Shirk is the worst form of wrong, its practitioner shall never succeed,they will not prosper or be saved.
Allah Subhaanahu wataa’la says in the Holy Quran:-
(117. And whoever invokes besides Allah, any other god, of whom he has no proof; then his reckoning is only with his Lord. Surely, disbelievers will not be successful.) (118. And say : “My Lord! Forgive and have mercy, for You are the Best of those who show mercy!”)
Here Allah Subhaanahu wataa’la is teaching us to recite this supplication, for forgiveness, in a general sense, means wiping away sins and concealing them from people, and mercy means guiding a person and helping him to say and do good things.
“My Lord, I seek refuge in You from the suggestions (whisperings) of the Shayatin (devils). And I seek refuge in You, my Lord ,lest they be present with me”
رَّبِّ أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ هَمَزَاتِ ٱلشَّيَـٰطِينِ
وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ رَبِّ أَن يَحْضُرُونِ
Rabbi a’oothu bika min hamazaatish-shayaateeni. Wa-a’oothu bika rabbi an yahduroon.
Surah Al-Muminoon ,verses 97,98
This dua can be recited for the following purposes.
Protection from Satan
To seek refuge from the tricks,whispers and the presence of devils
This is the supplication of the believers who avoid the evil and falsehood.
Allah commanded to seek refuge with Him from the Shayatin, because no trick could help you against them and you cannot protect yourself by being kind to them.
Allah says in the Holy Quran:-
(And say: “My Lord! I seek refuge with You from the whisperings of the Shayatin.”)
The Messenger of Allah used to say,
(I seek refuge with Allah, the All-Hearing, All-Seeing, from the accursed Shayatin, from his whisperings, evil suggestions and insinuations.)
(“And I seek refuge with You, My Lord! lest they should come near me.”) means, in any issue of my life.
So we are commanded to mention Allah at the beginning of any undertaking, in order to ward off the Shayatin at the time of eating, intercourse, slaughtering animals for food, etc.
Abu Dawud recorded that the Messenger of Allah used to say:
(O Allah, I seek refuge with You from old age, I seek refuge with You from being crushed or drowned, and I seek refuge with you from being assaulted by the Shayatin at the time of death.)
As soon as Musa Alaihissalaam came from Madyan, he called Fir`awn to Allah and demonstrated tremendous miracles and clear proofs for the Truth that he brought.
Fir`awn then sent emissaries to various cities of his kingdom and collected magicians who were scattered throughout Egypt. Fir`awn and his people chose from them, summoned them, and Fir`awn promised them great rewards. These magicians were very eager to prevail over Musa Alaihissalaam in front of Fir`awn, so that they might become closer to him. Musa Alaihissalaam neither knew any of them nor saw or met them before.
“Musa Alaihissalaam met the leader of the magicians and said to him, `If I defeat you, will you believe in me and bear witness that what I brought is the truth’
The magician said, `Tomorrow, I will produce a type of magic that cannot be defeated by another magic. By Allah! If you defeat me, I will believe in you and testify to your truth.’
After witnessing the signs of Allah,they fell in prostration.
Pharoah threatened them by saying:
(123. Fir`awn said: “You have believed in him (Musa Alaihissalaam) before I gave you permission. Surely, this is a plot which you have plotted in the city to drive out its people, but you shall come to know.”) (124. “Surely, I will cut off your hands and your feet from opposite sides, then I will crucify you all.”)
but they said, `We are now sure that we will go back to Allah. Certainly, Allah’s punishment is more severe than your punishment and His torment for what you are calling us to, this day, and the magic you forced us to practice, is greater than your torment. Therefore, we will observe patience in the face of your punishment today, so that we are saved from Allah’s torment.’
Then they made this supplication
(“Our Lord! pour out on us patience”), with your religion and being firm in it,
Rabbanaa walaa tahmil ‘alaynaa isran kamaa hamaltahu ‘alal-latheena min qablinaa
It can be recited for
Protection from afflictions and calamities
Word-by-word Meanings:-
Transliteration
Arabic
Translation
Rabbanaa
رَبَّنَا
Our Lord
walaa
وَلَا
and (do) not
tahmil
تَحْمِلْ
lay
‘alaynaa
عَلَيْنَا
upon us
isran
إِصْرًا
a burden
kamaa
كَمَا
like that
hamaltahu
حَمَلْتَهُ
(which) You laid
‘ala
عَلَى
upon
al-latheena
الَّذِينَ
those who
min
مِن
(were) from
qablinaa
قَبْلِنَا
before us
Our Lord, and lay not on us a burden greater than we have the strength to bear. And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us. You are our protector, so Help us against the disbelieving people.”
Allah said, (mentioning what the believers said) while directing His servants to supplicate to Him, all the while promising them that He will answer their supplication:
“Our Lord! Push us not if we forget or fall into error,” meaning, “If we forgot an obligation or fell into a prohibition, or made an error while ignorant of its ruling.”
Muslim collected, wherein Allah said, “I shall (accept your supplication).” There is also the Hadith by Ibn `Abbas that Allah said, “I did (accept your supplication).”
“Our Lord! Lay not on us a burden like that which You did lay on those before us (Jews and Christians)” means, “Even if we were able to perform them, do not require us to perform the difficult deeds as You required the previous nations before us, such as the burdens that were placed on them. You sent Your Prophet Muhammad Sallal laahoo alaihi wassallam , the Prophet of mercy, to abrogate these burdens through the Law that You revealed to him, the Hanifi (Islamic Monotheism), easy religion.”
There is the Hadith recorded through various chains of narration that the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said,
“Our Lord! Put not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear” of obligations, hardships and afflictions, do not make us bear what we cannot bear of this.
“Pardon us and grant us forgiveness. Have mercy on us. You are our Mawla (Supporter and Protector) and give us victory over the disbelieving people.”
Allah said, `I shall.”’
“Pardon us” meaning, between us and You regarding what You know of our shortcomings and errors.
“And grant us forgiveness” concerning what is between us and Your servants. So do not expose our errors and evil deeds to them.
“Have mercy on us” in what will come thereafter. Therefore, do not allow us to fall into another error.
They say that those who commit error need three things: Allah’s forgiveness for what is between Him and them, that He conceals these errors from His other servants, and thus does not expose them before the servants, and that He grants them immunity from further error.” We mentioned before that Allah answered these pleas, “I shall,” in one narration and, “I did,” in another narration.
“You are our Mawla” meaning, You are our supporter and helper, our trust is in You, You are sought for each and every type of help and our total reliance is on You. There is no power or strength except from You.
“And give us victory over the disbelieving people” those who rejected Your religion, denied Your Oneness, refused the Message of Your Prophet , worshiped other than You and associated others in Your worship. Give us victory and make us prevail above them in this and the Hereafter. Allah said, “I shall,” in one narration, and, “I did,” in the Hadith that Muslim collected from Ibn `Abbas.
Further, Ibn Jarir recorded that Abu Ishaq said that whenever Mu`adh would finish reciting this Surah (Al-Baqarah),
(And give us victory over the disbelieving people), he would say “Amin.”
The Hadiths on the virtue of these last two ayats of surah Al-Baqarah:
Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Mas`ud said that the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said,
“Whoever recites the last two Ayat in Surat Al-Baqarah at night, they will suffice for him.”
The rest of the six also recorded similar wording for this Hadith. The Two Sahihs recorded this Hadith using various chains of narration, and Imam Ahmad also recorded it.
Muslim recorded that `Abdullah said, “When the Messenger of Allah went on the Isra journey, he ascended to the Sidrat Al-Muntaha in the sixth heaven, where whatever ascends from the earth ends at, and whatever descends from above it ends at.
The Messenger of Allah was then given three things: the five prayers, the last Ayat in Surat Al-Baqarah and forgiveness for whoever did not associate anything or anyone with Allah from his Ummah.”
Ibn `Abbas stated ‘’While the Messenger of Allah was with Jibil Alaihissalaam, he heard a noise from above. Jibil Alaihissalaam lifted his sight to the sky and said, `This is a door that was opened just now in heaven, and it was never opened before.’ An angel came down through the door to the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and said, `Receive the good news of two lights that you have been given and which no Prophet before you was given: the Opener of the Book (Al-Fatihah) and the last Ayat in Surat Al-Baqarah. You will not read a letter of them, but you will be granted its benefit.”
This Hadith was collected by Muslim and An-Nasa’i, and this is the wording collected by An-Nasa’i.
(“Our Lord! Verily, whom You admit to the Fire, indeed, You have disgraced him;), by humiliating and disgracing him before all people on the Day of Gathering,
(“and never will the wrongdoers find any helpers.”), on the Day of Judgment, who would save them from You. Therefore, there is no escaping whatever fate You decided for them.
“ The Messenger believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, and (so do) the believers. Each one believes in Allah, His Angels, His Books, and His Messengers. (They say,) “We make no distinction between one another of His Messengers ـ and they say, “We hear, and we obey. (We seek) Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the return (of all).” Allah burdens not a person beyond his scope. He gets reward for that (good) which he has earned, and he is punished for that (evil) which he has earned. “Our Lord! Punish us not if we forget or fall into error…..give us victory over the disbelieving people.” (2:285-286)
Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said, “When the following verse was revealed to the Messenger of Allah ,
“To Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth, and whether you disclose what is in yourselves or conceal it, Allah will call you to account for it. Then He forgives whom He wills and punishes whom He wills. And Allah is able to do all things”
It was very hard for the Companions of the Messenger of Allah . The Companions came to the Messenger and fell to their knees saying, `O Messenger of Allah! We were asked to perform what we can bear of deeds: the prayer, the fast, Jihad and charity. However, this Ayah was revealed to you, and we cannot bear it.’
The Messenger of Allah said,
“Do you want to repeat what the People of the Two Scriptures before you said, that is, `We hear and we disobey’ Rather, say, `We hear and we obey, and we seek Your forgiveness, O our Lord, and the Return is to You.”
When the people accepted this statement and their tongues recited it, Allah sent down afterwards,
“The Messenger believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, and (so do)the believers. Each one believes in Allah, His Angels, His Books, and His Messengers. (They say,) “We make no distinction between one another of His Messengers ـ and they say, “We hear, and we obey. (We seek) Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the return (of all).”
And they say, “We hear, and we obey” means, we heard Your statement, O our Lord, comprehended and implemented it, and adhered to its implications.
“(We seek) Your forgiveness, our Lord” contains a plea and supplication for Allah’s forgiveness, mercy and kindness.
“Our Lord, and grant us what You promised us through Your messengers and do not disgrace us on the Day of Resurrection. Indeed, You never break (Your) Promise.”
This dua can be recited for the following purposes.
Protection from being disgraced on the day of Judgement
To ask for Allah’s blessings and fulfillment of His promise
(“Our Lord! Grant us what You promised unto us through Your Messengers”) for our faith in Your Messengers, or, and this explanation is better; grant us what You promised us by the words of Your Messengers,
(“and disgrace us not on the Day of Resurrection,”), before all creation,
(“for You never break (Your) Promise.”), for surely, the promise that You conveyed to Your Messengers, which includes us being resurrected before You, shall certainly come to pass.
“My Lord! Grant me the power that I may be grateful for Your Favour which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and that I may do righteous deeds, which please You, and make righteous for me my offspring; indeed, I turn to You and indeed I am of those who submit”
(15. And We have enjoined on man to be dutiful and kind to his parents. His mother bears him with hardship. And she delivers him with hardship. And (the period of) his gestation and the weaning of him is thirty months, till when he attains full strength and reaches forty years, he says: “My Lord! Grant me the power and ability that I may be grateful for Your favor which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and that I may do righteous good deeds, such as please You, and make my offspring good. Truly, I have turned to You in repentance, and truly, I am one of the Muslims.”)
“My Lord! Grant me the power and ability) meaning, `inspire me.’
(that I may be grateful for Your favor which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and that I may do righteous good deeds, such as please You,) meaning, in the future.
(and make my offspring good.) meaning, my offspring and descendants.
(Truly, I have turned to You in repentance, and truly, I am one of the Muslims.) This contains an instruction for anyone who reaches forty years of age to renew his repentance and turn to Allah with strong resolution.
Allah then says,
(Those are the ones from whom We shall accept the best of what they did and overlook their evil deeds. (They shall be) among the dwellers of Paradise.) meaning, those to whom applies the above description — those who repent to Allah, turn back to Him, and rectify their shortcomings through repentance and seeking forgiveness – those are the ones from whom We will accept the best of what they did and overlook their evil deeds. Many of their errors will be forgiven and Allah will accept from them a modest amount of deeds.
“Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith and put not in our hearts [any] rancour towards those who have believed. Our Lord, indeed You are full of kindness, Most Merciful.”
To develop affection and love for the believing men and women
To invoke Allah for His Kindness and Mercy
Listen to the recitation of this dua.
Allah says in the Holy Quran:-
(And there is also a share in this booty) for the poor emigrants, who were expelled from their homes and their property, seeking bounties from Allah and (His) good pleasure, and helping Allah and His Messenger. Such are indeed the truthful.) (9. And (it is also for) those who, before them, had homes and had adopted the faith, love those who emigrate to them, and have no jealousy in their breasts for that which they have been given, and give them preference over themselves even though they were in need of that. And whosoever is saved from his own greed, such are they who will be the successful.) (10. And those who came after them say: “Our Lord! Forgive us and our brethren who have preceded us in faith, and put not in our hearts any hatred against those who have believed. Our Lord! You are indeed full of kindness, Most Merciful.)
Here Allah describes three types of believers.These three types are the Muhajirin, the Ansar and those who followed their righteous lead with excellence.
This is the supplication of the third type of believers.The third type are those who followed the Muhajirin and Ansar in their good works, beautiful attributes and who invoke Allah for them in public and secret. This is why Allah, the Exalted said in this honorable Ayah,
(And those who came after them say), meaning, the statement that they utter is,
(Our Lord! Forgive us and our brethren who have preceded us in faith, and put not in our hearts any hatred), meaning, rage or envy,
Indeed, it is a beautiful way that Imam Malik used this honorable Ayah to declare that the Rafidah who curse the Companions do not have a share in the Fai’ money, because they do not have the good quality of those whom Allah has described here.
Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that `A’ishah Radi Allahu anha said, “They were commanded to invoke Allah to forgive them, but instead, they cursed them!” She then recited the above ayah.
Allah said that the people with knowledge supplicate to their Lord,
“Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate (from the truth) after You have guided us.” meaning, do not deviate our hearts from the guidance after You allowed them to acquire it. Do not make us like those who have wickedness in their hearts, those who follow the Mutashabih in the Qur’an. Rather, make us remain firmly on Your straight path and true religion.”
“And grant us from Ladunka” meaning, from You,
“Mercy” with which You make our hearts firm, and increase in our Faith and certainty,
“Truly, You are the Bestower”
Ibn Abi Hatim and Ibn Jarir recorded that Umm Salamah said that the Prophet Sallal laahoo alaihi wassallam used to supplicate,
“O You Who changes the hearts, make my heart firm on Your religion.”
He then recited,
“Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate (from the truth) after You have guided us, and grant us mercy from You. Truly, You are the Bestower.’’
