Du’a for protection during a pandemic

To Recite Morning and Evening

The time for the morning adhkār is between dawn and sunrise, and the time for the evening adhkār is between ‘Aṣr and Maghrib.

Bismillāhil ladhi la yaḍur'ru ma‘asmihi shay’un fi’l-arḍi wa la fis'samā’i wa huwas- samee'ul 'aleem

In the name of Allāh with Whose name nothing can harm on earth or in heaven, and He is the All-Hearing, All-Knowing

[Al Tirmidhi 3388 & authenticated by him]

Note: To recite in Arabic three times morning and evening, the one who recites it three times nothing will harm him.

Allāhumma innī as-alukal ‘afwa wal’āfiyata fid’dunyā wal ākhirah, Allāhumma innī as-alukal ‘afwa wal’āfiyata fī deenī wa dunyāya wa ahlī wa mālī, Allāhum’mastur ‘awrātī wa āmin raw’ātī, Allāhummaḥfaẓnī min baynī yaday’ya, wa min khalfī wa ‘an yamīnī wa ‘an shimālī, wa min fawqī, wa a’ūdhu bi’aẓamatika an‘ughtāla min taḥtī

O Allāh, I ask You for well-being in this world and in the Hereafter. O Allāh, I ask You for pardon and well-being in my faith, my worldly affairs, my family and my wealth. O Allāh, conceal my faults and protect me from that which causes me to worry. O Allāh, protect me from before me and from behind me, from my right and from my left, and from above me, and I seek refuge in Your greatness lest I be destroyed from beneath me

[Abu Dawood (5074) & authenticated by Al Munthiree in At Targheeb Wat Tarheeb]

Note: To recite once in the morning and once in the evening.

Du’a for Leaving the Home

Bismil’lāhi tawak'kaltu 'alAllāh wa lā hawla wa lā quw'wata il'lā bil'lāh

In the name of Allāh, I place my trust in Allāh, there is no power (to do good) and no might (to abstain from evil) except with the assistance of Allāh

[Abū Dawūd, (5095) & authenticated by Ibn Al Qay’yim in Zād Al-Ma’ād]

Note: Whoever recites this du’a, it is proclaimed to him, ‘You have been guided, you have been sufficed (i.e. your needs have been taken care of), you have been protected’ and Shaytan leaves his path.’

Du’a to Preserve Blessings

Allāhumma innī aʿūdhu bika min zawāli niʿmatik, wa taḥaw-wuli ʿāfiyatik, wa fujā’ati niqmatik, wa jamīʿi sakhaṭik

O Allāh, I seek refuge with You from the withdrawing of Your blessing, from the loss of the well-being that You granted me, the sudden onset of Your wrath, and anything that may lead to Your displeasure

[Saheeh Muslim 2739]

Du’a for Protection from Calamities

Allāhumma innī a’udho bika min jahdil balāe, wa darakish’shaqāee, wa sūil qadāee, wa shamātatil a’dā’

O Allāh I seek Your protection from the difficulties of severe calamities, from a bad fate, from a bad end and from the malicious joy of enemies

[Saheeh Al Bukhari 6347]

Du’a for Protection from Diseases

Allāhumma innī a‘ūdhu bika minal baraṣi wal-junūni wa’l-juthāmi wa min say'yi' il-asqām

O Allāh, I seek Your protection from leukoderma, insanity, leprosy and from evil diseases

[Abu Dawud 1554 & authenticated by Al Nawawi in Al Athkaar]

Du’a of Yunus

Lā ilāha illā anta subḥānaka innī kuntu min aẓ'ẓālimīn.

There is no God but You, You are perfect and above any deficiency, verily I was from the wrongdoers

[Surah Anbiya:87 - Al Tirmidhi 3505 & authenticated by Ibn Hajr in Al Futoohaat Al Rabaaniyyah]

Many centuries ago, even before the discovery of what today is called ‘Preventive Medicine,’ the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (PBUH) gave us, through his sayings and actions, guidance that ensures clean, happy life, as well as protection from diseases and pandemics.

Infection Control in Islam

In recent years, health professionals around the world have become increasingly concerned with the spread of infectious diseases.  Outbreaks of swine flu, avian (bird) flu, and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) have meant that infectious diseases have taken on a global context and are now on the agenda of world leaders and health policy makers alike.  In developed and developing countries, health officials are focusing on infectious disease research and linking it to policymaking and infrastructure.

The scope of infectious diseases is progressively more challenged by globalisation.  Easy and frequent air travel allows diseases to spread rapidly between communities and countries.  Infectious disease control will continue to be confronted by 21st century issues including global warming, conflict, famine, overpopulation, deforestation, and bioterrorism.  

Due to ongoing media attention, most of us are aware of the dangers associated with swine flu and bird flu and in 2003 -2004 the world held its collective breath when 8098 people became sick with SARS, before the global outbreak was contained.[1]  These three diseases have led to renewed interest in infectious diseases by the public; however, Gideon Informatics[2], the world’s leading global infectious disease database, has tracked and documented more than 20 major infectious diseases since 1972.

Some basic measures are appropriate when trying to control the spread of any or all infectious diseases.  These include meticulous hand washing, covering the mouth when sneezing or coughing, proper disposal of tissues, staying at home and away from public places, and in extreme cases such as SARS, quarantine.  In the series of articles entitled Health in Islam, we explained in some detail that Islam is a religion concerned with creating a community of healthy believers.

Islam is a holistic belief system and it takes into account the physical, emotional, and spiritual well being of individuals and societies.  Although care of the individual is important, safeguarding communities, including its weakest members, is of paramount importance.  More than 1400 years ago, Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, was teaching his followers hygiene practices that are still applicable in the 21st century.

From the traditions of Prophet Muhammad, we find evidence that clearly indicates Islam’s stance on coughing and sneezing openly.  Prophet Muhammad instructed the believers to cover their faces when sneezing.[3]  The most obvious effect of sneezing and coughing without covering the mouth is the spread of airborne bacteria and viruses, in addition, droplets invisible to the naked eye, may fall onto surfaces or other people.

According to the Centre for Disease Control in the USA, the virus that causes SARS is thought to be transmitted most readily by respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.  What is known as droplet spread can happen when droplets from the cough or sneeze of an infected person are propelled a short distance (up to 3 feet) through the air and deposited on the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose, or eyes of persons who are nearby.  The virus also can spread when a person touches a surface or object contaminated with infectious droplets and then touches his or her mouth, nose, or eye.  The SARS virus might spread more broadly through the air (airborne spread).

Islam is referred to as the religion of cleanliness.  

“Truly, God loves those who turn unto Him in repentance and loves those who purify themselves.”

(Quran 2:222)

   In the traditions of Prophet Muhammad cleanliness is mentioned as half of faith, therefore, it is important to keep the body fresh and clean and Islam insists on several practices to facilitate this.  The private parts are washed after using the toilet and Muslims must pay particular attention to being clean before praying.  They wash their hands, faces, (including rinsing the mouth and nose) arms and feet, a minimum of five times per day.  Prophet Muhammad insisted that the believers wash their hands, before praying, before and after eating[4]  and upon waking up in the morning[5].

When trying to stop the spread of any type of influenza, including swine flu and bird flu, the first line of defence is frequent hand washing.  Both the World Health Organisation and CDC recommend the following precautions.  Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and dispose of the tissue in the trash after use.  Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze.  Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth, germs spread that way.  Stay home if you get sick.  CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

Infection control in Islam includes isolation and quarantine.  Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, instituted strategies that are today implemented by public health authorities.  He commanded his followers not to travel to places known to be afflicted with illness and he advised those in the contaminated areas or communities not to leave and spread the disease further afield.  He said, 

“If you hear that there is a plague in a land, do not enter it; and if it (plague) visits a land while you are therein, do not go out of it”.[6] 

 He also counseled ill people not to visit healthy people.[7]

During the worldwide outbreak of SARS, quarantine officials arranged for appropriate medical assistance, which sometimes included medical isolation and restricted travel movements.  The CDC says isolation is necessary not only for the patient’s comfort but also to protect members of the public.  Many levels of government around the world are legally able to compel sick, infectious people to remain in quarantine or in isolation in order to stop the spread of disease.

The teaching and principles of Islam are designed to benefit all of humankind.  Rules and recommendations for personal hygiene and cleanliness promote the well-being of individuals and communities.  Infection control is inherent in Islamic hygiene behaviour.  Washing the hands, covering the mouth when sneezing or coughing, voluntary isolation, when one is feeling unwell, and restricted travel is an effective and comprehensive public health strategy.  Measures taken in the 21st century to prevent the spread of infections and viruses conform almost exactly to the hygiene and infection control practices taught by Prophet Muhammad.Prophet Muhammad’s (Pbuh) Guidance for the Prevention of Diseases and Epidemics

Here are some of Muhammed’s teachings

prophet Muhammed always acted in a way that prevented the spreading of diseases.

For example, whenever he sneezed, he always covered his mouth, with his hand or his cloths, and lowered his head and voice .

prophet Mohamed guided us to have quarantines should an epidemic breaks out.

Prophet Mohamed said, “If you hear of an outbreak of plague in a land, do not enter it; but if the plague breaks out in a place while you are in it, do not leave that place.”

He also said “One who’s sick should not be put with one who’s healthy”

He also ordered Muslims to stay away from a person with infectious diseases as much as they would from a lion.

Cleanliness, and procedures that are now being widely recommended for minimizing infections are big part of Islamic life style, For example, Muhammed guided Muslims to keep their nails trimmed and specific body hair, shaven, and cleaning the mouth and nostrils with water. It’s called the “practices of pure nature”

Muslims wash their hands thoroughly when making ablution before the five daily prayers, before and after eating, after using the bathroom, and at other times.

The prophet said. “Whoever wakes up from their sleep should wash their hands before putting them in the water for ablution, because nobody knows where their hands have been, during sleep.”

prophet Muhammed guided us to cover up the food and drinkable water, to clean ones teeth, to never throw trash or pollutants in running water, to go to the bathroom only at places that were meant for that purpose, and making sure that your body and clothes are clean afterwards is one way of securing your way into heaven.

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) also said,

“Cleanliness is half of faith.”

Although Islam puts a lot of emphasis on prayer and connection with God, to go through hard times, prophet Muhammed acknowledged that it’s not practical to rely solely on “prayer”…and encouraged Muslims to seek medication.

Saying,

“Make use of medical treatment, for Allah has not made a disease without appointing a remedy for it, with the exception of one disease: old age"

A Muslim’s also permitted to temporarily suspend performing Islamic duties that might compromise their health, like, fasting, praying, or any others.

Taking care of individual and societal health, while integral is only one small part of a perfect system that covers every aspect of life, including politics, finance, family and relationship, work and education, etcetera, all stitched in harmony to ensure the happiness that the creator intended through his final message to all humans…

Dedication

I would like to dedicate this brief work to all human beings. I ask Allah ̶ the One True God, the Creator, the Most Able, the Most Powerful, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate, and the Most Kind ̶ to grant us all true belief in Him, and with it happiness, contentment, and safety, as well as protection from and prevention of all worries, evils, epidemics, and pandemics (like coronavirus diseases) that strike the world.

Introduction

Many centuries ago, even before the advent of what today is called ‘Preventive Medicine,’ the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (PBUH) (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) gave us guidance through his actions and sayings (hadiths). These are in line with the Glorious Qur’an, which Allah describes as containing divine guidance, mercy, light, and healing. This guidance ensures happiness and tranquility, as well as protection from and prevention of worries, evils, epidemics, and pandemics like COVID-19!

In an article in Newsweek on March 17, 2020,1 Professor Craig Considine asks, “Do you


know who else suggested good hygiene and quarantining during a pandemic?”

He answers, “Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, over 1,300 years ago. While he is by no means a ‘traditional’ expert on matters of deadly diseases, Muhammad nonetheless had sound advice to prevent and combat a development like COVID-19.”


Dr. Considine refers to the following sayings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) :

“If you hear of an outbreak of plague in a land, do not enter it; but if the plague breaks out in a place while you are in it, do not leave that place.”

(Sahih, Bukhari)

“One who is sick should not be put with one who is healthy.”

(Sahih, Muslim)

Islam also provides guidelines that are now being widely recommended for minimizing

infections. For example, Muslims should keep their nails trimmed and wash their hands


thoroughly when making ablution before the five daily prayers, before and after eating, after using the bathroom, and at other times.

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) also said

 “Cleanliness is half of faith.”

(Sahih, Muslim)

And he (PBUH) said,

“Whoever wakes up from his sleep should wash his hands before putting them in the water for ablution, because nobody knows where his hands were during sleep.” 

(Sahih, Bukhari)

Dr. Considine mentioned that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) “would encourage people to always seek medical treatment and medication.”

Some Bedouins once asked if they should make use of medical treatment, and he (PBUH) replied,

“Make use of medical treatment, for Allah has not made a disease without appointing a remedy for it, with the exception of one disease: old age.” 

(Sahih, Abu Dawood)

In brief, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) taught us that anyone who seeks protection, safety, and happiness should believe sincerely in the One True God (Allah), the Creator, worshiping Him and praying to Him alone. God (Allah) is the One who has the ultimate control and power. It is He, the Creator, who is entirely able to protect and heal us, according to His Will. The Glorious Qur’an states:

‘And when I am ill, it is He who cures me.’ 

(26:80)

Indeed, through this firm belief in Allah, we attain sincere submission, true tawheed (belief in the Oneness of Allah), and full reliance upon Him Who has the complete power and ability to benefit or harm us and to provide us with a good life and sustenance.

The Glorious Qur’an teaches us:

‘Say, "We will never be struck except by what Allah has decreed for us; He is our protector." And let the believers rely upon Allah.’ 

(9:51)

In addition to relying upon Allah, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) told us do what it takes to maintain our health and wellbeing.

The following is a carefully selected set of the Prophet’s supplications and sound (sahih) hadiths for protection and prevention, God willing.

The Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (PBUH), said,

“Whoever recites the last two verses of Surat Al-Baqarah [2:285-286] at night – they [i.e., those two verses] will suffice him.” 

(Sahih, Bukhari)

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) also said,

“Recite Surat Al-Ikhlas [Chapter 112] and Al- Mu‘awwidhatain (Surat Al-Falaq and Surat An-Nas [Chapters 113 and 114]) three times at dawn and dusk, and it will suffice you in all matters.” 

(Sahih, Abu Dawood)

He (PBUH) also said,

“Whoever says, three times every morning and every evening, ‘In the Name of Allah, with Whose Name is protection against every harm in the earth and the heaven, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing,’ ̶ nothing shall harm him.” 

(Sahih, Tirmidhi)

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) used to say,

“Oh Allah, I seek refuge in You from leprosy, insanity, mutilation, and evil diseases.” 

(Sahih, Abu Dawood)

Conclusion:

A true believer in the One True God (Allah), the Creator, firmly believes that Allah is the real protector from all evils and epidemics. Therefore, we have to rely upon Him alone and return to Him with repentance, asking forgiveness (istighfar), supplication (du‘a), submission to Him, and following the guidance brought by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the revelations (the Glorious Qur’an) sent to him; thus, we will attain happiness, safety, and protection from and prevention of depression, worries, evils, diseases, epidemics, and pandemics, God willing.


In conclusion, the Quran tells us:

‘And We have already sent [messengers] to nations before you [O Muhammad]; then We seized them with poverty and hardship so that perhaps they might humble themselves [to Us].’ 

(6:42)

‘And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, so that you might succeed.’ 

(24: 31)

‘And ask forgiveness of your Lord and then repent to Him. Indeed, my Lord is Merciful and Loving.’ 

(11: 90

references

rasoulallah.net

discoveritsbeauty.com

CRISIS RESPONSE

This is the transcription I made of a Nouman Ali Khan’s khutbah. It talks about how to act in times of hardships.

He starts addressing issues about coronavirus and masjids. But at the end, it applies to any hardship we can be passing through.

WHEN GOING TO THE MASJID CAUSES HARM TO THE COMMUNITY

Obviously everybody has the coronavirus on their minds. People are running into grocery stores and fighting each other over toilet paper and toothbrushes and all kinds of things. Hand sanitizer has become a rare commodity now.

And everybody already knows that things like sporting events or religious ceremonies and things like that, it’s being advised for the larger communities’ health that they should not be held.

And that’s actually something I personally find very convincing and agree with. I want to you know how I arrived at such a decision.

My first inclination is to discuss this with people who know better than I do. And so I did, and discussed and shared what we have in our city and so many other cities.  

So I wanted to address what some people might think is the more Islamic approach. So somebody might come out and say “no no no you have to fear only Allah subhana wa ta’ala and you should not be afraid” and “this is a conspiracy of the Kufar”. And all kinds of opinions are thrown. Because the Internet is a crazy place, and not only the internet, the masjid can be a crazy place. Everybody has their own opinion on what to do, and not have any fear or concern, because if Allah is protecting us, nothing is going to happen to us.

All of that is true …Allah gave us these guarantees in the quran:  if Allah were to aid you, then there’s no one that can overpower you, there’s absolutely no one or nothing that can ever overpower you.

TIE YOU CAMEL AND THEN TRUST ALLAH

However, on the flip side, Allah Azza WA JAL does teach us a thing or two about caution. And He does teach us that we live in a world in which we have to use common sense. It’s not like Rasul allah saw when he was making hijirah from Makkah to Madinah said “Allah will protect me”, “I’m gonna walk right out the front door and walk right outside of medina”, there had to be a plan and a strategy and escape route and secret passages, secret pathways, and secret timings in order to escape the enemy’s plan.

And at the end of the day what we learn in our religion is we do the best we can, we take whatever precaution we can, and then the protection only comes from Allah. You don’t get to drive into a red light speeding and then say “Allah will protect me”, no, you have to take your precautions, and yes, Allah will protect you.

IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT YOU

The other thing is if somebody says “I don’t care, I’m coming” or “we have to stick together”, it’s not just about you, it’s not just about a concern for you. You may have, for example, this virus and you’re sitting next to someone whose immune system is very weak. And you didn’t get affected by it, maybe you didn’t even know you had it, and a few days later it emerged that you have it. Because it doesn’t show itself after except after a few days. And you basically cause this person and their family an irreparable harm. So it’s not just even about ourselves, this is a matter of larger responsibility, and that is something our religion does in fact teach.

IN TIMES OF DESPERATION

As this is a trial that affects virtually hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people around the world, their livelihood is affected, their health… it’s not just their health that may be affected, their sense of safety may be affected, the resources they have access to may get affected. A lot of people depend for their livelihood or for family reasons they have to travel and their travel is affected. So life gets disrupted by these kinds of things, and it can be a very difficult trial. So I’m sure there are people that have had to make many serious changes in their life as a result of what’s going on, you know, border closings and governmental shutdowns, and all kinds of things that are happening.

So as a result of that, I wanted to highlight something that I was thinking about what to give khutbah about today. And I don’t want to give a khutbah about the coronavirus, but what I do want to give a khutbah about is what does Allah say about scenarios in which people feel like the world is closing on them or they don’t know where to go or they feel like they’re completely vulnerable and subject to attack, right?

And one great parallel that I think is worthy of contemplation is what happens after Musah, aaleyhi salam, crosses the water.

So the Israelites have now escaped the Pharaoh, they are now in the desert. And I want you to understand what that scene looks like. These are thousands and thousands of people, men, women, and children that have left their homes behind. So they don’t even have another day worth of clothes, they can’t possibly have days and days and days’ worth of food, they don’t have a lot of food with them. And there are old among them, sick among them, children among them, babies among them, men among them, and women among them. All kinds of people among them. And they are in the desert.

So they actually don’t even have shelter from the Sun. So they’re in the scorching sun, they escaped firawn which is immediate death, but the desert is a kind of death on its own, isn’t it? And that’s where they find themselves in the thousands. And so even if anybody, any one person, is taking a sip of water, 20 people are looking at him desperately. This is the scenario in which we find ourselves.

Allah is describing this scene. And they’re starting to get agitated because, how are they going to survive? And they are going to turn to Musah, aaleyhi salam, and say “we are running out of water”. That’s obviously what’s gonna happen very quickly: “we’re running out of water”.

It’s very different from nowadays when you and I travel and, well, at the end we’re out of snacks, we’re out of chips. Okay, stop over at the next gas station, we take these… the access to food or access to drink as something for granted. They couldn’t do that. They can’t do that. They can say “oh wait, I left my favorite juice back in Egypt”. I can’t do that. They can’t turn back, that’s gone forever. Now, so in that scenario Musa al-salaam had to speak to all of them. Now they’re at unrest and nobody’s sure what to do. And Musah, aaleyhi salam, basically has to give them a khutbah. He has to give them a talk in that emergency state. And that conversation is brief, it is in surah Ibraheem. But it’s really beautiful because it’s not just about what he said, but that Allah considered that conversation so timeless. And what they needed to hear. And these are the Muslims of that time.

So what Allah says or on the tongue of Musa, aaleyhi salam,…

وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوْمِهِ اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّـهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ أَنجَاكُم مِّنْ آلِ فِرْعَوْنَ يَسُومُونَكُمْ سُوءَ الْعَذَابِ وَيُذَبِّحُونَ أَبْنَاءَكُمْ وَيَسْتَحْيُونَ نِسَاءَكُمْ ۚ وَفِي ذَٰلِكُم بَلَاءٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ عَظِيمٌ ٌ

Musa, aaleyhi salam, says to his people, mention Allah’s favor on you. When he just rescued you from the dynasty of the Pharaohs, they were humiliating you with the worst kinds of punishments, they were slaughtering their sons, they were letting your women live. And in all of that, in that rescue there was a great blessing of Allah for you. And in that trial there was a great trial for you, so this بَلَاءٌ – bala’ – means two things: blessing and trial.

So Allah allowing you to escape is an incredible blessing, because nobody gets to escape the Pharaoh, not in the thousands. You can’t just decide one day “we’re no longer slaves and we’re gonna walk out of here”, nobody gets to do that. Armies don’t mess with the Pharaohs armies, and you people walked out of slavery.

Well they had the power to kill your children.

A family would die to defend their own child, a mom would run in front of a moving car, to not let the car hit her child …natural instinct. You’ve seen videos of animals, when the lion comes after one of the small bulls and the other animals that are no match for the lion herd together they’ll defend their young. It’s nature, that they will defend their young. You’ll see a bird fighting against a snake that’s trying to eat eggs, right? And the Pharaoh had so much power over the Israelites that he was killing their children in front of them and they couldn’t fight back. Like, that’s how suppressed they were. That’s all powerless they were.

So when Musa, aaleyhi salam, says “Allah let you escaped that. Forget escaping, you didn’t even have the power to defend your own children. You didn’t even have the power to stop that from happening, and He allowed you to leave to get away from that. What a huge gift that is!”, here, they are thinking about the problem, what’s at hand, the beaming sun, the lack of water, the crying babies, the sick. That’s what they’re thinking about. And Musa, aaleyhi salam, starts his conversation with “Actually, you had a much bigger problem, and it was impossible to escape”. And he is not just saying “look at the bright side and be grateful”, obviously gratitude is immediately intended here, but the other intent is, “if Allah can bring you out of one impossible situation, why all of a sudden should we even entertain the thought that Allah would abandon us now? How can you even think that? Look at what Allah just did for you. He did this for you and then He forgot about you in the desert? Is that what you’re thinking? He brought you through all of this only to leave you at this stage? So have good opinion of Allah. And the way to have good opinion of Allah is to think back in all the impossible situations that Allah pulled you and me out of. How impossible they seemed at the time, how they seemed like the worst disaster and catastrophe at the time, and Allah pulled us out of it. He brought us out over and over again”. And He’s reminding all of them of it.

GOD HAS MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT

Then he says to them, and this is one of my favorite ayat about gratitude and how the Quran looks at gratitude:

وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ

When your Master had made a decree, when He made a pronouncement,

  تَأَذَّنَ –  ta’adhdhan.

Now, the word ta’adhdhan is interesting here. You could say very little and get a point across. So you could say لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ or “Allah have said if you’re grateful I will give you more and more”. Easy.

But the word ta’adhdhana is placed by the perfect wisdom of Allah. Ta’adhdhana comes from Adhan. Adhan is also the call to prayer. It’s an announcement. Adhan is called an announcement because it goes in the udhun, and goes in the ear. Ta’adhdhana means when somebody opens up their ears and all else becomes muted.

And the thing that’s being announced overtakes. So if you’re having multiple conversations and one voice overpowers all others, and kind of drowns out all the other voices, that’s an Adhan. That’s why it’s supposed to be louder than any other conversation. That’s what an announcement is, right? So ta’adhdhana actually suggests there are lots of thoughts in my head, there are lots of thoughts I’m hearing, or lots of words that I’m hearing, even having conversations with myself, but this decree of Allah, this pronouncement of Allah needs the ears, need to tune everything else out and hear this. As if until you get rid of all other thoughts and just hear this on its own you will not appreciate what’s being said. This is one of those things that requires a singular mind where everything else has to be erased.

So it’s

  تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ  – ta’adhdhana rabbukum,

 When your master made a pronouncement

And of course, when Musa, aaleyhi salam, was speaking they know that he’s speaking on behalf of Allah. He doesn’t have to mention that “Allah is telling me”, “Allah is telling me”, “Allah is telling me to tell you”. But he mentions rabbukum anyway.

As if to suggest … you know, I’m working with kids all the time, and if one of them is speaking louder than the others, nobody’s paying attention. But if I try to chime in and say “hey, everybody listen up” (banging (on) the desk with his hand) and hopefully most of them hear my voice and say “ok ok I gotta stop, I gotta listen because there’s an authority”. When a teacher is in the classroom, when he raises his voice, everybody else’s voice goes down a little bit. When you hear that your Master made a pronouncement, then everything else gets put on hold.

WHAT RABB MEANS?

And the word Ar-Rabb is important here too because Allah being a Rabb means that He’s our provider, He’s our caretaker, He’s our protector, He’s our nourisher.

My preferred translation of the word Rabb in English is nurturing master. It’s not just someone who owns you, it’s someone who feeds you, and takes care of you, and protects you. All of that stuff is included inside the word Rabb.

So here you are feeling like, where’s our nurturing gonna come from? Where’s our protection gonna come from? And Allah says we’ll listen to the one that gives you protection and nurturing and has authority over you.

The kind of authority He has over you and me we don’t even have over our own bodies.

EVEN IF YOU WERE TO BE THE LEAST BIT GRATEFUL…

– وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ – wa’id ta’adhdhana rabbukum.  

He says

 لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ

Even if you were to be… It’s hard to translate this, but I’ve had to add more English words to get the point across. Even if you were to be the least bit grateful, like, Allah is not in this ayah talking about us being grateful continuously and throughout our lives. Actually, that would have been in the present tense form. Here it is لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ , it’s “even if at one instant you have shown me gratitude, real gratitude, you’re truly grateful for whatever Allah has given you. You’re truly grateful for it. And you don’t turn to Allah and think, where are you? Why aren’t you helping me? You could be doing better for me. If you can develop the sense of finding something to be grateful for”…

Now, another question arises. These people are in the desert, they’re still hot, they’re still sweating as Musa, aaleyhi salam, is talking to them. So when he says “if you were even the least bit grateful”, they could look around and say “grateful for what? What do you want me to be grateful for?” When you look around the only things you can see are things to complain about, things to not be grateful for. So what are you being grateful for?

The previous ayah that I referred you to has the key to that question, has the answer to that question.

If you and I can think about the times that Allah has come through for us in impossible situations, then first of all you’re grateful for what happened in the past. But more than anything else, you’re grateful for the fact that you have someone on your side, someone watching over you, that does that for you time and again. His presence, His existence in your life is what you’re grateful for. Even if you can’t see anything positive around you, zero positives around you. The fact that Allah in the unseen is your Rabb, and He’s been your Rabb, He’s been taking care of you, that eman is actually the number one thing to be grateful for. He’s there. I’m not alone in this. I’m not insecure in this. I will take whatever precautions I can. But Allah will take care.

And

 وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ –

If you could show me the least bit of gratitude, think back and remain positive about the presence of Allah in your life.

What does Allah say?

 لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ –

The most comprehensive brief words in the Quran. He says, I will absolutely absolutely absolutely, there’s three absolutely, here the lam is lam at-tawkid, the noon is noon thaqilah, that means is twice the emphasis. So the way I translate this is going to be clunky English, it’s gonna be, I will absolutely, for sure, definitely, increase you.

So He says that three times over, and the present tense form is suggesting it’s going to go on forever.

So notice the contrast, you were grateful for a little bit, for like a moment, you showed one instance of gratitude, Allah responded with continuously giving you more and more and more and more and more – لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ.

I WILL INCREASE YOU …IN WHAT?

And what’s even more incredible is Allah didn’t say increase you in what. He didn’t qualify. He didn’t say I’ll increase you in guidance or I’ll increase you in patience or I’ll increase you in tolerance or increase you in endurance or I will increase you in strength. He didn’t qualify. Why? Because He is telling us the way in which He will give us more cannot be quantified. You cannot limit it to in one thing or the other. He may increase you in money or in health or in safety or in protection or in guidance or in wisdom or in understanding or in forgiveness or… there’s so many things you need increase and I need increase in. And He didn’t want to limit that to in one thing.

So He says لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ – I’ll keep on giving more more and more and more and more.

“IF YOU ARE UNGRATEFUL…”

The last point here is, in Arabic when you have the “if” and “then”, “if you do this then I’ll do this”, right? There’s a little bit of a language lesson, but I’ll make it simple to understand. It’s really beautiful.

If you’re grateful then I’ll give you more and more. Simplified. So there’s an “if” and there’s a “then”.

But if you come to the next part of the ayah,

 وَلَئِن كَفَرْتُمْ –walain kafartum

“And even if you are ungrateful, if you’re in denial of Allah’s favor”.

Kufr doesn’t just mean to disbelieve in Allah. Kufr here is the antonym, it’s the opposite of shukr. So you can be grateful for something Allah does, that’s called shukran an-n3amah. You could be ungrateful for something Allah has done that’s called kufran An-N3amah. So kufr doesn’t just mean denial, it also means to be ungrateful.

Now, He says, if you’re grateful I’ll give you more and more more, and if you are ungrateful… even if you’re ungrateful… Now, you would expect when He says “if you are ungrateful” then there should be a “then”, right? But the “then” is missing.

The “then” would have been إِنَّ عَذَابِي لَشَدِيدٌ, – “My punishment, for sure is intense” – but actually the ayah says

 وَلَئِن كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِي لَشَدِيدٌ –

“If you are ungrateful…my punishment, for sure is intense”. But He didn’t make it connect it to ingratitude directly. As if to give us relief and say “no, you should just know that my punishment is intense, but I’m not tying it to your any act of ingratitude. Just because you forgot to be grateful or you are ungrateful, I won’t necessarily immediately punish you with intense punishment. But because you become grateful, next time you’re thinking about becoming ungrateful, know that I can be punishing too”.

But just like there was a there was a knot tied

 لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ –  لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ  –

la’in shakartum laa’zeedannakum – both of them have lam. 

Those two lams what they do? They make an “if” and “then”. And they’re locked in with each other.

You want Allah to give you more and more and more, be grateful. That’s the rule. But what about if you’re ungrateful, “then you’re gonna get punished”. No no. Allah says, “and even if you aren’t grateful, just know that I can punish, my punishment is pretty intense, But I’m not telling you that if you are ungrateful then absolutely I will punish you. If you’re ungrateful, then just check yourself and come back to being grateful”.

He didn’t make an “if” and “then” on the end. And that’s yet another thing to be grateful for.

Allah Azza wajjal did not make that correlation. Because the fact of the matter is you and I are ungrateful most of our lives. There’s no way we can actually truly be grateful to Allah for what He’s done for us. We can have moments of gratitude, we can have moments where our heart actually recognizes what Allah has done. We can have moments where we fall in such sincere gratitude towards Him.

People ask me sometimes, why should I pray? I mean, just because Allah’s gonna throw me in Hell if I don’t pray?

Where prayer begin with? Well, once you say Allahu Akbar, and you start the prayer the first thing you’re reciting is Al-Fatiha. And in Al-Fatiha the first thing you’re saying is Alhamdu lillah, isn’t it? Allah is telling you what the prayer is for. If you feel grateful, you will keep praying. Prayer is actually a sign that you recognize Allah’s favors on you. You’re acknowledging Allah’s favours on you. You’re acknowledging how grateful you are and I am. That’s what prayer is. When prayer is getting weaker, actually it’s not necessarily all parts of your eman. You still believe in God. You still believe in the Last Day. You still believe in Heaven, in Hell. What might be becoming weaker is your sense of gratitude. That might actually be becoming weaker.

So this is a time for you and I, we want more, we want more protection, we want more safety, we want our children to be okay, we want our parents to be okay, there are warnings about people of older age that are at higher risk, for example, right? Or children with certain diseases, or people that have immune deficiencies, and things like that. They’re at risk and we have loved ones that are in that state, so we’re scared about that. We’re worried about that for ourselves and our families. This is the time that we want Allah to give us more and more and more, so this is the time where as a spiritual exercise for all the families that are listening to this, myself included, that we sit with our children, we sit with our families, and we kind of talk about what is it that we are to be grateful for, what is Allah done for us. And recount not just the things you see, look back and recount what are the times that Allah did this and this and this and how Allah brought this out.”

 

YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO HAVE ABUNDANCE, PEACE AND CLOSENESS TO ALLAH IF YOU THINK NEGATIVELY.