When you look at the words that we are taught to say by Prophet Muhammad when we are sad…
Who doesn’t experience moments of sadness? Who has never battled out with a sin? Who was in a relationship and he struggled to cut out that relationship? Who was financially bankrupt? We are experiencing one or the other.
What are the words that we are to say when we are in pain? They are words of humility to Allah. How much Allah loves these words.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
“There isn’t any Muslim who is afflicted with grief, sadness, or sorrow and he says the following words Allah will remove his anxiety and replace it with happiness: “O Allah I am your slave, son of your slave, son of your female slave, my fore look is in your hands, your command over me will be executed, your judgment over me is always fair. I ask you o Allah by every of your names which you have called yourself, or you have revealed this name in your book, or you had taught it to one of your slaves, or you had kept the knowledge of it to Yourself. I ask you to make the Quran the life of my heart, and the light of my chest, and the removal of my sadness and the departure of my anxiety.”
The companions said:
“Oh messenger of Allah, we should memorize these words.”
He said:
“Every person who hears these words should memorize them.”
Humility is the Essence
But what is the secret here? The secret is that these are words of humility and declaring your bankruptcy to Allah. This is why Allah will answer.
Have you ever pondered over the hadith where the Prophet tells us that Allah is with the ill person?
“Allah Almighty will say to one of His slaves on the Day of Judgment:
“O son of Adam, I fell ill and you didn’t visit Me’
“O Allah, how am I to visit you when you are the Lord of the worlds?”
Allah says:
“O My slave did you not know that My slave became such and such and you didn’t visit him. Had you visited him, you would have found Me with him”
Ibn Al Qayyim mentions in his book “Madarijus-Salikeen”:
“Why is it that Allah is with the ill person? He says because the heart of this person is broken, he’s weak. This ill person is humble to Allah, therefore Allah is with him.”
Ibn Al-Qayyim goes on:
“Perhaps this is also the secret why the dua of the oppressed are answered, and the dua of who’s fasting is answered and the one who is traveling is answered.
What is the common thing between all these three?
The common theme is humility. Their hearts are broken to Allah. Arrogance is gone. They look as slaves. Look at the oppressed, one of the three, he’s sad, he feels as subject to injustice… his heart is therefore broken thus Allah is with him.
As for the fasting, his temptations have been dampened down… now he’s thirsty, hungry, weak… Allah is with him because his heart is broken.
And the one who is traveling, he’s away from his wife, children, loved ones… his heart is broken, he wants to be with them.
And it’s not only about hanger and thirst, or being oppressed… it’s because the heart is broken. Are you seeing how Allah loves this act of worship over humbling yourself to Him?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCCiiUm8HGU