Asking for the Best of Both

Worlds
Asking for the Best of Both Worlds

‫ﺑﺴﻢ اﻟﻠﻪ اﻟﺮﺣﻤﻦ اﻟﺮﺣﻴﻢ‬

َ َ َ َ
َ ‫ أ يُّ دَﻋ ْـﻮَةٍ ﻛ َـﺎنَ أ ﻛ ْﺜَـﺮ‬:‫ﺳَـﺄ لَ ﻗ َﺘَـﺎدَةُ أ ﻧَﺴ ًـﺎ‬
‫ﻳَﺪ ْﻋ ُﻮ ﺑِﻬ َﺎ اﻟﻨَّﺒِﻲ ُّ ﺻ َﻠَّﻰ اﻟﻠﻪُ ﻋ َﻠَﻴ ْﻪِ وَﺳَﻠَّﻢَ؟‬
َ
ِ‫ﻛ َﺎنَ أ ﻛ ْﺜَﺮ ُ دَﻋ ْﻮَةٍ ﻳَﺪ ْﻋ ُﻮ ﺑِﻬ َﺎ ر َﺳُﻮلُ اﻟﻠﻪ‬: َ‫ﻗ َﺎل‬
‫ ” اﻟﻠﻬ ُﻢَّ ر َﺑ َّﻨَﺎ آﺗِﻨَﺎ‬:َ‫ﺻ َﻠَّﻰ اﻟﻠﻪُ ﻋ َﻠَﻴ ْﻪِ وَﺳَﻠَّﻢ‬
‫ وَﻗ ِﻨَﺎ‬،ً‫ وَﻓ ِﻲ اﻵْ ﺧ ِﺮ َةِ ﺣ َﺴ َﻨَﺔ‬،ً‫ﻓ ِﻲ اﻟﺪ ُّﻧْﻴَﺎ ﺣ َﺴ َﻨَﺔ‬
َ َ َ
َ‫ وَﻛ َﺎنَ أ ﻧَﺲ ٌ إِذ َا أ ر َادَ أ نْ ﻳَﺪ ْﻋ ُﻮ‬،“ ِ‫ﻋ َﺬ َابَ اﻟﻨَّﺎر‬
َ َ
َ‫ وَإِذ َا أ ر َادَ أ نْ ﻳَــﺪ ْﻋ ُﻮ‬،‫ﺑِــﺪ َﻋ ْﻮَةٍ دَﻋ َــﺎ ﺑِﻬ َــﺎ‬
ِ‫” ﺑِﺪ ُﻋ َﺎءٍ دَﻋ َﺎ ﺑِﻬ َﺎ ﻓ ِﻴﻪ‬

Qatadah asked Anas about the supplication the Prophet (‫)ﷺ‬often

said and Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

The supplication most often recited by the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬was:

“Allahumma atina fid-dunya hasanatan, wa fil-akhirati
hasanatan, wa qina ‘adhab-annar (O our Rubb! give us in this
world that which is good and in the Hereafter that which is
good, and save us from the punishment of the Fire).”‘Whenever
Anas supplicated, he used to implore Allah with this Du’a.[1]

Benefits of the Topic

This hadith is among the three chained hadith collected
by Imam Ahmed in his Musnad. The 3 narrators between
Imam Ahmed and the hadith are; Isma’il -Abdul Aziz -
Qatadah- hadith.

Qatadah narrated this hadith on Anas ibn Malik (‫رﺿــــﻲ‬

‫)اﻟﻠـــﻪ ﻋﻨـــﻪ‬.Qatadah was the most memorized in Basra
everything he heard he learned it by heart. He heard the
collection of Jabir only once and memorized it right
away. He was once accused of following the Qadariyyah.
Qatadah was born 60 Hijrah and died 117 H.

“Which supplication did the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬frequently

supplicate with?” refers to the Dua he would normally
say most of the time due to its importance.

The salaf differ over the meaning of , “ The Good in

this life”, some say it refers to knowledge and worship
in this life. Others say it means having a lawful income
and knowledge which benefits. The Good in the next life
refers to Jannah.

Another group of scholars have said the good in this

life and in the next refers to safety in both worlds
along with a pious spouse. Then there are some people of
knowledge that say, “The Good in this life refers to a
vast income through lawful means with the practice of
good deeds, while , “The Good in the Next life”, applies
to forgiveness and the reward for doing good deeds.

“The Good in this Life…” has also been interpreted to

mean knowledge and acting by it and “The Good in the
 next life , is having an easy judgment in front of Allah
allowing one to enter Jannah easily.

The one whom Allah has given Islam, the Quran, a family,
wealth and an offspring then Allah has given him the
good of both worlds is also inferred from this Dua.

Atha’labi has mentioned few of Salafs’ definition for

the, Good in this life and the Good in Next life and
among them are;

1. Safety from danger is the good of both lives with

Allah’s Pleasure.

The Good in this life is a righteous woman and in Next

life it’s the Hoorul Ayn(Women of Jannah)

“Save us from the punishment of the fire.” Refers to an

evil and unrighteous spouse.

Ibn Kathir said: “The Good in this Life.” Includes all

worldly and material possessions a person wishes to have
in this life. Such as; good health, a nice home, a
beautiful wife, pious offspring, and vast wealth.
Moreover, doing good deeds, owning a nice and a
comfortable form of transportation while people like you
are a part of the good in this life.

“The Good in the Next life.” Is entering Jannah, not being so

afraid and worried on the Day of Judgement and having an easy
reckoning before Allah.

“Being safe from the punishment of the Fire includes the

ability to do the things in this life which facilitates the
ease to enter Paradise. For example, being able to avoid sins,
and all doubtful matters.

In conclusion, there has been many interpretation and

explanations for those words in the Dua. Asking Allah for the
good in this life includes everything that is upright, moral
and decent, and even help from Allah against your enemies.
These things bring a person happiness in this life and allow
him to be successful in the Hereafter. Anas (Radi Allahu anhu)
learned this dua as the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬would often say it.[2]

Prepared by Abu Aaliyah Abdullah ibn Dwight Battle

Doha, Qatar 1441(C)

[1] Ahmed (3/101) Al-Bukhari (6389) and others.

[2] Explanation of the Thulithiyat Musnad imam Ahmad by Ash-
Shiekh Muhammad As-Safaraniyah (1188H) vol 1, pg 369