Al Afiyah

 





There is a hadith about Prophet Muhammad (SAW) advising a person. The person was praying to Allah to give him the virtue of patience. The Prophet SAW said, do not ask Allah that lest you be tested with hardship.

It was also reported in another hadith that our Prophet (SAW) mention the dua for Afiyah, ease in hardship as the most beloved dua to Allah (SWT). 


Two things are implicit here.. 1) Allah SWT really listens and responds to Duas.. He gives cognisance to the choices we present to him as our sought duas.. 2) In his eyes, us acknowledging our vulnerability and seeking his protection is more endearing than any brave venture to prove ourselves before him in any other stylish values..

The desire to prove ourselves. Its so embedded in us..  It's also embedded in our diminutiveness that we can't fathom the extent of our diminutiveness and the greatness that is Allah SWT. 

My experience with the Dua for Afiyah itself was a testimony for that.

There are different versions of the Afiyah dua. Allahumma inni as'alukkal Aafiyah. Also, there is Allahumma inni as'alukkal aafiyath fil duniyah wa fil akhirah. 

Even in asking for Afiyah, i was stressing about whether from the first Dua, I would really get full Afiyah or whether i should say the longer more difficult dua, emphasising about Dunya and Akhirah too to get full benefit.

I was able to see the inability in myself to accept for myself the easier path even in the process of supplication for EASE! I was doubting the easier version's effectiveness compared to the longer one! In that doubt were the  two vectors 1) The thought that can something easy can really be effective or worthy?  2) Can Allah really get it that I am asking for Afiyah in both Dunya and Akhirah, if I dont explicitly says so?

I really think one of our bedevilling nafs is the one that make us take life too serious as an adventure/challenge to prove our virtues. Why not just follow Prophet's advice to see life as just a traveller or a stranger.. And then be happily supplicating for ease..making that travel/encounter an easy one full with Allah's protection. 

What are we trying to prove here, really?

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