he only sinks deeper into misguidance, as is mentioned in the hadith: “When a servant commits a sin, a black spot is stamped upon his heart; if he pulls back, seeks forgiveness, and repents, his heart is polished. But should he sin again, a second spot is added, then a third and a fourth, until his heart is sealed.” We ask Allah for well-being.

Thus, He protects you in your religion, your body, your wealth, and your family—the foremost of these being your religion. We ask Allah Most High to preserve our religion and yours.

The Prophet’s words, “Safeguard Allah and you will find Him before you,” and in another wording, “you will find Him in front of you,” mean that when you safeguard Allah by safeguarding His shariah—fulfilling His commands and avoiding His prohibitions—you will find Him before you, guiding you to every good and repelling every harm. This is especially the case when you safeguard Allah by seeking His help, for when a person relies upon Allah and places his trust in Him, Allah becomes his sufficiency—that is, his complete support. Whoever has Allah as his sufficiency needs no one after Allah.

Allah says, “O Prophet, Allah is sufficient for you and for the believers who follow you” (al-Anfal 64), meaning: He is likewise sufficient for those believers who follow you. And He says, “If they intend to deceive you, then surely Allah is sufficient for you” (al-Anfal 62). When Allah is a person’s sufficiency—his perfect protector—no harm can reach him. For this reason the Prophet said, “Safeguard Allah and you will find Him before you,” or, “you will find Him in front of you!” What is meant by safeguarding Him is safeguarding His shariah, above all through placing one’s trust in Him and seeking His aid.