19th Hadith - Be Mindful of Allah and Allah will Protect You (Thirmidhi: 2516)

الحديث التاسع عشر 

عَنْ أَبِي الْعَبَّاسِ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ : كُنْتُ خَلْفَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَوْماً، فَقَالَ : يَا غُلاَمُ إِنِّي أُعَلِّمُكَ كَلِمَاتٍ: اْحْفَظِ اللهَ يَحْفَظْكَ، احْفَظِ اللهَ تَجِدْهُ تُجَاهَكَ، إِذَا سَأَلْتَ فَاسْأَلِ اللهَ وَإِذَا اسْتَعَنْتَ فَاسْتَعِنْ بِاللهِ، وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ اْلأُمَّةَ لَوْ اجْتَمَعَتْ عَلَى أَنْ  يَنْفَعُوْكَ بِشَيْءٍ لَمْ يَنْفَعُوْكَ إِلاَّ بِشَيْءٍ قَدْ كَتَبَهُ اللهُ لَكَ، وَإِنِ اجْتَمَعُوا عَلَى أَنْ يَضُرُّوْكَ بِشَيْءٍ لَمْ يَضُرُّوْكَ إِلاَّ بِشَيْءٍ قَدْ كَتَبَهُ اللهُ عَلَيْكَ، رُفِعَتِ اْلأَقْلاَمُ وَجَفَّتِ الصُّحُفُ

[رواه الترمذي وقال : حديث حسن صحيح]

وفي رواية غير الترمذي: احْفَظِ اللهَ تَجِدْهُ أَمَامَكَ، تَعَرَّفْ إِلَى اللهِ فِي الرَّخَاءِ يَعْرِفْكَ فِي   الشِّدَّةِ، وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ مَا أَخْطَأَكَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لِيُصِيْبَكَ، وَمَا أَصَابَكَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لِيُخْطِئَكَ، وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ النَّصْرَ مَعَ الصَّبْرِ، وَأَنَّ الْفَرَجَ مَعَ الْكَرْبِ وَأَنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْراً

19th Hadith Translation

Abu Al-Abbas-Abdullah-Bin-Abbas (R.A.) reported: One day I was behind the Prophet (S.A.W.) and he said to me:

"O young man, I shall teach you some words [of advice]: Be mindful of Allah, and Allah will protect you. Be mindful of Allah, and you will find Him in front of you. If you (have need to) ask, ask of Allah; and if you seek help, seek help from Allah. Know that even if the Nation (or the whole community) were to gather together to benefit you with something, they would not benefit you with anything except that which Allah has already recorded for you, and that if they gather together to harm you with something, they would not be able to harm you with anything except that which Allah has already recorded against you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried." (Thirmidhi: 2516)

 It was related by At-Tirmidhi, who said it is a good and sound hadith. Another narration, other than that of Tirmidhi, reads: Be mindful of Allah, and you will find Him in front of you. Recognize and acknowledge Allah in times of ease and prosperity, and He will remember you in times of adversity. And know that what has passed you by [and you have failed to attain] was not going to befall you, and what has befallen you was not going to pass you by. And know that victory comes with patience, relief with affliction, and hardship with ease.

Brief Narration

This hadith implies a very important advice and general ruling in Islam: Allah’s protection. Ibnu Rajab quoted one scholar as saying: “What a pity for the one who is ignorant of this hadith and has little understanding of its meaning.”

The phrase “Be mindful of Allah” means:

• To observe or fulfill Allah’s obligations 
• To adhere to His commandments 
• To avoid His prohibitions  
  

The words “ask of Allah” and to “seek help from Allah” is the fundamental basics of ‘Tawhid’ (

This hadith teaches us how we can live a peaceful and happy life by being mindful of Allah and by totally trusting and worshiping Him. By understanding Qadar (Fate or Predestination) positively, we will not live a stressful, unhappy life of always worrying about our future or what the consequences of our actions or decisions will be. We do our best to fulfill Allah’s obligations and we trust and accept whatever He wills for us. 

  (Reference: Commentary of Forty Hadiths of An-Nawawi by Dr. Jamal Ahmed Badi)