Dua for Times of Difficulty

Salam

I found the following point of benefit in Sh. al-Lahji’s commentary on Sh. Yusuf al-Nabahani’s work on the Shamail. I thought I would share it with those who visit this blog.

As we grow older we realise that life in the dunya is not as easy as we might have thought it in the naivety of our youth, days of sadness and hardship will be followed by happiness and so on until we reach the inevitable end of our journey.

We ask Allah (the Exalted) to be gentle with us whenever difficulty strikes, and to ward off from us any affliction, for He is powerful over all things.

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Sh. al-Nabahani said:

He (Allah bless Him and give Him peace) would supplicate (make dua) at the time of difficulty:

لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ الْعَظِيمُ الْحَلِيمُ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ رَبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَرَبُّ الأَرْضِ وَرَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْكَرِيمِ

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Sh. al-Lahji in his commentary (3/197-198 ) mentions:

Imam Ibn Jarir said: The early muslims (salaf) would supplicate with it and would call it ‘Dua al-Karb’ (the supplication of difficulty). Even though it is a dhikr, it is like a supplication (dua), due to the narration: ‘Whoever is busied by my remembrance from asking me, I give him that which is better than that which I give to the one who asks’

Benefit: Ibn Battal said: on the authority of Abu Bakr al-Razi: I was in Isfahan with Abu Nuaym, there was a Sheikh called ‘Abu Bakr’ who was the reference point for Fatwa. He was taken to the Sultan and imprisoned. In my sleep I saw al-Mustafa (Allah bless Him and give Him peace) with Gibril on His right, moving his lips continuously with glorification (tasbih). Al-Mustafa (Allah bless Him and give Him peace) said to me: Tell Abu Bakr to supplicate with the ‘Dua al-Karb’ which is in ‘Sahih al-Bukhari’ until Allah relieves him. I awoke and informed him, and he supplicated with it. It was only a short while before he was released. And the basis is a sincere intention.