رَبَّنَا آتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً وَهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِنَا رَشَدًا
Rabbana atina min ladunka rahmatan wahayyi lana min amrinarashada
Meaning: Our Lord, grant us from Yourself mercy and prepare for us from our affair right guidance.
Rabbana atina min ladunka rahmatan - right away the dua begins by asking from you, our rab, we ask for mercy. Seeking the mercy of Allah continually throughout the day and if your genuine your heart will soften and Allah will be forgiving.
wahayyi lana min amrinarashada - the dua continues and Asks Allah to have put their affairs in order and for guidance.
What happened next is documented in the Quran, ayat 11-16:
“So, We sealed up their hearing (putting them to sleep) in the Cave for a number of years. Thereafter We raised them up, so that We know which of the two groups had better calculated the period in which they remained (sleeping). We narrate to you their story with truth. They were young men who believed in their Lord and We gave them more guidance. We made their hearts firm when they stood up and said, “Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We shall never invoke any god other than Him, otherwise we would be saying something far from the truth.”
We can learn from this story, when they youth were troubled they asked Allah for help and Allah responded with mercy by ‘blocking their ears’ and giving them deep sleep. This protected them from their evil environment. We have to be careful of the evil that we hear, it can contaminate your mind and your heart.
It’s very important to learn this lesson early in life, to stand guard at the door of your mind. Do not let evil penetrate. Listen to positive messages, listen to the Quran, listen to words of Allah. By listening to good messages we too will be able to get a good deep sleep like the people of the cave.