Explanation of the Dua for Relief from Difficulties

The dua “اللّهُمَّ لا سَهْلَ إِلَّا مَا جَعَلْتَهُ سَهْلًا وَأَنْتَ تَجْعَلُ الْحَزْنَ إِذَا شِئْتَ سَهْلًا” (Allahumma la sahla illa ma ja’altahu sahlan wa anta taj’alul hazna idha shi’ta sahlan) translates to “O Allah, there is no ease except in what You make easy, and You make the difficult easy if You wish.” This supplication reflects a deep reliance on Allah’s power to transform hardships into ease. It acknowledges that true relief comes from Allah’s will and that He alone has the authority to make difficult situations manageable.

Origin from Hadith

This dua is derived from a hadith narrated by Anas ibn Malik (RA). The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) used this dua during moments of difficulty, as recorded in a hadith found in the collections of Sunan Ibn Majah and Sunan Abu Dawood. The specific wording is not always cited verbatim in hadith, but its essence is reflected in the Prophet’s practices.

Significance

1. Dependence on Allah: The dua emphasizes recognizing that all ease and difficulty are under Allah’s control, reinforcing the believer’s trust in Allah’s wisdom.
2. Spiritual Resilience: By invoking this supplication, believers express their reliance on Allah to ease their trials, thereby fostering patience and perseverance.
3. Daily Use: The Prophet (PBUH) used such prayers to seek Allah’s intervention in alleviating his and his companions’ difficulties, setting an example for Muslims to seek divine support in times of trouble.

This dua encapsulates the Islamic principle of placing trust in Allah’s power to ease life’s challenges, as exemplified by the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in his teachings and practices.