1471 – Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Seek refuge with Allah from the hardship of affliction, from slipping back after having been in a state of well-being, from an evil decree, and from the gloating of enemies.” Agreed upon. In one narration Sufyan added, “I am unsure whether I inserted one of these items myself.”

[Explanation]

The author (may Allah have mercy on him), while presenting the supplications reported from the Prophet ﷺ, previously cited the hadith of ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ (may Allah be pleased with them both): “O Controller of the hearts, turn our hearts toward Your obedience.” The hearts are in Allah’s hand: every heart belonging to the children of Adam lies between two fingers of the Most Merciful; He turns it wherever and however He wills. For that reason a person must constantly ask Allah to keep him firm and to direct his heart toward His obedience.

The heart is singled out because, when the heart is sound, the entire body becomes sound, and when the heart is corrupt, the entire body becomes corrupt—as authentically reported from the Prophet ﷺ: “Truly, in the body there is a morsel of flesh; if it is sound, the whole body is sound, and if it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt.”

The wording “turn our hearts upon Your obedience” might make someone think it would be more proper to say “to Your obedience.” However, saying “upon Your obedience” is more forceful: it means to set the heart firmly upon obedience so that it never turns toward disobedience. When the heart revolves upon obedience it moves from one act of worship to another—prayer, remembrance, charity, fasting, seeking knowledge, and every other form of obedience to Allah. Therefore we should make this supplication: “O Controller of the hearts, turn our hearts upon Your obedience.”