As for the second ḥadīth—the report of Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)—the Prophet ﷺ said: “Seek refuge with Allah from the hardship of affliction, from slipping back after well-being, from an evil decree, and from the gloating of enemies.” These are four matters from which the Messenger ﷺ instructed us to seek protection.

First: “the hardship of affliction” (jahd al-balāʾ). This means an affliction so severe that it exhausts one’s strength and capacity. Affliction is of two kinds:

1. Bodily affliction, such as illnesses;
2. Moral or reputational affliction, where a person is tried by someone who assails him with his tongue—publicizing his faults, concealing his virtues, and the like.

This latter type can be even more painful than physical hardship, so one asks Allah’s protection from the hardship of any affliction.

As for bodily affliction, its nature is evident: diseases in the limbs, pains in the abdomen, chest, head, neck—indeed, in any part of the body. All of this is affliction, and there may also be another category of trial