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 a faithful English translation.
Updated on 10 September 2026 at 2:45 AM
📖 35 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 the Shaykh's, may Allah have mercy on him, attributed to other than at-Tirmidhi; the Shaykh's wording reported by Abd ibn Hamid in his Musnad, by a weak chain, from Ata, from Ibn Abbas. Likewise Ibn as-Salah, in the global hadiths originative of the Shaykh's forty, attributes it to Abd ibn Hamid and others. This hadith is reported from Ibn Abbas by many routes: his son Ali, his freedman Ikrima, Ata ibn Abi Rabbah, Amr ibn Dinar, Ubayd Allah ibn Abd Allah, Umar mawla Ghifra, Ibn Abi Mulayka and others. The most correct of all routes: Haneesh as-San'ani's, reported by at-Tirmidhi: so said Ibn al-Mundhir and others. From the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is reported counselling Ibn Abbas this counsel: from Ali ibn Abi Talib's, Abu Sa'id al-Khudri's, Sahl ibn Sa'd's and Abd Allah ibn Ja'far's hadith: weakness in all their chains. Al-Aqili mentions all the hadith's chains are soft: some more correct than others. In any case: Haneesh's route reported by at-Tirmidhi is good, well-deemed.
This hadith
This hadith contains great counsels, and global rules of the religion's most important matters: scholars even saying: "I contemplated this hadith: it astonished me, nearly deranging: alas its ignorance, and meaning-comprehension's scarcity?!" I say: I dedicated a large part to its commentary. We mention here its aims briefly, Allah willing.
His saying: "fear Allah" means: guard His limits, rights, commands and prohibitions. Guarding them: standing at His commands complying, His prohibitions avoiding, His limits: passing not from what He commanded and permitted to what He prohibited. Whoever does that is of Allah's limits' guardians whom Allah praised in His book. The Mighty and Majestic says:
"This is what you are promised: to every returning guardian fearing the Merciful in the unseen, coming with a returning heart."
Qaf, 32-33
The guardian explained: guardian of Allah's commands and His sins' guardian: repenting them. Greatest of Allah's commands to guard: prayer: Allah commanded keeping it:
"Keep the prayers, and the middle prayer."
Al-Baqara, 238
praising keepers:
"And those of their prayers keepers."
Al-Ma'arij, 34
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Whoever keeps them has with Allah a pact admitting him Paradise." Another hadith: "Whoever keeps them: light, proof and salvation to him on the Resurrection Day." Likewise purification: prayer's key: the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "None keeps ablution but a believer."
Of what guarding is commanded
Of commanded guarding: oaths. Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, said: "And keep your oaths": people fall therein much: many neglecting their due: neither keeping nor committing.
Of it: keeping head and belly, in Ibn Mas'oud's raised hadith: "Shyness before Allah, true shyness: keeping the head and what it contains, and the belly and what it contains." Imam Ahmad and at-Tirmidhi report it.
Keeping the head and contents: guarding hearing, sight and tongue from prohibitions. Keeping the belly and contents: includes keeping the heart from persisting unlawful: Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, says: "Know that Allah knows what is in your souls: beware Him." Allah gathered all that in His word:
"The hearing, the sight and the heart: all these will be questioned."
Al-Isra, 36
Includes keeping the belly from introducing unlawful foods and drinks.
Greatest of Allah's prohibitions, the Mighty and Majestic, to guard: the tongue and private parts: Abu Hurayra's hadith, 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 two legs enters Paradise." Al-Hakim reports it. Imam Ahmad reports from Abu Musa's hadith, 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 private enters Paradise." Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, commanded guarding privates, praising keepers:
"Tell the believing men lower their gazes and guard their privates."
An-Nur, 30
and the Most High says:
"Guardians of their privates and guardian women, much rememberers of Allah and rememberesses: Allah prepared them forgiveness and great reward."
Al-Ahzab, 35
and the Most High says:
"The believers succeeded: those humble in their prayers," to His word: "and those guarding their privates except toward wives or right hands' possessions: not blamed."
Al-Mu'minun, 1-6
Abu Idris al-Khawlani said: the first Allah counselled Adam at earth-descent: guard his private, saying: place it only in lawful.
His saying: "He will guard you" means: whoever guards Allah's limits and observes His rights: Allah guards him: recompense is the deed's kind: as the Most High said: "Fulfill My covenant: I fulfill your covenant"; "Remember Me, I remember you"; "If you aid Allah, He aids you." Allah's guarding His servant includes two kinds. First: guarding him in his world's interests: body, children, family, wealth: Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, said: "He has pursuers, before and behind: guarding him by Allah's command."
Of the predecessors' sayings
Ibn Abbas said: the angels: guarding him by Allah's order besides the decreed: when the decree comes they leave. Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "With each man are two angels guarding him besides the undecreed: when the decree comes they leave between him and it; and the term is a guarded fortress." Mujahid said: "No servant without an angel guarding him sleep and waking from jinn, men and reptiles: nothing coming but he says: behind you: except what Allah permitted reaching him."
Invocations thereof
Imam Ahmad, Abu Dawud and an-Nasa'i report from Ibn Umar's hadith, may Allah be pleased with both, who said: the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) left not these supplications evening and morning: "O Allah! I ask You wellbeing in world and Hereafter. O Allah! I ask You pardon and wellbeing in my religion, world, family and wealth. O Allah! Cover my shames, calm my fears, guard me from before, behind, right, left and above: and seek refuge in Your grandeur from being seized from beneath."
Whoever guards Allah in youth and strength: Allah guards him in old age, strength's weakness, gracing hearing, sight, power, strength and reason.
Some scholars exceeded a hundred years, enjoying strength and reason: jumping intensely one day: blamed, saying: "these are limbs we guarded from disobediences in youth: Allah guards them for us in old age." Opposite: some predecessors saw an old man begging people, saying: "he neglected Allah in youth: Allah neglected him in old age."
[Allah's guarding the servant in his offspring:] Allah may guard the servant by his righteousness after death in offspring: as said of His word: "their father was righteous": they were guarded by their father's righteousness.
Predecessors' sayings thereof
Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib told his son: "I will surely increase my prayer for you, hoping being guarded in you": reciting this verse: "their father was righteous." Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz said: "No believing man dies but Allah guards him in his offspring and offspring's offspring." Ibn al-Munkadir said: "Allah guards by the righteous man his son, son's son and surroundings around him: ever in Allah's guarding and covering."
The rule therein
When the servant is occupied obeying Allah: Allah guards him in that state. In Imam Ahmad's Musnad, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said: "A woman was in a house: went out in a Muslim detachment, leaving twelve goats and her spindle she wove with. She lost a goat and spindle: saying: O Lord! You guaranteed whoever goes in Your path Your guarding: I lost a goat of my flock and my spindle: I claim You my goat and spindle. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) mentioned the intensity of her claiming her Lord, blessed and exalted. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: she woke: her goat and its like, her spindle and its like. The spindle: the whorl spun and woven. Whoever Allah guards: Allah guards from all harm." Some predecessors said: "Whoever fears Allah guarded his soul; whoever neglected His fear neglected his soul: Allah rich of him."
Of the wonder of Allah's guarding the servant
Of Allah's guarding wonder for whom He guards: making naturally-harmful animals harm-guards for him: as befell the Prophet's freedman's ship (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): the vessel broke: he went to an island: saw the lion: walked with him till showing the way: when stopped there, grazed them as entrusting, then departed. Ibrahim ibn Adham was seen sleeping in an orchard, a snake with narcissus leaf in mouth: fanning him till waking. Opposite: whoever neglects Allah: Allah neglects him: lost among creation: harm touching from hoped-beneficial of family and others: as some predecessors said: "I disobey Allah: knowing it in my servant's and beast's character."
The second kind of guarding
The second kind, noblest of the two: Allah guarding the servant in his religion and faith: guarding him in life from misleading doubts and forbidden desires: keeping his religion at death: taking him upon faith. Some predecessors say: when death arrives, the angel is told: sniff his head. He says: I find the Qur'an in his head. He says: sniff his heart. He says: I find fasting in his heart. He says: sniff his feet. He says: I find standing in his feet. He says: he guarded himself: Allah guarded him.
The believer's guarding-invocation
In the two authentic collections, from al-Bara ibn Azib, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): he commanded saying at sleep: "If You seize my soul: have mercy on it; if You release it: guard it by what You guard Your righteous servants." In Umar's hadith, may Allah be pleased with him, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) taught saying: "O Allah! Guard me by Islam standing, guard me by Islam sitting, guard me by Islam lying: and let no enemy nor envier prevail over me." Ibn Hibban reports it in his Sahih. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) counselled the intending traveler, saying: "I entrust Allah your religion, your trust and deeds' ends." He said: "When Allah is entrusted a thing: he keeps it." An-Nasa'i and others report it.
In sum: Allah guards the believer, limits' guardian, his religion, placing obstacle between him and religion-corrupting, by guarding kinds the servant may not sense, displeasing: as said of Yusuf, upon him peace:
"Thus, to turn him from evil and indecency: he is of Our chosen servants."
Yusuf, 24
Of the predecessors' reports
Ibn Abbas said, at His word: "Allah places obstacle between man and his heart": obstacle between the believer and the disobedience drawing him to Fire. Al-Hasan, mentioning the disobedient folk, said: "They slighted Him, disobeying: had they honored Him He would have preserved them?!" Ibn Mas'oud said: "The servant is tempted by a commerce or emirate affair till made easy: Allah looks, telling angels: turn it from him: were I making it easy I would enter him Fire: Allah turns it: he keeps flying by his speech: so-and-so preceded me, so-and-so deceived me: it is Allah's grace, the Mighty and Majestic?!" At-Tabarani reports from Anas's hadith, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, says: "Among My servants is he whose faith rights not but by poverty: were I enriching, that corrupts; he whose faith rights not but by wealth: impoverishing corrupts; he whose faith rights not but by health: sickening corrupts; he whose faith rights not but by sickness: healing corrupts; and of My servants whoever asks a worship gate: I withhold him, lest vainglory enter. I manage My servants' [affair] by My knowledge, with their hearts: I am Knowing, Aware."
His saying: "fear Allah: you will find Him facing you"; a version: "before you": means: whoever guards Allah's limits and observes His rights finds Allah with him in all states wherever directed: surrounding, aiding, guarding, granting, rectifying: Allah with the fearing and the good-doers.
Of the predecessors' reports
Qatada said: "Whoever fears Allah: Allah is with him; whoever Allah is with: has the unconquerable troop, the unsleeping guard, the unerring guide." Some predecessors wrote a brother: "As to it: if Allah is with you: whom fear you? If against you: whom hope you?" This special presence is that mentioned in His word to Musa and Harun: "Fear not: I am with you two: hearing and seeing"; Musa's word: "No! My Lord is with me: He will guide"; the Prophet's word to Abu Bakr in the cave: "What think you of two, Allah their third? Grieve not: Allah is with us."
This special presence requires victory, aid, guarding and assistance, unlike the general presence in His word: "No three conferring but He their fourth; five but He sixth; less nor more but He with them wherever"; His word: "They hide not from Allah while He is with them when night-debating displeasing speech": this presence requires His knowledge, awareness and observation of their deeds: requiring fearing servants. The first presence requires the servant's guarding, surrounding and aiding: whoever guards Allah and observes His rights finds Him before and facing every state: finding comfort, self-sufficient of creatures: as in the hadith: "The best faith: the servant knowing Allah with him wherever": preceded. Bunana al-Jamal is reported entering the desert alone on the Tabuk road: feeling lonely: a caller calling: "Lonely? Is not your beloved with you?" Some were told: "Lonely alone?" Saying: "how lonely, He saying: I am the companion of whoever mentions Me?" Another told: "seeing you alone?" Saying: "whoever Allah is with: how alone?" Another: "have you no comforter? Saying: yes." Told: where is he? Saying: "before me, with me, behind, right, left and above?!" Ash-Shibli recited: "When we walk night's darkness, You before us... enough for our mounts Your remembrance guiding."
His saying: "recognize Allah in ease: He recognizes you in hardship": means: the servant fearing Allah, guarding His limits, observing His rights in ease: recognized Allah: special knowledge between him and his Lord: his Lord recognizing him in hardship, caring for his ease-recognition: saving him trials by this knowledge. This special knowledge requires the servant's nearness his Lord, love of Him, answering his supplication.
The servant's knowledge of his Lord is of two types
The servant's knowledge of his Lord is of two types: the first: general knowledge: acknowledging Him, believing: general to believers. The second: special knowledge requiring the heart's total inclination to Allah, attachment, intimacy, tranquility by remembrance, shyness and awe toward Him: this special knowledge is that the knowers circle: some saying: "The world's people's poor: exited it un-tasting." Told: what is it? Saying: "knowing Allah, the Mighty and Majestic?!" Ahmad ibn Asim al-Antaki said: "I love dying not until knowing my Lord: His knowledge not acknowledgment: but knowledge that when known you are shy before."
Allah's knowledge of His servant is of two types too
Allah's knowledge of His servant is of two types: general: His glory-knowledge of servants, aware of their secrets and publications: as the Most High said: "We created man, knowing what his soul whispers"; He says: "He knows you best when He originated you earth, and when you were embryos in your mothers' wombs." The second: special knowledge requiring His love of His servant, nearness, answering supplication and delivering from trials: that indicated by the Prophet's saying (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), reporting his Lord, the Mighty and Majestic: "My servant never ceases drawing near by supererogatories till I love him; when I love him I am his hearing hearing, sight seeing, hand striking, foot walking: were he to ask Me I would surely give; seek My refuge: surely protect." A version: "call Me: surely answer."
Of the predecessors' situations
When al-Hasan fled al-Hajjaj: entering Habib's house, Abu Muhammad: Habib told him: O Abu Sa'id! Is there not between you and your Lord what you invoke Him, covering you these? Enter the house. He entered, the police passing his trail seeing him not. Al-Hajjaj told: he said: he was in the house: but Allah blinded their eyes: seeing not. Al-Fudayl ibn Iyad met Sha'wana the worshipper: she asked the supplication: she said: O Fudayl! What is between you and Him? You invoke Him, He answers? Al-Fudayl fainted. Ma'ruf was told: what stirred you to attachment and worship, reminding death, barzakh, Paradise and Fire? Ma'ruf said: a King whose all is in His hand: were knowledge between you and Him: this all suffices you?!
In sum
In sum: whoever treats Allah with piety and obedience in ease: Allah treats him kindness and aid in hardship.
At-Tirmidhi reports from Abu Hurayra's hadith, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Whoever delights Allah answering him at hardships: multiply supplication in ease." Ibn Abi Hatim and others report, from Yazid ar-Raqashi's narration, from Anas, raising it, that Yunus, upon him peace and salvation, when supplicating in the whale's belly: the angels said: O Lord! A known voice from strange lands? Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, said: know you not that? They said: who is he? He said: My servant Yunus. They said: Your servant Yunus, whose accepted deed keeps raised, and answered invocation? He said: yes. They said: O Lord! Will You not have mercy on what he did in ease, delivering him the calamity? He said: yes. Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, commanded the whale casting him ashore. Ad-Dahhak ibn Qays said: "Remember Allah in ease: He remembers you in hardship: Yunus, upon him peace and salvation, remembered Allah, the Most High: when falling in the whale's belly Allah, the Most High, said:"
"Had he not been of the glorifiers: he would have lingered in its belly till the day they are resurrected."
As-Saffat, 143-144
Pharaoh was a tyrant forgetful of Allah's remembrance: drowning seizing: he said: I believe! Allah, the Most High, said:
"Now? Before disobeying, of corrupters."
Yunus, 91
Salman the Persian said: "When the man is a suppliant in prosperity, adversity descending: supplicating Allah, the Most High: the angels say: a known voice: they intercede. When no suppliant in prosperity, adversity descending, supplicating Allah: the angels say: a voice not known: interceding not." A man told Abu al-Darda: counsel me. He said: "Remember Allah in prosperity: the Mighty and Majestic remembers you adversity." Of him, saying: "Invoke Allah a day of your prosperity: perhaps answering your adversity-day?!"
The greatest hardships befalling the servant in the world: death; beyond harder.
Were the servant's outcome not good: the believer must prepare death and beyond in health by piety and righteous deeds: Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, says:
"O you who believe! Fear Allah: let each soul see what it prepared for tomorrow: fear Allah: Allah is Aware of what you do. Be not like those forgetting Allah: He made them forget their souls: those are the defiant."
Al-Hashr, 18-19
And its effect
Whoever remembers Allah in health and ease, preparing then for meeting Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, by death and beyond: Allah remembers him at these hardships: with him therein, kind, aiding, undertaking, establishing on oneness: meeting Him pleased with him. Whoever forgets Allah in health and ease, unprepared for meeting: Allah forgets him these hardships, meaning averted, neglecting. Death reaching the prepared believer, good-thought of his Lord: Allah's glad tidings coming: loving meeting Allah: Allah loving his meeting. The wicked opposite. The believer rejoices, delighting his prepared coming: the negligent regretting, saying:
"Alas what I neglected by Allah's side!"
Az-Zumar, 56
Of the predecessors' reports
Abu Abd ar-Rahman as-Sulami said before dying: "How hope I not my Lord, fasting for Him eighty Ramadans?" Abu Bakr ibn Ayyash told his son at death: "See you Allah losing your father's forty years ending the Qur'an nightly?" Adam ibn Abi Iyas finished the Qur'an dying, saying: "By my love for you: accompany me this death-place: I hoped you this day: I hoped: there is no deity but Allah!" Then passed. Zakariyya ibn Adi dying raised his hands saying: "O Allah! I am toward You nostalgic!" Abd as-Samad the ascetic said at death: "My Lord! This hour I hid You; this day I acquired You: fulfill my good thought of You?!" Qatada said, of Allah's word, the Mighty and Majestic: "Whoever fears Allah: He appoints an exit": of distress at death. Ali ibn Abi Talha reported Ibn Abbas, of this verse: delivering from all worldly and Hereafter distress. Zayd ibn Aslam said, of His word: "Those saying: our Lord is Allah: then upright: angels descend them: fear not, grieve not: be gladdened the Paradise promised": announced at death, in grave, resurrection-day: in Paradise, glad-tidings' joy leaving not his heart. Thabit al-Bunani said, of this verse: "We are informed the believer wherever Allah raises him from his grave: his two angels with him in the world meet, saying: fear not, grieve not: Allah securing his fear, cooling his eye: no greatness covering people on the Resurrection Day but it is the believer's eye-coolness, Allah [blessed and exalted] guiding him not, [nor] his working [for Him] in the world."
His saying: "when you ask: ask Allah; when you seek aid: seek Allah's": extracted from His word: "You alone we worship, You alone we seek aid": asking Allah is His supplication and desiring: supplication is worship: reported of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): telling an-Nu'man ibn Bashir, reciting His word: "Your Lord says: invoke Me: I answer you." Imam Ahmad, Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah report it. Ibn Rajab's father counselled: "O my son! Fear Allah: He guards you; when you ask: ask Allah; when you seek aid: seek Allah's; know: were the people uniting using you of aught Allah wrote you not: unable; uniting harming you aught Allah wrote you not: unable; know patience over what you hate is much good; victory with patience; relief with affliction; with hardship ease." "When you do good: reward attained; do evil: Allah's forgiveness asked. When you ask: ask Allah only; seek aid: Allah's only; know: were the whole community uniting using you aught Allah wrote you not: unable; uniting harming aught Allah wrote you not: unable: restrain your tongue except good: guard asking besides Me: preserve it asking besides Me." He alone the Powerful: removing harm, bringing benefit none besides: as He said: "Allah touching you harm: remover none but He; willing good: repeller none of His grace"; He says: "No mercy Allah opens people withheld: what He withholds none sends after Him." Allah, glorified, loves being asked and desired in needs, importuned in asking and supplication, angry at the non-asker, inviting His servants asking: able giving all creation their asking without kingdom-diminishing. The creature, otherwise: hates being asked, loves not asked: for inability, poverty, need.
Of the predecessors' reports
Hence Wahb ibn Munabbih told a king-visiting man: "Woe you! Coming to who closes his door, showing you poverty, hiding wealth, leaving who opens his door midnight and noon, showing wealth, saying: invoke Me: I answer?" Tawus told Ata: "Beware seeking your needs of whom closes his door, placing his curtain before: go to whom his door is open to the Resurrection Day: His command: that you ask: and His promise: answering."
Seeking Allah's aid, the Mighty and Majestic, besides creation: the servant unable independently bringing interests, repelling harms: no aid of religion's and world's interests but Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: whoever Allah aids is the aided; forsaken, the forsaken. This verifies "no might nor power but by Allah"'s meaning: no passage for the servant state-to-state, nor power: but by Allah. A great word: Paradise's treasure: the servant needy Allah's aid doing commanded, leaving forbidden, enduring all decrees in the world, at death and after: barzakh's and Resurrection Day's terrors: none aiding but Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: whoever verifies the aid on all that: He aids. The authentic hadith, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Seek what benefits: seek Allah's aid, impotent not."
Whoever seeks aid besides Allah
Whoever abandons Allah's aid, seeking another's: Allah entrusts him whom sought: forsaken.
[Reported thereof:] Al-Hasan wrote Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz: "seek aid none but Allah: else Allah entrusts you him." Of some predecessors' speech: "O Lord! I marvel who knows You: hoping besides You? And marvel who knows You: seeking aid besides You?"
His saying: "the pen dried upon what will be"; another version: "the pens lifted, the sheets dried": allusion to all decrees' writing anteriority, completion long since: the book, ending writing, pens lifted, time long: pens lifted, writing-pens dried of ink, the written sheet dried by written ink. Of the nicest allusions and most eloquent.
The book and abundant correct Sunna indicated this meaning: Allah, the Most High, says:
"No misfortune befalls on earth, nor in yourselves: but in a book before We bring it: that easy to Allah."
Al-Hadid, 22
In the Sahih of Muslim, from Abd Allah ibn Amr, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said: "Allah wrote the creatures' decrees before creating the heavens and earth fifty thousand years." In it also, from Jabir: a man said: O Messenger of Allah! What is today's deed? That whose pens dried and decrees ran? Or the coming? He said: "no: but that whose pens dried and decrees ran." He said: what then deed? He said: "work: each facilitated toward what created for." Imam Ahmad, Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi report from Ubada ibn as-Samit's hadith, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said: "The first Allah created: the pen: saying: write: it ran that hour on what will be till the Resurrection Day." Hadiths in this meaning very many, long to mention.
His saying: "were the whole creation to unite using you aught Allah wrote you not: unable; uniting harming aught Allah wrote you not: unable." This is Imam Ahmad's narration. At-Tirmidhi reports it in meaning too. Intended: what befalls the servant in his world of harm or benefit: all decreed upon: nothing befalls but what written of it in the anterior book: though the whole creation strives against. The Qur'an indicated the like: His word: "Say: naught reaches us but what Allah wrote us"; His word: "No misfortune befalls on earth nor in yourselves but in a book before We bring"; His word: "Say: were you in your houses, those upon whom killing was written would emerge to their beds." Imam Ahmad reports from Abu al-Darda's hadith, may Allah be pleased with him, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said: "Everything has a reality: the servant attaining not faith's reality until knowing what reached him could not miss, what missed could not reach." Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah report it from Zayd ibn Thabit's hadith, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), also.
Know the whole counsel's pivot upon this root: what mentioned before and after derived, returning: the servant knowing naught reaching him but Allah's written good, evil, benefit, harm, creation's whole effort against the decreed un-benefiting: knows then Allah alone the Harmer, Profiter, Giver, Withholder: obligating tawhid of his Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, singularizing obedience, guarding limits: the worshipped sought worshipping but bringing benefits, repelling harms: hence Allah blamed whoever worships who neither benefits, harms, nor suffices his worshiper anything.
Whoever knows none benefits, harms, gives, withholds besides Allah: obligates singularizing fear, hope, love, asking, supplicating, invoking: preferring His obedience over the whole creation's, fearing His anger though the creation's whole anger: singularizing His aid-seeking, asking, sincere invoking: hardship-state and ease, unlike the polytheists' sincere invoking at hardships, forgetting in ease, invoking whom they hope benefit besides: Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, says:
"Say: see those you invoke besides Allah: Allah willing me harm: removers of His harm? Willing mercy: withholders of His mercy? Say: Allah suffices me: in Him the trusters trust."
Yunus, 106-107
His saying: "know patience over what you hate is much good": means: what befalls the servant of painful written calamities: enduring: much good in endurance. Umar mawla Ghifra's and others' narration, from Ibn Abbas, another addition before this speech: "Were you able working for Allah with contentment in certainty: do; unable: patience over what you hate is much good." Another narration, from Ali ibn Abd Allah ibn Abbas's, from his father: weak isnad: addition after: I said: O Messenger of Allah! How make I certainty? He said: "knowing what reached you could not miss, what missed could not reach: when you closed certainty's door." Meaning: the heart's certainty from the prior decree and past predestination aids the servant's soul contenting what reached. Whoever can work in decree and predestination certainty contenting the decreed: do; unable contentment: enduring the disliked much good.
Two degrees for the believer at decree and predestination in calamities. The first: content: a very high noble rank: the Mighty and Majestic says:
"No calamity befalls but by Allah's permission: whoever believes in Allah: He guides his heart."
At-Taghabun, 11
Al-Ala said: "the calamity reaches the man: knowing Allah's side: submitting, contenting." At-Tirmidhi reports from Anas's hadith, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said: "Allah loving a people tries them: content: contentment his; displeased: displeasure his." The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said in his supplication: "I ask You contentment after decree." What calls the believer to decree-contentment: faith's verification, by the Prophet's word (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Allah decrees the believer no decree but good: prosperity reaching, thanking: good; adversity enduring: good: only the believer." A man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) asking a concise comprehensive counsel: he said: "accuse Allah not in His decree."
Of the predecessors' sayings
Abu al-Darda said: "Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, decreeing a decree loves being contented." Ibn Mas'oud said: Allah, by His justice and equity, placed rest and relief in certainty and contentment, worry and sadness in doubt and displeasure: the contented wishing naught besides his hardship-ease state: reported of Umar, Ibn Mas'oud and others. Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz said: "I woke, my wealth joy: except decree and predestination's places."
Whoever reaches this degree
Whoever reaches this degree: his living wholly bliss and joy. Allah, the Most High, says:
"Whoever works righteous, male or female, believing: We surely give him pure living."
An-Nahl, 97
Some predecessors said: "the pure living: contentment and sufficiency." Abd al-Wahid ibn Zayd said: "contentment is Allah's greatest gate: the world's Paradise: the worshippers' rest."
The contented folk
The contented observe sometimes the Trialler's wisdom, His benefit to His servant in trial, unaccused in decree. Sometimes the decree-contentment's reward: the decreed pain forgetting. Sometimes the Trialler's greatness, majesty, perfection: immersed beholding: pain unfelt. This reaching only the knowers' and lovers' elite: savoring what befalls, beholding issuance from the beloved: some saying: "He found them in His torture: sweetnesses." A Follower asked his sickness state: he said: "dearer to Him: dearer to me!" Sari asked: does the lover feel trial's pain? He said: no. Some said: "His torture in you sweet... His absence presence: you with me my soul... but of it dearer." "My good's share: I love... what You love: I love."
The second degree
The second degree: enduring trial: whoever unable decree-contentment: contentment recommended grace, invited: endurance obligatory upon the believer, binding: endurance much good: Allah commanded, promising immense reward: Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, says:
"Only the patient have their reward in full, without reckoning."
Az-Zumar, 10
and the Most High says:
"Give the patient glad tidings: those who, calamity striking, say: we belong to Allah: to Him returning: those upon them prayers of their Lord and mercy: those the guided."
Al-Baqara, 155-157
Al-Hasan said: "contentment difficult: endurance the believer's support." Patience-contentment difference: patience withholding the soul, detaining grudge with pain's existence and removal-wishing, limbs' whim-deed withholding. Contentment: chest-opening, decree-width, leaving painful-removal-wishing though pain-sense: contentment lightening: heart touching certainty-knowledge rest. Strong contentment removing pain-sense wholly, as preceded.
His saying: "know victory with patience": Allah's word conforming, the Mighty and Majestic:
"Said those deeming meeting Allah: how many a small troop overcame a numerous by Allah's permission: Allah with the patient."
Al-Baqara, 249
and the Most High says:
"Were there of you a hundred enduring: overcoming two hundred; a thousand: two thousand: by Allah's permission: Allah with the patient."
Al-Anfal, 65
Reported thereof
Umar told some Abs elders: "Whereby fought you the people?" They said: "endurance: never meeting a people but enduring them, as they us." Some predecessors said: "all hate death, wounds' pain: excelling endurance." Al-Battal said: "Bravery: an hour's endurance."
Who is the striver?
This in the apparent enemy's jihad: the disbelievers'; likewise the hidden enemy's: the soul's and desire's: their jihad greatest: the Prophet's word (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "The striver strives his soul for Allah." Abd Allah ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with both, told the jihad-asker: "begin your soul striving, begin your soul raiding." Buqay'a ibn al-Walid said: Ibrahim ibn Adham informed us: the trustworthy told us, from Ali ibn Abi Talib, who said: "your jihad's first you deny: your souls' jihad." Ibrahim ibn Abi Ubayla told raid-returning people: "You came the lesser jihad: what did the greater?" They said: what greater jihad? He said: "the heart's jihad." Reported raised from Jabir's hadith, weak chain: wording: "you came the lesser jihad to the greater." They said: what greater? He said: "the servant's desire-striving." Reported from Sa'd ibn Sinan's hadith, from Anas, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said: "Your enemy is not he who, killing you, admits you Paradise; you killing: light to you: your greatest enemy your soul between your sides." Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, said in his Umar-counsel, investing: "the first I warn: your soul between your sides."
This jihad needs patience too: enduring soul, desire, devil-striving: overcoming: victory triumphing: owning his soul: noble king. Whimpering, enduring not: overcame, subdued, captured: low captive servant in his devil's and desire's hand: as said: "When man overcomes not his desire: it establishes him... a station wherein the noble lowly." Ibn al-Mubarak, may Allah have mercy on him, said: "whoever endures: how little he endures! Whimpering: how little he enjoys?!"
His saying: "victory with patience": includes both jihads' victory: apparent enemy's, hidden enemy's: enduring: aided, triumphant enemy: not enduring, whimpering: overcome: enemy's captive or slain.
His saying: "and relief with distress": His word witnesses, the Mighty and Majestic:
"He sends rain after despair, spreading His mercy."
Ash-Shura, 28
the Prophet's word (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Our Lord laughed at His servants' despair and the other's nearness." Imam Ahmad reports it: his son Abd Allah in a long hadith containing: "Allah knew the rain-day surprising you two despairers: laughing, knowing the other near you." Meaning: He, glorified, delights His servants' despair at rain-withholding, their despair and abandonment of mercy: relief time near, His mercy His servants: descending rain, changing their state unfeeling. The Most High says:
"When He strikes whom He wills of His servants: they rejoice: though before its descending upon them despairing."
Yunus, 48
and the Most High says:
"Until the messengers despair, deeming lied: our help came."
Yusuf, 110
and the Most High says:
"Until the messenger and believers with him say: when Allah's help? Indeed Allah's help is near."
Al-Baqara, 214
and the Most High says, quoting Ya'qub telling his sons:
"O my sons! Go, seek Yusuf and his brother: despair not Allah's comfort: He despairs not Allah's comfort but the disbelieving people."
Yusuf, 87
Then He relates their gathering story after. How much He related, glorified, of relieving His prophets' distresses at distress's utmost! Nuh's and companions' ark-saving; Ibrahim's fire-saving; His ransoming the son commanded slaughtered; Musa's and people's sea-saving, enemy drowning; Ayyub's and Yunus's stories; Muhammad's (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) enemies-stories, saving: cave-story, Badr-day, Uhud-day, coalitions-day, Hunayn-day, other.
His saying: "and with hardship ease": extracted from His word: "Allah places after hardship ease"; His word: "with hardship is ease: with hardship is ease."
"With hardship is ease: with hardship is ease."
Ash-Sharh, 5-6
Hardship overcomes never two eases
Al-Bazzar reports in his Musnad, Ibn Abi Hatim: wording latter's: from Anas's hadith, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said: "were hardship coming entering this hole: ease comes entering, expelling." Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, sent down:
"With hardship is ease: with hardship is ease."
Ash-Sharh, 5-6
Ibn Jarir and others report from al-Hasan's hadith, mursal, likewise: his hadith the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saying: "hardship overcomes never two eases." Ibn Abi al-Dunya reports by his chain from Ibn Mas'oud, who said: "were hardship entering a hole: ease comes entering with." Then said: Allah, the Most High, said: "with hardship is ease: with hardship is ease." By his chain: Abu Ubayda besieged: Umar, may Allah be pleased with both, wrote: "whatever hardship befalls a man: Allah places after relief, hardship overcoming never two eases: He, glorified, says: endure, persevere, hold fast, fear Allah: succeeding."
Of relief-distress pairing's and ease-hardship's subtle secrets: distress intensifying, magnifying, utmost: the servant despairs creatures' removal: heart attaching Allah alone: true trust's reality: greatest means seeking needs: Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, suffices whoever trusts: as the Most High said: "whoever trusts Allah: He suffices him." Adam ibn Abi Iyas reports in his tafsir, by his chain, from Muhammad ibn Ishaq, who said: Malik al-Ashja'i came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saying: my son Awf captured. He said: message him the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commands multiplying: no might nor power but by Allah. The messenger came, informing: Awf repeating: no might nor power but by Allah. Chained irons: irons fell: exited: a she-camel theirs: riding, returning: the people's troop chaining: crying them: pursuing last to first: surprising parents calling at the door: father said: Awf, by the Kaaba's Lord! Mother: and his evil! Awf sad, pained chained: father and servant racing: Awf filling the courtyard camels: relating father his affair and camels': father came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) informing Awf's and camels' affair: the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: do what you love: your camels' doing. Descended:
"Whoever fears Allah: He appoints exit, providing whence he reckons not: whoever trusts Allah: He suffices him: Allah attains His order: Allah placed each thing a measure."
At-Talaq, 2-3
Reported thereof
Al-Fudayl said: "By Allah: despairing creation wanting naught: your Lord gives all you want." Ibrahim ibn Adham mentions some saying: "askers asked no shorter asking than the servant saying: what Allah willed": meaning delegating Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. Sa'id ibn Salim al-Qaddah said: "reached me Musa, upon him peace, having an Allah-need: seeking, delayed: saying: what Allah willed: need before him: marveling: Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, revealing: knew you not your word: what Allah willed: shortest need-seeking?!"
Moreover: the believer finding relief delayed, despairing after much supplicating and imploring, answering-effect appearing not: returns to his soul blaming, saying: "from you I came: had you good, answered." This blame dearer to Allah than much obediences: requiring the servant breaking to his Lord, admitting deserving descending calamity, undeserving invocation-answering: invocation-answering and distress-relief hastening then: He, the Most High, at broken hearts, of Him.
Reported
Wahb said: a man worshipped long: an Allah-need appearing: fasting seventy sabbaths, eating each sabbath eleven dates: asking Allah his need: given not: returning his soul saying: "from you I came: had you good, your need given." An angel descending saying: "O son of Adam! This hour better than your past worship: Allah decreed your need." Ibn Abi al-Dunya reports it. Of early ones, in meaning: "perhaps what you see lasts not... seeing relief of time's importuning." "The relief Allah brings: each day in His creation an order." "When difficulty appears: hope ease: Allah decreed difficulty followed by ease."