عنْ أَبي هُريْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللّه عَنْهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللّهِ صَلّى اللّهُ عَلَيْهِ وسَلَّم قَالَ: «لا يَقُولَنَّ أَحَدُكُمْ: اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لي إِنْ شِئْتَ: اللَّهُمَّ ارْحَمْني إِنْ شِئْتَ، لِيعْزِمِ المَسْأَلَةَ، فإِنَّهُ لا مُكْرِهَ لَهُ» متفـــقٌ عليه. وفي روايةٍ لمُسْلِمٍ: «وَلكنْ، لِيَعْزِمْ وَلْيُعْظِمِ الرَّغْبَةَ، فَإِنَّ اللّه تَعَالى لا يتَعَاظَمُهُ شَـيْءٌ أَعْطَاهُ»
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Let none of you say: 'O Allah, forgive me if You will; O Allah, have mercy on me if You will.' Let him be resolute in his request, for there is none who can compel Him." Agreed upon (al-Bukhari and Muslim). In a narration of Muslim: "But let him be resolute and let him make his desire great, for nothing that Allah, Exalted is He, grants is too great for Him."
الشرح · explanation
ليعزم المسألة: أي الشدة في طلبها مع الجزم، ويجِدّ فيها ويقطعها من غير ضعف في الطلب والتعليق على المشيئة ونحوها، وقيل: هو حسن الظنّ باللّه في الإجابة. لا مكره له: تعليل للنهي عن التعليق، والمعنى: أنّه لا يتحقق استعمال المشيئة إلّا في حقّ من يتوجه عليه الإكراه فيُخفف عنه ويعلم أنّه لا يطلب منه ذلك الشيء إلا برضاه واللّه تعالى منزه عن ذلك. ليعزم وليعظم الرغبة: ليشتد في طلب ما يريد وليبالغ في مطلوبه. ولا يتعاظمه شيء أعطاه: لا يعظم عليه أي مطلوب دنيويًا كان أم أخرويًا.
"Let him be resolute in the request (li-ya'zim al-mas'alah)": that is, earnestness in asking together with firm determination; he should strive in it and be decisive, without weakness in the request or making it conditional upon [Allah's] will and the like. It is also said: it means having a good opinion of Allah regarding the answering [of the prayer]. "There is none who can compel Him (la mukriha lahu)": this states the reason for the prohibition against making [the request] conditional. The meaning is that the use of "if You will" applies only in the case of one upon whom compulsion may be brought, so that it is eased for him and it is understood that a thing is asked of him only with his consent—and Allah, Exalted is He, is far above that. "Let him be resolute and make his desire great": let him be earnest in asking for what he wants and let him ask abundantly for what he seeks. "Nothing He grants is too great for Him": no request is too great for Him, whether worldly or otherworldly.
الدروس · lessons
استحباب الجزم في الدعاء والطلب من اللّه تعالى، وكراهة التعليق على المشيئة، لما في ذلك من إيهام الاستغناء عن حصول المطلوب، وأنّه يستوي عنده حصوله وعدمه، وأنّه يستغني أيضًا عن المطلوب منه، وأيضاً لما فيه من إيهام التخفيف عليه سبحانه وهو لا مكره له ولا يصعب عليه شيء.
It is recommended to be firm and resolute in supplication and in asking of Allah, Exalted is He, and it is disliked to make [the request] conditional upon [His] will, because that gives the false impression of indifference to whether the request is granted—as if its fulfillment and non-fulfillment were equal to him—and of being independent of the One being asked; and also because it falsely implies making things easy for Him, Glorified is He, whereas there is none who can compel Him and nothing is difficult for Him.