When you ask, ask Allah. When you seek help, seek help from Allah.
“When you ask, ask Allah. When you seek help, seek help from Allah.”
Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) informs that one day, as a boy, he was riding behind the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and he said to him: I will teach you things by which Allah will benefit you: Be mindful of Allah by observing His commands and prohibitions so He will find you engaged in the acts of worship and piety and not find you committing sins and misdeeds.
The plain meaning, from HadeethEnc
عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما قال: كُنْتُ خَلْفَ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَوْمًا، فَقَالَ: «يَا غُلَامُ، إِنِّي أُعَلِّمُكَ كَلِمَاتٍ، احْفَظِ اللهَ يَحْفَظْكَ، احْفَظِ اللهَ تَجِدْهُ تُجَاهَكَ، إِذَا سَأَلْتَ فَاسْأَلِ اللهَ، وَإِذَا اسْتَعَنْتَ فَاسْتَعِنْ بِاللهِ، وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ الْأُمَّةَ لَوِ اجْتَمَعَتْ عَلَى أَنْ يَنْفَعُوكَ بِشَيْءٍ، لَمْ يَنْفَعُوكَ إِلَّا بِشَيْءٍ قَدْ كَتَبَهُ اللهُ لَكَ، وَلَوِ اجْتَمَعُوا عَلَى أَنْ يَضُرُّوكَ بِشَيْءٍ، لَمْ يَضُرُّوكَ إِلَّا بِشَيْءٍ قَدْ كَتَبَهُ اللهُ عَلَيْكَ، رُفِعَتِ الْأَقْلَامُ وَجَفَّتِ الصُّحُفُ».
Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: One day, I was riding behind the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and he said: "O boy, I shall teach you some words: Be mindful of Allah, and Allah will protect you. Be mindful of Allah, and you will find Him before you. If you ask, ask Allah; if you seek help, seek help from Allah. And know that if the Ummah were to gather together to benefit you with anything, they would not benefit you except with what Allah had already prescribed for you. And if they were to gather together to harm you with anything, they would not harm you except with what Allah had already prescribed against you. The pens have been lifted, and the scrolls have dried."
What does Sunan al-Tirmidhi 2516 mean?
Ibn ‘Abbas was a boy riding behind the Prophet (peace be upon him) when he was taught this, and the whole passage is worth knowing: be mindful of Allah and He will protect you; be mindful of Allah and you will find Him before you. It ends with the reason the instruction is put so absolutely — if the whole community gathered to benefit you, they could only benefit you with what Allah had already written.
Written from HadeethEnc