What is your opinion of the supplicant saying in his supplication, "O Allah, do not treat us with Your justice, but treat us with Your forgiveness"?
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The questioner : What is your opinion of the supplicant saying in his supplication: "O Allah, do not treat us with Your justice, but treat us with Your forgiveness"?
The Shaykh : It is better for him to say, "O Allah, treat us with Your forgiveness and Your bounty," and to leave out the phrase, "O Allah, do not treat us with Your justice," because there is no need for it. Otherwise, it is well known that if Allah were to treat people with His justice, He would destroy them all. Allah the Exalted said:[Fatir 35:45] Then, if Allah the Exalted were to treat a person with His justice, a single blessing would encompass all the deeds he had done. In fact, his righteous deeds would be a blessing from Allah that deserves reward and gratitude, as it was said:
If my gratitude is a blessing from Allah, then it is a blessing upon me for which gratitude is obligatory in its like.
So how can one reach the level of gratitude except by His bounty, even if days lengthen and life continues?
Therefore, there is no need for the supplicant to say, "O Allah, do not treat us with Your justice, but treat us with Your bounty." Rather, we say: Say, "O Allah, treat us with Your bounty and do not treat us with the evil of our deeds. You are the Owner of immense bounty, and we are the ones who do evil. So we seek Your forgiveness, O Allah, and we repent to You."
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : It is better for him to say, "O Allah, treat us with Your forgiveness and Your bounty," and to leave out the phrase, "O Allah, do not treat us with Your justice," because there is no need for it. Otherwise, it is well known that if Allah were to treat people with His justice, He would destroy them all. Allah the Exalted said:
And if Allah were to impose blame on the people for what they have earned, He would not leave upon the earth any creature
وَلَوْ يُؤَاخِذُ اللَّهُ النَّاسَ بِمَا كَسَبُوا مَا تَرَكَ عَلَى ظَهْرِهَا مِنْ دَابَّةٍIf my gratitude is a blessing from Allah, then it is a blessing upon me for which gratitude is obligatory in its like.
So how can one reach the level of gratitude except by His bounty, even if days lengthen and life continues?
Therefore, there is no need for the supplicant to say, "O Allah, do not treat us with Your justice, but treat us with Your bounty." Rather, we say: Say, "O Allah, treat us with Your bounty and do not treat us with the evil of our deeds. You are the Owner of immense bounty, and we are the ones who do evil. So we seek Your forgiveness, O Allah, and we repent to You."
The questioner : May Allah bless you.