The Prophet seeks refuge from committing injustice

📖Sunan Abī Dāwūd 1544
Abu Huraira reported: The Prophet ﷺ would say, O Allah, I seek refuge in You from poverty, scarcity, and humiliation. I seek refuge in You from committing wrong or being wronged.

Description:
This supplication of the Prophet ﷺ covers three main dangers – poverty, scarcity, and humiliation – alongside two moral protections: not committing injustice and not being a victim of it. Poverty and scarcity can lead to desperation, dependence on others, and moral compromise. Humiliation here refers to the kind that results from being disgraced, disrespected, or degraded in front of others due to loss of dignity, sin, or weakness. The dua also shows the Prophet’s emphasis on justice – seeking Allah’s protection both from being an oppressor and from suffering under oppression.

How it applies today:
In our modern context, this dua remains vital. Poverty and scarcity still push many toward corruption, exploitation, or crime. Humiliation in today’s world can take many forms – being treated as worthless because of race, religion, or financial status; being publicly shamed; or having one’s dignity stripped away. The prayer for protection from injustice works both ways: it makes a believer cautious not to harm others, and resilient in resisting the harm of others.

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But Still Non-Muslims Mock the Prophet – Why?

1. Arrogance and refusal to accept accountability – Accepting a prophet means accepting God’s commands, moral boundaries, and the Hereafter. Many people don’t want those limits on their desires or lifestyle.
2. Ignorance and false information – They rely on distorted portrayals of Islam from media, biased historians, or enemies of the faith, without studying the Prophet’s true life and teachings.
3. Hatred of truth that challenges power – Just like the leaders of Quraysh opposed the Prophet ﷺ because Islam threatened their control and unjust systems, some today see Islamic teachings as a challenge to their cultural or political dominance.
4. Following the pattern of past nations – The Qur’an repeats that every messenger was mocked (Quran 6:10), not because they lacked truth, but because people could not bear the truth’s demands.
5. Testing believers’ patience – Mockery is sometimes a test from Allah to distinguish those who stand firm in faith from those who waver under pressure.

Even if the Prophet ﷺ prayed for refuge from humiliation, mockery by disbelievers is not humiliation in Allah’s sight – in fact, it’s often a badge of honor, showing you are following the path of the prophets. True humiliation is when a person is abandoned by Allah, not when they are insulted by people.

📖Qur’an 3:178
And let not those who disbelieve think that Our delay is good for them. We only give them respite so that they may increase in sin, and for them is a humiliating punishment.

What we learn from this hadith today:

• Seek Allah’s protection from both material and spiritual harms.
• Recognize that injustice is wrong whether you commit it or suffer it.
• Understand that dignity is tied to Allah’s approval, not people’s opinions.
• Prepare yourself for verbal attacks against your faith without letting them shake your iman.
• Follow the Prophet’s balanced approach: praying for personal dignity while patiently enduring external insults.

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Qur’an verses supporting this hadith:

📖Quran 63:
But honor belongs to Allah, His Messenger, and the believers; yet the hypocrites do not know.”

📖Quran 6:10
Messengers before you were mocked, but those who ridiculed them were enveloped by what they used to mock.

Explanation:

• Allah is telling the Prophet ﷺ that mockery from disbelievers is not a new thing – it happened to all prophets before him.
• This shows it’s part of the sunnah of Allah’s testing: the truth will always face ridicule, because free will allows people to reject and insult it.
• The mockery itself becomes a proof against them – on the Day of Judgment, it will be turned back on them as humiliation and punishment.
• Believers are told to remain patient, because their honor is with Allah, not in the hands of those who mock.

Lesson:

• Being mocked for faith is not a sign of weakness – it’s actually a sign you’re on the path of the prophets.
• The mocking doesn’t mean Allah is unaware or ignoring it – He allows it as part of the test for both the believer (patience, steadfastness) and the disbeliever (exposure of arrogance).

📖Quran 41:35
None is granted it except those who are patient, and none is granted it except one having a great portion of good.”