The Forty Hadiths of al-Nawawi
On the authority of Abu al-'Abbas 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, who said:
I was riding behind the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, one day when he said:
"O young man, I shall teach you some words:
Be mindful of Allah, and He will protect you.
Be mindful of Allah, and you will find Him before you.
If you ask, ask of Allah.
If you seek help, seek help from Allah.
And know that if the Ummah were to gather together to benefit you with something,
they would not benefit you except with something that Allah has already decreed for you.
And if they were to gather together to harm you with something,
they would not harm you except with something that Allah has already decreed against you.
The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried."
It was narrated by al-Tirmidhi,
who said it is a hasan (good) and sahih (authentic) hadith.
In a version other than that of al-Tirmidhi, it states:
"Be mindful of Allah, and you will find Him in front of you.
Acknowledge Allah in times of ease,
and He will acknowledge you in times of hardship.
And know that what has missed you could not have befallen you,
and what has befallen you could not have missed you.
And know that victory comes with patience,
relief comes with distress,
and with hardship comes ease."
This hadith is considered one of the greatest hadiths for strengthening faith and reliance upon Allah,
as it teaches the Muslim
that observing the limits and commands of Allah
is the cause for Allah’s protection of His servant and His granting him success in this world and the Hereafter.
It also establishes the principle of relying upon Allah alone,
and that benefit and harm are in the hands of Allah,
so one should seek help from none but Him.
Thus, the hadith nurtures the heart to have trust in Allah,
to be patient during hardships,
and to have certainty that what has befallen a person could not have missed him,
and what has missed him could not have befallen him,
which grants the believer tranquility and steadfastness in his life.