Dhikr in Times of Hardship
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Bismillah
At the Question and Answer session of Red Sulfur tazkiya lesson 7 (May 9), a couple of beneficial questions were raised regarding trials and tribulations to which Sayyidi Habib Umar (may Allah preserve him and spread his benefit among us) responded with the following Prophetic prescriptions:
1. One should read:
يَا لَطِيف
“Ya Latif”
(129 times in the morning and evening. Increase the number to 133 in times of difficulty.)
(Al-Latif is one of Allah’s names and is sometimes translated as “gentle” or “subtle.” Habib Kadhim as-Saqqaf (may Allah preserve him) said it encompasses all the names of Allah which express His beauty. By reading this name morning and evening one will be constantly in the realm of Allah’s care and gentleness. The meaning of “lutf” is Allah bringing benefit and deflecting harm from an individual in a manner that that individual is unaware of).
2. In times of great distress, Ibn `Abbas narrates that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to say:
لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ العَظِيمُ الْحَلِيمُ، لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ رَبُّ العَرشِ العَظِيم، لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ رَبُّ السَّمَاوَات وَرَبُّ الأَرْض، وَرَبُّ العَرشِ الكَرِيم
La ilaha ill-Allah ul-`Azimul-Halim, la ilaha ill-Allahu rabbu’l`arshi-l’`azim, la ilaha ill-Allahu rabbu`ssamawati wa rabbu’l-ardi wa rabbu’l`arshi-l-karim
“There is no god but Allah, the Awesome, the Forbearing, there is no god but Allah, the Lord of the mighty throne, there is no god but Allah the Lord of the heavens and the earth and the noble throne.”
Repeat this until the distress is removed.
يَالَطِيفًا بِخَلْقِهِ ، يَا عَلِيمًا بِخَلْقِهِ ، يَا خَبِيرًا بِخَلْقِهِ .. أُلْطُفْ بِنَا يَا لَطِيْفُ ، يَا عَلِيْمُ ، يَا خَبِيْرُ
Ya Latifan bi khalqihi ya `Aliman bi khalqihi ya Khabiran bi khalqihi ultuf bina ya Latifu ya `Alimu ya Khabiru
(repeat 3 times)
O One Who is gentle with His creation, O One who has complete knowledge of His creation, O One who has complete awareness of His creation! Treat us with gentleness O Gentle, O All-Knowing, O All-Aware!
يَا لَطِيْفًا لَمْ يَزَلْ أُلْطُفْ بِنَا فِيْمَا نَزَلَ .. إِنّك لَطِيْفٌّ لَمْ تَزَلْ .. أُلْطُفْ بِنَا وَ المُسْلِمِيْن
Ya Latifan lam yazal ultuf bina fima nazal innaka Latifun lam yazal ultuf bina wa’l-muslimin
O Gentle Who remains for ever, be gentle to us in all that befalls us, You are constantly Gentle, treat us and the Muslims with gentleness!
(repeat 3 times)
And Allah Most High knows best.
