Prayer When Facing Difficulties
Majalahnabawi.com – As servants of God, it is only fitting that we rely on Allah SWT in every matter. When given ease, we should be grateful, and when facing difficulties, we must be patient.
Such is life, full of joys and sorrows. There are times when we experience ease and fortune, but there are also times when we face difficulties and failures in our affairs. The Prophet (peace be upon him) experienced the same. When he was preaching, he encountered many difficulties. However, he remained steadfast and patient in carrying out his mission. In the Quran, Surah al-Insyirah verses 5-6, Allah the Almighty says:
فَاِ نَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا
“For indeed, with hardship [will be] ease.” (Surah al-Inshirah (94): Verse 5)
اِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا
“Indeed, with hardship [comes] ease.” (Surah al-Inshirah (94): Verse 6)
Therefore, when facing difficulties, we need not worry about confronting them. This is because Allah SWT has promised that with every hardship comes ease. However, we must still seek Allah’s help through prayer. Praying is a form of acknowledging our powerlessness as servants in the face of the situations we encounter. Prayer also keeps us from being categorized as arrogant servants. It reminds us of our dependence on Allah and our need for His guidance and support in all matters.
Prayers from The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ
To alleviate the suffering experienced by the Prophet (peace be upon him) during his mission, he prayed to Allah as mentioned in the following hadith:
عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَدْعُو عِنْدَ الْكَرْبِ يَقُولُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا الله الْعَظِيمُ الْحَلِيمُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ رَبُّ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَرَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ
From Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), he said, “Whenever the Prophet ﷺ faced difficulty, he would say, ‘Laa Ilaaha Illallaahul ‘Adziimul Haliim, Laa Ilaaha Illallaahu Rabbus Samaawaati Wal Ardli Wa Rabbul ‘Arsyil ‘Azhiim (There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, the Most Great, the Most Forbearing. There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, the Lord of the heavens and the earth and the Lord of the Great Throne).’ (Narrated by Bukhari)
Whenever the Prophet ﷺ encountered difficulties, whether in preaching or other matters, he would pray to Allah SWT as mentioned in the hadith above. This prayer is called the Doa Qurb, a prayer recited when facing problems and difficulties in life. In addition to reciting this prayer, it is also recommended to recite Istighfar, which serves to calm the heart and clear the mind.
These are the prayers to face difficulties. Both from the Quran and hadith, they direct deep hope towards Allah SWT’s help because it is indeed necessary to involve Allah SWT in every matter. Therefore, let us memorize and practice this prayer, just as the Prophet ﷺ did.”
