88 — Know Allah in Times of Ease, and He Will Know You in Times of Hardship

We have already discussed three important etiquettes of supplication: the servant should precede his supplication by repenting of his sins and misdeeds; he should supplicate to his Lord with humble entreaty, reverence, and submission; and he should persist in supplication to Allah and ask Him abundantly, without weariness or boredom. What follows is another set of supplication etiquettes to which every Muslim should pay careful attention.

One important etiquette of supplication is that a Muslim should not limit himself to calling upon his Lord only in times of hardship. Rather, he must call upon his Lord in prosperity and adversity, hardship and ease, health and sickness—in all circumstances. A Muslim’s constancy in supplication during times of ease and his perseverance in it during prosperity are a major cause of his supplications being answered in times of hardship, calamity, and distress. It is related that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whoever would be pleased for Allah to answer him in times of hardship and distress should supplicate abundantly in times of ease.” This was narrated by al-Tirmidhī, al-Hākim, and others from Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), and its chain of transmission is good.1

In many passages of His glorious Book, Allah censures the polytheists because they neither turn to Allah nor worship Him exclusively except in times of hardship. In times of ease, comfort, and prosperity, however, they associate others with Allah and turn