Home > The 40 Hadith of Nawawi > Hadith 19 of Nawawi
Hadith number 19 of the collection of the 40 hadiths of Imam an-Nawawi, in faithful English translation.
Contents
Updated on 07 October 2026 at 4:51 AM
📖 46 min readThis hadith belongs to the collection of the 40 hadiths of Imam an-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him), the most studied hadith compilation in the world: foundations of faith, worship and character, all authentic narrations.
and this wording is more complete than that of the Cheikh, may Allah have mercy on him, attached to other than at-Tirmidhi, the wording of the Cheikh being reported by 'Abd ibn Hamid in his Mousnad, by a weak chain, from 'Ata, from Ibn 'Abbas. And likewise Ibn as-Salah, in the global hadiths origin of the forty of the Cheikh, attaches it to 'Abd ibn Hamid and others. And this hadith is reported from Ibn 'Abbas by numerous channels, from his son 'Ali, from his freedman Ikrima, from 'Ata ibn Abi Rabbah, from 'Amr ibn Dinar, from 'Obayd Allah ibn 'Abd Allah, from 'Omar mawla Ghifra, from Ibn Abi Moulayka and others. The most correct of all the channels is that of Hanach as-San'ani reported by at-Tirmidhi, thus say Ibn al-Moundhir and others. And from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) it is reported he commended Ibn 'Abbas this counsel, from the hadith of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, Sahl ibn Sa'd and 'Abd Allah ibn Ja'far, weakness in all their chains. Al-'Aqili mentions all the chains of the hadith are soft, some more correct than others. In every state, the channel of Hanach reported by at-Tirmidhi is good and well graded.
This hadith
This hadith contains great counsels and global rules of the most important affairs of religion, to the point certain scholars say, "I contemplated this hadith, it amazed me and I almost raved, alas for the ignorance of this hadith and the rarity of understanding its sense?!" I say, I dedicated to it a great part for its commentary; we mention here its designs in brief, Allah willing.
His words, "fear Allah," mean guard His limits, His rights, His commands and His prohibitions, and guarding is stopping at His commands in executing them, at His prohibitions in avoiding them, at His limits, not exceeding from what He commanded and permitted towards what He forbade. Whoever does that is of the guardians of the limits of Allah whom Allah praised in His book, and the Mighty and Majestic says,
"That is what was promised you, to every repenting guardian, fearing the All-Merciful in the invisible, and coming with a returning heart."
Qaf, 32-33
The guardian therein was explained as guardian of the commands of Allah and guardian of His sins, repenting of them. Among the greatest to guard of the commands of Allah is the prayer, Allah commanding keeping it and saying,
"Keep the prayers, and the middle prayer."
Al-Baqara, 238
and He praised the keepers, saying,
"And of their prayers they are keepers."
Al-Ma'arij, 34
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "Whoever keeps them has with Allah a pact that He bring him into Paradise." And in another hadith, "Whoever keeps them, they shall be him light, proof and salvation on the Day of Resurrection." Likewise purification, it being the key of the prayer, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saying, "None keeps ablution but a believer."
Among what keeping is commanded
Among what keeping is commanded are oaths, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, saying, "And keep your oaths," the people falling much therein, many neglecting what is obligatory of them, without keeping nor engaging.
Among that: keeping the head and the belly, as in the hadith of Ibn Mas'oud, in raised form, "Modesty before Allah, true modesty, is guarding the head and what it contains, and guarding the belly and what it contains," Imam Ahmad and at-Tirmidhi reporting it.
Guarding the head and what it contains enters guarding the hearing, the sight and the tongue from the prohibitions; and guarding the belly and what it contains includes guarding the heart from persistence in the illicit, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, saying, "Know that Allah knows what is in your souls, so beware of Him." And Allah gathered all that in His words,
"The hearing, the sight and the heart, all these shall be questioned."
Al-Isra, 36
And it includes also guarding the belly from introducing therein the illicit of foods and drinks.
Among the greatest to guard of Allah's prohibitions, the Mighty and Majestic, are the tongue and the sex, in the hadith of Abu Hourayra, may Allah be pleased with him, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), "Whoever guards what is between his two jaws and between his two legs enters Paradise," al-Hakim reporting it. And Imam Ahmad reports from the hadith of Abu Moussa, may Allah be pleased with him, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), "Whoever guards what is between his two lips and his sex enters Paradise." Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, commanded keeping the sexes, praised the keepers, and said,
"Say to the believing men lower their gaze and guard their sexes."
An-Nur, 30
and the Most High says,
"Guardians of their sexes and guardian women, much rememberers of Allah and rememberer women, Allah prepared them pardon and immense reward."
Al-Ahzab, 35
and the Most High says,
"The believers succeeded, those humble in their prayers," up to His words, "and of their sexes they are guardians, save towards their spouses or what their right hands possess, they are not blamed."
Al-Mu'minun, 1-6
Abu Idris al-Khawlani said, the first of what Allah commended Adam at his descent to earth was guarding his sex, saying, place it only in the lawful.
His words, "He shall guard thee," mean whoever guards the limits of Allah and observes His rights, Allah guards him, the reward being of the species of the deed, as the Most High says, "Fulfil My covenant, I fulfil your covenant," and, "Remember Me then, and I remember you," and, "Were you to aid Allah, He aids you." Allah's keeping of His servant includes two species, the first His keeping him in the interests of his low world, keeping him in his body, his children, his family and his wealth, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, saying, "It has harassers before him and behind him, guarding him by the command of Allah."
Sayings of the Ancients
Ibn 'Abbas said, they are the angels, guarding him by the command of Allah, outside what is decreed, when the decree comes they leave him. 'Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "With every man are two angels guarding him of what is not decreed; when the decree comes they leave him between him and himself, and the term is a preserved fortress." And Moujahid said, "No servant without an angel guarding him in his sleep and vigil of jinn, men and reptiles, nothing coming to him but that he says to it, behind thee, save what Allah permitted reaching him."
Supplications thereon
Imam Ahmad, Abu Dawoud and an-Nasa'i report from the hadith of Ibn 'Omar, may Allah be pleased with both of them, who says, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) left not these supplications when lying down at evening and rising at morning, "O Allah! I ask Thee health in the low world and the Hereafter. O Allah! I ask Thee pardon and health in my religion, my low world, my family and my wealth. O Allah! Cover my dishonours, calm my fears, and guard me from before me, from behind me, from my right, from my left and from above, and I seek refuge with Thy greatness of being taken from below."
Whoever keeps Allah in his youth and strength, Allah keeps him in his old age, the weakness of his strength, and the fullness of his hearing, sight, power, strength and reason.
Certain scholars exceeded a hundred years, enjoying his strength and reason, one day leaping an intense leap; he was blamed for it, and said, "Here are limbs we guarded from disobediences in youth, Allah keeping them therefore for us in old age." And its contrary, certain Ancients saw an old man begging from people, and said, "This one neglected Allah in youth, Allah neglected him in old age."
[Allah's keeping of the servant in his descendants:] Allah may keep the servant by his uprightness after his death in his descendants, as said at His words, "and their father was righteous," they being kept by the uprightness of their father.
Sayings of the Ancients thereon
Sa'id ibn al-Mousayyib said to his son, "I shall indeed increase my prayer for you, hoping being kept in you," then recited this verse, "and their father was righteous." And 'Omar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz said, "No believer dies but that Allah keeps him in his descendants, and in the descendants of his descendants." And Ibn al-Mounkadir said, "Allah keeps by the righteous man his son, the son of his son and the surroundings around him, they remaining in Allah's keeping and covering."
The rule herein
When the servant is busied with obedience to Allah, Allah keeps him in that state. In the Mousnad of Imam Ahmad, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who says, "A woman was in a house, going out with a troop of the Muslims, leaving twelve goats and her spindle wherewith she wove; it lost a goat and her spindle, and she said, O Lord! Thou guaranteed whoever goes out in Thy path that Thou keepest him, and I lost a goat of my flock and my spindle, I claim Thee my goat and my spindle. And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) mentioned the intensity of her claim upon her Lord, blessed and exalted. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, she rose at morning, her goat and its like, her spindle and its like. And the spindle is the instrument wherewith one spins and weaves; whoever Allah keeps, Allah keeps him from all evil." Certain Ancients said, "Whoever fears Allah kept his soul, whoever neglects His fear neglected his soul, and Allah is rich of him."
Among the wondrous of Allah's keeping for the servant
Among the wondrous of Allah's keeping for whoever He keeps is making animals harmful by nature guardians of evil for him, as befell the ship of the freedman of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), the boat breaking, him going out to an island and seeing the lion, walking with him until indicating to him the way, and when stopping him there, the lion pasturing them as though entrusting them, then drawing aside. And one saw Ibrahim ibn 'Adham sleeping in an orchard, a serpent having in its mouth a narcissus leaf, fanning him until his waking. And its contrary, whoever neglects Allah, Allah neglects him, he perishing among His creation until evil touches him from whom he hoped utility, of his family and others, as certain Ancients said, "I disobeyed Allah, and I know it by the character of my servant and my beast."
The second genre of keeping
The second genre of keeping, the nobler of the two, is Allah keeping the servant in his religion and faith, keeping him in his life from misleading doubts and forbidden desires, and keeping his religion at his death, taking him upon faith. Certain Ancients say, when death comes to the man, it is said to the angel, sniff his head; he says, I find in his head the Quran. He says, sniff his heart; he says, I find in his heart the fast. He says, sniff his feet; he says, I find in his feet the standing. He says, he kept himself, Allah keeping him therefore.
The supplication of the believer for keeping
In the two authentic collections, from al-Bara ibn 'Azib, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), that he commanded saying at his lying down, "Were Thou to seize my soul, have mercy on it; and were Thou to release it, keep it by that wherewith Thou keepest Thy righteous servants." And in the hadith of 'Omar, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) taught him to say, "O Allah! Keep me by Islam standing, keep me by Islam sitting, keep me by Islam lying, and let not triumph over me an enemy nor an envier." Ibn Hibban reports it in his Sahih. And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commended whoever wanted travelling, saying, "I commend to Allah thy religion, thy trust and the ends of thy deeds." And he said, "When Allah is entrusted a thing, he keeps it," an-Nasa'i and others reporting it.
In sum, Allah keeps for the believing guardian of His limits his religion, setting barrier between him and what corrupts his religion, by kinds of keeping whereof the servant may feel nothing, and that may displease him, as said of Youssouf, upon him peace,
"Thus, to turn him from evil and turpitude, he is of Our elected servants."
Youssouf, 24
Accounts of the Ancients
Ibn 'Abbas said, at His words, "Allah sets barrier between the man and his heart," He sets barrier between the believer and the disobedience leading him to the Fire. And al-Hasan, mentioning the people of disobediences, said, "They despised Him and disobeyed Him, had they honoured Him He would have preserved them?!" And Ibn Mas'oud said, "The servant is tempted by an affair of commerce or emirate until it become easy him, Allah looking at him, saying to the angels, turn it from him, for were I to render it easy him I would bring him into the Fire; Allah turns it from him, he ceases not flying by his speech, such a one outstripped me, such a one duped me, and that is only the grace of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic?!"
And at-Tabarani reports from the hadith of Anas, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, says, "There are among My servants he whose faith is right only by poverty, were I to enrich him that corrupts him; and he whose faith is right only by wealth, were I to impoverish him that corrupts him; and he whose faith is right only by health, were I to make him sick that corrupts him; and he whose faith is right only by sickness, were I to cure him that corrupts him; and among My servants whoever asks a gate of worship, I restrain him fearing he enter it in vanity; I manage the affair of My servants by My knowledge, with what is in their hearts, I am knowing, aware."
His words, "fear Allah, thou findest Him facing thee," and in a version, "before thee," mean whoever guards the limits of Allah and observes His rights finds Allah with him in all his states, wherever he directs, covering him, aiding him, keeping him, supporting him and setting him right, for Allah is with those fearing Him and those beneficent.
Accounts of the Ancients
Qatada said, "Whoever fears Allah, Allah is with him; and whoever Allah is with has with him the invincible troop, the keeper sleeping not, and the guide straying not." Certain Ancients wrote to his brother, "As for that, were Allah with thee, of whom fearest thou? And were He against thee, whom hopest thou?" That special presence is that mentioned at His words to Moussa and Haroun, "Fear not, I am with you two, I hear and I see," and the words of Moussa, "No! My Lord is with me, He guides me," and the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to Abu Bakr in the cave, "What thinkest thou of two whose third is Allah? Grieve not, Allah is with us."
That special presence requires victory, support, keeping and succour, unlike the general presence mentioned in His words, "No secret counsel of three but He their fourth, nor of five but He their sixth, nor of less nor more but He with them wherever they be," and His words, "And they hide not from Allah while He is with them when they debate at night the word pleasing Him not," that presence requiring His knowledge, His acquaintance and His observation of their deeds, requiring making the servants fear. The first presence requires the keeping of the servant, his covering and succour; whoever keeps Allah and observes His rights finds Him before him and facing him in every state, intimate therein, sufficing of creatures, as in the hadith, "The best faith is the servant knowing Allah is with him wherever he be," it preceding.
And it is reported from Bounan al-Jamal that he entered alone the desert upon the road of Tabouk, feeling alone there, and a caller called him, "Fearest thou not loneliness, is not thy Beloved with thee?" It was said to certain, "Fearest thou not loneliness?" He said, "How should I feel lonely, while He says, I am the companion of whoever mentions Me?" It was said to another, "See we thee lonely?" He says, "Whoever Allah is with, how should he be lonely?" It was said to another, "Hast thou not with thee a consoler?" He said, yes. It was said, where is he? He says, "Before me, with me, behind me, at my right, at my left and above me?!" And ach-Chibli recited, "When we walk in the night, and Thou art before us... it suffices our mounts Thy remembrance as guide."
His words, "recognise Allah in ease, He recognises thee in difficulty," mean the servant, fearing Allah, guarding His limits and observing His rights in ease, has recognised himself with Allah, a special knowledge being between him and his Lord, his Lord recognising him therefore in difficulty, attending his recognition towards Him in ease, saving him trials by that knowledge. Here is a special knowledge requiring the nearness of the servant to his Lord, His love and His answering his supplication.
The knowledge of the servant of his Lord is of two types
The knowledge of the servant of his Lord is of two types, the first general knowledge, the knowledge of His recognition, of belief and faith, general to believers. The second, special knowledge requiring the total inclination of the heart towards Allah, attachment to Him, intimacy with Him, tranquillity by His remembrance, modesty towards Him and His reverence, that being the knowledge around which revolve the knowers of Allah, as certain said, "The wretched people of the low world, they went out of it tasting it not." It was said, and what is it? He says, "the knowledge of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic?!" Ahmad ibn 'Asim al-'Antaki said, "I love dying not without knowing my Lord, and His knowledge is not recognition, but knowledge which, knowing it, thou hast modesty towards it."
The knowledge of Allah of His servant is of two types also
The knowledge of Allah of His servant is of two types, a general knowledge, His knowledge, glorified be He, of His servants, knowing their secrets and publications, as the Most High says, "We created man, and We know what his soul whispers him," and He says, "He knows better your origins creating you of earth, and when you were embryos in the wombs of your mothers." The second, special knowledge requiring His love for His servant, His drawing near him, His answering his supplication and his saving from trials, that being indicated by the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), in what he reports of his Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, "My servant ceases not drawing near Me by supererogatories until I love him; when I love him, I become his hearing wherewith he hears, his sight wherewith he sees, his hand wherewith he seizes, his foot wherewith he walks, and were he to ask Me, I give him certainly, were he to ask My aid, I protect him certainly." And in a version, "were he to call Me, I answer him certainly."
Situations of the Ancients
When al-Hasan fled al-Hajjaj, he entered the house of Habib Abu Mouhammad, and Habib said to him, O Abu Sa'id! Is there not between thee and thy Lord that thou supplicatest Him, that He cover thee of these? Enter the house; he entered it, and the police entered upon his traces seeing him not. Al-Hajjaj was informed, and said, he was in the house, but Allah annihilated their eyes, they seeing him not. And al-Foudayl ibn Iyad met Cha'wana the worshipper, asking him supplication, and she says, O Foudayl! What is between thee and Him, thy invoking Him and He answering thee at once? Al-Foudayl fainted. It was said to Ma'rouf, what pushed thee to attachment and worship, reminding thee death, the barzakh, Paradise and the Fire? Ma'rouf says, a king at whose hand all that is, were there between thee and Him knowledge, suffices thee all that?!
In sum
In sum, whoever treats Allah with piety and obedience in ease, Allah treats him with gentleness and succour in difficulty.
At-Tirmidhi reports from the hadith of Abu Hourayra, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), "Whoever delights that Allah answer him at hardships, let him multiply supplication in ease." And Ibn Abi Hatim and others report, from the narration of Yazid ar-Raqachi, from Anas, raising it, that Younous, upon him peace and salvation, supplicating in the belly of the fish, the angels said, O Lord! Here is a voice known from strange lands? Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, said, know you him not? They say, who is he? He says, My servant Younous. They say, Thy servant Younous, whose accepted deed ceases not ascending, and supplication answered? He says, yes. They say, O Lord! Wilt Thou not have mercy of what he did in ease, saving him from misfortune? He says, yes. Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, commanded therefore the fish cast him upon the shore. And ad-Dahhak ibn Qays said, "Mention Allah in ease, He mentions you in difficulty; Younous, upon him peace and salvation, mentioned Allah the Most High, when falling into the belly of the fish, Allah the Most High saying,"
"Had he not been of the glorifying ones, he would have remained in its belly until the day they are resurrected."
As-Saffat, 143-144
And Pharaoh was a tyrant forgetful of the remembrance of Allah; when drowning seized him he said, I believe! Allah the Most High says,
"Now? While before thou disobeyed and wert of the corrupters."
Younous, 91
Salman the Persian said, "When the man is a supplicator in prosperity, and adversities befall him supplicating Allah the Most High, the angels say, a known voice, interceding for him; and when he is not a supplicator in prosperity, adversities befalling him supplicating Allah, the angels say, an unknown voice, not interceding for him." And a man said to Abu ad-Darda, counsel me, and he says, "Mention Allah in prosperity, the Mighty and Majestic mentions thee in adversity." And of him that he says, "Supplicate Allah a day of prosperity, perhaps He answers thee a day of adversity?!"
The greatest of difficulties reaching the servant in the low world is death, and what is after harder than it.
If the servant's issue be not towards good, it is obligatory the believer prepare death and what is after, in health, by piety and righteous deeds; Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, says,
"O you who have believed! Fear Allah, let each soul see what it prepared for tomorrow, fear Allah, Allah is aware of what you do, and be not like those who forgot Allah, Him making them forget their souls, those being the profligates."
Al-Hachr, 18-19
And its effect
Whoever mentions Allah in health and ease, preparing then the meeting of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, by death and what is after, Allah mentions him at these difficulties, being with him therein, sweetening them, assisting, taking charge and establishing him upon oneness, he meeting Him, Him being satisfied of him. Whoever forgets Allah in health and ease, preparing not His meeting, Allah forgets him at these difficulties, turning from him and neglecting him. When death therefore reaches the believing prepared, having good opinion of his Lord, the good tidings come him from Allah, he loving the meeting of Allah and Allah loving his meeting; the profligate is the contrary. The believer delights therefore and rejoices at what he prepared of what comes upon him, and the negligent regrets, saying,
"Alas for what I neglected with Allah!"
Az-Zoumar, 56
Accounts of the Ancients
Abu 'Abd ar-Rahman as-Soulami said before his death, "How should I not hope my Lord, I fasted for Him eighty Ramadans?" And Abu Bakr ibn 'Ayyach said to his son at his death, "See you Allah lose of thy father forty years completing the Quran each night?" Adam ibn Abi Iyas completed the Quran dying, then said, "By my love for thee, would that Thou accompanied me in this place of death, I hoped Thee for this day, I hoped, there is no god but Allah!" Then he rendered the soul. When Zakariyya ibn 'Adi was dying, he raised his hands and said, "O Allah! I am towards Thee longing!" And 'Abd as-Samad the ascetic said at his death, "My Lord! For this hour I hid Thee, for this day I acquired Thee, realise then the good opinion I have of Thee?!" And Qatada said, of the words of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, "and whoever fears Allah, He gives him an issue," that being the distress at death.
And 'Ali ibn Abi Talha reports from Ibn 'Abbas, of this verse, He saves him every distress in the low world and the Hereafter. And Zayd ibn Aslam says, of His words, "Those who said, our Lord is Allah, then were upright, upon them the angels descend, fearing not nor grieving, and be glad of the Paradise promised you," that is announced him at his death, in his tomb, on the day of his resurrection, he being in Paradise, the joy of good tidings not leaving his heart. And Thabit al-Bounani says of this verse, "It has reached us, when Allah resurrects the believer from his tomb, his two angels who were with him in the low world meet him, saying, fear not nor grieve, Allah dispels thy fear, refreshing thy eye, and no great thing covering the people on the Day of Resurrection is for the believer coolness of eye, but that Allah [blessed and exalted] guides him, for what he worked therein [for Him] in the low world."
His words, "when thou askest, ask Allah; and when thou seekest aid, seek aid of Allah," drawn from His words, "Thee alone we worship, and Thee alone we implore," asking Allah being His supplication and desire towards Him, and supplication being worship, thus reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), saying to an-Nou'man ibn Bachir, and reciting His words, "And your Lord says, supplicate Me, I answer you." Imam Ahmad, Abu Dawoud, at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah report it.
And the father of Ibn Rajab commended, "O my son! Fear Allah, He shall guard thee; and when thou askest, ask Allah; and when thou seekest aid, seek aid of Allah; and know, were the people to unite utilising thee of a thing Allah wrote thee not, they could not, and were they to unite harming thee of a thing Allah wrote thee not, they could not; and know that patience upon what thou detest is great good, and victory with patience, and deliverance with affliction, and with hardship ease."
"Were thou to do well, thou attainest reward, and were thou to do ill, thou seekest Allah pardon. And were thou to ask, ask none but Allah, and were thou to seek aid, seek aid of none but Allah, and know, were the whole community to unite utilising thee of a thing Allah wrote thee not, they could not, nor uniting harming thee by a thing Allah wrote thee not could they; and restrain thy tongue save of good, guard thyself asking other than Me, and preserve it asking other than Me." He is the only Mighty, removing evil and bringing utility being possible none but Him, as He says, "Were Allah to touch thee harm, none removes it but He, and were He to will thee good, none repels His grace." And He says, "No mercy Allah opens the people but it is withheld, and what He withholds, none sends after Him."
And Allah, glorified be He, loves being asked and desired in needs, being solicited in His asking and supplication, angry against whoever asks Him not, requiring of His servants asking Him, being able giving all His creation their asking without diminishing aught of His kingdom. The creature, contrary to all that, detests being asked, loving not being asked, by its incapacity, poverty and need.
Accounts of the Ancients
That is why Wahb ibn Mouannabih said to a man visiting the kings, "Woe to thee! Thou comest towards who shuts his door before thee, showing thee his poverty, hiding from thee his wealth, and abandonest who opens his door night and day, showing thee his wealth and saying, supplicate Me, I answer thee?" Tawus said to 'Ata, "Guard thyself asking thy needs of whoever shuts his door before thee, setting his curtain before it; go towards He whose door is open until the Day of Resurrection, thy order that thou ask Him, and His promise that He answer thee."
As for aid with Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, without other of creation, it is that the servant is incapable of independence of bringing his interests and repelling his harms, no auxiliator of his interests of religion and low world but Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, whoever Allah assists being the assisted, and whoever He abandons the abandoned. That is the verification of the sense of the words, "there is no strength nor power but by Allah," the sense being no passage for the servant from a state to another, nor power over it, save by Allah. And it is an immense word, a treasure of the treasures of Paradise, the servant needy of Allah's aid in the doing of the ordained, leaving the prohibitions, enduring all decrees of the low world, at death and after, of the terrors of the barzakh and the Day of Resurrection, none able aiding therein but Allah, the Mighty and Majestic; whoever verifies aid upon all that, He aids him. And in the authentic hadith, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), "Seek what avails thee, seek aid of Allah, and be not impotent."
Whoever seeks aid from other than Allah
Whoever abandons Allah's aid, seeking aid of other, Allah delivers him to whoever he sought aid of, becoming abandoned.
[Accounts thereon:] Al-Hasan wrote to 'Omar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz, "seek aid of none but Allah, else Allah delivers thee to him." And of the words of certain Ancients, "O Lord! I wonder at whoever knows Thee, hoping he other than Thee, and I wonder at whoever knows Thee, seeking aid other than Thee."
His words, "the calame has dried upon what shall be," and in another version, "the calames were lifted, and the pages dried," being an allusion to the priority of the writing of all decrees and their completion long since, for the book, finishing its writing, the calames lifted upon it and its time long, the calames were lifted upon it, and the calames wherewith it was written dried of their ink, and the page wherein it was written by the written ink dried. And that is among the finest allusions and the most eloquent.
The book and the numerous correct Sunna indicated this sense, Allah the Most High saying,
"No misfortune strikes upon earth, nor in yourselves, but being in a book before We bring it, that being easy Allah."
Al-Hadid, 22
And in the Sahih of Mouslim, from 'Abd Allah ibn 'Amr, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who says, "Allah wrote the decrees of creatures before creating the heavens and the earth fifty thousand years." And in the same collection also, from Jabir, that a man said, O Messenger of Allah! Wherein is the deed today, that of which the calames dried and decrees ran, or what is ahead? He says, "No, but that of which the calames dried and decrees ran." He says, wherein then is deed? He says, "Deed on, each eased towards that for which he was created." And Imam Ahmad, Abu Dawoud and at-Tirmidhi report from the hadith of 'Obada ibn as-Samit, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who says, "The first Allah created was the calame, then He said to it, write, and it ran in that hour upon what shall be until the Day of Resurrection." Hadiths in this sense are very numerous, long to mention.
His words, "were all creation to will utilising thee of a thing Allah prescribed thee not, they could not, and were they to will harming thee of a thing Allah wrote thee not, they could not." Such is the narration of Imam Ahmad, and at-Tirmidhi reports it in this sense also. Intended is what reaches the servant in his low world of what harms or avails him, all decreed upon him, reaching the servant only what was written him thereof in the prior book, even were all creation to strive against. The Quran indicates it likewise, His words, "Say, reaches us only what Allah wrote us," His words, "No misfortune strikes upon earth nor in yourselves but being in a book before We bring it," His words, "Say, were you in your houses, those upon whom death was written would go out to their couches."
And Imam Ahmad reports from the hadith of Abu ad-Darda, may Allah be pleased with him, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who says, "Everything has a reality, and the servant attains not the reality of faith until knowing that what reached him could not miss him, and what missed him could not reach him." And Abu Dawoud and Ibn Majah report from the hadith of Zayd ibn Thabit, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), this sense also.
Know that the pivot of all this recommendation is upon this origin, and what was mentioned before and after derives from it and returns to it; for the servant, knowing reaches him only what Allah wrote him of good, evil, utility and harm, and the striving of all creation against the decreed availing not, knows then Allah alone is the Harmful Availer, the Giver Withholder, requiring therefore for the servant the oneness of his Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, His singling out by obedience and keeping His limits, for the worshipped intended by his worship is only bringing utilities and repelling harms; that is why Allah blamed whoever worships who harms not, avails not, and suffices not his worshipper of anything.
Whoever knows none but Allah avails, harms, gives nor withholds, that requires His singling out by fear, hope, love, asking, imploring and supplication, preferring His obedience to the obedience of all creation, and fearing His anger even were there the anger of all creation, His singling out by aid, asking and sincerity of supplication, in state of difficulty and ease, contrary to that upon which the polytheists were, sincerity of supplication to Him at hardships, forgetting Him in ease, and supplicating those hoping utility below Him, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, saying,
"Say, see you those you invoke besides Allah, were Allah to will me harm, are they holders of His harm? Or were He to will me mercy, are they withholders of His mercy? Say, Allah suffices me, in Him trust the trusting."
Younous, 106-107
His words, "and know that in patience upon what thou detest is great good," mean what reaches the servant of painful calamities written upon him, enduring, has in endurance great good. And in the narration of 'Omar mawla Ghifra and others, from Ibn 'Abbas, another addition before this speech, "were you able working for Allah with satisfaction in certainty, do it, and were you unable, in enduring what you detest is great good." And in another narration, from the narration of 'Ali ibn 'Abd Allah ibn 'Abbas, from his father, but its isnad is weak, another addition after that, I say, O Messenger of Allah! How should I do of certainty? He says, "That thou know what reached thee could not miss thee, and what missed thee could not reach thee, when thou close then the gate of certainty."
The sense is obtaining certainty for the heart by prior decree and past predestination aids the servant his soul being satisfied of what reached him. Whoever can therefore work in certainty of decree and predestination upon satisfaction of the decreed, let him, otherwise in enduring the detested is great good.
These are two degrees for the believer facing decree and predestination in calamities. The first, being satisfied thereof, a lofty rank most noble, the Mighty and Majestic saying,
"No misfortune strikes save by permission of Allah, and whoever believes in Allah, He guides his heart."
At-Taghabun, 11
Al-'Ala said, "the calamity reaches the man, knowing it from Allah, submitting to it and being satisfied." At-Tirmidhi reports from the hadith of Anas, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who says, "When Allah loves a people He tries them, whoever satisfied, satisfaction due him, and whoever discontent, anger due him." And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said in his supplication, "I ask Thee satisfaction after decree." That pushing the believer satisfaction of decree is verifying his faith, according to the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), "Allah decrees not the believer a decree but that it be him good, reached by prosperity thanking, good for him, reached by adversity enduring, good for him, that being only for the believer." A man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) asking an exhaustive brief counsel, and he says, "accuse not Allah of His decree."
Sayings of the Ancients
Abu ad-Darda said, "Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, decreeing a decree, loves being satisfied." And Ibn Mas'oud said, Allah, by His justice and equity, placed rest and deliverance in certainty and satisfaction, and worry and sorrow in doubt and dissatisfaction, the satisfied wishing nothing other than his state of hardship and ease, thus reported from 'Omar, Ibn Mas'oud and others. And 'Omar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz said, "I woke and my wealth, rejoicing, save at the places of decree and predestination."
Whoever attains that degree
Whoever attains that degree, his life is all felicity and joy, Allah the Most High saying,
"Whoever does righteous deed, man or woman, believing, We shall surely make him live a pure life."
An-Nahl, 97
Certain Ancients say, "the pure life is satisfaction and sufficiency." And 'Abd al-Wahid ibn Zayd said, "satisfaction is the greatest gate of Allah, the Paradise of the low world, and the rest of worshippers."
The people of satisfaction
The people of satisfaction consider at times the wisdom of the trier, his good for His servant in trial, Him not being suspected in His decree; at times they consider the reward of satisfaction of decree, the decreed pain forgetting them; at times they consider the greatness of the trier, His majesty and perfection, sinking therein in contemplation without feeling pain. That is attained only by the elite of knowers of Allah and lovers, to the point they may savour what reaches them, observing it issuing from their beloved, as certain said, "He found them in His punishment, sweetnesses." And certain Successors were asked of his state in his sickness, and he says, "it is dearer me, it is dear!" And Sari was asked, finds the lover the pain of trial? He says, no. And certain said, "His punishment in thee is sweet... and His absence in thee presence, and thou art with me as my soul... but thou art dearer of it." "My share of good, that I love... what Thou lovest, I love."
The second degree
The second degree is enduring trial, for whoever cannot be satisfied of decree, satisfaction being a grace invited to which is recommended, and endurance obligatory the believer, necessary, and in endurance great good, Allah commanding it, promising the immense reward, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, saying,
"Only the patient have their reward in full, without account."
Az-Zoumar, 10
and the Most High says,
"Give good tidings to the patient, those whom a calamity reaches saying, we belong to Allah and towards Him the return, those have upon them prayers of their Lord and mercy, and those are the well-guided."
Al-Baqara, 155-157
Al-Hasan said, "Satisfaction is difficult, but endurance is the support of the believer." And the difference between satisfaction and endurance is endurance being the holding of the soul and its restraint of dissatisfaction, with existence of pain and wishing its vanishing, and restraint of limbs acting according to complaint; and satisfaction the opening of breast, its breadth towards decree, and leaving wishing the vanishing of the painful, even were the feeling of pain existing, satisfaction easing it by what the heart touches of rest of certainty and knowledge; and when satisfaction strengthens, it may remove the feeling of pain completely, as preceded.
His words, "and know victory is with patience," according with the words of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic,
"Those believing meeting Allah said, how many a small troop overcame a numerous troop by permission of Allah, and Allah is with the patient."
Al-Baqara, 249
and the Most High says,
"Were there among you a hundred patient, they overcome two hundred, and were there a thousand, they overcome two thousand, by permission of Allah, and Allah is with the patient."
Al-'Anfal, 65
Accounts thereon
'Omar said to Ancients of the sons of 'Abs, "By what fought you the people?" They say, "By patience, we never met a people without enduring for them as they endured for us." And certain Ancients said, "We all detest death, and the pain of wounds, but we surpass by patience." And al-Battal said, "Bravery is enduring an hour."
Who is the fighter?
That concerns jihad of the apparent enemy, the jihad of disbelievers, and likewise jihad of the hidden enemy, jihad of soul and passion, their jihad being among the greatest jihads, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) says, "The fighter is whoever strives his soul for Allah." And 'Abd Allah ibn 'Omar, may Allah be pleased with both of them, said to whoever asked him jihad, "Begin thy soul fighting it, and begin thy soul fighting it in campaign." And Buqay'a ibn al-Walid says, Ibrahim ibn 'Adham informed us, the worthies informed us, from 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, who says, "The first of your jihad you deny is your jihad against your souls." And Ibrahim ibn Abi 'Ubayla said to a people returned from campaign, "You came of the minor jihad, what did you of the major jihad?" They said, and what is the major jihad? He says, "the jihad of the heart."
And it is reported in raised form from the hadith of Jabir, by a weak chain, its wording, "You came of the minor jihad to the major jihad," they said, and what is the major jihad? He says, "the striving of the servant against his passion." And it is reported from the hadith of Sa'd ibn Sinan, from Anas, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who says, "Thy enemy is not he whom, slaying thee, he brings thee into Paradise, and slaying him, he be thee light; thy greatest enemy is thy soul between thy two sides." And Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, said in his counsel to 'Omar, investing him, "The first I warn thee is thy soul between thy two sides."
That jihad requires also endurance, whoever enduring the striving against his soul, his passion and devil, dominating them, victory and triumph coming him, possessing his soul, becoming a noble king; whoever complains without enduring that striving is dominated, vanquished, captured, becoming a low servant, captive in the hand of his devil and passion, as said, "When man dominates not his passion, it establishes him... like a position where the noble is low." Ibn al-Moubarak, may Allah have mercy on him, said, "Whoever endures, how little he endures! And whoever complains, how little he savours?!"
His words, "victory is with patience," include victory in both jihads, jihad of the apparent enemy and jihad of the hidden enemy, whoever enduring therein aided, triumphing his enemy, and whoever enduring not, complaining, vanquished, becoming captive of his enemy or slain by him.
His words, "and deliverance with affliction," witnessed by His words, the Mighty and Majestic,
"It is He who sends the rain after despair, and spreads His mercy."
Ach-Choura, 28
and the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), "Our Lord laughed at the despair of His servants and the nearness of the other," Imam Ahmad reporting it, and his son 'Abd Allah reporting it in a long hadith containing, "Allah knew on the day of rain He would surprise you two despairing, He ceased not laughing, knowing the other near you," the sense being He, glorified be He, wonders at the despair of His servants at the withholding of rain, their despair and abandonment of mercy, the time of deliverance being near and His mercy for His servants by the descent of rain upon them, changing their state without feeling. And the Most High says,
"When it reaches whom He wills of His servants, they rejoice, even were they, before He sent it down upon them, despairing."
Younous, 48
and the Most High says,
"Until the messengers despaired, believing they were treated liars, Our succour came them."
Youssouf, 110
and the Most High says,
"Until the messenger and those believing with him say, when comes the aid of Allah? Indeed, the aid of Allah is near."
Al-Baqara, 214
and the Most High says, citing Ya'qoub saying to his sons,
"O my sons! Go, seek Youssouf and his brother, and despair not of the mercy of Allah, none despairs of Allah's mercy but the disbelieving people."
Youssouf, 87
Then He recounts the story of their reunion afterwards, and how much He recounted, glorified be He, of stories of deliverance of distresses of His prophets at the height of distress, like the saving of Nouh and those with him in the ark, the saving of Ibrahim from fire, His compensating the son He commanded slaughtering, the saving of Moussa and his people from the sea, the drowning of their enemy, the stories of 'Ayyoub and Younous, the stories of Mouhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) with his enemies, his saving from them, like his story in the cave, the day of Badr, the day of Uhoud, the day of the coalitions, the day of Houdaybiya, and other.
His words, "and with hardship is ease," drawn from His words, "Allah places after hardship ease," and His words,
"For with hardship is ease, with hardship is ease."
Ach-Charh, 5-6
One hardship shall never overcome two eases
Al-Bazzar reports in his Mousnad, and Ibn Abi Hatim, the wording being of the latter, from the hadith of Anas, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who says, "Should hardship come and enter this burrow, ease shall come until entering it and taking him out of it." Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, then sent down,
"For with hardship is ease, with hardship is ease."
Ach-Charh, 5-6
Ibn Jarir and others report from the hadith of al-Hasan, in mursal form, likewise, and in his hadith the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) says, "One hardship shall never overcome two eases." And Ibn Abi ad-Dunya reports by his chain from Ibn Mas'oud, who says, "Were hardship to enter a burrow, ease would come until entering it with it," then says, Allah the Most High said, "for with hardship is ease, with hardship is ease." And by his chain, Abu 'Ubayda was besieged, and 'Omar, may Allah be pleased with both of them, wrote him, "Whatever hardship reaching a man, Allah places after it deliverance, and one hardship shall never overcome two eases, and He, glorified be He, says, endure, and endure with patience, and be firm, and fear Allah, perhaps you succeed."
Among the subtleties of the secrets of pairing deliverance to affliction, and ease to hardship, is that affliction, intensifying, growing and reaching its height, the servant attains despair of ransom by creatures, his heart attaching to Allah alone, that being the reality of trust in Allah, among the greatest means whereby needs are sought, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, sufficing whoever trusts Him, as the Most High says, "And whoever trusts Allah, He suffices him." Adam ibn Abi Iyas reports in his tafsir, by his chain, from Mouhammad ibn Ishaq, who says, Malik al-'Achja'i came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saying, my son 'Awf was captured; he says, send him word the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commands thee multiplying the word, there is no strength nor power but by Allah.
The messenger came informing him, and 'Awf repeated, there is no strength nor power but by Allah; they had chained him with irons, the irons falling from him, and he came out, a she-camel of theirs being there, mounting it and returning; the troop of the people who chained him crying, they pursued him from last to first, surprising his two parents calling at the door, his father saying, 'Awf, by the Lord of the Kaaba! His mother saying, and his misfortune! And 'Awf was sad, paining having irons, the father and the servant running towards him, 'Awf filling the court with camels, recounting his father his affair and that of the camels; his father came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), informing him of the affair of 'Awf and the camels, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, do what thou wilt, and what thou hadst done with thy camels. And descended,
"And whoever fears Allah, He gives him an issue, and provides him from whence he counts not, and whoever trusts Allah, He suffices him, Allah attains certainly His command, Allah set each thing a measure."
At-Talaq, 2-3
Accounts thereon
Al-Foudayl said, "By Allah, wert thou to despair of creation until wanting nothing of them, thy Lord would give thee all thou willest." And Ibrahim ibn 'Adham mentions certain saying, "The askers never asked a request shorter than that of the servant saying, what Allah willed," meaning delegation to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. Sa'id ibn Salim al-Qaddah said, "It reached me that Moussa, upon him peace, had a need towards Allah, asking it and it delaying, and he said, what Allah willed, his need being before him, and he wondered; Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, revealed him, knowest thou not thy words, what Allah willed, being the shortest request whereby needs are sought?!"
Moreover, the believer, finding deliverance long, despairing after the multiplicity of supplication and imploring, without the effect of answer appearing, returns to his soul blaming it, saying, "I came only of thee, were there in thee good, thou hadst been answered"; that blame being dearer to Allah than many obediences, requiring the servant breaking towards his Lord, recognising him worthy of what descends of misfortune, and not worthy the answering of supplication, the answering of supplication and deliverance of distresses hastening then towards him, He, the Most High, being with broken hearts, of His part.
Accounts
Wahb says, a man worshipped long, then a need towards Allah appeared him, fasting seventy sabbaths, eating each sabbath eleven dates, then asking Allah his need without being given, returning to his soul and saying, "I came only of thee, were there in thee good, thy need had been given thee." An angel descended then to him saying, "O son of Adam! This hour is better than thy past worship, and Allah decreed thy need." Ibn Abi ad-Dunya reports it. And of certain of the Ancients, in this sense, "Perhaps what thou seest shall not last... and thou seest for it deliverance of what time made obstinate." "The deliverance Allah brings, He has each day in His creation an order." "When darkness appears, hope ease, Allah decreed hardship followed by ease."