While returning from Taa’if, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) sought refuge in an orchard belonging to Utbah bin Rabee‘ah and Shaibah bin Rabee‘ah. On entering the orchard, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) sat in the shade of a tree and made the following du‘aa:
اللهم إليك أشكو ضعف قوتي وقلة حيلتي وهواني على الناس يا أرحم الراحمين أنت رب المستضعفين إلى من تكلني إلى عدو بعيد يتجهمني أم إلى صديق قريب ملكته أمري إن لم تكن غضبانا علي فلا أبالي غير أن عافيتك أوسع لي أعوذ بنور وجهك الذي أشرقت له الظلمات وصلح عليه أمر الدنيا والآخرة من أن تنزل بي غضبك أو يحل بي سخطك ولك العتبى حتى ترضى ولا حول ولا قوة إلا بك
O Allah! To You alone do I complain of the feebleness of my strength, the scarceness of my resources and my unimportance in the eyes of people. O the Most-Merciful of those who show mercy! You are the Rabb of the weak! To whom will You entrust me – to a distant enemy who will frown at me, or to a close friend to whom You have assigned my affair? O Allah! So long as You are not displeased with me then I am not concerned or worried in the least. However, ease from You will bring me relief. I seek protection in the divine radiance of Your countenance, which illuminates all darkness, and through which the affairs of this world and the Hereafter continue in harmony, (I seek protection) from You sending down Your anger upon me, or from your wrath falling upon me. You alone do I strive to please, and I will continue until You are pleased, and there is no ability (to refrain from evil) and no power (to carry out righteous actions) except through You.
Being the Nabi of Allah Ta‘ala was sufficient for the du‘aa of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) to gain acceptance, as the du‘aas of all the Ambiyaa (‘alaihimus salaam) readily gain acceptance. However, at this time, apart from his position as the Nabi of Allah Ta‘ala, the following qualities of being in distress, suffering humiliation and oppression and being out on safar were additional factors for the du‘aa being accepted.
Regarding the one who is in distress, Allah Ta‘ala mentions in the Qur’aan Majeed:
اَمَّنۡ یُّجِیۡبُ الۡمُضۡطَرَّ اِذَا دَعَاہُ وَ یَکۡشِفُ السُّوۡٓءَ
Who is the One (besides Allah Ta‘ala) who will answer the call of the person in distress when he calls unto Him (in du‘aa) and (who is the one besides Allah Ta‘ala who) will remove his suffering? (Surah Namal v. 62)
Regarding the person who is oppressed and the traveller, the Hadith mentions that the du‘aa of each one of them will surely be accepted.
Beware the sigh of the oppressed for the gates of acceptance readily welcome his du‘aa in the Divine Court of Allah Ta‘ala
Hence, we can well imagine the power of the du‘aa made by a personality such as this, who was not only the Nabi and Rasul of Allah Ta‘ala, but was also in distress, oppressed, cast out and out on safar. Thus, as soon as this du‘aa left his blessed lips, the gates of acceptance were open entirely.
(Seeratul Mustafa 1/275-276)
