Thinking Well of Allah

My Dear Readers,

السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ

As-salaamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. (May the Peace, Mercy and Blessings of Allah be upon you)

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ نَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ وَنَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَسَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلاَ مُضِلَّ لَهُ وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلاَ هَادِيَ لَهُ

وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ

(See end note in the first post)

Thinking Well of Allah (حسن الظن بالله) 

 

  وَطَآئِفَةٌ قَدْ أَهَمَّتْهُمْ أَنفُسُهُمْ يَظُنُّونَ بِاللّهِ غَيْرَ الْحَقِّ ظَنَّ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ

....whereas the others, who cared mainly for themselves, unjustly entertained wrong thoughts about God - thoughts of pagan ignorance.. Al-Imran (The Family of Imran) - 3:154

The ayat above highlights that those who are selfish, or who care mainly for themselves have thoughts of pagan ignorance vis-à-vis their state of unhappiness with what has been apportioned for them by Divine Wisdom. These kind of unmerited thoughts about God, being the thoughts of ignorance, a posteriori afflict the hearts of the ignorant, relegating them into a state of perpetual antagonism against their own state of being. Always thinking that Allah could and should do better when it comes to matters that concern them.

This post is an attempt to introspect, to delve deep into my soul, to find out how guilty am I of this failing?

Thinking well of others is something that is frequently prescribed to us in Qur'an as well as in the traditions of the Prophet(ﷺ). For example:

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ، عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ إِيَّاكُمْ وَالظَّنَّ، فَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ أَكْذَبُ الْحَدِيثِ، وَلاَ تَحَسَّسُوا، وَلاَ تَجَسَّسُوا، وَلاَ تَنَاجَشُوا، وَلاَ تَحَاسَدُوا، وَلاَ تَبَاغَضُوا، وَلاَ
تَدَابَرُوا، وَكُونُوا عِبَادَ اللَّهِ إِخْوَانًا ‏"‏‏

Narrated Abu Huraira(رضي الله عنه‎): The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Beware of negative thinking/suspicion of others, for is the worst of falsehood. and do not look for the others' faults, and do not spy on one another, and do not incite, and do not be jealous of one another and do not hate one another, and do not desert (stop talking to) one another. And O, Allah's worshipers! Be brothers!"
Referenced from bukhari via sunnah.com (here)

Looking at the statement  إياكم والظن ، فان الظن أكذب الحديث, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) has categorically warned us against thinking negatively about others. It begs the question that when thinking ill of others is the worst kind of thinking, what can we say of "thinking ill of Allah"? Surely it transcends anything that we can think of!

Any true believer will shudder at the mere idea of falling into such a category of people who think negatively of Allah,  and yet it may be possible that it is something that do while being oblivious to it.

The scholar Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr (Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah) writes in his Zad Al Ma’ad:

فأكثر الخلق بل كلهم إلا من شاء الله يظنون بالله غير الحق ظن السوء ؛
فإن غالب بني آدم يعتقد أنه مبخوس الحق ، ناقص الحظ ، وأنه يستحق فوق ما أعطاه الله ،
ولسان حاله يقول : ظلمني ربي ومنعني ما أستحق ، ونفسه تشهد عليه لذلك ،
وهو بلسانه ينكره ولا يتجاسر على التصريح به ومن فتش نفسه وتغلغل في معرفة دفائنها وطواياها ،
...........
ولو فتشت من فتشته ، لرأيت عنده تعتباً على القدر وملامة له
، واقتراحاً عليه خلاف ما جرى به ، وأنه ينبغي أن يكون كذا وكذا ، فمستقل ومستكثر ، وفتش نفسك هل أنت سالم من ذلك :
فإن تنـجُ منها تنجُ من ذي عظيمة وإلا فإني لا أخالك ناجياً

“Most people – in fact everybody, barring those saved by Allah –assume the worst with regards to Allah, unjustly. Most people believe that they are deprived of what they rightfully deserve, or suffer from bad luck, or certainly deserve more than what Allah has provided for them.
It is as if they are saying: ‘My Lord has wronged me and deprived me of what I deserve,’ and their soul bears witness to this while their tongue states otherwise, not true to what is in the heart.
.....…So, delve into your own self: are you free from this? If you are, then you have been protected from something truly terrible. Otherwise, I do not see that you have been saved.”

One the one hand, it is a terrible thing, and must be avoided, and the opposite of it is a part of the perfection of our religious devotions:

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ مُوسَى، أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو دَاوُدَ، أَخْبَرَنَا صَدَقَةُ بْنُ مُوسَى، أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ وَاسِعٍ، عَنْ سُمَيْرِ بْنِ نَهَارٍ الْعَبْدِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ إِنَّ حُسْنَ الظَّنِّ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ حُسْنِ عِبَادَةِ اللَّهِ ‏"‏ ‏

Abu Hurairah  (رضي الله عنه‎) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: :
“Indeed, having good thoughts concerning Allah is from the perfection of the worship of Allah.”
Referenced from tirmidhi via sunnah.com (here).

Not only should this be the state of our heart during our stint here on earth, but it is paramount that we should be safe from this before we pass on to the other world.

The Prophet (ﷺ) in his parting words of advice, emphatically stated:

دَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى، أَخْبَرَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ زَكَرِيَّاءَ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَبْلَ وَفَاتِهِ بِثَلاَثٍ يَقُولُ ‏ "‏ لاَ يَمُوتَنَّ أَحَدُكُمْ إِلاَّ وَهُوَ يُحْسِنُ بِاللَّهِ الظَّنَّ ‏"‏

Jabir (رضي الله عنه‎) reported:
I heard Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) as saying three days before his death: None of you should court death except in a state of assuming the best about Allah.
Referenced from muslim via sunnah.com (here).

Another narration explains why the "Mercy to the Worlds" (ﷺ) advised us such:

حَدَّثَنَاعُمَرُ بْنُ حَفْصٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، سَمِعْتُ أَبَا صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ يَقُولُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى أَنَا عِنْدَ ظَنِّ عَبْدِي بِي، وَأَنَا مَعَهُ إِذَا ذَكَرَنِي، فَإِنْ ذَكَرَنِي فِي نَفْسِهِ ذَكَرْتُهُ فِي نَفْسِي، وَإِنْ ذَكَرَنِي فِي مَلأٍ ذَكَرْتُهُ فِي مَلأٍ خَيْرٍ مِنْهُمْ، وَإِنْ تَقَرَّبَ إِلَىَّ بِشِبْرٍ تَقَرَّبْتُ إِلَيْهِ ذِرَاعًا، وَإِنْ تَقَرَّبَ إِلَىَّ ذِرَاعًا تَقَرَّبْتُ إِلَيْهِ بَاعًا، وَإِنْ أَتَانِي يَمْشِي أَتَيْتُهُ هَرْوَلَةً ‏

Narrated Abu Huraira(رضي الله عنه‎) : The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Allah says: 'I am just as My slave thinks I am, (i.e. I am able to do for him what he thinks I can do for him) and I am with him if He remembers Me. If he remembers Me in himself, I too, remember him in Myself; and if he remembers Me in a group of people, I remember him in a group that is better than they; and if he comes one span nearer to Me, I go one cubit nearer to him; and if he comes one cubit nearer to Me, I go a distance of two outstretched arms nearer to him; and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running.

We must think well of our Lord, and so we shall gain proximity to Him, and we shall find what we expect or fear. It is not a cognitive challenge alone. A state of thinking well of Allah is not only a matter of the heart, but also has a direct impact on our deeds.  In the words of Hassan Al Basri (may Allah be pleased with him):

المؤمن أحسنَ الظنّ بربّه فأحسن العملَ ، وإنّ الفاجر أساءَ الظنّ بربّه فأساءَ العمل

"The believer assumes the best about his Lord so he does the best deeds. The sinner assumes the worst about his Lord, so he does (/ends up doing) evil deeds"

‘Abdullah bin Mas’ud (رضي الله عنه‎) said:

والذي لا إله غيرُه ما أُعطي عبدٌ مؤمن شيئاً خيراً من حسن الظن بالله عز وجل، والذي لا إله غيره لا يحسن عبد بالله عز وجل الظن إلا أعطاه الله عز وجل ظنَّه؛ ذلك بأنَّ الخيرَ في يده» رواه ابن أبي الدنيا في حسن الظن

“By the One besides Whom none is worthy of worship, the believer is not given anything [good] better than his good expectations of Allah, and by the One besides Who none is worthy of worship, no servant of Allah expects good of Him except that Allah gives him what he expected, since all good is in His Hand.”


Knowing this, I had time to introspect, where examined myself, and found out that I have, on occasion, wished or wanted my situation to be different from what it is. And I have frequently looked at the condition of the world, and thought that it could be better.

عَسَى أَن تَكْرَهُواْ شَيْئًا وَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ

 ...it may well be that you hate a thing the while it is good for you. Al-Baqara (The Cow) - 2:216

And at the same time, having read the ayat above, I also do believe that Allah knows what is best. It is these two contradicting feelings that I must reconcile.

Surely, if I dislike something, it may be that I do not understand/know it.  I must make attempts to understand it to the best of my ability. For doesn't sayyidina Ali(عليه السلام)say:

 النَّاسُ أَعْدَاءُ مَا جَهِلُوا

People often hate/oppose what they do not know. (Nahjul Balaghah)

There is a caveat, however. How can an ordinary mortal like me understand the secrets of the things around us, when from the story of Musa (عليه السلام) and Khidr (عليه السلام) in the Qur'an it can be seen that even an apostle of the caliber of Musa (عليه السلام) could not fathom some happenings? In this case, I conclude that despite my best intentions and efforts, if I have not understood some happening that goes against my thinking, I must place my complete trust in Allah's Wisdom and Knowledge. And I should pray to Allah to guide me on this.

If I truly believe in Allah's Perfection, then how can I not be happy with His Decisions? We often say ( سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ), but we need to realize the connotation of what it means. It means we truly believe that Allah is free of any weaknesses, defects and short-comings. And once we believe that, there should be no hesitation on our part in accepting His Decisions, without even a hint of second-guessing on our part. It does not mean that we cannot seek knowledge, or seek to understand. Take the example from our fellow creation, the angels, when they wished to understand Allah's Decision, they started with (سُبْحَانَكَ):

قَالُواْ سُبْحَانَكَ لاَ عِلْمَ لَنَا إِلاَّ مَا عَلَّمْتَنَا إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ

They replied: "Limitless art Thou in Thy glory! No knowledge have we save that which Thou hast imparted unto us. Verily, Thou alone art all-knowing, truly wise. Al-Baqara (The Cow) - 2:32

One of the well known statements that indicates Allah's Perfection, and has innumerable benefits, is mentioned in this hadith:

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ سُمَىٍّ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ مَنْ قَالَ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ‏.‏ فِي يَوْمٍ مِائَةَ مَرَّةٍ حُطَّتْ خَطَايَاهُ، وَإِنْ كَانَتْ مِثْلَ زَبَدِ الْبَحْرِ ‏"‏‏.‏

Narrated Abu Huraira(رضي الله عنه‎):  
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Whoever says, 'Subhan Allah wa bihamdihi,' one hundred times a day, will be forgiven all his sins even if they were as much as the foam of the sea.
Referenced from sunnah.com (here)

( سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ) as a statement indicates the absence of something (defects), so once we understand that Allah is free from all that is unworthy, it is coupled with the next statement (وَبِحَمْدِهِ), means "everything Praiseworthy belongs to Him". So this is a powerful combination, which when recited helps rid us of our sins, and alleviates the disease in the heart, the disease of doubting His Decisions. Once we internalize it, then the next stage is to elevate our faith to those well-pleased.

There is an interesting story that once Ammar bin Yasir (رضي الله عنه‎) led the people in prayers but he made the prayer rather short. Bear in mind that this was a time when people would enjoy long prayers, with long recitations, and hence there were quite a few objections to this unsatisfactory length of the prayer. Ammar(رضي الله عنه‎) responded by saying that despite the length being short, he recited a supplication that the Prophet(ﷺ) used to recite, as if saying implicitly that this more than makes up for the brevity of the prayer. The supplication is:

 ‏ اللَّهُمَّ بِعِلْمِكَ الْغَيْبَ وَقُدْرَتِكَ عَلَى الْخَلْقِ أَحْيِنِي مَا عَلِمْتَ الْحَيَاةَ خَيْرًا لِي وَتَوَفَّنِي إِذَا عَلِمْتَ الْوَفَاةَ خَيْرًا لِي وَأَسْأَلُكَ خَشْيَتَكَ فِي الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ وَكَلِمَةَ الإِخْلاَصِ فِي الرِّضَا وَالْغَضَبِ وَأَسْأَلُكَ نَعِيمًا لاَ يَنْفَدُ وَقُرَّةَ عَيْنٍ لاَ تَنْقَطِعُ وَأَسْأَلُكَ الرِّضَاءَ بِالْقَضَاءِ وَبَرْدَ الْعَيْشِ بَعْدَ الْمَوْتِ وَلَذَّةَ النَّظَرِ إِلَى وَجْهِكَ وَالشَّوْقَ إِلَى لِقَائِكَ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ ضَرَّاءَ مُضِرَّةٍ وَفِتْنَةٍ مُضِلَّةٍ اللَّهُمَّ زَيِّنَّا بِزِينَةِ الإِيمَانِ وَاجْعَلْنَا هُدَاةً مُهْتَدِينَ

O Allah, by Your knowledge of the unseen and Your power over creation, keep me alive so long as You know that living is good for me and cause me to die when You know that death is better for me. O Allah, cause me to fear You in secret and in public. I ask You to make me true in speech in times of pleasure and of anger. I ask You to make me moderate in times of wealth and poverty. And I ask You for everlasting delight and joy that will never cease. I ask You to make me pleased with that which You have decreed and for an easy life after death. I ask You for the sweetness of looking upon Your face and a longing to meet You in a manner that does not entail a calamity that will bring about harm or a trial that will cause deviation. O Allah, beautify us with the adornment of faith and make us among those who guide and are rightly guided."

Referenced from an nasai via sunnah.com (here)

I have highlighted a portion of the supplication that indicates the state of being of those who truly love Allah. Pleasure at His Decree is a state much sought after by the dearest of Allah. There are several do'a to this effect among our literature, for example:

 بِسْمِ اللَّهِ ، عَلَى نَفْسِي وَمَالِي وَدِينِي ، اللَّهُمَّ رَضِّنِي بِقَضَائِكَ ، وَبَارِكْ لِي فِي قَدَرِكَ ، حَتَّى لا أُحِبَّ تَعْجِيلَ مَا أَخَّرْتَ وَلا تَأْخِيرَ مَا عَجَّلْتَ

When you leave your house and are afflicted with hardship, why don't you pray:
'In the name of Allah with regard to myself, my property, and my deen. O Allah, cause me to be satisfied and pleased with Your decree, and bless me in what is assigned for me, so that I will not want to hasten what You have delayed, nor to delay what You have hastened'.


Supplications to this effect have been made by the righteous people, for example sayyidina Ali(عليه السلام):

اللّهُمَّ مُنَّ عَليَّ بِالتَّوَكُلِ عَلَيْكَ وَالتَّفْويضِ إلَيْكَ وَالرِّضا بِقَدْرِكَ والتَّسْليمِ لامْرِكَ حَتّى لا أحِبَّ تَعْجيلَ ما أخَّرْتَ وَلا تَأخيرَ ماعَجَّلْتَ يارَبَّ العالَمينَ

O Allah, grace me with(the ability to) trust You, and commit (my affairs) to You, and (bless me) with contentment with your Decree, and submission to Your Will until I no longer long for hastening that which You have delayed, or delaying that which You would hasten, O Lord of the Worlds.

Sa’id bin Jubayr (رضي الله عنه‎) would supplicate:

اللهم إني أسألك صدق التوكل عليك ، وحسن الظن بك

“O Allah, I ask you to grant me true reliance on You and good expectations of You.”

Through these supplications and efforts, we hope to reach a state, which we see in the example of the Prophet Ayub (عليه السلام), who was afflicted with a debilitating illness for more than a decade, and the Prophet Yaqub (عليه السلام), who lost his eyesight on account of grieving for his son Yusuf(عليه السلام). Both of them braved a smile and patiently lead their lives, never ever thinking negatively of Allah, so much so that the life of Ayub (عليه السلام) has become archetype of patience and pleasure with the decision of the Lord.

Another aspect of this state needs an introduction through the poem of Maulana Rumi, from his Masnavi:

داد مر فرعون را صد ملک و مال
تا بکرد او دعوی عز و جلال

God gave Pharaoh abundance of riches and wealth,

So that he boasted that he was 'Lord Supreme.'

در همه عمرش ندید او درد سر
تا ننالد سوی حق آن بدگهر

In the whole of his life he suffered no headache,

So that he never cried to God, wretch that he was.

داد او را جمله ملک این جهان
حق ندادش درد و رنج و اندهان

God granted him the absolute dominion of the world,

But withheld from him pain and sorrow and cares;

درد آمد بهتر از ملک جهان
تا بخوانی مر خدا را در نهان

Because pain and sorrow and loads of cares

Are the lot of God's friends in the world.

خواندن بی درد از افسردگیست
خواندن با درد از دل‌بردگیست

Pain is better than the dominion of the world,
So that you may call on God in secret.

The central thesis here is that challenges to our state of comfort are a boon from Allah, and we should patiently and happily accept them, for this is the choice Allah has made for His friends in this world. A life of comfort completely free of pain and worry, on the contrary, was not only given to the Pharaoh as a punishment, but also ultimately led to exacerbation of his spiritual condition.

There is a story from the Indian sub-continent Sufi lore that when hazrat Nizamuddin was a young boy, the mother was very generous to the point that often little or nothing would be left for them to consume. At which she would say to him:

 امروز مهمان خدا هستیم

Today we are guests of God.

This fast was seen as a gift from God. And when food was sufficient, sometimes he would tell his mother to pray that they become guests of God again, for he yearned for it.

To understand why Allah sometimes chooses difficulties for his friends, the following hadith can shed some light:

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ التَّيْمِيِّ، عَنِ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ سُوَيْدٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَتَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي مَرَضِهِ وَهْوَ يُوعَكُ وَعْكًا شَدِيدًا، وَقُلْتُ إِنَّكَ لَتُوعَكُ وَعْكًا شَدِيدًا‏.‏ قُلْتُ إِنَّ ذَاكَ بِأَنَّ لَكَ أَجْرَيْنِ‏.‏ قَالَ‏ أَجَلْ مَا مِنْ مُسْلِمٍ يُصِيبُهُ أَذًى، إِلاَّ حَاتَّ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ خَطَايَاهُ، كَمَا تَحَاتُّ وَرَقُ الشَّجَرِ

Narrated `Abdullah(رضي الله عنه‎): I visited the Prophet (ﷺ) during his ailments and he was suffering from a high fever. I said, "You have a high fever. Is it because you will have a double reward for it?" He said, "Yes, for no Muslim is afflicted with any harm but that Allah will remove his sins as the leaves of a tree fall down."Referenced from bukhari via sunnah.com (here)

The last point that can be made in this context is that Allah truly loves that those who love Him should ask Him, beseech Him:

وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُواْ لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُواْ بِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ

AND IF My servants ask thee about Me - behold, I am near; I respond to the call of him who calls, whenever he calls unto Me: let them, then, respond unto Me, and believe in Me, so that they might follow the right way. Al-Baqara (The Cow) - 2:186

And Allah does not like if we do not ask Him:

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا حَاتِمُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، عَنْ أَبِي الْمَلِيحِ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، رضى الله عنه قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ مَنْ لَمْ يَسْأَلِ اللَّهَ يَغْضَبْ عَلَيْهِ ‏"  قَالَ وَرَوَى وَكِيعٌ وَغَيْرُ وَاحِدٍ عَنْ أَبِي الْمَلِيحِ هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ وَلاَ نَعْرِفُهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ وَأَبُو الْمَلِيحِ اسْمُهُ صَبِيحٌ سَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدًا يَقُولُهُ وَقَالَ يُقَالُ لَهُ الْفَارِسِيُّ

Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Indeed, he who does not ask Allah, he gets angry with him.”
Referenced from tirmidhi via sunnah.com (here)


Not only that, those who do not ask, are seen to be arrogant, or it is only the arrogant who do not ask, or are not invited to ask, as in the case of the Pharaoh above:

وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِي سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَاخِرِينَ

But your Sustainer says: “Call unto Me, [and] I shall respond to you!  Verily, they who are too proud to worship Me will enter hell, abased!” Ghafir (The Forgiver) - 40:60

So I remind myself, and my fellow believers, let us introspect and cleanse ourselves from this shortcoming, if we have it, and think well of Allah, and let us ask Him for help and guidance, with the belief that He will accept our supplications. As the Prophet (ﷺ) advised us in a hadith:

ادْعُوا اللهَ وَأَنْتُمْ مُوقِنُونَ بِالإجَابَةِ

....When you beseech Allah in supplication, be convinced that He will answer you." Referenced from tirmidhi via sunnah.com (here).

In addition to do'a (supplications), we are enjoined to do charity (sadaqah) to avoid things that are uncomfortable, but that needs a lengthy treatment, and needs a post by itself. 

To conclude, I would like to share a doa' quoted in An-Nasai through Anas Bin Malik (رضي الله عنه) that Rasoolullah (ﷺ) taught to sayyidah Fatimah (عليها السلام):

وعن أنس بن مالك رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لفاطمة رضي الله عنها: ما يمنعك أن تسمعي ما أوصيك به أن تقولي إذا أصبحت وإذا أمسيت: يا حي يا قيوم برحمتك أستغيث، أصلح لي شأني كله ولا تكلني إلى نفسي طرفة عين. رواه النسائي

“O Hayy O Qayyum! I seek assistance from You alone, courtesy of your Mercy; please rectify all my affairs and do not leave me at the mercy of my nafs even for the blink of an eye"

May Allah bless us with a believing heart that is pleased with what Allah has chosen for us. Aameen

والله أعلم   
 Wa Allahu 'Alam (And Allah is the All-Knowing)