If affliction was destined for a slave of Allaah, could this be driven away by supplication? Please advise me how to keep away the things I fear.

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

Having faith in the fate and destiny of Allaah The Almighty is obligatory and is indeed the sixth pillar of faith. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {Indeed, all things We created with predestination.} [Quran 54:49]

On the authority of ‘Umar the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, stated that faith is to believe in Allaah The Almighty, His angels, His Books, His messengers, the Last Day and destiny - whether good or bad. [Muslim]

Supplication is a part of the destiny of Allaah The Almighty. If a matter afflicts a person or if they fear that something may afflict them, the Sunnah dictates to supplicate Allaah The Almighty to remove the affliction or the feared evil from him. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, explained that nothing drives away destiny except supplication. [Ahmad, At-Tirmithi: Hasan (Sound)].

However, this does not mean that destiny and supplication are contradictory, nor does it mean that destiny will be changed, because supplication itself is predestined. The meaning here is that what is recorded in the tablets held by angels is subject to change. So, if a person is about to be afflicted by a calamity, but he supplicates to Allaah The Almighty to remove the affliction, Allaah the Almighty would answer his supplication.

Indeed a slave does not know what has been destined for him and this is why a person should not lose heart when supplicating before or after an affliction. On the authority of ‘Aa’ishah the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, explained that supplication dismisses an affliction that has already occurred or has not yet occurred. When an affliction comes to a person it is met by the supplication and they struggle until the Day of Resurrection. The stronger among them will overcome the other. [Al-Haakim, Al-Albaani: Hasan (Sound)]

The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, used to supplicate to Allaah The Almighty during afflictions and crises and ask Allaah to thwart his affliction. On the authority of ‘Aa’ishah the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, used to supplicate for a sick person and say "Allaahuma Rabb An-Naas Ath-hib Al-Ba’s Ishfi Anta Ash-Shaafi, La Shifaa' Illa Shifaa'uk Shifaa'an laa yughaadiru Saqama. (O Allaah, Lord of the people, remove the disease, cure him, for You are the Curer, there is no cure but through Your healing Power, cure him with a cure that leaves no trace of illness." [Muslim]

A Muslim must not surrender and abandon the ways of beating the affliction under the pretext that this is destiny. It is authentically reported that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, commanded us to work, for Allaah The Almighty made it easy for every person to do that which would lead them to their destiny - if he is from the people of Paradise the person will do the deeds of the people of Paradise, and if the person is among the people of Hell, he will do the deeds of the people of Hell. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {As for he who gives and fears Allaah, and believes in the best [reward], We will ease him toward ease. But as for he who withholds and considers himself free of need, and denies the best [reward], We will ease him toward difficulty.} [Quran 92:5-10] {Toward ease}, i.e., toward the way of goodness and Paradise. {Toward difficulty}, i.e., toward the way of evil and Hell. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, explained that a believer with strong determination is better and more lovable to Allaah The Almighty than a believer with weak determination, and there is good in both of them because they both have faith, though it may vary. He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, directed us to cherish the obedience of Allaah the things that give us benefit and to seek help from Allaah and not to lose heart if troubles come. In this situation the person should say: “Qaddara Allaahu wa Mashaa' Fa‘al” (Allaah has decreed and what did and did what He did.), and not say: “If I had not done that, such and such would not have happened,” because this type of "if" opens the gate for the Satan to work and cast doubt. [Muslim]

Thus a Muslim must pursue all means, find treatment, use Ruqyah (Quranic treatment) etc, all of which is destined by Allaah The Almighty. After this, if he is still afflicted he should say: “Qaddara Allaahu wa Mashaa'a Fa‘al” (Allaah has decreed what he did and did what He did). If a person sincerely follows this prophetic guidance, he will find its good impact on his heart.

We advise our questioner not to regret what has passed because "if" opens the gates to doubt and to the work of Satan, as previously mentioned.