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In the remainder of this ḥadīth, the Prophet ﷺ teaches the believer how to preserve his relationship with Allah and navigate life's uncertainties through unwavering trust in his Lord. Having established the foundations of divine protection through the commands “Guard Allah, and He will guard you” and “Guard Allah, and you will find Him before you,” the Prophet ﷺ now addresses some of the deepest realities of faith: reliance upon Allah (tawakkul), certainty in divine decree (yaqīn), contentment with His choices (riḍā), preparedness for hardship, and hope in times of trial (ṣabr).

It teaches the believer where to turn when in need, how to view people's actions in light of Allah's decree, how to face losses and disappointments without despair, and how to remain steadfast when confronted with hardship.

“Indeed, victory comes with patience, relief comes with distress, and with hardship comes ease.” These words form a complete framework for spiritual resilience, guiding the believer through life's changing circumstances while anchoring his heart firmly in Allah, the Lord of all affairs.

Asking Allah and Seeking Help from Him Alone

The Prophet ﷺ then said: “When you ask, ask Allah; and when you seek help, seek help from Allah.” This instruction is drawn from the heart of Sūrat al-Fātiḥah: {إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ} — “You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help.” Asking Allah is duʿāʾ, and duʿāʾ is itself an act of worship. For this reason, Allah commands His servants: {وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ} — “Your Lord says: Call upon Me; I will respond to you” (Ghāfir: 60).

Allah commands His servants: {وَاسْأَلُوا اللَّهَ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ} — “Ask Allah from His bounty” (al-Nisāʾ: 32). The verse directs believers to turn first and foremost to their Lord, recognising that every blessing, provision, opportunity, and success ultimately comes from Him alone. The Prophet ﷺ reinforced this meaning when he said: “Ask Allah from His bounty, for Allah loves to be asked.”[1] In another narration, he ﷺ said: “Whoever does not ask Allah, Allah becomes displeased with him.”[2] Unlike human beings, who often dislike repeated requests and may grow weary of those who ask frequently, Allah loves the persistence of His servants in supplication. Their asking is an expression of their servitude, dependence, and recognition of His perfect lordship.

The Prophet ﷺ encouraged believers to turn to Allah in every matter, regardless of how small it may appear. He said: “Let one of you ask his Lord for all of his needs, even for the strap of his sandal when it breaks.”[3] This Prophetic guidance nurtures a continuous relationship with Allah, in which the believer sees no need as too insignificant to present before Him. Whether seeking guidance in a major life decision or assistance in the smallest daily concern, the servant repeatedly turns to his Lord, thereby strengthening his reliance, gratitude, and awareness of divine care.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ even took a special pledge from some of his Companions that they would not ask people for anything. ʿAwf ibn Mālik (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhu) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ repeatedly invited a group of Companions to pledge allegiance, and among the conditions of that pledge were: worshipping Allah alone, establishing the five prayers, obeying Allah, and “not asking people for anything.”[4] The Companions took this commitment so seriously that one of them would drop his whip or the reins of his mount and would not ask another to hand them to him; instead, he would dismount and retrieve them himself.

Among the most striking examples was Thawbān (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhu). The Prophet ﷺ said: “Who will guarantee me one thing, and I will guarantee him Paradise?” Thawbān responded, “I will.” The Prophet ﷺ then instructed him: “Do not ask people for anything.”[5] Thereafter, even when his whip fell while he was riding, he would not ask anyone to pick it up for him, but would dismount and take it himself. This was not because asking others for lawful assistance is prohibited; rather, it was a training in perfecting tawakkul, preserving personal dignity, and freeing the heart from dependence upon creation.

The servant may approach people through lawful means, but his hope, fear, humility, and reliance remain attached to Allah alone. True asking contains an admission of need, poverty, and helplessness; such complete humility belongs only before Allah. Created beings are themselves poor and limited, while Allah alone owns benefit and harm. He says: {وَإِنْ يَمْسَسْكَ اللَّهُ بِضُرٍّ فَلَا كَاشِفَ لَهُ إِلَّا هُوَ وَإِنْ يُرِدْكَ بِخَيْرٍ فَلَا رَادَّ لِفَضْلِهِ} — “If Allah touches you with harm, none can remove it except Him; and if He intends good for you, none can repel His favour” (Yūnus: 107).

The righteous understood this deeply. Imām Aḥmad would supplicate: “O Allah, just as You have protected my face from prostrating to other than You, protect it from asking other than You.”[6] This is because Allah loves being asked, whereas people often dislike being asked. Allah’s door is open at every hour, and the requests of His servants never diminish His generosity. Wahb ibn Munabbih once advised a man who used to approach kings: “Woe to you! You go to one who closes his door to you, shows you his poverty, and hides his wealth, while you leave the One who opens His door to you by night and day, shows you His richness, and says: Call upon Me, I will answer you.”[7]

The next part of the instruction, “when you seek help, seek help from Allah,” teaches the reality of tawakkul. A servant cannot independently bring benefit to himself, repel harm, remain firm upon obedience, avoid sin, or endure trials except through Allah’s aid. This is the meaning of “lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā billāh”: there is no movement from one state to another, and no strength to do so, except through Allah. As the Prophet ﷺ explained, it is a treasure from the treasures of Paradise because it reminds the believer that every act of obedience, every restraint from sin, every moment of patience, and every success in life depends on divine assistance.

Therefore, the believer combines effort with reliance. He works, plans, consults, and takes the available means, but he does not worship the means. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Be eager for what benefits you, seek help from Allah, and do not be helpless.”[8] This is the balanced Prophetic method: no laziness, no arrogance, and no dependence on creation. Whoever seeks help from Allah is truly helped; whoever turns away from Him and depends entirely on others is left to what he relied upon. As al-Ḥasan wrote to ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz: “Do not seek help from other than Allah, lest Allah leave you to him.”[9] Thus, asking Allah and seeking His help are the foundation of a free, dignified, and tranquil life.

No Benefit, Harm, or Missed Destiny Except by Allah's Decree

The Prophet ﷺ then said:

"And know that if the entire nation were to gather together to benefit you with something, they would not benefit you except with something Allah has already written for you. And if they were to gather together to harm you with something, they would not harm you except with something Allah has already written against you. The pens have been lifted, and the pages have dried."

This profound statement establishes one of the greatest foundations of faith: everything that befalls a servant has already been decreed by Allah. Nothing occurs randomly, and no event escapes His knowledge, wisdom, and decree. Allah says:

{مَا أَصَابَ مِنْ مُصِيبَةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي أَنْفُسِكُمْ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابٍ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ نَبْرَأَهَا}

"No calamity strikes upon the earth or within yourselves except that it is recorded in a Book before We bring it into existence." (al-Ḥadīd: 22)

Likewise, the Prophet ﷺ informed us that Allah wrote the decrees of all creation fifty thousand years before the creation of the heavens and the earth. When the Companions asked whether actions still matter if everything has already been decreed, he replied: "Act, for everyone will be facilitated towards that for which he was created."[10] Thus, belief in qadar does not lead to passivity; rather, it inspires action while placing one's trust in Allah's wisdom.

The practical consequence of this belief is liberation from excessive fear of people and attachment to them. When a believer truly understands that no person can grant a benefit that Allah has withheld, nor prevent a benefit that Allah has written, his heart becomes attached to Allah alone. Likewise, no enemy, rival, or oppressor can inflict harm except by Allah's permission. Allah says:

{قُل لَّن يُصِيبَنَا إِلَّا مَا كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَنَا}

"Say: Nothing will ever befall us except what Allah has decreed for us." (al-Tawbah: 51)

This certainty does not diminish effort or caution; rather, it removes anxiety, panic, and servitude to creation. A person who knows that his provision, lifespan, success, and trials are all in the hands of Allah becomes courageous in truth, patient in adversity, and grateful in prosperity. As Ibn Rajab explains[11], once a servant realises that all benefit and harm ultimately belong to Allah alone, he naturally directs his fear, hope, love, and reliance solely towards Him.

The Prophet ﷺ further reinforced this reality in another wording of the ḥadīth:

"Know that what missed you was never meant to befall you, and what befell you was never meant to miss you."

These words provide a powerful cure for regret, resentment, and endless "what if" thinking. Many people remain trapped by missed opportunities, failed plans, lost wealth, broken relationships, or unforeseen hardships. The believer, however, knows that what passed him by was never destined for him, and what reached him could never have been avoided. This conviction does not erase grief, but it protects the heart from destructive despair and obsessive regret. True certainty (yaqīn) begins when a servant fully embraces this reality.

This is reflected in the following hadith. Abū al-Dardāʾ (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhu) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

"Everything has a reality, and a servant does not attain the reality of faith until he knows that what befell him could never have missed him, and what missed him could never have befallen him."[12]

Ibn Rajab further explains,[13] that this certainty opens the door to two noble stations when facing trials. The higher station is riḍā (contentment) with Allah's decree. This is the state of those who not only accept what Allah has ordained but are inwardly pleased with His choice for them, knowing that His wisdom and mercy surpass their understanding. Allah says:

{وَمَنْ يُؤْمِنْ بِاللَّهِ يَهْدِ قَلْبَهُ}

"Whoever believes in Allah, He guides his heart." (al-Taghābun: 11)

ʿAlqamah explained this verse by saying: "It refers to a calamity that befalls a person, and he knows that it is from Allah, so he accepts it and is content with it." The Prophet ﷺ also said: "When Allah loves a people, He tests them. Whoever is pleased shall attain His pleasure, and whoever is displeased shall incur His displeasure."[14]

The Prophet ﷺ also said:

"If you are able to act for Allah with contentment born of certainty, then do so. But if you are unable, then indeed there are great advantages in being patient over what you dislike."[15]

The Messenger ﷺ thus directs believers toward two levels of response to Allah's decree. The higher level is riḍā—being inwardly pleased with Allah's choice and trusting His wisdom even when one does not fully understand it. Yet the Prophet ﷺ recognises that not every believer can immediately attain this lofty station. Therefore, he points to the path available to everyone: patience. Even when the heart struggles to embrace a trial, remaining patient and refraining from objection brings immense reward and spiritual growth.

Allah has promised immense rewards for those who endure hardship with patience:

{إِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى الصَّابِرُونَ أَجْرَهُمْ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ}

"Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without measure." (al-Zumar: 10)

Patience restrains the soul from objection while enduring pain, whereas contentment opens the heart to Allah's decree and finds tranquillity within it. The believer strives for riḍā, and when he cannot attain it, he holds firmly to ṣabr, knowing that both draw their strength from the same foundation: firm certainty that whatever Allah decrees is ultimately wise, just, and good for His servant.

Whoever reaches this station lives a life of inner blessing and serenity. Allah says:

{مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا مِنْ ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنْثَى وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُ حَيَاةً طَيِّبَةً}

“Whoever does righteousness, male or female, while being a believer, we shall surely grant them a good life.” (al-Naḥl: 97)

Some of the Salaf explained this (good life) ḥayāh ṭayyibah as a life of riḍā and qanāʿah—contentment with Allah and satisfaction with what He grants.

Know Allah in Ease, and He Will Know You in Hardship       

As per the second narration of the Hadith we discuss, the Prophet ﷺ said: “Know Allah in times of ease, and He will know you in times of hardship.” This means that when a servant remains mindful of Allah in times of comfort, health, security, and prosperity—guarding His limits, fulfilling His rights, remembering Him, obeying Him, and turning to Him—he establishes a special relationship with his Lord. Then, when hardship comes, Allah “knows” him with a special knowing: a knowing of care, mercy, nearness, support, and rescue.

The servant’s knowledge of Allah is of two kinds. The first is general knowledge: belief in Allah, affirmation of His existence, and recognition of His lordship. This is shared by all believers. The second is a special knowledge: when the heart turns completely towards Allah, finds intimacy in His remembrance, feels tranquillity with Him, feels shame before Him, and stands in awe of Him. This is the knowledge tasted by the people of maʿrifah. Some of the righteous said: “Poor are the people of the world; they left it without tasting the sweetest thing in it.” When asked what that was, he replied: “Knowing Allah.”[16]

In short, whoever deals with Allah through taqwā and obedience during ease will be dealt with by Allah through luṭf and assistance during hardship. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever would be pleased that Allah responds to him during hardships should increase in duʿāʾ during ease.”[17] A believer should not wait until life collapses before learning the path to Allah. The one who calls upon Allah in comfort will find his voice recognised in difficulty.

The story of Yūnus (ʿalayhi al-salām) beautifully illustrates this meaning. When he called upon Allah from the darkness of the whale, the angels recognised his voice as familiar, though from an unfamiliar place. His previous remembrance, worship, and accepted deeds became a means of mercy in his moment of distress. Allah says: {فَلَوْلَا أَنَّهُ كَانَ مِنَ الْمُسَبِّحِينَ ۝ لَلَبِثَ فِي بَطْنِهِ إِلَى يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ} — “Had he not been among those who glorified Allah, he would have remained in its belly until the Day they are resurrected” (al-Ṣāffāt: 143–144). In contrast, Firʿawn forgot Allah in ease and rebellion; when drowning overtook him, and he declared faith, it was said to him: {آلْآنَ وَقَدْ عَصَيْتَ قَبْلُ وَكُنْتَ مِنَ الْمُفْسِدِينَ} — “Now? While you had disobeyed before and were among the corrupters?” (Yūnus: 91).

The Salaf repeatedly emphasised this rule. Salmān al-Fārisī said that when a man is frequent in duʿāʾ during ease, and then hardship strikes him, the angels say: “A familiar voice,” and they intercede for him. But if he was not one who made duʿāʾ in ease and then he calls during hardship, they say: “An unfamiliar voice.”[18] Abū al-Dardāʾ advised: “Remember Allah in ease, and Allah will remember you in hardship.” He also said: “Call upon Allah in the day of your ease, perhaps He will answer you in the day of your hardship.”[19] Faith is not meant to be an emergency exit used only in crisis; it is the daily companionship that prepares the heart for every crisis. Whoever fills his days of ease with remembrance, obedience, duʿāʾ, and taqwā will find Allah’s care, gentleness, and firmness when he needs them most.

Patience, Relief, and Ease: The Divine Pattern of Trials

The Prophet ﷺ concluded this profound counsel with words that have comforted believers throughout the centuries:

"Know that victory comes with patience, relief comes with distress, and with hardship comes ease."

These brief statements establish one of the greatest laws governing the life of a believer. The road to victory is paved with patience; relief is often concealed within the heart of distress; and ease accompanies hardship even when it cannot yet be seen.

The first principle is that victory comes through patience. Allah repeatedly links divine support with perseverance. He says:

{كَمْ مِنْ فِئَةٍ قَلِيلَةٍ غَلَبَتْ فِئَةً كَثِيرَةً بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ}

"How many a small group has overcome a large group by the permission of Allah! And Allah is with the patient." (al-Baqarah: 249)

And He says:

{وَاللَّهُ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ}

"Allah is with the patient." (al-Anfāl: 66)

This victory is not limited to military struggle. As Ibn Rajab explains,[20] it encompasses both the struggle against external enemies and the greater struggle against the inner enemy of desires, temptations, and the whisperings of the soul. Whoever remains patient in obedience, patient in avoiding sin, and patient in enduring hardship will eventually attain victory. Those who surrender to impatience, however, become captives of their desires and circumstances. One of the salaf similarly observed: “All of us dislike death and the pain of wounds, but we surpass one another through patience.” Hence the famous saying: “Courage is patience for a single hour.”

The Prophet ﷺ then said:

"And relief comes with distress."

The word karb refers to severe hardship that constricts the heart and appears to leave no avenue of escape. Yet it is often at precisely such moments that Allah's relief arrives. The Qur'an repeatedly illustrates this pattern. Allah sends rain after people have despaired, and suddenly barren lands become fertile. He says:

{وَهُوَ الَّذِي يُنَزِّلُ الْغَيْثَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا قَنَطُوا وَيَنْشُرُ رَحْمَتَهُ}

"He is the One who sends down rain after they have despaired and spreads His mercy." (al-Shūrā: 28)

Similarly, Allah says regarding His messengers:

{حَتَّى إِذَا اسْتَيْأَسَ الرُّسُلُ... جَاءَهُمْ نَصْرُنَا}

"Until the messengers despaired and thought they had been denied, then Our help came to them." (Yūsuf: 110)

The stories of the prophets beautifully demonstrate this divine pattern. Nūḥ was saved when the flood seemed overwhelming. Ibrāhīm was rescued from the fire when destruction appeared certain. Mūsā and his people were delivered when the sea stood before them and Pharaoh's army behind them. Ayyūb found healing after years of suffering. Yūnus was delivered from the darkness of the whale. Likewise, the life of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was marked by divine openings after intense trials—whether in the Cave of Thawr, at Badr, during the siege of al-Aḥzāb, or at other critical moments. Time and again, Allah taught His servants that relief often arrives when all worldly avenues appear closed.

The final principle is:

"Indeed, with hardship comes ease."

This is drawn directly from Allah's promise:

{فَإِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا ۝ إِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا}

"Indeed, with hardship comes ease. Indeed, with hardship comes ease." (al-Sharḥ: 5–6)

The Qur'an does not merely say that ease comes after hardship; rather, it says that ease exists with hardship. The relief may not yet be visible, but it is already accompanying the trial. This is why the Prophet ﷺ is reported to have said: “One hardship will never overcome two eases.” The repetition of the promise in the Qur'an is itself a source of reassurance that no trial remains permanent and no difficulty endures forever.

One of the subtle wisdoms behind the connection between hardship and relief is that severe trials often strip the heart of its dependence upon creation. When every worldly means appears exhausted, the heart turns sincerely to Allah alone. This is the essence of tawakkul. It is at this moment that many people experience openings, answers, and divine assistance that they had never anticipated. Allah says:

{وَمَنْ يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُ}

"Whoever places his trust in Allah, He is sufficient for him." (al-Ṭalāq: 3)

The story of ʿAwf al-Ashjaʿī beautifully illustrates this reality. When enemies captured him, the Prophet ﷺ instructed his father to encourage him to frequently recite "Lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā billāh." Through Allah's decree, his restraints were loosened, he escaped captivity, and returned safely. Shortly thereafter, the verse was revealed:

{وَمَنْ يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَلْ لَهُ مَخْرَجًا ۝ وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ}

"Whoever fears Allah, He will make for him a way out and provide for him from where he does not expect." (al-Ṭalāq: 2–3)

The Prophet ﷺ concludes this remarkable ḥadīth with a message of enduring hope. Patience is never wasted. Distress is never permanent. Hardship never travels alone. Behind every trial lies divine wisdom, beside every hardship stands an ease, and after every period of patience comes a victory decreed by Allah.

References:

[1] Reported by al-Tirmidhī, ḥadīth no. 3571; and al-Ṭabarānī in al-Muʿjam al-Kabīr.

[2] Reported by al-Tirmidhī, ḥadīth no. 3373; Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, Musnad Aḥmad, vol. 2, p. 442; al-Bukhārī, al-Adab al-Mufrad, ḥadīth no. 658; Ibn Mājah, ḥadīth no. 3827; and al-Ṭabarānī, Kitāb al-Duʿāʾ, ḥadīth no. 23.

[3] Reported by al-Tirmidhī, ḥadīth no. 3612; al-Ṭabarānī, Kitāb al-Duʿāʾ, ḥadīth no. 25; authenticated by Ibn Ḥibbān in Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān, ḥadīth no. 866.

[4] Reported by Muslim, ḥadīth no. 1043 (wording his); Abū Dāwūd, ḥadīth no. 1642; and al-Nasāʾī, vol. 1, p. 229.

[5] Reported by Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, Musnad Aḥmad, vol. 5, pp. 277, 279, 281; Ibn Mājah, ḥadīth no. 1837; and al-Ṭabarānī in al-Muʿjam al-Kabīr, ḥadīth no. 1435.

[6] Ibn Rajab al-Ḥanbalī, Jāmiʿ al-ʿUlūm wa al-Ḥikam, vol. 1, p. 481, ed. Shuʿayb al-Arnaʾūṭ.

[7] bn Rajab al-Ḥanbalī, Jāmiʿ al-ʿUlūm wa al-Ḥikam, vol. 1, p. 481, ed. Shuʿayb al-Arnaʾūṭ.

[8] Part of a longer ḥadīth reported by Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, Musnad Aḥmad, vol. 2, pp. 366, 370; Muslim, ḥadīth no. 2664; and Ibn Mājah, ḥadīth no. 4168.

[9] Ibn Rajab al-Ḥanbalī, Jāmiʿ al-ʿUlūm wa al-Ḥikam, vol. 1, p. 482, ed. Shuʿayb al-Arnaʾūṭ.

[10] Reported by Muslim, ḥadīth no. 2648.

[11] Ibn Rajab al-Ḥanbalī, Jāmiʿ al-ʿUlūm wa al-Ḥikam, vol. 1, p. 484, ed. Shuʿayb al-Arnaʾūṭ.

[12] Reported by Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, Musnad Aḥmad, vol. 6, p. 441, It was also reported by al-Ṭabarānī in al-Muʿjam al-Awsaṭ.

[13] Ibn Rajab al-Ḥanbalī, Jāmiʿ al-ʿUlūm wa al-Ḥikam, vol. 1, p. 486, ed. Shuʿayb al-Arnaʾūṭ.

[14] Reported by al-Tirmidhī from the ḥadīth of Anas ibn Mālik, ḥadīth no. 2396; graded ḥasan by al-Tirmidhī.

[15] This wording is reported through the narration of ʿUmar Mawlā Ghufrah and others from Ibn ʿAbbās,ee Ibn Rajab al-Ḥanbalī, Jāmiʿ al-ʿUlūm wa al-Ḥikam, vol. 1, p. 486.

[16] Ibn Rajab al-Ḥanbalī, Jāmiʿ al-ʿUlūm wa al-Ḥikam, vol. 1, p. 473, ed. Shuʿayb al-Arnaʾūṭ.

[17] Reported by al-Tirmidhī, ḥadīth no. 3382; and al-Ṭabarānī, Kitāb al-Duʿāʾ, ḥadīth no. 44.

[18] Ibn Rajab al-Ḥanbalī, Jāmiʿ al-ʿUlūm wa al-Ḥikam, vol. 1, p. 475, ed. Shuʿayb al-Arnaʾūṭ.

[19] Reported by Abū Nuʿaym in Ḥilyat al-Awliyāʾ, vol. 1, p. 209.

[20] Ibn Rajab al-Ḥanbalī, Jāmiʿ al-ʿUlūm wa al-Ḥikam, vol. 1, pp. 489–490, ed. Shuʿayb al-Arnaʾūṭ