Warning Against the Error of One Who Says: “O Allah, I do not ask You to avert the decree, but I ask You for gentleness in it.”

The Shaykh : And among that is also, though it is not in the topic of our lesson, but it came to mind, the saying of some: "O Allah, I do not ask You to avert the decree, but I ask You for gentleness in it". This is a great word that is not permissible. "I do not ask You to avert the decree," and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Supplication does not avert the decree. But the original of supplication, when you supplicate to Allah the Exalted to remove a hardship, this has been written in eternity in the Preserved Tablet that Allah the Exalted will remove this hardship from you by your supplication. So it is all written. And when you say: "I do not ask You to avert the decree, but I ask You for gentleness in it", it is as if you are saying, "I do not care whether You remove it or not, but be gentle." And a person seeks the removal of everything that harms him. So you do not say "O Allah, I ask You to avert the decree, but I ask You for gentleness in it". Say: "O Allah, I ask You for pardon and well-being. O Allah, cure me of my illness. O Allah, make me rich from my poverty. O Allah, pay off my debt. O Allah, teach me what I do not know," and the like of that. As for "I do not ask You to avert the decree," no one can force Allah to do something. Allah the Exalted does what He wills, and no one can avert it. But you are in need of Allah. Say, "O Allah, I ask for well-being. O Allah, I ask for such and such" from what you seek. As for this speech, it has no basis and is not permissible. Indeed, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: And it is easier than "O Allah, I do not ask You to avert the decree" And in a wording: The important thing is that Allah said in the verses that al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) cited: Then he mentioned the difference. And I hope from you, when the warning was given about these two phrases, "Islam is a religion of equality" and "O Allah, I do not ask You to avert the decree, but I ask You for gentleness in it", that if you hear someone saying that, you advise him so that you cooperate in righteousness and piety. A person may be disgusted and say, "How is this? Is not Islam a religion of equality?" We say, "Wait, do not rush. In the name of Allah, are the blind and the seeing equal? Are the knowledgeable and the ignorant equal? Are the male and the female equal?" We answer him: The most in the Noble Qur'an is the negation of equality. The mention of equality did not come except in few places, such as His saying, Blessed and Exalted is He: But this does not mean affirming equality; rather, the intent is negating equality. Do you have this interrogative meaning negation? And the answer is yes or no? No. So its apparent meaning is affirming equality, and the matter is not so, but rather its negation. In any case, I advise you, and I want from you, if you hear someone saying this, to say, "No, my brother, this is not the intent. The religion is a religion of justice, which is giving everyone what he deserves. As for averting the decree, no one averts the decree. And you say, 'O Allah, I do not ask You to avert the decree.' What is the need for that? It is vain speech. Who averts the decree? But it is the decree of Allah that Allah removes the illness from you, or removes the ignorance from you, or removes the poverty from you. Do not say this. Say: 'O Allah, grant me well-being. O Allah, remove from me the affliction, the plague, and usury (riba) and the like of that.'" We ask Allah the Exalted to grant me and you understanding in His religion and not to make us followers who say what people say without knowing what we say. And success is from Allah.