Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله, said:
An authentic hadith mentions that the Prophet ﷺ said, when he addressed Allah with supplications:
"O Allah! I seek refuge with You from worry and grief, from incapacity and laziness, from cowardice and miserliness, from being heavily in debt and from being overpowered by (other) men."
Sahih al-Bukhari, 6369
He asked Allah for protection from eight things, each two of which accompany each other.
Anxiety and sorrow are companions, for they represent the pain that befalls the heart. If it is related to things of the past, it is sorrow. And if it is related to what is to come, it is anxiety. Thus, if the source of the pain is the missing of something in the past, it is sadness. And if its source is fear of the future, it generates anxiety.
Both weakness and laziness are companions. If a slave of Allah misses a benefit or is alienated from it, if the cause is incapacity, it is weakness, and if the cause is unwillingness, it is laziness.
Cowardice and avarice are also companions, for verily beneficence pleases the heart, creates a feeling of spaciousness in the breast, brings benefits and averts misfortunes. Refusal of it, on the contrary, brings misery and cramped life, and prevents the coming of graces. Cowardice is the refusal of beneficence through the body, and avarice is the refusal of beneficence through possessions.
Burdens of debt and oppression by men are also companions, for the cause of the burdens and oppression that one experiences is either himself or someone else. In other words, he is subjected to these afflictions either rightfully or wrongfully, unjustly.
We see that the Prophet ﷺ included sorrow among those things from which one should ask Allah for protection, because it weakens the heart, reduces resolve, harms the will, and there is nothing for the Shaytaan to love more than the sorrow of the believer. Allah Almighty said:
"Private conversation is only from Satan that he may grieve those who have believed, [...]"
Surah al-Muǧādala verses 10
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salatqu-tariqi
SpiritualSalaqtu Tariqi translates as: I have chosen my path. This book contains poetic texts as well as religious excerpts from the Quran, traditions of prophets and contributions from high scholars of Islam. The book serves to give many insights into ever...
