Ask for prosperity; be patient in adversity Friday, 27 May 2011 04:22

By Sheikh Abdul Mahdi Abdul Qadir

e should always ask Allah for forgiveness and prosperity in this worldly life and in the Hereafter. We should beseech Him to keep us away from trials and from harm.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Ask Allah for certainty in faith and protection from harm, for nothing granted to a person after certainty in faith is better than protection from harm.” (Musnad Ahmad and Sunan Ibn Mâjah with an authentic line of tradition)

The Prophet said: “Ask Allah for forgiveness, wellbeing, and protection from harm, for nothing granted to a person after certainty in faith is better than protection from harm.” (Sunan Al Nasai)

The Prophet heard a man beseech Allah by saying “O Possessor of Majesty and Generosity” (Dhul Jalal wal Ikram). The Prophet told the man: “You are being answered. Ask for what you need.”

Then the Prophet heard someone saying: “O Lord, I ask you for patience.”

He said: “You are asking Allah for trial, so rather ask him for wellbeing.” (Sunan Al Tirmidhî (3527), though it is a weak hadîth as stated by Al Albâni)

Abu Al Darda’ said: “O Messenger of Allah, I prefer to be given good and be thankful rather than to be tested and exercise patience.”

The Prophet said: “And the Messenger of Allah prefers for you to be given good.” (Za’d Al Ma’ad)

There are some verses in the Quran that might appear to contradict what I have mentioned above. Among these is Allah’s saying: “And when they went out against Goliath and his forces they said: ‘Our Lord! Pour down upon us patience, and make our steps firm and assist us against the unbelieving people’.”

Then we have the verse that relates the words of the magicians at the time of Pharaoh after they converted to Islam. “And you do not take revenge on us except because we have believed in the communications of our Lord when they came to us! Our Lord: Pour out upon us patience and cause us to die in submission.” (Surah Al A’raf: 126)

These two verses mention supplications for patience, but these supplications were offered by those people after a most grievous trial had already befallen them. That is the time for such supplications.

The Prophet said: “O people! Do not hope to face the enemy (in battle) and ask Allah to save you (from calamities), but if you should face the enemy, then be patient and let it be known to you that Paradise is under the shades of swords.” (Sahîh Bukharî 2819 and Sahih Muslim 1742)

When affliction befalls a Muslim, he must be patient and reconciled to Allah’s decree. He must not regret or become anxious.

The Prophet said: “If Allah loves some people, He will test them. Whoever is pleased in it, Allah will be pleased with him, and whoever is embittered by it, Allah will be displeased with him.” (Musnad Ahmad and Sunan Al Tirmidhî)

Abu Al Darda’ said: “If Allah decrees something, He likes people to be pleased with it.”

Imran bin Husayn used to say when he was sick: “What is wanted by Him is wanted by me.” The same was said by Abu Al Aliyah.

Al Hasan said: We have visited Imrân bin Husayn when he was sick. One man said: “I have to ask you about your suffering.”

Imrân said: Do not do so, my brother, for by Allah I love suffering, and whoever loves it will be the most beloved of people to Allah. Allah says: ‘And whatever affliction befalls you, it is on account of what your hands have wrought, and yet He pardons most of your faults.’ (Surah Al Shurah: 30)

And this is accounted of what my hands have wrought, and yet what He has pardoned of my faults is far more.”

This is the noble conduct of the pious people when they are tested – not before they are tested.

The person who is spared from calamities has to thank Allah upon seeing a person being tested. The Prophet said: “If a man sees a person suffering from affliction and says: ‘All praise is due to Allah who has spared me from what He has tested you with and who has given me preference over many of His creatures’ then such a trial will not afflict him, whatever it might be.” (Sunan Al Tirmidhî 3428 with an authentic chain of transmission.)

(Surah Al Baqarah: 250)