Surah Kahf Day: Say 'la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah'

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

The Qur'an informed us of the event of two men, one of whom had a lot of wealth and, proud of it. He refused to accept that there is any life after death, and if there is one, he claimed, he will be given more wealth and reward therein. Then some major calamity struck his luxurious garden and its produce from all sides, reducing everything to ruins. The other man, a true believer, reminded him of what he was heedless of when he entered his garden.

وَلَوْلَآ إِذْ دَخَلْتَ جَنَّتَكَ قُلْتَ مَا شَآءَ ٱللَّـهُ لَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِٱللَّـهِ ۚ إِن تَرَنِ أَنَا۠ أَقَلَّ مِنكَ مَالًا وَوَلَدًا ﴿٣٩

And why did you, when you entered your garden, not say, 'What Allah willed [has occurred]; there is no power except in Allah'? Although you see me less than you in wealth and children, (39)

[Qur'an Al-Kahf 18:39]

Narrated Anas that the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "Whoever sees something, likes it and says مَا شَآءَ ٱللَّـهُ لَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِٱللَّـهِ 'Ma sha Allahu la quwwata illa billah' - nothing will harm it (that is, what he likes will stay protected).' And it appears in other reports, 'whoever recites these words when he likes something he sees, it will stay protected against the evil eye.'

No creature possesses either ability or power over anything save through Allah, Who is Able and Capable. It is incumbent upon believers to have faith in whatever Allah permits them to do or abstain from – as for instance, in conforming to an injunction, whether by acting or abstaining, or in seeking their provision by resorting to action in the form of crafts and professions, and so on – it is Allah the exalted Who creates and originates their intentions, abilities and movements, and that the acts they choose to perform will be attributed to them in the manner known as ‘acquisition’ (kasb) and ‘working’, and shall be, in consequence, liable to reward and punishment; but that they exercise volition only when Allah Himself does so, and can neither do nor abstain from anything unless He renders them able to. They possess not a single atom’s weight of the heaven or the earth, nor do they attain to any partnership in its governance, or become supports to Him.

It is on the ability and power to make choices, which Allah has granted to us, that commands and prohibitions are based. Things which are done intentionally and by choice are attributed to us, and we are rewarded and punished accordingly.

Hence the meaning of la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah is the denial of one’s possession of autonomous power and ability, and the simultaneous confession of the existence of that (relative) power and ability to make choices that He has given His servants to be their own. [Imam Al-Haddad]

It is also reported that ‘La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah is a remedy for 99 ailments, the least of which is sorrow.’

Jabir said, "Recite: لاحول ولا قوة إلا بالله la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah (There is no power and there is no strength except with Allah) a lot, because it removes ninety nine types of ailments out of which anxiety is the least painful."

It is a remedy for sorrow because grief mostly occurs when one misses something one loves, or when a distressful thing occurs; and whenever either of these things occurs people perceive their helplessness and inability to achieve their desired aims; so they feel sorrow. If at such times they repeat in their heart and with their tongues words which mean that they disavow the possession of any ability or power of their own, then this gives them certitude in their knowledge that they are helpless and weak except where Allah gives them power and ability, with the result that their sorrow is banished, and their knowledge of their Lord is increased.

This can be clearly understood from the Prophet’s, Allah bless him and grant him peace, saying: ‘When one believes in destiny, one’s sorrow departs.’ And in attributing ability and power to His Name, Allah, which is the axis of the Names and the most supreme of them, and in following it on most occasions with the two noble Names which indicate two of the attributes of the Holy Essence, namely those of Exaltation (Al-’Ali) and Magnitude (Al-’Azim), lies a sign that He totally transcends and is absolutely holier than the illusions of those who have strayed from the path, are blind to the evidence, and have delved without insight into the secret of destiny and the acts of Allah’s creatures.

May Allah removes our physical and spiritual ailments, and grant us from Himself mercy and prepare for us from our affair right guidance. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam