do.” 1. Allah Most High also says: “Say, ‘Call upon Allah or call upon the Most Merciful. Whichever you call upon, to Him belong the Most Beautiful Names.’” 2.
The more deeply the servant knows Allah and His names and attributes, the greater his fear and mindfulness of Him become, and the further he remains from disobeying Him and falling into what displeases Him. As one of the early Muslims said, “The better one knows Allah, the more one fears Him.” Thus, the greatest means of dispelling anxiety, sorrow, and distress is for the servant to know his Lord, fill his heart with knowledge of Him—Glorified is He—and beseech Him by means of His names and attributes. Hence he says: “I ask You by every name belonging to You, by which You have named Yourself, revealed in Your Book, taught to any of Your creation, or kept to Yourself in Your knowledge of the unseen.” This is an appeal to Allah by all His names, both those the servant knows and those he does not know. This is the means of approach most beloved to Allah—Glorified is He.
The fourth foundation is giving due care to the Noble Quran, the speech of Allah—Glorious and Exalted—which falsehood cannot approach from before it or from behind it, and which contains guidance, healing, sufficiency, and well-being. The more care the servant devotes to the Quran—through recitation, memorization, study, reflection, acting upon it, and putting it into practice—the more happiness, tranquility, ease of heart, and freedom from anxiety, distress, and sorrow he attains. Hence he says in this supplication: “Make the Quran the springtime of my heart, the light of my breast, the dispeller of my sorrow, and the remover of my anxiety.”
These, then, are four tremendous foundations derived from this blessed supplication. We should reflect upon them and strive to realize them so that we may attain the noble promise and immense grace contained in the Prophet’s words—peace and blessings be upon him: “Allah will surely remove his anxiety and replace his sorrow with joy.” Another narration reads, “with relief.” From Allah alone we seek help and success.