whether You remove it or leave it in place. Yet a servant should always plead for every affliction to be lifted. Therefore, do not say, “O Allah, I do not ask You to reverse the decree, but I ask You for gentleness within it.” Rather say: “O Allah, I ask You for pardon and well-being. O Allah, heal me of my illness. O Allah, enrich me after poverty. O Allah, settle my debts. O Allah, teach me what I am ignorant of,” and similar petitions.

As for the wording “I do not ask You to reverse the decree,” Allah does whatever He wills and none can repel His decree, yet you remain in absolute need of Him. This formula has no basis and is impermissible. The Prophet ﷺ said, “None of you should say: ‘O Allah, forgive me if You will’”—and that is a lighter fault than saying, “O Allah, I do not ask You to reverse the decree.” He also said, “None of you should say: ‘O Allah, forgive me if You will; O Allah, have mercy on me if You will.’ Let him ask with determination, for Allah cannot be compelled,” and in another wording, “Nothing is too great for Allah.”

Now that these two expressions—“Islam is a religion of equality” and “O Allah, I do not ask You to reverse the decree but I ask You for gentleness within it”—have been pointed out, I urge you: whenever you hear someone use them, correct him and cooperate in righteousness and piety.

Most of the verses in the Noble Qur’an deny the notion of equivalence; explicit mention of equality appears only rarely, such as His words: “He sets forth for you a parable drawn from yourselves: do you have, among those whom your right hands possess, any partners in what We have provided you, so that you are equal therein?” (Qur’an 30:28).