Reading from the book *Riyad al-Salihin*: The chapter on the dislike of a person saying, “O Allah, forgive me if You will,” rather than being decisive in the request.

The student: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. The author (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
“The chapter on the dislike of a person saying, ‘O Allah, forgive me if You will,’ rather than being decisive in the request. It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

One of you should not say (in his supplication): O Allah, forgive me if You please, show mercy to me if You please.' Rather, be firm in your asking, for no one can force Him.

لا يقولن أحدكم اللهم اغفر لي إن شئت اللهم ارحمني إن شئت ليعزم المسألة فإنه لا مكره له

Sunan Abi Dawud 1483Sahih (Al-Albani)

And in a narration by Muslim:

A supplication should be made in full confidence and one should persistently express his desire (before Allah) in his supplication, for no bounty is too great for Allah to bestow (upon his slaves).

ولكن ليعزم وليعظم الرغبة فإن الله تعالى لا يتعاظمه شيء أعطاه

Riyad as-Salihin 1743

And it was narrated from Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

When anyone of you appeal to Allah for something, he should ask with determination and should not say, 'O Allah, if You wish, give me.', for nobody can force Allah to do something against His Will.

إذا دعا أحدكم فليعزم المسألة ولا يقولن اللهم إن شئت فأعطني فإنه لا مستكره له

Sahih al-Bukhari 6338

Agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim.”

The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The author (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his book *Riyad al-Salihin*: "Chapter on the dislike of a person saying: O Allah, forgive me if You will; O Allah, have mercy on me if You will". It is known that a person has no refuge except Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in seeking good and warding off evil. Since Allah the Exalted is the one intended, the one whom the servants desire, to whom they take refuge, and upon whom they rely, it is not permissible for a person to say: "O Allah, forgive me if You will; O Allah, have mercy on me if You will." Rather, this is forbidden, because the statement "if You will" is as if he is saying: "If You will, forgive me; otherwise, it does not concern me." It is as if he is saying: "I am in no need of You." It is like saying to your companion, "If you will, visit me," meaning, "If you will, do not visit me, for I am not in need of you." For this reason, the statement "O Allah, forgive me if You will" is forbidden. So when the author says: "Chapter on the dislike of a person saying: O Allah, forgive me if You will", he means the dislike of prohibition. Likewise, one should not say: "O Allah, have mercy on me if You will." Rather, one should be resolute, because he is asking a Generous, Noble, Rich, and Praiseworthy One (Mighty and Majestic), and because he is in need of Allah. So let him be resolute in his supplication, saying: "O Allah, forgive me; O Allah, have mercy on me," without "if You will." Likewise, one should not say: "O Allah, forgive me if Allah wills," or say to a person: "May Allah forgive you if Allah wills," or "May Allah guide you if Allah wills." None of this is to be said. Rather, a person should be decisive and resolute. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) clarified this, because it contains two prohibitions.
The first: He said: This means that if Allah (Mighty and Majestic) forgives you, it is by His will, or if He has mercy on you, it is by His will. No one can compel Him to do so; He does what He wills and chooses (Mighty and Majestic), and no one compels Him, so you do not say “if You will.” Similarly, when a person says “if You will,” it is as if he is magnifying the matter, saying: “If you will, bring it; if you will, do not bring it.” But nothing is too great for Allah the Exalted to give. No matter how great the thing is, Allah the Exalted is Rich and Generous, giving abundant rewards (Mighty and Majestic), and asking for little. The conclusion is that it is not permissible for you to say: “O Allah, forgive me if You will; O Allah, have mercy on me if You will; O Allah, admit me to Paradise if You will; O Allah, provide me with children if You will; O Allah, provide me with a righteous wife if You will.” None of this is permissible. Be decisive in the matter and do not introduce the condition of “if You will.”
Also included in this is what some people say, and I think they are from the Sufis: “O Allah, I do not ask You to change the decree, but I ask You for kindness in it.” This is forbidden. How can you not ask Allah to change the decree? Does anything change the decree except supplication? As came in the hadith: And if you say: “O Allah, I do not ask You to change the decree, but I ask You for kindness in it,” it is as if you are saying: “O my Lord, punish me, but be kind, O my Lord. Destroy my loved ones, but be kind,” and the like. All these supplications require a person to seek what came in the Book and the Sunnah, and what is in the meaning of that. We say, based on the good rhythm and rhyme of this supplication, that this is not permissible. So now we have two issues: The first is that one should not say: “O Allah, forgive me if You will; O Allah, have mercy on me if You will; O Allah, provide for me if You will; O Allah, guide me if You will.” In all supplication, do not say “if You will.”
Second, the second issue: Do not say: “O Allah, I do not ask You to change the decree, but I ask You for kindness in it.” Rather, say: “O Allah, be gentle with me; O Allah, protect me from evil,” and the like. As for the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) to the one he found sick: This is from the category of hope, and it is a statement, meaning: “I hope that this will be a purification.” Also, it was not in the form of direct address; he did not say “if You will,” but said “if Allah wills.” The wording without direct address is less severe in impact than the wording that comes with direct address. And Allah knows best.