بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد
The Prophet ﷺ said: ❝Whoever comes across a person suffering a calamity and says (silently):
الحمد لله الذي عافاني مما ابتلاك به ، وفضلني على كثير ممن خلق تفضيلا
(Alhamdulillaahi-ladhee `aafaanee mimmaa ibtalaaka bih,
wa fadh-dhalanee alaa katheerim mimman
khalaqa tafdheelaa)
‘All praise is for Allaah Who saved me from that which He tested you with and Who most certainly favored me over much of His creation.’
He will be kept safe from
that calamity.❞
[1]
Terminologies:
The Prophet ﷺ said: ❝Whoever comes across a person suffering a calamity…❞, meaning: the one suffering in his body due to an illness or disease; or in his worldly affair like poverty, loss in business, etc.; or in his religion like someone who is a sinner, or disobedient to Allaah, or falls in Bid`ah or Kufr.
❝comes across❞, meaning: he either sees the person or hears about him.
❝and says❞, meaning: to say it silently and not loudly, so that the afflicted person does not hear. Otherwise, it would be considered as gloating.
❝All praise is for Allaah Who saved me...❞, meaning: He saved me, rescued me, protected me.
❝…from that which He tested you with...❞, this is beseeching Allaah and praising Him for protecting him from this affliction.
❝…and Who most certainly favored me…❞, meaning: put me in a better position, and increased me in goodness, saved me, and protected me from this affliction or any other afflictions.
❝…over much of His creation...❞, in this, there is gratitude to Allaah for saving him from evil and harm.
❝He will be kept safe from that calamity.❞ , meaning: the
remembrance of Allaah and praising Him are the means through which a slave seeks
Allaah’s protection from the affliction which has harmed others, because a
person is not safe from the afflictions, and that Allaah تعالى saves and has mercy
on him because of his prayers and supplications. Therefore, a person should
constantly remember Allaah, supplicate to Him, and acknowledge His favors and
blessings.
Explanation:
The saying of the Prophet ﷺ: ❝Whoever comes across a person suffering a calamity and says:… He will be kept safe from that calamity.❞
❝Suffering from a calamity❞, afflicted from one of the many forms of diseases and illnesses, or afflicted with distancing from Allaah and His religion, or afflicted in his family and children.
And his ﷺ saying: ❝and Who most certainly favored me over much of His creation❞, it can refer to the group of people who are afflicted, and that Allaah تعالى has favored so-and-so over them by not afflicting him with what they are afflicted with.
It is preferred to say this Du`aa silently so that only the one who is saying it hears it and the one who has been afflicted does not hear it, otherwise, it will hurt him even further and his heart will grieve more. Except when the one who is afflicted is a sinner, or who is calling people to deviancy. And Allaah knows best
The word Ibtilaa’ refers to a type of test through afflictions. These tests can be through good and evil. Allaah تعالى afflicts His slaves with good to test their gratitude, and He تعالى afflicts them with evil to test their patience. As Allaah تعالى said:
كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ ۗ وَنَبْلُوكُم
بِالشَّرِّ وَالْخَيْرِ فِتْنَةً ۖ وَإِلَيْنَا تُرْجَعُونَ
{Every soul will taste death. And We test you with evil
and with good as a trial, and to Us you will be returned} [2]
Al-Haafidh Ibn Katheer رحمه الله said in his Tafseer:
كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَآئِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ
{Everyone is going to taste death}
وَنَبْلُوكُم بِالشَّرِّ وَالْخَيْرِ فِتْنَةً
{and We shall test you with evil and with good by way of trial} meaning: “We shall test you, sometimes with difficulties and sometimes with ease, to see who will give thanks and who will be ungrateful, who will have patience and who will despair.”
`Ali bin Abi Talhah reported from Ibn `Abbaas رضي الله عنهما: {and We shall test you with evil and with good by way of trial} means: We will test you with difficulties and with times of prosperity, with health and sickness, with richness and poverty, with lawful and unlawful, obedience and sin, with guidance and misguidance. {And to Us you will be returned} means: and We will repay you according to your deeds (good with good and evil with evil). [3]
Affliction in all its forms is a trial and test. So, upon the slave is to be patient and seek relief from Allaah through constant supplications. As for the slave whom Allaah تعالى has saved from this affliction, then it is a great favor from Allaah تعالى for which he should be thankful.
The bestowment with good is to test our gratitude:
Abu Yahya Suhaib bin Sinaan رضي الله عنه reported that the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said: ❝How wonderful is the case of a believer; for all his affairs are good for him, and this applies only to a Believer! If something good happens to him, he is thankful for it and that is good for him; when something bad happens to him, he bears it with patience and that is good for him.❞ [4]
Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه said narrated: The Prophet ﷺ said: ❝There
were three men among the Banee Israaeel, one leper, one bald and one blind.
Allaah wanted to test them. He, therefore, sent to them an Angel who came to
the leper and asked him what he would like best. He replied: “A good color, a
good skin and to be rid of what makes me loathsome to people”. He (the Angel)
rubbed him, and his loathsomeness vanished, and he was given a good color and a
good skin. He then asked him what type of property he would like best. The
leper replied that he would like. He was given a pregnant she-camel. The Angel
invoked for Allaah’s Blessing on it. The Angel then went to the bald man and asked
him what he would like best, and he replied: “Good hair and to be rid of what
makes me loathsome to people”. The Angel ran his hand over him, and he was
given good hair. He then asked him what property he would like best. He replied
that he would like cattle, so he was given a pregnant cow. The Angel invoked
Allaah’s Blessing on it. The Angel then went to the blind man and asked him
what he would like best, and he replied: “I wish that Allaah restore my sight
to me so that I may see people.” Thereupon the Angel ran his hand over him and Allaah
restored his sight. The Angel then asked what property he would like best. He
replied that he would like sheep, so he was given a pregnant ewe. Flocks and
herds were multiplied for the three men, the first having a valley full of
camels, the second one, a valley full of cows and the third one full of sheep.
Then the Angel came in the form of a leper, to the one who had been a leper,
and said: “I am a poor man and my resources have been exhausted in my journey,
and my only means of reaching my destination are dependent on Allaah and then
on you, so I ask you by Him Who gave you the good color, the good skin and the
property, for a camel by which I may get to my destination”. He replied: “I
have many dues to pay (therefore I cannot give you).” The Angel then said: “I
think I recognize you. Were you not a leper whom people found loathsome and a
poor man to whom Allaah gave property?” He replied: “I got this property through
inheritance from my fore-fathers”. The Angel said: “If you are telling a lie,
may Allaah return you to your former condition”. The Angel went in the form of
a bald man to the one who had been bald and said the same as he had said to the
former and received a similar reply. So, he said: “If you are telling a lie,
may Allaah return you to your former condition”. The Angel then went to the one
who had been blind and said: “I am a poor traveler and my resources have been
exhausted in my journey. My only means of reaching my destination are dependent
on Allaah and then on you, so I ask you by Him Who restored your eyesight for a
sheep by which I may get to the end of my journey”. He replied: “No doubt, I
was blind, and Allaah gave me back my eye-sight; I was poor and Allaah made me
rich; so, take anything you wish from my property. By Allaah, I will not stop
you for taking anything (you need) of my property, as I give it to you for Allaah’s
sake.” The Angel said: “Keep your property. You (i.e., the three men) have all
simply been put to a test, and Allaah is pleased with you and displeased with
both of your companions”.❞ [5]
Types of Ibtilaa’ and Fitan (calamities/affliction/trials/tests)
Afflictions are of two types:
1) Affliction in the self: (And this is from the worldly perspective). This includes loss in wealth, health, life, honor, hunger, fear, or any other type of physical or psychological loss or affliction. As Allaah تعالى said:
وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَيْءٍ مِّنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَنفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ
{And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear,
hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits…} [6]
2) Affliction in the Deen: (and this is from the perspective of the Hereafter). Affliction in the Deen is far worse than affliction in the self. As Allaah تعالى said:
وَالْفِتْنَةُ أَشَدُّ مِنَ الْقَتْلِ
{And Al-Fitnah (affliction in the Deen) is worse than killing} [7]
And
وَالْفِتْنَةُ أَكْبَرُ مِنَ الْقَتْلِ
{...and Al-Fitnah is a greater (crime) than killing} [8]
This includes being afflicted by: Shirk, or Bid`ah, or belittling the Sunnah and authentic Ahaadeeth, or getting confused even after knowing the correct path, or having doubts about the Deen, or chasing the desires, or giving preference to personal opinions over the Texts, or laziness in religious duties, or self-amazement, or following the path of falsehood after being guided, or swaying between groups and sects, etc.
Part of this affliction also includes being prevented from carrying out the religious duties by the enemies, or persecution in the name of religion. As Allaah تعالى said:
وَمَا نَقَمُوا مِنْهُمْ إِلَّا أَن يُؤْمِنُوا بِاللَّـهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَمِيدِ
{They (the enemies) had nothing against them (the Believers), except that they believed in Allaah, the All-Mighty, Worthy of all Praise!} [9]
Affliction in the Deen can lead to misguidance and eternal damnation. Moreover, the Prophet ﷺ frequently used to supplicate saying:
يَا مُقَلِّبَ القُلُوبِ، ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِي عَلَى دِينِكَ
❝O Changer of the hearts, make my heart firm upon Your religion.❞ [10]
The 3 afflictions which daily affect every human being:
Every day and every night, the children of Aadam are affected by the 3 afflictions. Not a day goes by except that they are afflicted by all the 3 of them.
The first affliction:
His lifespan is reduced every day. He does not care much about his lifespan being reduced, but if there is any reduction in his wealth, he starts worrying. What he forgets is that wealth is recoverable but not the lifespan.
The second affliction:
Every day he consumes the sustenance provided to him by Allaah. If it is Halaal, he will be questioned about it [Surah al-Takaathur (102): 8]. But if it is through Haraam means, then he will be punished for it; and no one knows the extent of the punishment except Allaah.
The third affliction:
Every day he is nearing the Aakhirah by some distance; while at the same time he is being distanced from this worldly life by some distance. But his concern for the everlasting hereafter is nothing compared to his concern for this fleeting world. He does not know if his abode will be the highest station in Paradise or the lowest depths of Hell.
Some of the signs that a person has been put to trial
are:
1) When he abandons his religion.
2) When he lies about Allaah and His religion.
3) When he attributes a lie to the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ.
4) When he shaves or trims his beard after having it grow
longer.
5) When he does what he used to warn against.
6) When he aligns upon misguidance with the same people he
used to warn against.
7) When he abandons his night prayers.
8) When he completely abandons the Salaah.
9) When a sister abandons her Hijaab.
10) When she wears tight clothes and thinks that Hijaab is
only covering the head.
10) When he allows mix-gathering.
11) When he speaks without knowledge.
12) When he interferes in matters which do not concern him.
13) When he does not accept the truth out of pride.
14) When he sees the truth, but still clings to the falsehood.
And the list goes on…
From this Hadeeth (and other similar Ahaadeeth), one learns that the remembrance of Allaah and His praises are a means that helps protect a person and saves him from afflictions. And therefore, it is encouraged to do the morning and evening Adhkaar daily.
[1]
Sunan al-Tirmidhee (3431, 3432) on the authority of Abu Hurairah and `Umar رضي الله عنهما, and Sunan Ibn Maajah
(3892) and graded as “Hasan li ghairihee” by Shaikh al-Albaanee in al-Saheehah
(602)
[2]
Surah al-Anbiyaa (21): 35
[3]
Tafseer Ibn Katheer
[4]
Saheeh Muslim (7138), Kitaab al-Zuhd
[5]
Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (3464) and Saheeh Muslim (2964)
[6]
Surah al-Baqarah (2): 155
[7]
Surah al-Baqarah (2): 191
[8]
Surah al-Baqarah (2): 217
[9]
Surah al-Burooj (85): 8
[10]
Sunan al-Tirmidhee (2140, 3522) and Sunan Ibn Maajah (3834), and graded as
“Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee
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