتِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 2823]
"O Allah! I seek refuge in You from incapacity, laziness, cowardice, senility, and I seek refuge in You from the trials of life and death, and from the punishment of the grave."
❶ Incapacity or laziness
❷ Lack of initiative or courage
❸ Cowardice
❹ Miserliness
❺ Old age (with its associated weaknesses)
The Prophet ﷺ instructed seeking protection from all these debilitating factors.
وَاللهُ أَعْلَمُ
✦ A Supplication of Protection from One’s Deeds ✦
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا عَمِلْتُ وَمِنْ شَرِّ مَا لَمْ أَعْمَلْ[Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, 2716]
"O Allah! I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done and from the evil of what I have not done."
✦ Benefits ✦
Ḥaḍrat Farwah ibn Nawfal al-Ashjaʿī narrates:I asked the Mother of the Believers, ʿĀʾishah (رضي الله عنها), what supplication the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would often recite. She referred to the above-mentioned supplication.
This supplication encompasses a plea for:
❖ Protection from the consequences and evil of one’s past deeds.
❖ Divine aid to abstain from evil acts in the future.
❖ Acknowledgement of human weakness, seeking distance from sins one has not committed yet—lest a person persist in falsehood and find satisfaction in it.
✦ Meaning of Isti‘ādhah ✦
Isti‘ādhah means to seek protection, safety, and shelter from Allah against all types of hardships, troubles, and sufferings.A comprehensive supplication of the Prophet ﷺ in this regard is:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ وَالْجُبْنِ وَالْهَرَمِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ فِتْنَةِ الْمَحْيَا وَالْمَمَاتِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 2823]
"O Allah! I seek refuge in You from incapacity, laziness, cowardice, senility, and I seek refuge in You from the trials of life and death, and from the punishment of the grave."
✦ Key Insights ✦
Failure in both religious and worldly matters often stems from five causes:❶ Incapacity or laziness
❷ Lack of initiative or courage
❸ Cowardice
❹ Miserliness
❺ Old age (with its associated weaknesses)
The Prophet ﷺ instructed seeking protection from all these debilitating factors.
وَاللهُ أَعْلَمُ
