In the Quraan Majeed, Allah Ta‘ala mentions that the following du‘aa is among the du‘aas which are made by those who are firmly grounded in the knowledge of Deen:
رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا وَهَبْ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً ۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْوَهَّابُ
O our Rabb! Do not let our hearts deviate (from the straight path) after you have given us guidance, and bestow us with special mercy from Your side, indeed You alone are the One who bestows in abundance. (Surah Aal ‘Imraan v8)
In the first portion of this du‘aa, we are begging Allah Ta‘ala to grant us protection in the bounty of imaan.
When a person acquires any bounty or blessing, and he understands its value and worth, then his first concern will be to protect and safeguard this bounty so that he does not lose it. Hence, the bounty of good health is safeguarded through exercising, following a healthy diet, etc. while the bounty of wealth is safeguarded through locks, alarm systems and security guards.
From all the bounties with which a person can be blessed, undoubtedly the greatest and most valuable bounty is that of imaan. When a person is blessed with the treasure of imaan, then he has received his ‘ticket’ to eternal salvation in the Hereafter and everlasting bliss and comfort in Jannah (on condition he preserves this imaan and passes away with imaan). Hence, just as a person diligently guards his health and wealth – he should make every effort to guard his imaan. In fact, the concern for the safety of our imaan should take precedence over every other concern, as one’s health and wealth are only required for the short duration of one’s stay in this world, while imaan is essential for one’s infinite stay in the Hereafter.
Guarding one’s wealth entails protecting one’s money and other assets, and guarding one’s health entails protecting one’s body from sicknesses, injuries and other maladies. As for guarding one’s imaan, then this entails protecting the heart from all fitnahs (Deeni trials and challenges), evils and sins (through remaining in pious company, being cautious with the cell phone and internet, etc.). However, together with guarding our hearts, it is vital for us to regularly and repeatedly make du‘aa to Allah Ta‘ala, begging Him to divinely protect our hearts, as the heart is so vulnerable to influence, and so unstable, that in the blink of an eye, its condition can change from virtue to vice.
In the blessed hadeeth, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) mentioned, “The example of the heart is that of a feather in a barren land which the winds blow (this way and that way).” (Sunan Ibni Maajah #88)
In a barren land, there are no trees or buildings to provide shelter from the wind. Hence, if not one but multiple winds are blowing, we can well imagine how something as light as a feather will be blown about, constantly tumbling and capsizing. In the very same way, when the winds of fitnahs are blowing – as they are at present – then we must make even more du‘aa to Allah Ta‘ala to safeguard our hearts and imaan so that we do not lose our ticket to enter Jannah.
The second portion of this du‘aa entails begging Allah Ta‘ala to shower us with His special mercy.
At every moment of our lives, we are completely dependent upon the mercy of Allah Ta‘ala. If it were not for His mercy, we would not even be able to swallow, breath, blink or carry out even the smallest of actions.
Similarly, it is only through the mercy of Allah Ta‘ala that we receive taufeeq (divine ability) to carry out righteous actions and abstain from sins. Even after we receive taufeeq from Allah Ta‘ala to worship Him and carry out righteous actions, our worship and actions are unworthy of being presented before Him, as we can never worship Him in accordance to His majesty. Thus, it is only through His mercy that he assists us, accepts our broken efforts and grants us entry into Jannah.
On one occasion, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said, “No one’s actions will cause him to enter Jannah.” The Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) enquired, “Not even you, O Rasul of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) (i.e. your actions will not cause you to enter Jannah)?” Rasulullah replied, “Not even me, (i.e. my actions will not cause me to enter Jannah. I also cannot enter Jannah) unless Allah Ta‘ala envelops me with His grace and mercy.” (Saheeh Bukhaari #5673)
Thus, by begging Allah Ta‘ala to shower His special mercy upon us, we are not only asking for success in this world – we are also asking for success in the Hereafter.
May Allah Ta‘ala grant us all the taufeeq to recite this du‘aa regularly, may He protect our imaan and may He shower His special mercy upon us, aameen.