The Supplication Series: Distress, Sadness and
Anxiety;
February
10, 2010
Bismillah
Every believer suffers from weak or low emaan once in a while; as the Prophet 
said, “Emaan wears out in one's heart, just as the
dress wears out (becomes thin). Therefore, ask Allah to renew emaan in your hearts.” [Mustadrak Al Hakim,
Authentic]
said, “Emaan wears out in one's heart, just as the
dress wears out (becomes thin). Therefore, ask Allah to renew emaan in your hearts.” [Mustadrak Al Hakim,
Authentic]
Low emaan can easily plunge one into sorrow and
despair, sadness and anxiety, as emaan is a safeguard from this. When one
suffers from low emaan,
it paralyzes one from doing good deeds and removes the productivity in one's
life and worship. One of the beautiful aspects in our deen is that Allah and His Messenger
have prescribed actions for us when we are suffering from weak emaan and sorrow, and one of the most
potent cures is duaa.
This week's supplications include two duaas that everyone should memorize to help
you during these times of low emaan,
sadness, and times of distress.
First
Supplication
The first duaa was narrated by the Prophet (sal
Allahu alayhi wa sallam) in Saheeh
Bukhari. It is narrated in many ahadeeth that the Prophet (sal Allahu
alayhi wa sallam) would consistently make this duaa, and many of the Companions heard him
repeat it over and over.
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ الْهَمِّ
وَالْحُزْنِ وَالْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ وَالْبُخْلِ وَالْجُبْنِ وَضَلَعِ الدَّيْنِ
وَغَلَبَةِ الرِّجَالِ8
Allahumma
inni a'udhu bika minal-hammi wal-Ḥuzni wal-'ajazi wal-kasli wal-bukhli
wal-jubni wa ḍalaEid-dayni wa ghalabatir-rijal.
O Allah, I take refuge in You from anxiety and sorrow,
weakness and laziness, miserliness and cowardice, the burden of debts and from
being overpowered by men.1
Word for Word Translation and Audio
Memorize the duaa:
Selected Word Analysis
al-Hamm: Hamm means 'to make uneasy and fill with
anxiety'. It is the type of distress one feels that affects the mind, heart,
and body. This sadness worries a person, and one's sole concern is this
sadness. Hamm leaves a person preoccupied
with one's thoughts, going over them again and again in the mind, because it is
an anxiety that one has regarding something that may or may not happen. If you
have ever felt this type of sadness, that anxious and nervous feeling, you know
how debilitating it can be.
al-Hazan: Huzn also means sadness but it is different
than Hamm. Huzn is grief arising on account of an
unpleasant event that has happened, such as the death of a loved one or a
distressing situation. In the seerah,
the year that Abu Talib and Khadija (radi Allahu anha) died is known
as 'Aam al Huzn,
the Year of Grief. In the Qur'an,
Allah ta'ala mentions many times that the Believers
will not “yahzanoon“, have grief, this means that in the hereafter,
the believers will not grieve over anything that has occurred in the past. Huznmeans 'to be full of
sorrow, mourning, grief, and saddened'.
al-'Ajaz: 'Ajaz means 'to
become weak, to lack strength, to be incapable and a failure'.
al-Kasali: Kasl means 'to be lazy, idle, sluggish, negligent and
inactive'.
al-Bukhl: Bukhl is 'to be stingy and greedy'. In the Qur'an, Allah uses
this word to describe those who have the wealth to give, but hoard it for
themselves and do not give it in charity. Bukhl is to refuse to give something lawful
(charity, your time etc) that you have in abundance. It is to prefer it for
yourself and because of this greediness, this good thing (such as wealth) is
never used for good. This word is the opposite of karam, which is to be
generous and give in ample amounts. One of the Names of Allah is Al-Kareem; The Most Generous
who abundantly gives from his limitless bounty without seeking anything in
return.
Al-Jubni: Jubn literally means 'to shrink'; from this the meaning of
becoming cowardly and fearful is taken.
Dala'a: This is the word for rib (body part) and its
linguistic roots carry two implications: curvature and weight. Therefore here “dala'a
ad-dayn” can either mean the tendency for debt to sway people from
righteousness, or the weight one feels when indebted.
Ghalabah: Ghalabah means 'to be overtaken, subdued or overpowered'. It is
said, تغلب عليه النعاس, he was overtaken by drowsiness.
Second
Supplication
The
second duaa is narrated by the Prophet (sal Allahu
alayhi wa sallam) as one of the “Da'waat al Makroob“, the
supplications of the distressed.
اللَّهُمَّ رَحْمَتَكَ أَرْجُو فَلَا تَكِلْنِي
إِلَى نَفْسِي طَرْفَةَ عَيْنٍ وَأَصْلِ1حْ لِي شَأْنِي كُلَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَا أَنْتَ
Allahumma rahmataka arju fala takilni ila nafsi
tarfata 'aynin wa aslih li sha'ni kullahu la ilaha ila anta1
O Allah, it is Your mercy that I hope for, so do not
leave me in charge of my affairs even for a blink of an eye, and rectify for me
all of my affairs. None has the right to be worshiped except You.5
Word for Word Translation and Audio
Memorize the duaa:
Selected Word Analysis
Arjoo: This word is from rajaa which means 'to hope, long
for, request, expect and look forward to'. This word gives a positive tone
because the one in distress should be hopeful of the mercy of Allah and expect
that Allah ta'ala will take care of his affairs.
Takilnee: The “nee” at the end is not part of the
word. Takil comes from wakala which means 'to rely on or depend on';
literally meaning 'to lean on something'. When this word is followed by “ilaa”
such as in this duaa, it
becomes the transitive meaning 'to entrust to' or 'to hand over to'. In the
case of this specific supplication it means 'do not leave me to my nafs'.
Tarfata 'Aynin: This is an expression in the Arabic language which
means 'in the twinkle of an eye'. Tarfah means 'to blink, wink, squint or twinkle'.
It is said, ما إشار بطرف, he didn't bat an eye. The expression in this duaa gives the meaning of instantly or for
a single moment. We are asking Allah to not leave us on our own for even the
blink of an eye.
Aslih: The root of this word has many meanings but in this duaa it means 'reformation, restoration,
mending, improvement and rectification'. This word is the opposite of fasaad which means when there is imbalance in
things. We are asking Allah to make our affairs good for us and rectify our problems.
Points of Benefit
[benefits from each duaa have been
combined]
o
It is ok to feel
these emotions.You are not less of a believer if you have anxiety or feel
sadness. The distinction between the believer and non-believer is that the
believer remains patient and turns to Allah for assistance.
o
If you are
suffering from low emaan, then examine your relationship
with Allah. Allah says, “But whosoever turns away from my reminder, verily for
him is a constricted life, and we shall raise him up blind on the Day of
Resurrection.” (20:124) Allah connects dhikr with experiencing difficulty because dhikr enlivens the hearts. Many times when
we slack in our worship, life seems to get harder, so look to your prayer and
your recitation of the Qur'an and you may find the answer to
your problems.
o
Repent from your
sins if you are faced with a calamity because you never know if this calamity
you're facing is a result of
your own sins. One of the salaf said, “I disobey Allah to find its
effect in the way my animal behaves and my wife [treats me].” Ibn Zayd said,
“Sins overcome the hearts until no good can get through to them.”
o
The believer is
always in a win-win situation. The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “The affair of the
believer is amazing! The whole of his life is beneficial, and that is only in
the case of the believer. When good times come to him, he is thankful and it is
good for him, and when bad times befall him, he is patient and it is also good
for him.” [Muslim]
o
Allah purifies
you when you experience these emotions or pain. The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said,
“No fatigue, nor disease, nor sorrow, nor sadness, nor hurt, nor distress
befalls a Muslim, even if it were the prick he receives from a thorn, but that
Allah expiates some of his sins for that.” [Bukhari]
o
The traits
mentioned in the first supplication all point to weakness, so we should make
this supplication and also work on ourselves to remove them from our character.
The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said,
“A strong believer is better and is more beloved to Allah than a weak believer,
and there is good in everyone.” [Muslim]
o
Do not say “if”
when a calamity befalls you or you did something that you've come to regret.
The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said,
“Seek help from Allah and do not lose heart, and if anything (in the form of
trouble) comes to you, don't say: If I had not done that, it would not have
happened so and so, but say: Allah did what He had ordained to do and your 'if'
opens the (gate) for Shaytan.” [Muslim]
o
Complain only to
Allah. Many of us turn to venting or complaining to others when we are faced
with a hardship, but when we look in the Qur'an, we see that the believers
complain only to Allah. Ya'qub (alayhi salaam)
says to his sons when they bring the news that his son was accused of stealing,
“So patience is most fitting (for me).” (12:83) But then in the next ayah, Allah
describes that he turned away from them and said privately, “Alas, my grief for
Yusuf!” And he lost his sight because of the sorrow that he was suppressing.”
(12:84) Ya'qub (alayhi salaam) did not say this in
front of his family, but it was between himself and Allah. Allah says that he
was “suppressing” (in Arabic:kadheem) and this
means when someone holds their breath back to control their tears and their
agony. It is to the point that they have trouble breathing because they cried
so much. He was full of grief but he was not wailing and crying out loud, but
rather holding back his anger. When his sons saw how much distress this news
has caused him, they said to him, “By Allah! You will never cease remembering
Yusuf until you become weak with old age, or until you be of the dead.” (12:85)
Then during the height of this anxiety he says, “I only complain of my
suffering and sorrow to Allah, and I know from Allah that which you know not.”
(12:86) subhanAllah! It is okay to feel
these emotions, and people may see that you are distressed, but turn to Allah
and complain to Him alone.
o
We are bound to
be tested and pushed to our limits, each of us to our own level. When Maryam
was delivering her son all alone, she said, “Would that I had died before this,
and had been forgotten and out of sight!” (19:23) The tafseer mentions that Maryam (alayha salaam) was not only in
physical pain and solitude, but also experiencing the pain of ostracism and
isolation that occurs when you are telling the truth but no one believes you.
She spoke these words at a time when she had already been given the good news
of being chosen above all women and that her son would be a Prophet of Allah.
This reminds us that even the best people, whom Allah has clearly chosen, are
still human. Everyone's patience and steadfastness is pushed to the limit at
one time or another. Everyone reaches a point where they contemplate just
giving up, but that doesn't mean that it's all over. You must always put your
trust in Allah and keep going. Remember, these are words said by Maryam, the
best woman to walk on the earth! This shows us that being patient doesn't
necessarily mean that you won't ever become overwhelmed, or won't ever
complain, but patience is when you do get overwhelmed and still keep going, and
only complain to Allah. (12:85) Sabr does not mean that you are happy with
the decree of Allah, sabr means that you accept the decree of
Allah even if you don't understand it.
o
Have good hopes
and thoughts of Allah – acknowledge it wholeheartedly that He only sends what
is good for you. The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam)
reported in ahadeeth qudsi that Allah (azza wa jal) said, “I am just as My
slave thinks I am, (i.e. I am able to do for him what he thinks I can do for
him) and I am with him if he remembers Me. If he remembers Me in himself, I
too, remember him in Myself; and if he remembers Me in a group of people, I
remember him in a group that is better than them; and if he comes one span
nearer to Me, I go one cubit nearer to him; and if he comes one cubit nearer to
Me, I go a distance of two outstretched arms nearer to him; and if he comes to
Me walking, I go to him running.” [Bukhari]
o
Surely, Allah is
the Best of Planners, so find relief that you do not have to decide on your own
but rather The One who knows what is in the heavens and earth is the One who
Plans your affairs. Think back to those times when you thought one thing was
good for you but Allah did not will it for you – remember the sadness you felt
– and then later you realized how perfect that plan was for you. In the second duaa, it is as if
we are saying to Allah, “O Allah, I know whatever You plan for me is good for
me, so please guide me to the best, even if I do not perceive it as so.”
o
“And who despairs
of the Mercy of his Lord except those who are astray?” (15:56) Never, ever,
dear believer, lose hope in the Mercy of Allah. After Ya'qub (alayhi salaam) tells his sons that
he only complains to Allah, he says in the next ayah, “And never give up hope
of Allah's Mercy. Certainly no one despairs of Allah's Mercy except the people
who disbelieve.” (12:87) Only the disbelievers despair in the Mercy of Allah
because they are not aware of His Wisdom, His Knowledge, His Most Beautiful
Names and Attributes, and that His Mercy extends to all things.
o
Things are not always
as they seem. The mother of Musa was told to throw her son in the river; Yusuf
was left for dead in a well; Maryam delivered a child alone; Yunus was
swallowed by a whale; Ibrahim was thrown in the fire; A'ishah was slandered
throughout the city; and Umm Salamah thought no one could be better than Abu
Salamah… Yet look at how it turned out for them in the end. So don't worry,
Allah has a plan for you.
Extra Reading:
Please share your cures for weak emaan
in the comments!
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