The dua to say during a calamity

If any servant (of Allah) who suffers a calamity says:" We belong to Allah and to Him shall we return; O Allah, reward me for my affliction and give me something better than it in exchange for it," ' Allah will give him reward for affliction, and would give him something better than it in exchange. She (Umm Salama) said: When Abu Salama died. I uttered (these very words) as I was commanded (to do) by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. So Allah gave me better in exchange than him. i. e. (I was taken as the wife of) the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.

أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أُمَّ سَلَمَةَ زَوْجَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ تَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ تُصِيبُهُ مُصِيبَةٌ فَيَقُولُ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ اللَّهُمَّ أْجُرْنِي فِي مُصِيبَتِي وَأَخْلِفْ لِي خَيْرًا مِنْهَا إِلاَّ أَجَرَهُ اللَّهُ فِي مُصِيبَتِهِ وَأَخْلَفَ لَهُ خَيْرًا مِنْهَا قَالَتْ فَلَمَّا تُوُفِّيَ أَبُو سَلَمَةَ قُلْتُ كَمَا أَمَرَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَأَخْلَفَ اللَّهُ لِي خَيْرًا مِنْهُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ

“When a calamity strikes one of you, then let him say: ‘Indeed, to Allah we belong and to Him we shall return. O Allah, I seek reward with You for my affliction, so reward me for it, and replace it for me with something better (Innā lillāhi wa innā ilaihi rājiʿūn, Allāhumma ʿindaka aḥtasibu muṣībatī fa’jurnī fīhā wa abdilnī minhā khair).’” When the time of death was near Abu Salamah, he said: ‘O Allah, replace me for my wife, with better than me.” So when he died, Umm Salamah said: “Indeed, to Allah we belong and to Him we shall return. I seek reward with Allah for my affliction, so reward me for it.”

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ إِذَا أَصَابَ أَحَدَكُمْ مُصِيبَةٌ فَلْيَقُلْ ( إنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ ) اللَّهُمَّ عِنْدَكَ احْتَسَبْتُ مُصِيبَتِي فَأْجُرْنِي فِيهَا وَأَبْدِلْنِي مِنْهَا خَيْرًا فَلَمَّا احْتُضِرَ أَبُو سَلَمَةَ قَالَ اللَّهُمَّ اخْلُفْ فِي أَهْلِي خَيْرًا مِنِّي فَلَمَّا قُبِضَ قَالَتْ أُمُّ سَلَمَةَ ( إنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ ) عِنْدَ اللَّهِ احْتَسَبْتُ مُصِيبَتِي فَأْجُرْنِي فِيهَا

“There is no Muslim who is stricken with a calamity and reacts by saying as Allah has commanded: ‘Inna lillahi, wa inna ilayhi raji’un. Allahumma indaka ahtasabtu musibati, fajurni fiha, wa ‘awwidni minha (Truly, to Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return. O Allah, with You I seek reward for my calamity, so reward me for it and compensate me),’ but Allah will reward him for that and compensate him with something better than it.” She said: “When Abu Salamah died, I remembered what he had told me from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and I said: ‘Inna lillahi, wa inna ilayhi raji’un. Allahumma indaka ahtasabtu musibati, fajurni alaiha (Truly, to Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return. O Allah, with You I seek reward for my calamity, so reward me for it).’ But when I wanted to say wa ‘awwidni minha (and compensate me with better), I said to myself: ‘How can I be compensated with something better than Abu Salamah?’ Then I said it, and Allah compensated me with Muhammad ﷺ and rewarded me for my calamity.”

أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ مَا مِنْ مُسْلِمٍ يُصَابُ بِمُصِيبَةٍ فَيَفْزَعُ إِلَى مَا أَمَرَ اللَّهُ بِهِ مِنْ قَوْلِهِ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ اللَّهُمَّ عِنْدَكَ احْتَسَبْتُ مُصِيبَتِي فَأْجُرْنِي فِيهَا وَعُضْنِي مِنْهَا إِلاَّ آجَرَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهَا وَعَاضَهُ خَيْرًا مِنْهَا قَالَتْ فَلَمَّا تُوُفِّيَ أَبُو سَلَمَةَ ذَكَرْتُ الَّذِي حَدَّثَنِي عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ اللَّهُمَّ عِنْدَكَ احْتَسَبْتُ مُصِيبَتِي هَذِهِ فَأْجُرْنِي عَلَيْهَا فَإِذَا أَرَدْتُ أَنْ أَقُولَ وَعُضْنِي خَيْرًا مِنْهَا قُلْتُ فِي نَفْسِي أُعَاضُ خَيْرًا مِنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ ؟ ثُمَّ قُلْتُهَا فَعَاضَنِي اللَّهُ مُحَمَّدًا ﷺ وَآجَرَنِي فِي مُصِيبَتِي

[AI] On the authority of Umm Salamah, the wife of the Prophet ﷺ, she said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, "Whenever a servant is afflicted with a calamity and he says, 'Verily, to Allah we belong and to Him we shall return. O Allah, reward me for my affliction and replace it for me with something better,' then Allah ﷻ rewards him for his affliction and replaces it for him with something better." Umm Salamah said, "When Abu Salamah passed away, I said, 'Who is better than Abu Salamah, the companion of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?' Then Allah ﷻ made me firm in saying it, so I said, 'O Allah, reward me in my affliction and replace it for me with something better.' After that, I married the Messenger of Allah ﷺ."

عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَتْ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ تُصِيبُهُ مُصِيبَةٌ فَيَقُولُ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ اللهُمَّ أْجُرْنِي فِي مُصِيبَتِي وَأخْلِفْ لِي خَيْرًا مِنْهَا إِلَّا أَجَرَهُ اللهُ فِي مُصِيبَتِهِ وَخَلَفَ لَهُ خَيْرًا مِنْهَا قَالَتْ فَلَمَّا تُوُفِّيَ أَبُو سَلَمَةَ قُلْتُ مَنْ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ صَاحِبِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَتْ ثُمَّ عَزَمَ اللهُ ﷻ لِي فَقُلْتُهَا اللهُمَّ أْجُرْنِيفِي مُصِيبَتِي وَأخْلِفْ لِي خَيْرًا مِنْهَا قَالَتْ فَتَزَوَّجْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ

[AI] The Prophet ﷺ said: "No Muslim is afflicted with a calamity and says 'Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return. O Allah, reward me in my affliction and replace it with something better,' except that Allah will grant him reward for his affliction and replace it with something better." She said: "So I said, 'Indeed Allah has rewarded me in my affliction, so who will replace me in the place of Abu Salama?' When her waiting period was over, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ proposed to her."

أَنَّ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ مَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ يُصَابُ بِمُصِيبَةٍ فَيَقُولُ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ اللهُمَّ أْجُرْنِي فِي مُصِيبَتِي وَاخْلُفْ عَلَيَّ بِخَيْرٍ مِنْهَا إِلَّا فُعِلَ بِهِ ذَلِكَ قَالَتْ فَقُلْتُ هَذَا فَأَجَرَنِي اللهُ فِي مُصِيبَتِي فَمَنْيَخْلُفُ عَلَيَّ مَكَانَ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ؟ فَلَمَّا انْقَضَتْ عِدَّتُهَا خَطَبَهَا رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ

Yahya related to me from Malik from Rabia ibn Abi Abd ar-Rahman from Umm Salama, the wife of the Prophet may Allah bless him and grant him peace, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "If a misfortune befalls some one and he says, as Allah has ordered, 'We belong to Allah and to Him we are returning. O Allah, reward me in my misfortune and give me better than it afterwards,' Allah will do that for him" (Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajiun. Allahumma' jurniy fi musiybatiy, wa a qibhiy khayran minha, illa faala 'llahu dhalika bihi.). Umm Salama said, "When Abu Salama died I said that, and then I said, 'Who is better than Abu Salama?' " And then Allah left her the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and he married her.

رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ مَنْ أَصَابَتْهُ مُصِيبَةٌ فَقَالَ كَمَا أَمَرَ اللَّهُ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ اللَّهُمَّ أْجُرْنِي فِي مُصِيبَتِي وَأَعْقِبْنِي خَيْرًا مِنْهَا إِلَّا فَعَلَ اللَّهُ ذَلِكَ بِهِ قَالَتْ أُمُّ سَلَمَةَ فَلَمَّا تُوُفِّيَ أَبُو سَلَمَةَ قُلْتُ ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ قُلْتُ وَمَنْ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ فَأَعْقَبَهَا اللَّهُ رَسُولَهُ ﷺ فَتَزَوَّجَهَا

[AI] He heard the Messenger of Allah, ﷺ , say: "No Muslim is afflicted with a calamity and says 'Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return. O Allah, I seek recompense for my calamity from You. O Allah, replace it for me with something better than it,' except that Allah will replace it for him with something better." So when Abu Salamah passed away, Umm Salamah said: "Indeed, we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return. O Allah, I seek recompense for my calamity in Abu Salamah from You. O Allah, replace him for me with someone better." So I kept saying to myself that someone better than Abu Salamah would come, until the Messenger of Allah, ﷺ , proposed to me. So I said: "I am afflicted and I am possessive, and I am old." The Messenger of Allah, ﷺ , said: "As for being old, I am older than you. As for being possessive, I supplicate to Allah to remove it from you. And as for children, they are in the hands of Allah and His Messenger." So Umar bin Abu Salamah married me to him.

أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ مَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ يُصَابُ بِمُصِيبَةٍ فَيَقُولُ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ اللهُمَّ إِنِّي أَحْتَسِبُ مُصِيبَتِي عِنْدَكَ اللهُمَّ أَبْدِلْنِي بِهَا خَيْرًا مِنْهَا إِلَّا أَبْدَلَهُ اللهُ بِهَا خَيْرًا مِنْهَا فَلَمَّا تُوُفِّيَ أَبُو سَلَمَةَ قَالَتْ أُمُّ سَلَمَةَ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ اللهُمَّ إِنِّي أَحْتَسِبُ مُصِيبَتِي فِي أَبِي سَلَمَةَ عِنْدَكَ اللهُمَّ أَبْدِلْنِي بِهِ خَيْرًا مِنْهُ فَجَعَلْتُ أَقُولُ فِي نَفْسِي مِنْ خَيْرٍ مِنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ فَجَاءَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فَخَطَبَنِي فَقُلْتُ أَنَا مُصْبِيَةٌ وَأَنَا غَيُورٌ وَأَنَا كَبِيرَةُ السِّنِّ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «أَمَّا كِبَرُ السِّنِّ فَأَنَا أَكْبَرُ مِنْكِ وَأَمَّا الْغَيْرَةُ فَأَنَا أَدْعُو اللهَ أَنْ يُذْهِبَهَا عَنْكِ وَأَمَّا الْعِيَالُ فَإِلَى اللهِ وَرَسُولِهِ» فَأَمَرَ عُمَرُ بْنُ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ فَزَوَّجَنِي إِيَّاهُ

[AI] I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, "No servant is afflicted with a calamity and says, 'Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return. O Allah, I seek reward with You for my calamity and compensation in it, and make it better than before,' except that Allah will reward him for his calamity and compensate him with something better than it."

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ «مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ يُصَابُ بِمُصِيبَةٍ فَيَقُولُ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ اللهُمَّ عِنْدَكَ أَحْتَسِبُ مُصِيبَتِي فَأْجُرْنِي فِيهَا وَاعْقُبْنِي مِنْهَا خَيْرًا إِلَّا آجَرَهُ اللهُ فِي مُصِيبَتِهِ فَأَعْقَبَهُ اللهُ خَيْرًا مِنْهَا»

[AI] I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, "No servant is afflicted with a calamity and says, 'Indeed, we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return. O Allah, reward me in my affliction and replace it for me with something better, except that Allah will reward him in his affliction and replace it for him with something better.' When Abu Salama passed away, I said, 'Who is better than Abu Salama, the companion of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ?' Then it was determined for me and I said it, and I married the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ."

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ «مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ تُصِيبُهُ مُصِيبَةٌ فَيَقُولُ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ اللهُمَّ أْجُرْنِي فِي مُصِيبَتِي وَاخْلُفْ لِي بِخَيْرٍ مِنْهَا إِلَّا آجَرَهُ اللهُ فِي مُصِيبَتِهِ وَخَلَفَ لَهُ خَيْرًا مِنْهَا» فَلَمَّا تُوُفِّيَ أَبُو سَلَمَةَ قُلْتُ مَنْ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ صَاحِبِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ؟ ثُمَّ عَزَمَ لِي فَقُلْتُهَا فَتَزَوَّجْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ

If any Muslim who suffers some calamity says, what Allah has commanded him," We belong to Allah and to Him shall we return; O Allah, reward me for my affliction and give me something better than it in exchange for it," Allah will give him something better than it in exchange. When Abu Salama died she said: What Muslim is better than Abu Salama whose family was the first to emigrate to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. I then said the words, and Allah gave me God's Messenger ﷺ in exchange. She said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent Hatib b. Abu Balta'a to deliver me the message of marriage with him. I said to him: I have a daughter (as my dependant) and I am of jealous temperament. He (the Holy Prophet) said: So far as her daughter is concerned, we would supplicate Allah, that He may free her (of her responsibility) and I would also supplicate Allah to do away with (her) jealous (temperament). (Using translation from Muslim 918a)

أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ يَقُولُ مَا مِنْ مُسْلِمٍ تُصِيبُهُ مُصِيبَةٌ فَيَقُولُ مَا أَمَرَهُ اللهُ ﷻ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ اللهُمَّ أُؤْجُرْنِي فِي مُصِيبَتِي وَاخْلُفْ لِي خَيْرًا مِنْهَا إِلَّا أَخْلَفَ اللهُ ﷻ لَهُ خَيْرًا مِنْهَا قَالَتْ فَلَمَّا مَاتَ أَبُو سَلَمَةَ قُلْتُ أِيُّ الْمُسْلِمِينَ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ أَوَّلُ بَيْتٍ هَاجَرَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ ثُمَّ إِنِّي قُلْتُهَا فَأَخْلَفَ اللهُ ﷻ لِي رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَتْ فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَيَّ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ حَاطِبَ بْنَ أَبِي بَلْتَعَةَ يَخْطُبُنِي لَهُ فَقُلْتُ إِنَّ لِي بِنْتًا وَأَنَا غَيُورٌ فَقَالَ أَمَّا ابْنَتُهَا فَنَدْعُو اللهَ ﷻ أَنْ يُغْنِيَهَا وَأَدْعُو اللهَ أَنْ يُذْهِبَ الْغَيْرَةَ

"مَا مِنْ مُسْلِم تُصِيبُهُ مُصِيبَة فَيَقُولُ مَا أَمَرَهُ الله: إِنَّا لله وَإِنَّا إِلَيه رَاجعونَ، اللَّهُم أجُرْنى في مُصِيبَتى وَأَخْلِفْ لي خَيرًا مِنْها إِلا آجَرهُ الله في مُصِيبتِهِ، وَأَخْلَف الله له خَيرًا مِنْها".