Sayings · Seeking divine protection from misguiding troubles

al-Sharif al-Radi (d. 406 AH) · Thaqalayn library edition, reproduced verbatim

2

Arabic text

٩٣. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): لَا يَقُولَنَّ أَحَدُكُمْ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّى أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْفِتْنَةِ لِأَنَّهُ لَيْسَ أَحَدٌ إِلَّا وَهُوَ مُشْتَمِلٌ عَلَى فِتْنَةٍ وَلَكِنْ مَنِ اسْتَعَاذَ فَلْيَسْتَعِذْ مِنْ مُضِلَّاتِ الْفِتَنِ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ سُبْحَانَهُ يَقُولُ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَأَوْلَادُكُمْ فِتْنَةٌ وَمَعْنَى ذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ يَخْتَبِرُهُمْ بِالْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَوْلَادِ لِيَتَبَيَّنَ السَّاخِطَ لِرِزْقِهِ وَالرَّاضِيَ بِقِسْمِهِ وَإِنْ كَانَ سُبْحَانَهُ أَعْلَمَ بِهِمْ مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَلَكِنْ لِتَظْهَرَ الْأَفْعَالُ الَّتِى بِهَا يُسْتَحَقُّ الثَّوَابُ وَالْعِقَابُ لِأَنَّ بَعْضَهُمْ يُحِبُّ الذُّكُورَ وَيَكْرَهُ الْإِنَاثَ وَبَعْضَهُمْ يُحِبُّ تَثْمِيرَ الْمَالِ وَيَكْرَهُ انْثِلَامَ الْحَالِ.

Original English translation

93. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: None of you should say, “O Allāh, I seek Your protection from trouble” because there is no one who is not involved in trouble, but whoever seeks Allāh’s protection he should seek it from misguiding troubles, because Allāh, the Glorified, says: And know you that your wealth and your children are a temptation!. (Qur’ān, 8:28) and its meaning is that He tries people with wealth and progeny in order to distinguish one who is displeased with his livelihood from the one who is happy with what he has been given. Even though Allāh, the Glorified, knows them more than they know themselves yet He does so to let them perform actions with which they earn reward or punishment because some of them like to have male (children) and dislike to have female (children), and some like to amass wealth, and dislike adversity.

Verified published translation — published with the edition, reproduced verbatim.

Explain Related narrations Related versesSelect or long-press any passage for its tools

No licensed commentary edition has been cleared for reproduction, so the reader shows the text without it.

No licensed recording is connected, so none is offered.