every person who rejoices at your misfortune or is distressed by your joy is your enemy. The gloating of enemies is that they exult over you, delighting in whatever calamity befalls you. An enemy is unquestionably happy with every hardship that strikes a person and saddened by every blessing he receives. Thus you seek refuge in Allah from the enemies’ gloating. The Messenger—peace and blessings be upon him—ordered us to seek Allah’s protection from these four things, so one ought to comply with his command and ask Allah for refuge from them, hoping that Allah will answer. Allah alone grants success.
1472 – Abu Hurayrah reported that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, used to say:
“O Allah, set right for me my religion which is the safeguard of my affairs; set right for me my worldly life in which is my livelihood; set right for me my Hereafter to which is my return; and make life for me an increase in every good, and make death a relief for me from every evil.”
Reported by Muslim.
Explanation
The author—may Allah have mercy on him—cited these hadiths in Riyad al-Salihin under the chapter “The Merit of Supplication.” Among them is the hadith of ʿAli ibn Abi Talib, in which the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, instructed him to say: “O Allah, I ask You for guidance and soundness (sadad).” The meaning of “guidance” has already been explained. As for sadad, it is that a person be made correct in his speech, actions, and creed; it means that Allah enables him to hit the mark so that he does not go astray. Allah the Exalted says: “O you who believe, fear Allah and speak words of appropriate justice; He will rectify your deeds for you and forgive you your sins.” “Appropriate justice” (qawlan sadidan) means words that are right and correct. Allah mentions two benefits of such speech: first, the rectification of deeds, and second, the forgiveness of sins. Therefore a person should beseech Allah with this supplication: “O Allah, I ask You for guidance and sadad,” or he may say, “O Allah, guide me and make me upright”—the meaning is the same. Also included is the hadith of Abu Hurayrah in which the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to say: “O Allah, set right for me my religion which is the safeguard of my affair; set right for me my worldly life in which is my livelihood; and set right for me…”