Islamic marriage advice and family advice

Why do I keep failing when I work so hard?

Muslim woman studying, books, school

Asselaam Aleykum my brothers and sisters.

I am a 19-year-old Muslima. Alhamdulillah I pray and thank Allah for everything I have. The last two years there has been a lot of stress in my life. Alhamdulillah Allah gave me patience and I am sure Allah has the best for me.

My problem is that I keep failing the same class, however I really try to study hard.

I failed twice and this time I am doing my last year for the third time and I do study, but I fail again. What should I do? I love Allah and really have the patience. But I want to succeed too. In this life and in the hereafter insha'Allah.

I thank Allah for everything really. I was in a depression for a very long time. And only the zikr of Allah showed me the light.

I REALLY REALLY WANT to succeed

Can you please advise me?

May Allah bless you all and give you success in this world AND the hereafter Insha’Allah.

~Jalparri


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26 Responses »

  1. I WOULD TELL YOU TRY THE BEST YOU CAN EVER BE ...........ALWAYS HAVE ALLAH (SWT) IN YOUR HEART KNOWING THAT HE IS THE ONE THAT GUIDING EVERY ONE THOUGHT TOUGH TIME ....WAKE UP AT NIGHT AND PRAYER....ASK HIM FOR HELP...ALSO ALLAH (SWT) LOVES EVERYBODY AND BE PATIENCE ...

  2. حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ حَاتِمٍ الْمُكْتِبُ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَدْرٍ شُجَاعُ بْنُ الْوَلِيدِ عَنْ الرُّحَيْلِ بْنِ مُعَاوِيَةَ أَخِي زُهَيْرِ بْنِ مُعَاوِيَةَ عَنْ الرَّقَاشِيِّ عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ قَالَ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا كَرَبَهُ أَمْرٌ قَالَ يَا حَيُّ يَا قَيُّومُ بِرَحْمَتِكَ أَسْتَغِيثُ

    يَا حَيُّ يَا قَيُّومُ بِرَحْمَتِكَ أَسْتَغِيثُ read this it will insha allah help

    Anas bin Malik narrated, "Whenever the Prophet was worried or troubled by any matter, he would say, “O Ever-Living One! O Sustainer of existence! By Your mercy do I seek assistance."

    http://www.islameasy.org/pdf/Ease_Difficulties.pdf has duas to read when facing difficulties. and have faith sister allah will reward you for all your hard work insha'allah

  3. Dear Sister,

    Keep trying but with the knowledge that Allah(swt) is always in control of the outcome.

    حَسْبِيَ اللهُ لَآ إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَهُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ

    "Allah is sufficient for me. There is none worthy of worship, but Him. I have placed my trust in Him and He is the Lord of the Majestic Throne."

    I want you to ponder over the above supplication deeply. If we all really grasp the true understanding of this, we will always make the effort to achieve but without relying on 'ourselves'. Instead we will put our full trust into Allah knowing that He(swt) will give us the best outcome as He(swt) knows what is better for us. This will help us to be content with the outcome and will also help us to avoid becoming depressed when things did not go our way insha'Allah.

    Regarding the above supplication, there is a hadith recommending us to recite this seven times every morning and evening, it is also mentioned in the Glorious Quran in various places:

    1) Abu Addarda(ra) said: “Whoever recited this dua 7 times in the morning and in the evening, Allah will suffice him anything that concerns him.” [It was collected by Ibn Assuni, Abu Dawood. The hadith of Abu Dawood is Mawqoof. Ibn Baaz, Shu’aib and AbdelKader Arnaout classified its isnaad as saheeh]. NB: Hadith Mawqoof: Statement made by a Sahaabi. Hadith Marfou: Statement made by Rasool(sws). Mawqoof is as authentic as Marfou as a Sahaabi would only make such a statement if he heard if from Rasul(sws)

    2. Ibn Abbas(ra) said: “The dua (as above) was the last word of Ibrahim(as) after he was thrown in the fire, and it was recited by Muhammed(sws) when people told them (the hypocrites) “Verily the people are gathering against you, so fear them”. [Bukhari]

    3. See also: Surah Ale Imran 3:174, 159; Surah Az-Zumar 39:36-38; Surah At-Talaaq 65:3
    http://www.zawaj.com/askbilqis/dua-in-islam/morning-and-evening-dhikr-part-5/

    ***

    We all have varying abilities. The person more loved by Allah is not the one who achieves the more, rather it is the one who is more righteous. So show Allah that you trust Him(swt), continue trying and be content with what He(swt) gives you insha'Allah.

    SisterZ
    IslamicAnswers.com Editor

  4. The above advice is good, on the other end other spectrum, we have no idea of what Allah has planned for us and so sometimes when bad things happen for all we know a good thing is waiting.

  5. Salam Jalparri,
    I am not saying you have learning disabilities but have you looked into getting some tests done to see if you have some kind of difficulties in learning. If you live in the U.S., they have programs out there for you succeed.

  6. aslamualiqum.i think you must try to gain more and more knowledge just rather than just thinking to pass in examination.,i think when inshallah u will become enough knowledgeable you will succeed automatically..

  7. Dear Sister,

    I fully support what Injila suggested (do not focus on pass) but instead you should focus on gaining knowledge. Purify yourself from all bad habits even small ones and from my side I will specify a special Duaa in my prayers for Allaah to help you (Innamal muslimuuna Ikhwa).
    Yaa Allaah, saa'ed haadhihil ukhtl kareema wa'atihaal elm wal hikmat warzuqhaal jannata fiyl aakhera.
    Amin.

  8. Dear Sister,
    Assalamu alaikum

    Desiring Success In Exams / Interview

    If One is desirous for success in an examination or interview or any kind of difficult position, one should recite the following 99 times:

    ""Ya Rabbal ‘alameen inni as’alika khayra hadhal yaum wa nasrika wa noorika wa barakatika""

    O lord of the words, verily I ask you for good on this day and your help and your light and your blessings.

    In Sha Allh ta’ala a special Baraka (blessing) and help will come from Allah sabhanahu wa ta’ala.

  9. • Turning to Allaah by making du’aa’ in any way that is prescribed in Islam, such as saying, “Rabbiy ishrah li sadri wa yassir li amri (O my Lord, expand my chest and make things easy for me).”
    • Getting used to sleeping early and going to exams on time.
    • Preparing all required or permitted equipment such as pens, rulers and setsquares, calculators and watches, because being well prepared helps one to answer questions.
    • Reciting the du’aa’ for leaving the house: “Bismillaah, tawakkaltu ‘ala Allaah, wa laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa Billaah. Allaahumma inni a’oodhu bika an adilla aw udalla, aw azilla aw uzalla, aw azlima aw uzlama, aw ajhala aw yujhala ‘alayya (In the name of Allaah, I put my trust in Allaah, and there is no strength and no power except with Allaah. O Allaah, I seek refuge with You lest I should stray or be led astray, lest I slip (commit a sin unintentionally) or be tripped, lest I oppress or be oppressed, lest I behave foolishly or be treated foolishly).”Do not forget to seek your parents’ approval, for their du’aa’ for you will be answered.
    • Mention the name of Allaah before you start, for mentioning the name of Allaah is prescribed when beginning any permissible action; this brings blessing, and seeking the help of Allaah is one of the means of strength.
    • Fear Allaah with regard to your classmates, and do not be affected by their anxiety or fear just before the exam, for anxiety is a contagious disease. Instead, make them feel optimistic by saying good words as prescribed in Islam. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was optimistic when he heard the name of Suhayl (which means “easy”) and he said: “Things have been made easy for you.” He used to like to hear the words ‘Yaa Raashid, when he went out for any purpose. So be optimistic that you and your brothers will pass this exam.
    • Remembering Allaah (dhikr) dispels anxiety and tension. If something is too difficult for you, then pray to Allaah to make it easy for you. Whenever Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) found something too difficult to understand, he would say, “O You Who taught Ibraaheem, teach me; O You Who caused Sulaymaan to understand, cause me to understand.”
    • Choose a good place to sit during the exam, if you can. Keep your back straight, and sit on the chair in a healthy manner.
    • Look over the exam first. Studies advise spending 10% of the exam time in reading the questions carefully, noting the important words and dividing one’s time between the questions.
    • Plan to answer the easy questions first, then the difficult ones. Whilst reading the questions, write notes and ideas which you can use in your answers later.
    • Answer questions according to importance.
    • Start by answering the easy questions which you know. Then move on to the questions which carry high marks, and leave till the end the questions to which you do not know the answers, or which you think will take a long time to produce an answer or which do not carry such high marks.
    • Take your time to answer, for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Deliberation is from Allaah and haste is from the Shaytaan.” (A hasan hadeeth. Saheeh al-Jaami, 3011).
    • Think carefully about the answer and choose the right answer when answering multiple-choice questions. Deal with them in the following manner. If you are sure that you have chosen the right answer, then beware of waswasah (insinuating whispers from the Shaytaan). If you are not sure, then start by eliminating the wrong or unlikely answers, then choose the correct answer based on what you think is most likely to be correct. If you guessed at a correct answer then do not change it unless you are sure that it is wrong – especially if you will lose marks for a wrong answer. Research indicates that the correct answer is usually that which the student thinks of first.
    • In written exams, collect your thoughts before you start to answer. Write an outline for your answer with some words which will indicate the ideas which you want to discuss. Then number the ideas in the sequence in which you want to present them.
    • Write the main points of your answer at the beginning of the line, because this is what the examiner is looking for, and he may not see what he is looking for if it is in the middle of the page and he is in a hurry.
    • Devote 10% of the time for reviewing your answers. Take your time in reviewing, especially in mathematical problems and writing numbers. Resist the desire to hand in the exam papers quickly, and do not let the fact that some people are leaving early bother you. They may be among the people who have handed in their papers too early.
    • If you discover after the exam that you answered some questions incorrectly, then take that as a lesson in the importance of being well prepared in the future, and not rushing to answer questions. Accept the will and decree of Allaah and do not fall prey to frustration and despair. Remember the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), “If anything befalls you, do not say, ‘If only I had done such and such.’ Rather say, ‘Qadar Allaah wa maa sha’a kaan (the decree of Allaah and what He wills happened),’ for saying ‘if only’ opens the door for the Shaytaan.” (Saheeh Muslim, and the first part of this hadeeth was mentioned above).
    • Note that cheating is haraam whether it is in foreign language tests or any other tests. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Whoever cheats is not one of us.” It is wrongdoing and it is a haraam means of attaining a degree or certificate, etc., that you have no right to. The consensus is that cheating is a kind of cooperation in sin and transgression. So do without that which is haraam, and Allaah will suffice you from His bounty. Reject all offers of haraam things that come to you from others. Whoever gives up a thing for the sake of Allaah, Allaah will compensate him with something better. You have to denounce and resist evil, and tell the authorities about any such thing that you see during the exam, or before or after it. This is not the forbidden kind of slander rather it is denouncing evil which is obligatory.
    Advise those who buy or sell questions or post them on the Internet etc., or who prepare cheat notes. Tell them to fear Allaah, and tell them of the ruling on what they are doing and on the money they earn from that. Tell them that the time they are spending in preparing these haraam things, if they spent it in studying, or answering previous exams, or helping one another to understand the subject before the exam, that would be better for them than doing these haraam things.
    - Remember what you have prepared for the Hereafter, and the questions of the examination in the grave, and how to be saved on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever is saved from the Fire and admitted to Paradise will indeed have succeeded.
    We ask Allaah to make us succeed in this world and cause us to be among those who are victorious and saved in the Hereafter, for He is the All-Hearing Who answers prayer.

  10. Dua Before Studying
    “Allahumma infa’nii bimaa ‘allamtanii wa’allimnii maa yanfa’uunii. Allahumma inii as’aluka fahmal-nabiyyen wa hifzal mursaleen al-muqarrabeen. Allahumma ijal leesanee ‘aiman bi dhikrika wa qalbi bi khashyatika. Innaka ‘ala ma-tasha’u qadeer wa anta hasbun-allahu wa na’mal wakeel.”
    “Oh Allah! Make useful for me what you have taught me and teach me knowledge that will be useful to me. Oh Allah! I ask you for the understanding of the prophets and the memory of the messengers, and those nearest to you. Oh Allah! Make my tongue full of your remembrance and my heart with consciousness of you. Oh Allah! You do whatever you wish, and you are my availer and protector and best of aid.”
    Dua After Studying
    “Allahumma inni astaodeeka ma qara’tu wama hafaz-tu. Farudduhu ‘allaya inda hajati elahi. Innaka ‘ala ma-tasha’-u qadeer wa anta hasbeeya wa na’mal wakeel”
    “Oh Allah! I entrust you with what I have read and I have studied. Oh Allah! Bring it back to me when I am in need of it. Oh Allah! You do whatever you wish, you are my availer and protector and the best of aid.”
    Dua While Studying Something Difficult
    “Allahumma la sahla illama ja-‘altahu sahla anta taj ‘alu al hazana eza ma shi’ta sahal.”
    “Oh Allah! Nothing is easy except what you have made easy. If you wish, you can make the difficult easy.”
    Dua For Concentration
    “Salla-l-laahu alaa Muhammad wa aal-e Muhammad. Allahumma inni as’aluka yaa mudhakkira-l khayr wa faa’ilahu wa-l-aamimira bihi dhakir-ni maa ansaani-hi-shaytan.”
    “Blessings of god be upon Muhammad and his progeny. O god, I ask you, the one who mentions goodness and actualizes it and commands it, remind me of that which the shaytan makes me forget.”
    Recite This Dua Everyday For Victory And Prosperity
    “Ya sayyedas-sada-te, ya mojeebad-da’vate, ya rafe’ad-darajate, ya vali-yal hasanate, ya ghaferal-khati’ate, ya mo’ti-yal mas’alate, ya qabi-lat-tavbate, ya same’al-asvate, ya ‘alemal-khafiyate, ya dafe’al bali yate.”
    “O’ the chief of all chiefs! O’ the acceptor of prayers! O’ the elevator of ranks! O’ the master of virtues! O’ the forgiver of sins! O’ the granter of requests! O’ the excerptor of penance! O’ the hearer of all voices! O’ the one who knows all mysteries! O’ the remover of calamities!”
    Dua Before Exams:
    The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) told the following dua to be recited in stress, studies, exams and trials
    “O Allaah, there is no ease except what You make easy. And if You wish, You make the difficult easy.” [recorded in Hisnul-Muslim]
    Tips for Exams And Students
    The Muslim student puts his trust in Allaah when facing the tests of this world, and he seeks His help whilst following the prescribed means, in accordance with the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him):
    “The strong believer is better and is more beloved to Allaah than the weak believer, although both are good. Strive to attain that which will benefit you and seek the help of Allaah, and do not feel helpless.” (Saheeh Muslim, hadeeth no. 2664)

  11. Jazakumullahu khair,khadeeja I truly want to contact you.thanks

  12. assalamualaikum sister!

    I have been in the same situiation as you for quite a while now....i hope everything has gone alright for you and that you passed with flying colours 🙂 May Allah bless you and your familiy

  13. I feel the same, jus cannot seem 2 pass my driving test, its upsetting, but it is Allah's will so inshallah all will be fine, and after sorrow comes ease inshallah so hopefully we will all pass and be successful eventually! Thankz xxx

  14. if there was one person who could relate to you right now that would me ,

    i failed my 3rd attempt of my law exam yesterday , which means ill be kicked out of my university , i might pass tightly but chances are very narrow ,
    I'm suffering from depression as well and my parents love me so much and has done so much for me i don't know how to give them the news as they will be devastated , they have been working very hard to finance me in a good uni and results like this would shatter them ,
    on top of that my sister whom they love so much wanted to commit suicide just a while back ,
    i especially don't know now , how to tell them after all this .

    i would request all to keep me in your duas as I'm of great need of it right now .

    salam..

    • shayeri, may Allah grant you success in your studies and in your career, and may He give yoursister patience and guidance.

      I have a thought that if your sister is considering suicide, and you are suffering from depression, then maybe your parents are putting too much pressure on you to be what they want you to be. Maybe you should start thinking of yourself and what is right for you in life.

      Wael
      IslamicAnswers.com Editor

      • greetings wael ,
        thank you but what my parents are asking from me is very minimal , i have been failing time and time after , im doing my diploma in business now , probably wont be for any longer after my grades come out soon and about my sister she suffers from severe depression , they dont always think about the actions they take in life , people suffering from severe depression , and she loves my parents , i just dont want my parents to be sad anymore .i just dont believe they deserve this after everything they have done for us not only that its easy to say they are amazing human beings , not just cause they are my parents .

        • I'm in exactly the same boat as you now, have you passed? I've failed my final year of uni op and I don't know how to tell my parents

        • asalmualaikum

          i want to let you know that allah has a perfect plan for everyoune at the time it may seem bad but allah SEES the whole vision you may be thinking you failed but allah knows theres something BETTER for you out there. Rely completely on allah and dont stop whispheres from shaytan will compel you know that the prophets for e.g they went through so much difficulty and pain one of the prophet (sorry dont know the name) he was a wealthy man he had 7 children lots of friends, but then shaytan said to allah " he only worships you due to the wealth" allah then replied "i will take everything off him and prove you wrong" then allah took away the prophets children friends and his wealth and farmlands. Also he was
          bedridden for 70 years and the prophets wife said "wont dont you tell allah to cure you." the prophet replied allah has blessed me with years wealth and i have been bedridden for 70 years"
          allah then doubled everything his children 14 his friends and his wealth
          this story tells us that we should never give up allah IS mercy allah IS the all knowing and allah KNOW BEST
          so knowing the storys of the prophet and allahs characteristics e.g the all forgiving
          so remember the future and its events is all in allahs hand so be reassured that allah sees your future and knows best for you

    • what's ur present situation now?did u recover in the past 3 years

  15. we took our math final today and out of 10 questions i only understood like 2 🙁
    I know for sure I'm gonna fail, without a doubt
    I am so so so depressed, math has been a huge struggle for me this year, I got mostly C's and D's, and now that I've failed my final, I know it will be lowered to an F. I've been really trying but the grades this year have proved to me I'm such an idiot. I disappointed my teacher, parents, and myself...

    The fact that I have to repeat 8th grade math next year is so depressing and humiliating, I mean I'll be sitting in a class with a bunch of younger kids and then word will spread and the whole school will know I'm repeating 🙁

    I wish I could just die and get everything over with. Please keep me in your duaas, I don't wanna fail again next year and want to be spared from humiliation... 🙁

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