but I have set out to avoid Your wrath and seek Your pleasure. I ask You to save me from the Fire and forgive my sins, for none forgives sins but You.”

The chain of transmission of this hadith includes 'Atiyya al-'Awfī, and there is some weakness in it. If these are the words of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, then it belongs to this category for two reasons:

— (First)

It contains a request to Allah Most High by the right of those who ask of Him and by the right of those who walk in obedience to Him. The right of those who ask is that He answer them, and the right of those who walk is that He reward them. This is a right that Allah Most High has made binding upon Himself; no created being can impose any obligation upon the Creator, Most High. Among the examples of this are His words:

“Your Lord has prescribed mercy for Himself.”

And His words:

“And it is incumbent upon Us to help the believers.”

And His words:

“A promise binding upon Him in the Torah, the Gospel and the Quran. And who is more faithful to his covenant than Allah?”

In the authentic collection, the hadith of Mu'ādh states:

“Allah’s right over His servants is that they worship Him and associate nothing with Him; and the servants’ right upon Allah, if they do so, is that He not punish them.”

The authentic collection also records, from Abū Dharr, that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, related from his Lord, Blessed and Most High, that He said:

“O My servants, I have forbidden injustice for Myself and made it forbidden among you, so do not wrong one another.”

If the right of those who ask of Him and worship Him consists in His answering and rewarding them, then asking Allah on that basis is asking Him by His own actions. This is like seeking refuge through such actions, as in the words of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace:

“I seek refuge in Your pleasure from Your wrath, and in Your protection from Your punishment. I seek refuge in You from You. I cannot adequately praise You