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Sakinah · سَكِينَة

How are you feeling today?

Choose a feeling and receive an ayah of the Qur'an and an authentic hadith from Sahih al-Bukhari or Sahih Muslim, with a concise scholarly explanation and every source one tap away.

أَلَا بِذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ ٱلْقُلُوبُ

For when you feel

🌧️ Sad or grieving حَزين

For loss, disappointment and heavy days.

Qur'an · Al-Baqara 2:155–157

سُورَةُ البَقَرَةِ

وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَىْءٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْخَوْفِ وَٱلْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْأَمْوَٰلِ وَٱلْأَنفُسِ وَٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ ﴿155﴾ ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَآ أَصَٰبَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌۭ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّآ إِلَيْهِ رَٰجِعُونَ ﴿156﴾ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَٰتٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌۭ ۖ وَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُهْتَدُونَ ﴿157﴾

“And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient, Who, when disaster strikes them, say, "Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return. Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who are the [rightly] guided.”

Saheeh International translation

Explanation · Al-Mukhtasar

155.Allah will test people with different types of hardships: some with fear of those who are against them; hunger because of lack of food; lack of money because of losing it or difficulty gaining it; loss of lives due to death from diseases and tragedies that kill people, or being martyred for the sake of Allah; and a lack of resources from the earth. Give good news, O Prophet, to those who are patient in the face of these hardships, of what will make them happy in this world and in the Afterlife.

156.The patient are those who, when they are struck by one of these hardships, say, in acceptance, that all power belongs to Allah, He deals with us as He wills, and we will return to Him on the Day of Judgement, and it is He Who created us and showers us with many blessings; so, to Him is our return and our end.

157.Those who possess these virtues are praised by Allah in the highest gathering of angels, and mercy descends on them. They are the ones guided to the path of truth.

Reflection

The test is named plainly: fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits. And the reward for saying 'we belong to Allah' is not only patience; it is blessings, mercy and guidance.

Qur'an · Yusuf 12:86

سُورَةُ يُوسُفَ

قَالَ إِنَّمَآ أَشْكُوا۟ بَثِّى وَحُزْنِىٓ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَأَعْلَمُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ﴿86﴾

“He said, "I only complain of my suffering and my grief to Allah, and I know from Allah that which you do not know.”

Saheeh International translation

Explanation · Al-Mukhtasar

Their father said to them that he only complained to Allah of the grief and sorrow that had occurred him, and that he knew of the kindness and generosity of Allah and His response to those who were in need, and His reward for those who suffered, which they did not know.

Reflection

Ya'qub, having lost a son for years, did not pretend to be fine. He directed his grief to Allah. Sadness taken to Allah is worship, not weakness.

Qur'an · Ad-Dhuhaa 93:3–5

سُورَةُ الضُّحَىٰ

مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ وَمَا قَلَىٰ ﴿3﴾ وَلَلْءَاخِرَةُ خَيْرٌۭ لَّكَ مِنَ ٱلْأُولَىٰ ﴿4﴾ وَلَسَوْفَ يُعْطِيكَ رَبُّكَ فَتَرْضَىٰٓ ﴿5﴾

“Your Lord has not taken leave of you, [O Muhammad], nor has He detested [you]. And the Hereafter is better for you than the first [life]. And your Lord is going to give you, and you will be satisfied.”

Saheeh International translation

Explanation · Al-Mukhtasar

3.O Messenger! Your Lord has not left you, nor has he begun to hate you, as the idolaters claimed when there was a break in the revelation.

4.Indeed, the abode of the afterlife is better for you than the worldly one, because of the everlasting bounties that it has.

5.Very soon He will grant you an abundant reward, and your nation also, until you become content with what He has granted you and your nation.

Reflection

Revealed when revelation paused and the Prophet ﷺ felt abandoned. 'Your Lord has not left you' was the answer then, and it is the answer now.

Qur'an · Aal-i-Imraan 3:139

سُورَةُ آلِ عِمۡرَانَ

وَلَا تَهِنُوا۟ وَلَا تَحْزَنُوا۟ وَأَنتُمُ ٱلْأَعْلَوْنَ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ ﴿139﴾

“So do not weaken and do not grieve, and you will be superior if you are [true] believers.”

Saheeh International translation

Explanation · Al-Mukhtasar

Do not become weak, O believers, and do not be sad about what happened to you on the day of Uḥud. That is not appropriate for you, because you are superior because of your faith, and the uppermost with Allah’s help and the hope of victory, if you have faith in Allah and in His promise to those who are Mindful.

Reflection

Revealed after the setback at Uhud. Grief is allowed; giving up is not. The verse ties dignity to faith, not to winning.

Hadith · Sahih al-Bukhari 5642

Sahih

حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ بْنُ عَمْرٍو، حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ حَلْحَلَةَ، عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ، وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ مَا يُصِيبُ الْمُسْلِمَ مِنْ نَصَبٍ وَلاَ وَصَبٍ وَلاَ هَمٍّ وَلاَ حُزْنٍ وَلاَ أَذًى وَلاَ غَمٍّ حَتَّى الشَّوْكَةِ يُشَاكُهَا، إِلاَّ كَفَّرَ اللَّهُ بِهَا مِنْ خَطَايَاهُ ‏"‏‏.‏

Narrated Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri and Abu Huraira

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "No fatigue, nor disease, nor sorrow, nor sadness, nor hurt, nor distress befalls a Muslim, even if it were the prick he receives from a thorn, but that Allah expiates some of his sins for that

Reflection

Even a prick of a thorn is counted. Nothing you are going through is wasted; sorrow itself is being written as expiation.

Hadith · Sahih Muslim, Book 11, Hadith 4

Sahih

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَيُّوبَ، وَقُتَيْبَةُ، وَابْنُ، حُجْرٍ جَمِيعًا عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ، - قَالَ ابْنُ أَيُّوبَ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، - أَخْبَرَنِي سَعْدُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ كَثِيرِ بْنِ أَفْلَحَ، عَنِ ابْنِ، سَفِينَةَ عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ، أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ‏"‏ مَا مِنْ مُسْلِمٍ تُصِيبُهُ مُصِيبَةٌ فَيَقُولُ مَا أَمَرَهُ اللَّهُ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ اللَّهُمَّ أْجُرْنِي فِي مُصِيبَتِي وَأَخْلِفْ لِي خَيْرًا مِنْهَا ‏.‏ إِلاَّ أَخْلَفَ اللَّهُ لَهُ خَيْرًا مِنْهَا ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَتْ فَلَمَّا مَاتَ أَبُو سَلَمَةَ قُلْتُ أَىُّ الْمُسْلِمِينَ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ أَوَّلُ بَيْتٍ هَاجَرَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏.‏ ثُمَّ إِنِّي قُلْتُهَا فَأَخْلَفَ اللَّهُ لِي رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏.‏ قَالَتْ أَرْسَلَ إِلَىَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم حَاطِبَ بْنَ أَبِي بَلْتَعَةَ يَخْطُبُنِي لَهُ فَقُلْتُ إِنَّ لِي بِنْتًا وَأَنَا غَيُورٌ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ أَمَّا ابْنَتُهَا فَنَدْعُو اللَّهَ أَنْ يُغْنِيَهَا عَنْهَا وَأَدْعُو اللَّهَ أَنْ يَذْهَبَ بِالْغَيْرَةِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Umm Salama reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying

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)

Reflection

Umm Salama said these words after losing her husband and was later married to the Prophet ﷺ. The supplication asks for reward in the loss and something better after it, and she saw both.

Hadith · Sahih Muslim, Book 55, Hadith 82

Sahih

حَدَّثَنَا هَدَّابُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ الأَزْدِيُّ، وَشَيْبَانُ بْنُ فَرُّوخَ، جَمِيعًا عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ، - وَاللَّفْظُ لِشَيْبَانَ - حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ، حَدَّثَنَا ثَابِتٌ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي لَيْلَى، عَنْ صُهَيْبٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ عَجَبًا لأَمْرِ الْمُؤْمِنِ إِنَّ أَمْرَهُ كُلَّهُ خَيْرٌ وَلَيْسَ ذَاكَ لأَحَدٍ إِلاَّ لِلْمُؤْمِنِ إِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ سَرَّاءُ شَكَرَ فَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُ وَإِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ ضَرَّاءُ صَبَرَ فَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Suhaib reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said

Strange are the ways of a believer for there is good in every affair of his and this is not the case with anyone else except in the case of a believer for if he has an occasion to feel delight, he thanks (God), thus there is a good for him in it, and if he gets into trouble and shows resignation (and endures it patiently), there is a good for him in it

Reflection

Every state of the believer is good: gratitude in ease, patience in hardship. This is not denial of pain; it is a promise that pain, borne well, is never a loss.

A supplication for this

إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ، اللَّهُمَّ أْجُرْنِي فِي مُصِيبَتِي وَأَخْلِفْ لِي خَيْرًا مِنْهَا

Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un. Allahumma'jurni fi musibati wa akhlif li khayran minha

We belong to Allah and to Him we return. O Allah, reward me in my affliction and replace it for me with something better.

Sahih Muslim, Book 11, Hadith 4

Sources and how this was made

Nothing here is paraphrased scripture. Qur'an text, translation and hadith text are pulled directly from the sources below and stored with their references; the concise explanation under each ayah is Al-Mukhtasar fi Tafsir al-Qur'an (Tafsir Center for Qur'anic Studies). The short reflections are practical notes written for this page and are not rulings; for guidance on a specific matter, consult a scholar.

Sakinah · UETAS