Wellbeing
In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.
Imam Abdul Aziz Bin Baz, may Allah have mercy upon him, was asked: The question is from Imran Farghali. He is an Egyptian residing in Al-Qassim, (specifically) in Buraidah. He says in this message, “Is it permissible for a person to supplicate to their Lord to distance him from trials and tribulations related to the religion, oneself, wealth, or children, despite the fact that it is mentioned in Allah’s mighty book (i.e. that one will face trial)?
أَحَسِبَ النَّاسُ أَنْ يُتْرَكُوا أَنْ يَقُولُوا آمَنَّا وَهُمْ لا يُفْتَنُونَ
Do people think that they will be left alone because they say: “We believe,” and will not be tested. (Al-Ankabut 2)
وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ بِشَيْءٍ مِنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِنَ الأَمْوَالِ وَالأَنفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ
And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but give glad tidings to As-Sabirin (the patient ones, etc.). (Al-Baqarah 155)
And the statement of Allah, The Exalted, regarding what some hypocrites said to Allah’s the Messenger during the departure for some military campaigns:
ائْذَنْ لِي وَلا تَفْتِنِّي أَلا فِي الْفِتْنَةِ سَقَطُوا وَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ لَمُحِيطَةٌ بِالْكَافِرِينَ
Grant me leave (to be exempted from Jihad) and put me not into trial.” Surely, they have fallen into trial. And verily, Hell is surrounding the disbelievers. (Al-Tawbah 49)
Response: Yes, you (are permitted) to ask, and you should seek refuge in Allah from the trials, both those that are apparent and those that are hidden, as well as from the misleading trials. The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, sought refuge from such trials, and the authenticity of this has been reported from him. The fact that these trials occur does not mean that one is prevented from seeking refuge from them that they should not to occur. [Footnote a] Some people are led astray by a trial and face destruction. There is nothing to prevent you from asking your Lord, saying: “Protect me from the trials, both those that are apparent and those that are hidden. O Allah, protect me from the misleading trials. O Allah, protect me from the trials related to my wealth and my children.” You should ask your Lord for wellbeing that He protects you from these trials because wealth can be a trial, children can be a trial, and certain spouses and relatives can also be a trial. You should ask your Lord for wellbeing, for you may find yourself put to trial by your child, thus, you become misguided; you may be put to trial through your wealth, thus, you become misguided; you may be put to trial through your wife, thus, you become misguided through her; you may be put to trial through your friends, thus, you become misguided through them and other than that. Asking Allah for wellbeing that He (protects you) from trials is Amrun Matlub (i.e. something sought from a Muslim in the Shariah, either obligatory or recommended). [1]
Asking Allah For Wellbeing
Abdullah Bin Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said: Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, never abandoned these supplications in the morning and evening:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ العافِيَـةَ فـي الدُّنيا والآخِرَةِ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ العَفْوَ والعافِيَـةَ فـي دِيني ودُنْـيايَ وأَهْلِي ومالِي، اللَّهُمَّ اسْتُـرْ عَوْراتِي، وآمِنْ رَوْعاتِي،
اللَّهُمَّ احْفَظْنِـي مِنْ بَـيْنِ يَدَيَّ، ومِنْ خَلْفِي، وعَنْ يَمِيـنِـي، وعَنْ شِمالِي، ومِنْ فَوْقِي، وأَعُوذُ بِعَظَمَـتِكَ أَنْ أُغْتالَ مِنْ تَحْتِـي
O Allah! I ask You for well-being in this Dunyaa and the Aakhirah. O Allāh, I ask You for pardon and well-being in my religion, my worldly affairs, my family and my wealth. O Allah! Conceal my (faults, shortcomings etc) and safeguard me against everything that will bring me fear and sorrow. O Allah! Protect me from in front, from behind me, from my right and my left, and from above. And I seek refuge with Your Magnificence from being swallowed up from beneath me.
This great supplication begins with one asking Allah for [العافِيَـةَ -wellbeing] in the Dunyaa and Aakhirah. Nothing can be equal to wellbeing, for whoever is granted well-being then indeed he has received his complete share of good.
Seeking [العَفْوَ -pardon] necessitates that one is forgiven for his sins and they are wiped away. As for [العافِيَـةَ – Well-being], it is safety Allah bestows on a servant of His- protects him against every punishment and trial, by averting evil from him, protecting him against calamities and ailments, evil and sins. Thus, the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, asked for wellbeing in the Dunyaa and Aakhirah, as well as wellbeing in his religion, worldly affairs, his family and wealth.
Well-being in one’s religion is protection against everything that will bring dishonour to one’s religion or deprive him of it. Well-being in the Dunyaa is to seek protection against everything that will harm the person in his worldly affairs, such as calamities or trials, severe poverty and ailments. Well-being in the Aakhirah is to seek protection against the extreme hardships in the Aakhirah and its various punishments. Well-being in one’s family is that they are protected from trials, calamities and tests; wellbeing in one’s wealth is that it is protected from drowning, burning, theft etc… [اللَّهُمَّ اسْتُـرْ عَوْراتِي – O Allah! Conceal my faults, shortcomings etc] [ وآمِنْ رَوْعاتِي – safeguard me against every affair that will frighten me and bring sorrow upon me].
اللَّهُمَّ احْفَظْنِـي مِنْ بَـيْنِ يَدَيَّ، ومِنْ خَلْفِي، وعَنْ يَمِيـنِـي، وعَنْ شِمالِي، ومِنْ فَوْقِي، وأَعُوذُ بِعَظَمَـتِكَ أَنْ أُغْتالَ مِنْ تَحْتِـي
O Allah! Protect me from in front, from behind me, from my right and my left, and from above. And I seek refuge with Your Magnificence from being swallowed up from beneath me.
Meaning: Asking Allah to protect you against destructive things and evils which a person is exposed to from the six directions, for indeed evil can approach from the front, behind, the right, the left, above or below, and he does not know which direction calamity will suddenly come upon him. [2]
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Footnote a: Shaikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:
” وكل داع شافع دعا الله سبحانه وتعالى، وشفع: فلا يكون دعاؤه وشفاعته إلا بقضاء الله وقدره ومشيئته، وهو الذي يجيب الدعاء ويقبل الشفاعة، فهو الذي خلق السبب والمسبب، والدعاء من جملة الأسباب التي قدرها الله سبحانه وتعالى ” انتهى من”مجموع الفتاوى”(1/131
Shaikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, stated: “Every suppliant and seeker of intercession who invokes Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He, and seeks intercession, their invocation and seeking intercession cannot be except by Allah’s Qadaa wal Qadr, and His Will. He is the one who responds to supplications and accepts intercession. He is He who created both the cause and the effect, and supplication is among the means that Allah has decreed.” [3]
Imam Abdul Aziz Bin Baz, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:
فالأقدار تردها الأقدار التي جعلها الله سبحانه مانعة لها، والأقدار المعلقة على وجود أشياء كالبر والصلة والصدقة توجد عند وجودها، وكل ذلك داخل في القدر العام المذكور في قوله سبحانه: إِنَّا كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقْنَاهُ بِقَدَرٍ
Imam Abdul Aziz Bin Baz, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: The things Allah has decreed are repelled by other things Allah has decreed which Allah has made a means of stopping them. The decreed matters that are connected to the occurrence of other things, such as charity, kindness, and maintaining family ties, occur only when those actions are present. All of this falls under the encompassing decree that is mentioned in Allah’s statement:
إِنَّا كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقْنَاهُ بِقَدَرٍ
“Verily, all things. We created (them) with Qadar (their prior determination and ordainment inscribed in the Preserved Tablet)..” https://www.thenoblequran.com/q/#/search/54_49 [4]
Listen to an important lecture by Shaikh Abu Iyaad, may Allah preserve him, on Al-Qadaa wal-Qadar: https://youtu.be/hKgIjOKSNQQ?si=z7s8SUuQc4R9BXm9
[1]
https://binbaz.org.sa/fatwas/7275/%D8%AD%D9%83%D9%85-%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B3%D9%84%D9%85-%D8%B1%D8%A8%D9%87-%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%8A%D8%AC%D9%86%D8%A8%D9%87-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D8%AA%D9%86
[2] An Excerpt from Fiqh Al-Ad’iyah Wal Ad’kar 3/32-33
[3] Majmu’ al-Fatawa” (1/131)
[4]
https://binbaz.org.sa/speeches/266/%D8%AC%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%AD%D9%88%D9%84-%D8%B1%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%B6%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B5%D8%AF%D9%82%D8%A9#:~:text=%D9%81%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%82%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1%20%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%AF%D9%87%D8%A7%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%82%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D9%8A%20%D8%AC%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%87%D8%A7,%D9%8A%D8%B7%D9%81%D8%A6%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%A1%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%B1%20%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%8A%20%D8%B9%D9%86%D9%87