بلا، بدبختی، بری تقدیر اور دشمن کی خوشی سے پناہ مانگنے کی دعا

Narrated Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Seek refuge with Allah from the severity of affliction, from being overtaken by wretchedness, from an evil decree, and from the gloating of enemies.”

It is a tremendous favour of the Messenger ﷺ upon this ummah that at every step he taught us how to ask of Allah, Mighty is His majesty. We are people whose need is boundless, yet we do not even know the manner of asking: we neither know what should be asked for, nor how it should be asked. But the Master of both worlds ﷺ taught us all of this — ask for this, ask in this way, ask in these words. Now it is for you and me to memorise these supplications and, when the occasion arises, to make that supplication attentively. That is all that is required of us; the Noble Prophet ﷺ did all the work, preparing the bread fully baked and leaving it for the whole ummah. Now the ummah has only to pick up that bread and put it into its mouth — and even that little we fail to do. May Allah grant all of us Muslims the ability to act upon this. Āmīn!

In this blessed hadith refuge is outwardly sought from four things, but in reality no evil, no hardship, no calamity and no distress of this world or the next can be conceived of that falls outside the compass of these four headings.

The first of them is jahd al-balā’ — the hardship and severity of affliction. Balā’ is the name of every state that causes a person pain and distress. It may be worldly or religious, spiritual or physical, individual or collective — in short, this single expression covers all misfortunes and hardships, all disasters and calamities. Jahd al-balā’ means those trials of religion and of the world in which a person becomes caught up such that he is not only unable to remove them but cannot even bear them with patience when they come; and often, because of their extreme severity, he begins to wish for death — that is, he prefers death to life.

The second thing from which this hadith instructs us to seek refuge is darak al-shaqā’ — that is, being overtaken by wretchedness.

The third is sū’ al-qaḍā’ — an evil decree. An evil decree means whatever is bad and undesirable for a person. The comprehensiveness of these two is also quite plain: the servant who is granted Allah’s refuge and protection from every kind of wretchedness and from an evil decree has undoubtedly obtained everything.

The last thing from which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ taught us in this blessed hadith to seek refuge is shamātat al-a‘dā’ — that is, the laughter and delight of enemies at one’s misfortune or failure: that one should not be afflicted with any calamity of religion or of the world at which an enemy might mock or rejoice. Without doubt the gloating and taunting of enemies is at times the cause of great spiritual pain and torment, and that is why we have been told to seek refuge from it in particular. In any case, reflection on the things from which this blessed hadith teaches us to seek refuge makes clear that through it we have been guided to a supplication so comprehensive that it encompasses all religious and worldly aims and needs. The correct and fitting words for seeking refuge from these things are:

“Allāhumma innī a‘ūdhu bika min jahdi’l-balā’i wa daraki’sh-shaqā’i wa sū’i’l-qaḍā’i wa shamātati’l-a‘dā’.” — “O Allah, I seek refuge with You from the severity of affliction, from being overtaken by wretchedness, from an evil decree, and from the gloating of enemies.”