Legislation of general and specific supplications

Question:

It has been authentically narrated from the Prophet ﷺ that he ﷺ would seek refuge from poverty, cowardice, stinginess, greediness, worry, grief, laziness, lack, abasement and many other things.

The question: is it permissible to combine all of these things in the supplication: “O Allah I seek refuge with you from everything which your Prophet ﷺ sought refuge from.”

Or do we supplicate each thing separately?

May Allah reward you with good.

Answer:

Each situation differs from the other.

If one was to supplicate to his lord, exalted is He, to obtain a specific benefit or to ward a specific harm, then he specifies his supplication as this has taken place in many places in the Book and the Sunnah.

If he was in a situation relating to a general supplication, then he seeks the Jawāmi’l Kalim (the short in wording but extensive in meaning) as the Prophet ﷺ would do.

As found in the Sahih, on the authority of Anas, wherein he said: 

“The majority of the supplication of the Prophet ﷺ would be:

(اللهم آتنا في الدنيا حسنة وفي الآخوة حسنة وقنا عذاب النار)

“O Allah grant us good in the dunya and good in the hereafter and spare us from fire.”

And it’s upon a person to seek out the supplications which have been transmitted.

And success is granted by Allah

Answered by:
Shaykh Abu Hatim Yusuf Al-‘Inaabi Al-Jazaa’iree – may Allaah preserve him.

Source:
t.me/abouhatem/21

Answered on:
27th, Muharram, 1438H

Translated by:
Abu ‘Abdirrahman ‘Abdullaah bin Ahmed Ash-Shingaani