insoluble problems, and the cure

Why do we suffer from almost insoluble problems, and what is the cure?

This is in the light of my experiences and something of the deen that I remember.

· What happens is almost always due to one’s own mistakes. E.g. we say something that becomes a wish for hard times, or at least expresses our readiness to brave such times. I give here an example from my life. I was not given a directorship, and I said I don’t care, I don’t need or want it. Result: I never got it at my place of work. Similarly I was denied promotion many times, in the initial stages, when I was bypassed for promotion, I said haughtily: “So what, I do not care. I have fifteen years before I retire, I can wait.” Result: I got my promotion just before retirement. I was reminded of this statement of mine when I retired, and I had never given a thought to what I had said.

So it was for health, for housing, for anything that I suffered from, or was not able to get, I expressed disdain. Result: I either did not get it, or got is very late in life. And this is true of matters pertaining to the deen, too. When I came back to Pakistan, I said I would Islamise my life gradually. It has been very, very slow. Result: Despite my age, I have a very long way to go compared to others.

A friend’s wife had a stroke of partial paralysis, and was hospitalized. Whe we visited her, she confided that she had been praying that whatever punishment she was likely to get in the Hereafter, she wished to get it in this world. I told her this was precisely what a Shahabi had wished, and became severely ill. The Prophet :swas: visited him and told him something like: Subhanallah, you do not have the strength to endure such hardship. Why didn’t you ask Allah for forgiveness.”

Moral & suggestion: Do not express disdain. Keep thanking Allah for His fanours, and keep asking Him for more of them. None of us can do without.

And make Istaghfaar - lots of it.

a very endearing, complete dua

اَللَّٰهُمَّ اِنَاَّ نَسْئَلُكَ

مِنْ خَيْرِ مَا سَئَلَكَ مِنْهُ نَبِيِّكَ مُحَمَّدٌ


صَلَّ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ سَلَّمَ


وَ نَعَوْذُ بِكَ
مِنْ شَرِّ مَا اَسْتَعَاذَ مِنْهُ نَبِيِّكَ مُحَمَّدٌ


صَلَّ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ سَلَّمَ


وَ اَنْتَ الْمُسْتَعانُ

وَ عَلَيْكَ الْبَلاغُ

وَ لا حَوْلَ وَ لا قُوَّةَ اِلا بِااللَّٰهِ



ط



O Allah!
We ask you
to give us from what You were asked by Your Prophet Mohammad
(sallallahu alehi wa sallam)
and we seek Your protection from
what Your protection was sought from You by Your Prophet Mohammad
(sallallahu alehi wa sallam)
and You are the (only) Helper
and for us is only to give voice
and nothing gets done done except with Your Help


(Tirmidhi)

protection against old age etc.

اَللَّهُمََّّ اِنِّىْ اَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْبُخْلِ

وَ اَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْجُبْنِ

وَ اَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنْ اَنْ اُرَدََّ اِلٰى اَرْذَلِ الْعُمُرِ

وَ اَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنْ عَذَاْبِ الْقَبْرِ


ط

O Allah! I seek your protection against miserliness,
and I seek your protection against cowardice,
and I seek your protection against old useless age,
and I seek your protection against punishment in the grave.

protection against oppression etc.

protection against oppression/tyranny and other things

Here is another short dua against all sort of excesses:

اَللَّهُمَّ اِنِّىْ اَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْفَقْر

وَ اَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنَ اَلْقِلَّةِ

وَ الذِّلَّةِ

وَ اَعُوْذُ بِكَ اَنْ اَظْلَمَ

اَوْ اُظْلَمَ

ط

O Allah! I ask your protection from
poverty/need/wants, and I ask your protection from
shortages, and
humiliation, and
that I should oppress or tyrannize someone or
that someone should oppress or tyrannize me.

(Nisai, Abu Dawood)

for mutual love

A common complain these days is that spouses (more so the husbands) start misbehaving, and even hitting out. Here is a dua for mutual love:

أَللّٰهُمَّ اَلِّفْ بَيْنَ قُلُوْبِنَا



وَ اَصْلِحْ ذَاتَ بَيِْنِنَا


وَ اَهْدِنَا سُبُلَ السَلامِ


وَ نَجِّنَا مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ اِلَى النُّوْر



وَ جَنِّبْنَا الْفَوَاحِشَ

مَا ظَهَرَ مِِنْهَا وَ مَا بَطَنَ



وَ بَارِكْ لَنَا

فِىْ اَسْمَاعِنَا وَ اَبْصَارِنَا وَ قُلُوْبِنَا

وَ اَزْوَاجِنَا وَ ذُرِّيَّاتِنَا



وَتُبْ عَلَيْنَآ

اِنَّكَ اَنْتَ التََّّوَّابُ الرَّحِيْمُ .





Allahumma allif baena quloobena
wa asleh dhata baenena
wa ahdena subulassalaame
wa najjena minaz zulumaate elanNoor

O Allah! create mutual love in our hearts
and make peace between us (or set us straight)
and guide us along the path of peace, safety and harmony
and bring us from darkness to light

at least 3 times after every fard prayer, and when going to bed.