Kitaab At-Tawheed, Chapter: 51

It is authentically reported on the authority of Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah said: "None of you should say: "Oh, Allah , Forgive me if You will," or: "Oh, Allah , Have mercy upon me if You Will." Rather he should always appeal to Allah firmly, for nobody can force Allah to do something against His Will."¹ According to Muslim's report, He said: "One should appeal to Allah with firm determination for nothing is too much or too great for Allah to give it."

Because all of us are wretched and humble before Allah , Most High, and He is Self-sufficient, Most Praiseworthy, Allah's Messenger forbade anyone who supplicates Allah from adding to his request: "...if You will," as this suggests a lack of interest on Allah's part in the needs of His slaves, nor is it befitting the true spirit of humility in which the Muslim is supposed to approach his Rabb. Nor is it fitting to suggest that Allah treats His slaves in such a fickle manner, acceding to some requests, while rejecting others on a whim – Allah , Most High, is far above that. In fact He has informed us that he answers the supplication of everyone who asks Him:

 

" And when My slaves ask you about Me, I am indeed near: I answer the supplication of the suppliant when he asks Me" (Qur'an 2:185).

Then He , Most Glorified, Most High, commands us that when we ask Him, we should do so imploringly, beseechingly, whether the request is big or small since no request is difficult for Him, Most High, to grant, for He is the Owner of all things in the heavens and the earth, the absolute Disposer of all affairs therein and He is Able to do all things.

Benefits Derived From This Hadith

 

1. The prohibition of saying: "...if You will," when supplicating Allah .

2. The lawfulness of supplication and confirmation of its effectiveness.

3. Confirmation of Allah's Completeness and Perfection.

4. That imploring Allah firmly, rather than timidly and apologetically, is to think well of Him, Most Glorified, Most High.

5. Allah's freedom from all imperfection.

That the Hadith proves the prohibition of saying: "...if You will," when making supplication to Allah .

Relevance of This Hadith to the Subject of Tawheed

That it proves that it is forbidden to say: "...if You will," when supplicating Allah , as this suggests some lack or imperfection in Allah , as if He might answer us or not according to His whim, and such an idea is incompatible with correct Tawheed.

Footnotes

1. Narrated by Bukhari.