Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
ahmad:2763Yaḥyá b. Isḥāq > Ibn Lahīʿah > Nāfiʿ b. Yazīd > Qays b. al-Ḥajjāj > Ḥanash > Ibn ʿAbbās

I was following ˹behind˺ the Prophet ﷺ then he said to me, "Young boy, ˹bear in mind what˺ I am about to tell you of ˹the following˺ statements: (1) be mindful of Allah and He will protect you, (2) be mindful of Allah and and you will find Him facing you, (3) if you ask, then ask Allah, (4) if you seek help, then seek help from Allah."

"(5) The pens ˹of Divine Decree˺ have been lifted and the books ˹of Decree˺ have dried. Thus if everyone comes to benefit you for a thing that has not been decreed for you by Allah they will not be able to, and if they intend to harm you for a thing that has not been decreed for you by Allah, they will not be able to."  

أحمد:٢٧٦٣حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ لَهِيعَةَ عَنْ نَافِعِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ أَنَّ قَيْسَ بْنَ الْحَجَّاجِ حَدَّثَهُ أَنَّ حَنَشًا حَدَّثَهُ أَنَّ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ حَدَّثَهُ قَالَ

كُنْتُ رِدْفَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَالَ لِي: «يَا غُلامُ إِنِّي مُحَدِّثُكَ حَدِيثًا: (١) احْفَظِ اللهَ يَحْفَظْكَ، (٢) احْفَظِ اللهَ تَجِدْهُ تُجَاهَكَ، (٣) إِذَا سَأَلْتَ فَاسْأَلِ اللهَ، (٤) وَإِذَا اسْتَعَنْتَ فَاسْتَعِنْ بِاللهِ،»

«(٥) فَقَدْ رُفِعَتِ الْأَقْلامُ وَجَفَّتِ الْكُتُبُ۔ فَلَوْ جَاءَتِ الْأُمَّةُ يَنْفَعُونَكَ بِشَيْءٍ لَمْ يَكْتُبْهُ اللهُ ﷻ لَكَ لَمَا اسْتَطَاعَتْ وَلَو أَرَادَتْ أَنْ تَضُرَّكَ بِشَيْءٍ لَمْ يَكْتُبْهُ اللهُ لَكَ مَا اسْتَطَاعَتْ۔»  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Tirmidhī, Aḥmad, Ṭabarānī, Suyūṭī

Earn Allah's protection by guarding your duties toward him; No harm will come to you unless it is written for you

tirmidhi:2516Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. Mūsá > ʿAbdullāh b. al-Mubārak > Layth b. Saʿd and Ibn Lahīʿah > Qays b. al-Ḥajjāj > ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAbd al-Raḥman > Abū al-Walīd > Layth b. Saʿd > Qays b. al-Ḥajjāj > Ḥanash al-Ṣanʿānī > Ibn ʿAbbās

I was behind the Prophet ﷺ one day when he said: 'O boy! I will teach you a statement: Be mindful of Allah and He will protect you. Be mindful of Allah and you will find Him before you. When you ask, ask Allah, and when you seek aid, seek Allah's aid. Know that if the entire creation were to gather together to do something to benefit you- you would never get any benefit except that Allah had written for you. And if they were to gather to do something to harm you- you would never be harmed except that Allah had written for you. The pens are lifted and the pages are dried.'"  

Abū ʿĪsá said that this Ḥadīth is Ḥasan-Ṣaḥīḥ.
الترمذي:٢٥١٦حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُوسَى أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ أَخْبَرَنَا لَيْثُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ وَابْنُ لَهِيعَةَ عَنْ قَيْسِ بْنِ الْحَجَّاجِ قَالَ وَحَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو الْوَلِيدِ حَدَّثَنَا لَيْثُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ حَدَّثَنِي قَيْسُ بْنُ الْحَجَّاجِ الْمَعْنَى وَاحِدٌ عَنْ حَنَشٍ الصَّنْعَانِيِّ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ

كُنْتُ خَلْفَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَوْمًا فَقَالَ: «يَا غُلاَمُ، إِنِّي أُعَلِّمُكَ كَلِمَاتٍ: احْفَظِ اللَّهَ يَحْفَظْكَ، احْفَظِ اللَّهَ تَجِدْهُ تُجَاهَكَ، إِذَا سَأَلْتَ فَاسْأَلِ اللَّهَ، وَإِذَا اسْتَعَنْتَ فَاسْتَعِنْ بِاللَّهِ۔ وَاعْلَمْ، أَنَّ الأُمَّةَ لَوِ اجْتَمَعَتْ عَلَى أَنْ يَنْفَعُوكَ بِشَيْءٍ لَمْ يَنْفَعُوكَ إِلاَّ بِشَيْءٍ قَدْ كَتَبَهُ اللَّهُ لَكَ، وَلَوِ اجْتَمَعُوا عَلَى أَنْ يَضُرُّوكَ بِشَيْءٍ لَمْ يَضُرُّوكَ إِلاَّ بِشَيْءٍ قَدْ كَتَبَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكَ: رُفِعَتِ الأَقْلاَمُ وَجَفَّتِ الصُّحُفُ۔»  

قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ
ahmad:2669Yūnus > Layth > Qays b. al-Ḥajjāj > Ḥanash al-Ṣanʿānī > ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAbbās

"I was behind the Prophet ﷺ one day when he said: 'O boy! I will teach you a statement: Be mindful of Allah and He will protect you. Be mindful of Allah and you will find Him before you. When you ask, ask Allah, and when you seek aid, seek Allah's aid. Know that if the entire creation were to gather together to do something to benefit you- you would never get any benefit except that Allah had written for you. And if they were to gather to do something to harm you- you would never be harmed except that Allah had written for you. The pens are lifted and the pages are dried.'" (Using translation from Tirmidhī 2516)  

أحمد:٢٦٦٩حَدَّثَنَا يُونُسُ حَدَّثَنَا لَيْثٌ عَنْ قَيْسِ بْنِ الْحَجَّاجِ عَنْ حَنَشٍ الصَّنْعَانِيِّ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عَبَّاسٍ

أَنَّهُ حَدَّثَهُ أَنَّهُ رَكِبَ خَلْفَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ يَوْمًا فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يَا غُلامُ إِنِّي مُعَلِّمُكَ كَلِمَاتٍ احْفَظِ اللهَيَحْفَظْكَ احْفَظِ اللهَ تَجِدْهُ تُجَاهَكَ وَإِذَا سَأَلْتَ فاَسْأَلِ اللهَ وَإِذَا اسْتَعَنْتَ فَاسْتَعِنْ بِاللهِ وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ الْأُمَّةَ لَوِ اجْتَمَعُوا عَلَى أَنْ يَنْفَعُوكَ لَمْ يَنْفَعُوكَ إِلا بِشَيْءٍ قَدْ كَتَبَهُ اللهُ لَكَ وَلَوِ اجْتَمَعُوا عَلَى أَنْ يَضُرُّوكَ لَمْ يَضُرُّوكَ إِلا بِشَيْءٍ قَدْ كَتَبَهُ اللهُ عَلَيْكَ رُفِعَتِ الْأَقْلامُ وَجَفَّتِ الصُّحُفُ  

tabarani:11560Aḥmad b. ʿAlī b. al-Muthanná Abū Yaʿlá al-Mawṣilī > Ghassān b. al-Rabīʿ > Ismāʿīl b. ʿAyyāsh > ʿUmar b. ʿAbdullāh a freed slave of Ghufrah > ʿIkrimah > Ibn ʿAbbās

[Machine] "I was a companion of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and he said, 'Oh boy, shall I not teach you something that Allah will benefit you with?' I said, 'Yes, O Messenger of Allah.' He said, 'Guard Allah, and He will guard you. Guard Allah, and you will find Him in front of you. Know Allah in prosperity, He will know you in adversity. When you ask, ask Allah, and when you seek assistance, seek it from Allah. Know that if all the people gather to benefit you, they will not be able to benefit you except with what Allah has already written for you. And if they gather to harm you, they will not be able to harm you except with what Allah has already written against you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried.'"  

الطبراني:١١٥٦٠حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْمُثَنَّى أَبُو يَعْلَى الْمَوْصِلِيُّ ثنا غَسَّانُ بْنُ الرَّبِيعِ ثنا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ عَيَّاشٍ عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ مَوْلَى غُفْرَةَ عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ

كُنْتُ رَدِيفَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ «يَا غُلَامُ أَلَا أُعَلِّمُكَ شَيْئًا يَنْفَعُكَ اللهُ بِهِ؟» قُلْتُ بَلَى يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ فَقَالَ «احْفَظِ اللهَ يَحْفَظْكَ احْفَظِ اللهَ تَجِدْهُ أَمَامَكَ تَعَرَّفْ إِلَى اللهِ فِي الرَّخَاءِ يَعْرِفْكَ فِي الشِّدَّةِ إِذَا سَأَلْتَ فَسَلِ اللهَ وَإِذَا اسْتَعَنْتَ فَاسْتَعِنْ بِاللهِ فَقَدْ جَفَّ الْقَلَمُ بِمَا هُوَ كَائِنٌ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَلَوْ جَهَدَ الْخَلَائِقُ أَنْ يَنْفَعُوكَ بِشَيْءٍ لَمْ يَكْتُبْهُ اللهُ لَكَ لَمْ يَقْدِرُوا عَلَى ذَلِكَ وَلَوْ جَهَدَ الْخَلَائِقُ أَنْ يَضُرُّوكَ بِشَيْءٍ لَمْ يَكْتُبْهُ اللهُ عَلَيْكَ لَمْ يَقْدِرُوا عَلَى ذَلِكَ»  

tabarani:11416Muḥammad b. al-Faḍl al-Saqaṭī > Saʿīd b. Sulaymān > ʿAbd al-Wāḥid b. Sulaym > ʿAṭāʾ b. Abū Rabāḥ > Ibn ʿAbbās > Baynamā

[Machine] While I was sitting next to the Messenger of Allah, he said to me, "Oh young boy, be mindful of Allah and Allah will protect you. Be mindful of Allah and you will find Him in front of you. If you ask, ask from Allah, and if you seek help, seek help from Allah. Know that if the nation were to gather together to benefit you with anything, they would not benefit you except with what Allah has already written for you. And if they were to gather together to harm you with anything, they would not harm you except with what Allah has already written against you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried."  

الطبراني:١١٤١٦حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْفَضْلِ السَّقَطِيُّ ثنا سَعِيدُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ ثنا عَبْدُ الْوَاحِدِ بْنُ سُلَيْمٍ ثنا عَطَاءُ بْنُ أَبِي رَبَاحٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ؓ قَالَ

بَيْنَمَا أَنَا رَدِيفُ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ لِي «يَا غُلَامُ احْفَظِ اللهَ يَحْفَظْكَ احْفَظِ اللهَ تَجِدْهُ تُجَاهَكَ إِذَا سَأَلْتَ فَسَلِ اللهَ وَإِذَا اسْتَعَنْتَ فَاسْتَعِنْ بِاللهِ رُفِعَتِ الْأَقْلَامُ وَجَفَّتِ الصُّحُفُ»  

tabarani:12988Muṭṭalib b. Shuʿayb al-Azdī > ʿAbdullāh b. Ṣāliḥ > al-Layth > Qays b. al-Ḥajjāj > Ḥanash al-Ṣanʿānī > Ibn ʿAbbās

[Machine] He was behind the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and he said to me while I was behind him, "O young boy, I will teach you words. Remember Allah, and He will remember you. Remember Allah, and you will find Him before you. And when you ask, ask from Allah. And when you seek help, seek help from Allah. And know that if the nation were to gather together to benefit you, they would not benefit you except with something that Allah has already decreed for you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried."  

الطبراني:١٢٩٨٨حَدَّثَنَا مُطَّلِبُ بْنُ شُعَيْبٍ الْأَزْدِيُّ ثنا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ صَالِحٍ حَدَّثَنِي اللَّيْثُ عَنْ قَيْسِ بْنِ الْحَجَّاجِ عَنْ حَنَشٍ الصَّنْعَانِيِّ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ

أَنَّهُ كَانَ خَلْفَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ لِي وَأَنَا رَدِيفٌ خَلْفَهُ «يَا غُلَامُ إِنِّي مُعَلِّمُكُ كَلِمَاتٍ فَاحْفَظْهُنَّ احْفَظِ اللهَ يَحْفَظْكَ احْفَظِ اللهَ تَجِدْهُ تُجَاهَكَ وَإِذَا سَأَلْتَ فَاسْأَلِ اللهَ وَإِذَا اسْتَعَنْتَ فَاسْتَعِنْ بِاللهِ وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ الْأُمَّةَ لَوِ اجْتَمَعُوا عَلَى أَنْ يَنْفَعُوكَ لَمْ يَنْفَعُوكَ إِلَّا بِشَيْءٍ قَدْ كَتَبَهُ اللهُ لَكَ جَفَّتِ الْأَقْلَامُ وَطُوِيَتِ الصُّحُفُ»  

suyuti:420-519bIbn ʿAbbās
Request/Fix translation

  

السيوطي:٤٢٠-٥١٩b

"عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: أَرْدَفَنِى رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يَوْمًا فأَخْلَفَ يَدَهُ وَرَاءَ ظَهْره فَقَالَ: يَا غُلامُ، أَلا أُعَلِّمُكَ كلِمَاتٍ: احْفَظِ اللهَ يَحْفَظكَ، احْفَظِ الله تَجِدْهُ أَمَامَكَ، جَفَّت الأَقْلامُ، وَرفُعَتِ الصُّحُفُ، فَإِذَا سَأَلْتَ فَاسْأَلِ اللهَ، وَإِذَا اسْتَعَنْتَ فَاسْتَعِنْ بِالله، وَالَّذِى نَفْسُ مُحَمَّدٍ بيَدهِ لَوْجَهِدَتِ الأُمَّةُ عَلَى أَنْ يَضُرُّوكَ لَمْ يَضُرُّوكَ إِلا بِشَىْءٍ قَدْ كَتَبَهُ الله عَلَيْكَ، وَلَوْ أَرَادَتْ أَنْ يَنْفَعُوكَ مَا نَفَعُوكَ إِلا بِشَىْءٍ قدْ كَتَبَهُ الله لَكَ".  

[كر] ابن عساكر في تاريخه
suyuti:27374a
Request/Fix translation

  

السيوطي:٢٧٣٧٤a

"يَا غُلَامُ: إِنَى أُعَلِّمُكَ كَلِمَاتٍ: احْفَظِ الله يَحْفَظكَ، احْفَظِ الله تَجِدْهُ تُجَاهَكَ، إِذَا سَأَلْتَ فَاسْأَلِ الله، وَإِذَا اسْتَعَنْتَ فَاسْتَعِنْ بِالله، وَاعَلَمْ أَنَّ الأُمَّةَ لَوِ اجْتَمَعَتْ عَلَى أَنْ يَنْفَعُوكَ بِشْئٍ، لَمْ يَنْفَعُوكَ إِلَّا بِشْئٍ قَدْ كَتَبَهُ الله لَكَ، وَإِنِ اجْتَمَعُوا عَلَى أَنْ يَضُرُّوكَ بِشئٍ، لَمْ يَضُرُوك إِلَّا بِشَئٍ قَدْ كَتَبَهُ الله عَلَيكَ، رُفِعَتِ الأَقْلَامُ، وَجَفَّتِ الصُّحُف".  

[حم] أحمد [ت] الترمذي حسن صحيح [ك] الحاكم في المستدرك وابن السنى في عمل يوم وليلة [ض] ضياء المقدسي في مختاره عن ابن عباس
suyuti:27377a
Request/Fix translation

  

السيوطي:٢٧٣٧٧a

"يَا غُلَامُ: احْفَظِ الله يَحْفَظكَ، احْفَظِ الله تَجِدْهُ تُجَاهَكَ، وَإِذَا سَالْتَ فَاسْأَلِ الله، وَإذَا اسْتَعَنْتَ فَاسْتَعِنْ بِالله، وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ الأُمَّةَ لَوِ اجْتَمَعَتْ عَلَى أَنْ يَنْفَعُوكَ بِشئٍ لَمْ يَكْتُبْهُ الله لَكَ لَمْ يَقْدِرُوا عَلَى ذَلِكَ، وَلَوِ اجْتَمَعُوا عَلَى أَنْ يَضُرُّوكَ بِشىْءٍ لَمْ يَكْتبهُ الله لَكَ لَمْ يَقْدِرُوا عَلَى ذَلِكَ، قُضِىَ القَضَاءُ، وَجَفَّتِ الأقْلَامُ وَطُوِيَتِ الصُّحُفُ".  

[هب] البيهقى في شعب الإيمان عن ابن عباس