Gifts of Knowledge

Shaikh Abdur-Razzaaq ibn Abdul-Muhsin al-Badr, may Allaah protect him, said, “This is helpful advice connected to the state of fear that people are in these days regarding the Corona epidemic. I ask Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, that He removes every harm and trial, hardship and adversity from us and the Muslims wherever they are, and that He protect us all with that which He protects His righteous servants with, He is the only One who can grant that, the Only One able to do so.

1—What is to be Said Before a Calamity Befalls You

From Uthmaan ibn ’Affaan, may Allaah be pleased with him, who said, “I heard the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ say, ‘Whoever says:

بِسْمِ اللهِ الَّذِي لاَ يَضُرُّ مَعَ اسْمِهِ شَىْءٌ فِي الأَرْضِ وَلاَ فِي السَّمَاءِ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ

[Bismillaahilladhee laa yadurru ma’a ismihee shai’un fil-ardi wa laa fis-samaa’i wa huwass-Samee’ul-Aleem

In the Name of Allaah with Whose Name nothing can harm on earth or in heaven, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.]

three times, he will not be stricken with a sudden affliction until morning comes, and whoever says that when morning comes, [then] he will not be stricken with a sudden affliction until evening comes.’” [Abu Dawud, no. 5088, Sahih]

2—Increasing How Much You Say, “There is no deity worthy of worship except You! Exalted are You! Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers.”

لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ

[Laa ilaaha illaa anta, subhaanaka innee kuntu minadh-Dhaalimeen

There is none worthy of worship but You, glory is to You. Surely, I was among the wrongdoers.]

Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, said:

“And [mention] the man of the fish [Prophet Yunus, alaihis-salaam], when he went off in anger and thought that We would not decree [anything] upon him. And he called out within the darknesses, ‘There is no deity worthy of worship except You! Exalted are You! Indeed—I have been of the wrongdoers.’ So We responded to him and saved him from the distress. And thus do We save the believers.” [Anbiyaa 21:87-88]

In his tafseer, Al-Haafidh Ibn Kathir, may Allaah have mercy on him, said about Allaah’s Statement, “And thus do We save the believers,” “Namely, when they are in the midst of calamities and call upon Us, turning to Us Alone, and especially when they supplicate using this du’aa during a trial.”

Then he mentioned a hadith from the Prophet ﷺ where he said, “The supplication of Dhun-Nun (Prophet Yunus) when he supplicated, while in the belly of the whale, was: ‘There is none worthy of worship except You! Glory to You! Indeed, I have been of the transgressors.’ No man supplicates with it for anything, ever, except that Allaah responds to him.” [Imaam Ahmad and Tirmidhi, Sahih]

The Allaamah, Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allaah have mercy on him, said in his book, Al-Fawaa’id, “None of life’s adversities are repelled with anything like tawheed, and for this reason the du’aa said at times of distress is one of tawheed, and the du’aa of Dhun-Noon, which no afflicted person supplicates with except that Allaah delivers him from his distress, is one of tawheed. Nothing throws one into major calamities except shirk, and nothing saves you from them except tawheed—it is creation’s refuge, its asylum, its fortress and succourer [i.e., aider in times of need] and with Allaah lies all success.”

3—Seeking Refuge from the Difficult Moments of a Calamity

From Abu Hurairah, may Allaah be pleased with him, “Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ used to seek refuge from the difficult moments of a calamity, and from being overtaken by wretchedness in the Hereafter or destruction and from being destined to an evil end, and from the malicious joy of enemies.”

From Abu Hurairah, may Allaah be pleased with him, from Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ, that he said, “Seek refuge with Allaah from the difficult moments of a calamity, and from being overtaken by wretchedness in the Hereafter or destruction and from being destined to an evil end, and from the malicious joy of enemies.” [both reported by Bukhaari]

[So one would say:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ جَهْدِ الْبَلاَءِ، وَدَرَكِ الشَّقَاءِ، وَسُوءِ الْقَضَاءِ، وَشَمَاتَةِ الأَعْدَاءِ

Allaahumma innee a’uthubikaa min Jahdil-Balaa, wa darakishaqaa, wa soo’il-qadaa, wa shamaatatil-a’daa.

Oh Allaah! I seek refuge with You from the difficult moments of a calamity, and from being overtaken by wretchedness in the Hereafter or destruction, and from being destined to an evil end, and from the malicious joy of enemies.”]

4—Always Remembering to Say the Du’aa for Leaving One’s Home

From Anas ibn Maalik, may Allaah be pleased with him, that the Prophet ﷺ said, “When a man goes out of his house and says:

بِسْمِ اللهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى اللهِ لاَ حَوْلَ وَلاَ قُوَّةَ إِلاَّ بِاللهِ

[Bismillaah. Tawakkaltu alallaah, laa hawla, wa laa quwwata illaa billaah.

In the Name of Allaah. I rely upon Allaah, there is no power and no strength except with Allaah.’]

then it is said, ‘You have been guided, defended and protected!’ And the devils go far away from him, and another devil says, ‘What can you do with a man who has been guided, defended and protected?’” [Abu Daawud, no. 5095, Sahih]

5—Asking Allaah for Well-being in the Morning and Afternoon

From Abdullah ibn Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, who said, “Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ never used to leave these words of supplication in the morning or evening:

اللّهُـمَّ إِنِّـي أسْـأَلُـكَ العَـفْوَ وَالعـافِـيةَ في الدُّنْـيا وَالآخِـرَة
اللّهُـمَّ إِنِّـي أسْـأَلُـكَ العَـفْوَ وَالعـافِـيةَ في ديني وَدُنْـيايَ وَأهْـلي وَمالـي
اللّهُـمَّ اسْتُـرْ عـوْراتي وَآمِـنْ رَوْعاتـي
اللّهُـمَّ احْفَظْـني مِن بَـينِ يَدَيَّ وَمِن خَلْفـي وَعَن يَمـيني وَعَن شِمـالي، وَمِن فَوْقـي
وَأَعـوذُ بِعَظَمَـتِكَ أَن أُغْـتالَ مِن تَحْتـي

Allaahumma innee as’alukal-afwa wal-aafiyata fid-dunyaa wal-aakhirah.

Allaahumma innee as’alukal-afwa wal-aafiyata fee deenee wa dunyaaya, wa ahlee, wa maalee.

Allaahummastur awraatee, wa aamin raw’aatee.
Allahummah-faznee mim-bayni yadayya, wa min khalfee, wa an yameenee, wa an shimaalee, wa min fawqee.
Wa a’oodhu bi azamatika an ughtaala min tahtee.

‘O Allaah, I ask You for pardon and well-being in this life and the next.
O Allaah, I ask You for pardon and well-being in my religious and worldly affairs, and my family and my wealth.
O Allaah, veil my weaknesses and set at ease my dismay.
O Allaah, preserve me from the front and from behind and on my right and on my left and from above.
And I take refuge with You lest I be swallowed up by the earth.’] [Ahmad and others]

6—Making Lots of Du’aa

From Ibn Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, who said, “Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ said, “Whomsoever of you the door of supplication is opened for, the doors of mercy have been opened for him. And Allaah is not asked for anything—meaning: more beloved to Him—than being asked for Al-Aafiyah [well-being].” And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Supplication benefits against that which strikes and that which does not strike, so hold fast, O worshippers of Allah, to supplication.” [Tirmidhee, no. 3548]

7—Safeguarding Oneself from the Places where the Plague Is

From Abdullaah ibn Aamir, may Allaah be pleased with him, that, “Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, went to Shaam and when he reached Sargh, he received news that an epidemic (of plague) had broken out in Shaam. Abdur-Rahman bin Auf told him that Allaah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, ‘If you hear that it has broken out in a land, do not go to it, but if it breaks out in a land where you are present, do not go out in order to run away from it.’” [Bukhaari, no, 5730]

And from Abu Hurairah, may Allaah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said, “The ill should not be taken to the healthy.” [Bukhaari and Muslim]

8—Doing Good Deeds and Helping Others

From Anas, may Allaah be pleased with him, that Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ said, “Good works protect [one] from falling into evil, from calamities and diseases, and different types of destruction. The good people in this world are the good people in the Hereafter.” [Al-Haakim]

Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “Some of the greatest cures for illnesses are: doing good deeds and helping others, remembering Allaah, making du’aa, humbling oneself [before Allaah], earnestly supplicating to Allaah [Ibtihaal], turning to Him in repentance—these things have an effect in repelling these sicknesses and obtaining a cure, even greater than natural medicines, but are dependant on how prepared a person is, on his acceptance [of these things], his belief in them and in their benefit.”

9—Standing to Pray at Night [Qiyaam al-Layl]

From Bilaal, may Allaah be pleased with him, that the Prophet ﷺ said, “Hold fast to praying at night [Qiyaam al-Layl], for it is the practice of the righteous before you, and indeed Qiyaam al-Layl is a means of nearness to Allaah, a means of prevention from sin, an expiation for bad deeds, and a barrier for the body against disease.” [Tirmidhi, no. 3549]

10—Covering up Vessels and Tying up Water-skins

From Jaabir ibn Abdullah, may Allaah be pleased with him, who said, “I heard Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ saying, ‘Cover the vessels and tie up the water-skins, for there is one night in the year when pestilence descends, and it does not pass by any vessel that is not covered or any water-skin that is not tied up except that some of that pestilence descends into it.’” [Muslim]

Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allaah have mercy on him, said, “And this is a point which the knowledge of doctors and their acquaintances cannot attain.” [Zaadul-Ma’aad]

To conclude, it is upon every Muslim to entrust his affairs to Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, hoping for His Bounty, longing for His Gifts, trusting in Him, since all matters are in His Hands and under His Direction, subservient to Him, and that he strive to face what misfortunes may come his way through patience and hoping for reward from Allaah, for He, the Mighty and Majestic, has promised a great reward for the one who does so, saying, “Only those who are patient shall receive their rewards in full, without reckoning.” [Zumar 39:10]

And from Aaishah, may Allaah be pleased with her, that she asked the Prophet ﷺ about the plague, so he ﷺ said, “The plague was a punishment which Allaah used to send on whom He wished, but Allaah made it a blessing for the believers. None [among the believers] remains patient in a land in which the plague has broken out and considers that nothing will befall him except what Allaah has ordained for him, but that Allaah will grant him a reward similar to that of a martyr.” [Bukhaari]

And I ask Allaah that He grant us all success in doing righteous actions and uttering beautiful speech that pleases Him, for verily He says the truth and guides to the right path.”

Source.