Hadith · Forty Ḥadīth of an-Nawawī 19

Be mindful of Allah, and He will protect you

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ: "كُنْت خَلْفَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه و سلم يَوْمًا، فَقَالَ: يَا غُلَامِ! إنِّي أُعَلِّمُك كَلِمَاتٍ: احْفَظْ اللَّهَ يَحْفَظْك، احْفَظْ اللَّهَ تَجِدْهُ تُجَاهَك، إذَا سَأَلْت فَاسْأَلْ اللَّهَ، وَإِذَا اسْتَعَنْت فَاسْتَعِنْ بِاَللَّهِ، وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ الْأُمَّةَ لَوْ اجْتَمَعَتْ عَلَى أَنْ يَنْفَعُوك بِشَيْءٍ لَمْ يَنْفَعُوك إلَّا بِشَيْءٍ قَدْ كَتَبَهُ اللَّهُ لَك، وَإِنْ اجْتَمَعُوا عَلَى أَنْ يَضُرُّوك بِشَيْءٍ لَمْ يَضُرُّوك إلَّا بِشَيْءٍ قَدْ كَتَبَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْك؛ رُفِعَتْ الْأَقْلَامُ، وَجَفَّتْ الصُّحُفُ" . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ [رقم:2516] وَقَالَ: حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ. وَفِي رِوَايَةِ غَيْرِ التِّرْمِذِيِّ: "احْفَظْ اللَّهَ تَجِدْهُ أمامك، تَعَرَّفْ إلَى اللَّهِ فِي الرَّخَاءِ يَعْرِفُك فِي الشِّدَّةِ، وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ مَا أَخْطَأَك لَمْ يَكُنْ لِيُصِيبَك، وَمَا أَصَابَك لَمْ يَكُنْ لِيُخْطِئَك، وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ النَّصْرَ مَعَ الصَّبْرِ، وَأَنْ الْفَرَجَ مَعَ الْكَرْبِ، وَأَنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا

On the authority of Abu Abbas Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: One day I was behind the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) [riding on the same mount] and he said, “O young man, I shall teach you some words [of advice]: Be mindful of Allah and Allah will protect you. Be mindful of Allah and you will find Him in front of you. If you ask, then ask Allah [alone]; and if you seek help, then seek help from Allah [alone]. And know that if the nation were to gather together to benefit you with anything, they would not benefit you except with what Allah had already prescribed for you. And if they were to gather together to harm you with anything, they would not harm you except with what Allah had already prescribed against you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried.” It was related by at-Tirmidhi, who said it was a good and sound hadeeth. Another narration, other than that of Tirmidhi, reads: Be mindful of Allah, and you will find Him in front of you. Recognize and acknowledge Allah in times of ease and prosperity, and He will remember you in times of adversity. And know that what has passed you by [and you have failed to attain] was not going to befall you, and what has befallen you was not going to pass you by. And know that victory comes with patience, relief with affliction, and hardship with ease

Forty Ḥadīth of an-Nawawī 19

The Prophet ﷺ taught a young companion that mindfulness of Allah brings Allah's protection, and that all help ultimately comes from Him.

Sahih (authentic)How sure is this?

Authenticity

Sahih (authentic)

Graded authentic by hadith scholars, though outside the two Sahihs. Hadith scholars grade how reliably the words reach us from the Prophet ﷺ. This is a separate question from the ruling drawn from it.

Appears in

Jami' al-Tirmidhi 2516 · Hasan Sahih, graded by al-Tirmidhi
Musnad Ahmad Musnad of Ibn 'Abbas
al-Arba'in al-Nawawiyyah 19 · Hasan Sahih, graded by al-Tirmidhi

Other narrations

A longer narration outside al-Tirmidhi (in Ahmad and others) adds: "Know Allah in prosperity and He will know you in adversity… and know that victory comes with patience, relief with affliction, and with hardship comes ease." Ibn Rajab notes that the chains of this longer wording are weaker than al-Tirmidhi's.

These gradings summarise classical hadith scholarship and the positions of the four schools. They are pending review by a qualified scholar; for your own situation, ask one.

Explained for

Same text. The explanation below changes.

01Why it matters

It compresses trust in Allah into lines you can actually memorize and use.

02Reflection

Which line of this counsel would steady you most if you believed it fully?

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