Understanding The Prophet's Life
From Issue: 1014 [Read full issue]
Asking Plenty
Abu Hurayrah reports that the Prophet said: "If any of you expresses a wish, he should consider what he is hoping to have. He does not know what he will be granted". [Bayhaqi, Ahmad]
The Prophet's instruction merely alerts us to being careful so that we know for certain what we are requesting God to grant us. It may be that we wish for something and pray for it. Then when we are granted that very thing, we may regret it because it turns out to be disadvantageous. A good practice to make sure that we are only given what is good is to pray to God to grant us our wish if He knows that it will bring us benefit.
Some people, however, think that we should not be praying for too much, so that we do not show ourselves to be greedy. This may be true if we are seeking a gift from a human being like ourselves. But when we pray to God for a favour, we know that we are asking the One who owns the whole universe. He will not be any poorer for granting us whatever we ask Him. It is to this aspect that the Prophet points in the hadith reported by his wife, Aishah: "When anyone expresses his wish, he should ask for plenty. He is only asking his Lord, the Mighty and Exalted". [Tabarani] So if we are seeking riches or benefits from God, we need not feel shy to seek much, because we are asking the Most Generous.
Compiled From:
"Al-Adab al-Mufrad with Full Commentary: A Perfect Code of Manners and Morality" - Adil Salahi