shocked and begin to ask, “What happened? Has someone passed away?” Remember that this statement is not only to be recited when someone dies or at the time of a major calamity; it can be recited when any type of hardship or difficulty arises.

Therefore, say it whenever you are afflicted by illness, debt, unemployment, if you lose something, you are hurt by someone’s words, someone hits you, you trip over, your car breaks down, there is a traffic jam, you make a loss in your business, something falls from your hand, if your clothes catch on something and tear or any other hardship. In short, whenever some difficulty comes your way, whether it is big or small, develop a habit of being patient and reciting اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّااِلَیْہِ رَاجِعُوْن.

Saying اِنَّا لِلّٰہ when the lamp went out

Sayyidunā ꜤIkrimah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ narrates:

The beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم was once sitting at night when the lamp suddenly went out, whereupon he صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم recited, “اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَ اِنَّا اِلَیْہِ رَاجِعُوْن.” I asked him, “Is this also a calamity?” He           صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم replied, “Everything that causes discomfort to a believer is a calamity, and he is rewarded for it.” ^[1]

سُـبْحٰـنَ الـلّٰــه! We learn that we can earn reward by saying اِنّا لِلّٰہ ِ وَ اِنَّااِلَیْہِ رَاجِعُوْن upon every small and big hardship. Another lesson we can take from this hadith is that if there is a power cut, we should show patience, as it is often the case that when there is a power cut, people show a great deal of impatience and utter all kinds of statements. Some foolish individuals even begin to curse the electricity providers. May Allah Almighty have mercy upon our state. If we recite اِنَّا لِلّٰہ when the electricity stops