The Best Way For Sisters to Say The Supplication to Alleviate Grief, Distress & Anxiety

As-Salamu Alaykum (peace be upon you), By Sheikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah Upon the authority of Ibn Mas'ud that the Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No slave is afflicted with anxiety and grief, and then says: 'O Allah, I am Your slave, son of Your male slave, son of Your female slave. My forelock is in Your hand. Your judgment upon me is assured and whatever you have decreed for me is just. I ask You by every name belonging to You which You have named Yourself with, revealed in Your Book, taught one of Your creation or which You have preserved in the knowledge of the Unseen with You that You make the Quran the spring of my heart and the light of my chest, a banisher for my grief and a reliever for my anxiety.' Except that Allah will replace his distress and grief with joy." He was asked, 'O Messenger of Allah, should we not learn it?' He said, "Of course, whoever hears it should learn it." [Imam Ahmed, Musnad (1/391), and others] Sheikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah was asked about a woman who heard the Hadith: 'O Allah, I am Your slave, son of Your male slave, son of Your slave. My forelock is in Your hand...' to the end of the Hadith. And she continuously used this wording. So she was instructed to say, "O Allah I am your female slave daughter of Your female slave - until the end of it." However, she refused to say this and persisted upon the original wording. Is she correct in this or not? He responded: "Rather, it is befitting for her to say, 'O Allah, I am Your female slave, daughter of Your male slave' This is more appropriate and better even though her statement, 'I am your slave, son of your slave' has a angle in the Arabic language like the word Zawj (i.e. which can be used for man or wife). And Allah knows best." Majmu' Al-Fatawa Vol. 22, p. 488. So according to Sheikh Al-Islam it is better for women to change the wordings of the first line. And the rest of the supplication is exactly the same. Khadejah Jones Share Islam Team ShareIslam.com