What is your opinion on the supplicant saying, “O Allah, make this matter easy for me if it is good for me”?

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good, our Shaykh. In matters where the Shari'ah has come down, and where the Shari'ah has mentioned virtue in them, for example?

The Shaykh : What did the Shari'ah come down with?

The questioner : Virtue was mentioned.

The Shaykh : Virtue.

The questioner : In them, for example, settling in Madinah or matters like this. A person might say that for a specific individual, going to or settling in Madinah could be evil. We know of some people, for example, who fell into fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) or, well, is it correct that some people said that one should qualify it by saying, for example, “O Allah, let me settle in Madinah if it is good for me”? Many of them conditioned it, saying: If you supplicate to the Lord, Mighty and Majestic, to make you successful in something, you must say, “if it is good for me,” and qualify it with this condition. Is this correct, our Shaykh? Please inform us. May Allah bless you.

The Shaykh : This is correct in matters whose outcome is unknown. For example, one does not say: “O Lord, if You know that my going to the Sacred House of Allah as a pilgrim for Hajj or 'Umrah is good, then decree it for me and make it easy for me.” No, this is not said. Likewise, regarding what you asked about: if one intends to reside in Madinah in response to his (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: , then this is not prescribed. It is only prescribed in unknown matters. Is the answer clear?

The questioner : Yes, it is clear, O Shaykh. May Allah reward you with good.