The Enduring Good Deeds

The Ultimate Refuge

The Prophet ﷺ used to pray, “O Allah, I seek refuge in Your pleasure from Your anger, I seek refuge in Your forgiving from Your punishment, and I seek refuge in You from You.”

• Aisha رضي الله عنها reported:

One night I missed Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) from the bed, and when I sought him my hand touched the soles of his feet while he was in the state of prostration; they (feet) were raised and he was saying:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِرِضَاكَ مِنْ سَخَطِكَ، وَبِمُعَافَاتِكَ مِنْ عُقُوبَتِكَ، وأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْكَ، لَا أُحْصِي ثَنَاءً عَلَيْكَ، أَنْتَ كَمَا أَثْنَيْتَ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ

Allaahumma ‘innee ‘a’oothu biridhaaka min sakhatika, wa bimu’aafaatika min ‘uqoobatika, wa ‘a’oothu bika minka, laa ‘uhsee thanaa’an ‘alayka, ‘Anta kamaa ‘athnayta ‘alaa nafsika.

“O Allah, I seek refuge in Your pleasure from Your anger, and in Your forgiveness from Your punishment, and I seek refuge in You from You. I cannot enumerate Your praise — You are as You have praised Yourself.”

[Muslim]

Explanation

Consider the Prophet’s seeking refuge in the quality of pleasure from the quality of anger, and in the quality of forgiveness from that of punishment. He has attributed both to Allah and affirmed that each of them belongs solely to Him. He is, in essence, saying: What I seek protection from occurs by Your will and decree, and the pleasure and forgiveness in which I seek refuge are also by Your will and decree.

If You will to be pleased with and forgive Your servant, it is by Your choice; and if You will to be angry with and punish him, it is also by Your choice. My protection from what I dislike and fear lies only in Your will. All good and evil are by Your decree and will.

I seek refuge in Your power, strength, might, mercy, and benevolence from what may occur by Your power and might, justice and wisdom. I seek refuge in none but You from anything that takes place by Your will and decree. You alone are able—by Your will—to grant me protection from that which occurs by Your will.

The depth of Tawḥīd, knowledge, and devotion contained in these words can only be truly perceived by those who are deeply acquainted with Allah, who know Him well, and who comprehend the essence of servitude to Him.

End quote.

Adapted from the book ‘Tawbah – Turning to Allah in Repentance’ by Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله.