I was behind the Messenger of Allah ﷺ one day, and he said: “O young man, I will teach you some words: Guard Allah and He will guard you. Guard Allah and you will find Him before you. When you ask, ask Allah; and when you seek help, seek help from Allah. And know that if the people were to gather together to benefit you with something, they would not benefit you except with something that Allah has already written for you; and if they were to gather together to harm you with something, they would not harm you except with something that Allah has already written against you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried.”

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».

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."

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۔»

I was riding behind the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when he said, “O boy,” or “O little boy, shall I not teach you some words by which Allah will benefit you?” I said, “Yes.” He said: “(1) Guard Allah, and He will guard you. (2) Guard Allah, and you will find Him before you. (3) Know Him in times of ease and He will know you in times of hardship. (4) If you ask, then ask Allah. (5) If you seek help, then seek help from Allah."

"(6) The pen has dried with what is to be. If all creation, altogether, wanted to benefit you with something that Allah has not written for you, they would not be able to do it; and if they wanted to harm you with something that Allah has not written against you, they would not be able to do it. (7) And know that in patience over what you dislike there is much good; that victory comes with patience; that relief comes with distress; and that with hardship comes ease.”

كُنْتُ رَدِيفَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ: «يَا غُلامُ» أَوْ «يَا غُلَيِّمُ، أَلا أُعَلِّمُكَ كَلِمَاتٍ يَنْفَعُكَ اللهُ بِهِنَّ؟» فَقُلْتُ: بَلَى۔ فَقَالَ: «(١) احْفَظِ اللهَ يَحْفَظْكَ، (٢) احْفَظِ اللهَ تَجِدْهُ أَمَامَكَ، (٣) تَعَرَّفْ إِلَيْهِ فِي الرَّخَاءِ يَعْرِفْكَ فِي الشِّدَّةِ، (٤) وَإِذَا سَأَلْتَ فَاسْأَلِ اللهَ، (٥) وَإِذَا اسْتَعَنْتَ فَاسْتَعِنْ بِاللهِ».

«(٦) قَدْ جَفَّ الْقَلَمُ بِمَا هُوَ كَائِنٌ۔ فَلَوْ أَنَّ الْخَلْقَ كُلَّهُمْ جَمِيعًا أَرَادُوا أَنْ يَنْفَعُوكَ بِشَيْءٍ لَمْ يَكْتُبْهُ اللهُ عَلَيْكَ لَمْ يَقْدِرُوا عَلَيْهِ، وَإِنْ أَرَادُوا أَنْ يَضُرُّوكَ بِشَيْءٍ لَمْ يَكْتُبْهُ اللهُ عَلَيْكَ لَمْ يَقْدِرُوا عَلَيْهِ. (٧) وَاعْلَمْ أنَّ فِي الصَّبْرِ عَلَى مَا تَكْرَهُ خَيْرًا كَثِيرًا، وَأَنَّ النَّصْرَ مَعَ الصَّبْرِ، وَأَنَّ الْفَرَجَ مَعَ الْكَرْبِ، وَأَنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا».