احفظ الله يحفظك

The account. 'Abdullaah ibn 'Abbaas, the Prophet's ﷺ cousin, was still a boy. He said: I was behind the Prophet ﷺ (on his mount) one day, and he said to me: "O boy, I will teach you some words: احْفَظِ اللَّهَ يَحْفَظْكَ، احْفَظِ اللَّهَ تَجِدْهُ تُجَاهَكَ Be mindful of Allah, He will protect you. Be mindful of Allah, you will find Him before you. When you ask, ask Allah. When you seek help, seek help from Allah. And know that if the whole community gathered to benefit you with something, it would benefit you only with what Allah has already written for you; and if it gathered to harm you with something, it would harm you only with what Allah has already written against you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried." (meaning)

The full Arabic text: [TEXTE ARABE À INSÉRER : hadith n° 19 d'An-Nawawi, Tirmidhi 2516, texte intégral]

Source: hadith no. 19 of An-Nawawi. Reported by At-Tirmidhi (no. 2516), who grades it "ḥasan ṣaḥiiḥ". A longer version is in the Musnad of Aḥmad [À VÉRIFIER : numéro dans le Mousnad].

Advice for a young person. The Prophet ﷺ chose to give these words to a teenager. Ibn 'Abbaas became one of the greatest scholars among the companions.

What "be mindful of Allah" means: keeping His limits, doing what He asks (such as prayer) and avoiding what He forbids. It is being attentive to Him in everyday life.

The promise: Allah protects you in return: in your religion, in your life, and He is "before you", that is, close to help you when you need it.

Asking Allah: we can ask people for help with what is within their reach, but the heart relies on Allah. What Allah has written for you will reach you; what He has not written will not touch you. This brings great peace: we do our best, then we do not live in fear of others.

Careful: believing in destiny does not mean doing nothing. We act, we work, we take the means, and we rely on Allah for the result.

And you? When you are worried (an exam, an argument, a decision), who do you turn to first? This week, try starting with a sincere dua to Allah, before acting.

Understanding the lesson

Explanation This hadith is built like an exchange: "be mindful of Allah", and Allah protects you. What we give comes back, multiplied.

The longer version, reported in the Musnad of Ahmad, adds: "Make yourself known to Allah in times of ease, He will know you in times of hardship." [À VÉRIFIER : texte et numéro]. In other words, the relationship with Allah is built when things are going well: whoever prays, makes dua and obeys in the easy days finds Allah close in the hard days.

The end of the hadith ("the pens have been lifted and the pages have dried") is not there to frighten or to make us passive. It sets us free: no one can harm you or benefit you outside what Allah has written. So we don't have to live in fear of what others think, or humiliate ourselves before people to get what is meant for us. We do our part, honestly, and leave the result to Allah.

This is advice given to a teenager: it is meant for young people facing pressure, exams and choices.

Lessons to draw from it • I build my relationship with Allah in the good times, not only when I have a problem. • When I need help, I start by asking Allah, then I use the means. • I don't live in fear of other people's judgement: they can do nothing outside what Allah has written. • Believing in destiny does not stop me acting: I work, and I entrust the result to Allah.

Key points to remember • احْفَظِ اللَّهَ يَحْفَظْكَ (Tirmidhi 2516). • "When you ask, ask Allah; when you seek help, seek it from Allah."

The main message Whoever keeps Allah's limits finds Allah by his side: we do our best, and the heart stays at peace.