In many of his supplications, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) sought the protection of Allah Ta‘ala from harmful spiritual states. Though Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) was the most protected of all creation, he would still make such du‘aas – out of deep humility before Allah Ta‘ala, and to teach the Ummah the importance of seeking protection and safeguarding themselves from these spiritual harms. One of these du‘aas are:

اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ ‌مِنْ ‌عِلْمٍ ‌لَا ‌يَنْفَعُ ، وَمِنْ قَلْبٍ لَا يَـخْشَعُ ، وَمِنْ نَفْسٍ لَا تَشْبَعُ ، وَمِنْ دَعْوَةٍ لَا يُسْتَجَابُ لَـهَا

O Allah! I seek refuge in You from knowledge that does not benefit, from a heart that does not humble itself, from a soul that is never satisfied and from a supplication that is not answered. (Saheeh Muslim #6906)

In this concise yet comprehensive du‘aa, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) seeks refuge from four great spiritual afflictions:

1. Knowledge That Does Not Benefit: True knowledge should lead to practice, benefit its possessor and benefit others. It should instil humility and fear of Allah Ta‘ala, refine one’s character and guide one towards righteousness. If knowledge does not produce these outcomes, it is of no use, and may even testify against a person on the Day of Qiyaamah. There is also that which is presented as “knowledge” but is in reality ignorance – superficial eloquence or misleading notions that lead to deviation. In this du‘aa, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) sought protection from all such forms of knowledge.

2. A Heart Without Humility: The true purpose of the heart is to be filled with the love of Allah Ta‘ala, with His fear and with humility in His remembrance. A heart devoid of these qualities is spiritually lifeless, even though it beats physically. When a person is not humbled upon remembering Allah Ta‘ala, it is a sign of the hardness of his heart. Hence, protection is sought from this affliction as well.

3. A Nafs That is Never Satisfied: An uncontrolled soul is endlessly greedy – always desiring more. Contentment, on the other hand, is the greatest wealth. Without it, wants turn into endless ‘needs.’ Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) compared greed for wealth and status to two hungry wolves let loose upon a flock of sheep – its destruction to a person’s faith is even greater than the wolves’ destruction to the flock. (Sunan Tirmizi #2376) In this du‘aa, a person asks Allah Ta‘ala to protect him from such a nafs, and instead to grant him contentment and satisfaction with what Allah Ta‘ala has decreed for him.

4. A Supplication That is Not Answered: This refers to a du‘aa that is deprived of acceptance due to one’s sins or other barriers, such as failing to fulfil the conditions of acceptance or lacking conviction that one’s du‘aa will be answered. Since Allah Ta‘ala is Al-Mujeeb – the One who responds and readily accepts du‘aas – for a person’s du‘aa to be rejected is a grave loss and an indication of a serious spiritual deficiency. However, an important point to consider is that acceptance does not always take the form of receiving exactly what is requested. At times, it may come as a different blessing, the averting of harm or being stored as immense reward in the Hereafter. This should encourage persistence in du‘aa, for du‘aa itself is an act of worship and a display of humility before Allah Ta‘ala.

(Adapted from Mirqaatul Mafaateeh vol. 5, pg. 318 & 321 and Sharhud Du‘aa minal Kitaabi was Sunnah pg. 316)