Patience Under Decree

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كَثِيرٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ غَلَطُوا فِي فَهْمِ الْقَضَاءِ وَالْقَدَرِ

Many people have erred in their understanding of the divine decree and predestination.

فَإِنَّهُمْ قَدْ يَشْهَدُونَ مَا يُقَدَّرُ عَلَى أَحَدِهِمْ مِنَ الْمَعَاصِيِ وَالذُّنُوبِ

So they may witness the sins and wrongdoings that are decreed upon any one of them.

أَوْ مَا يُقَدَّرُ عَلَى النَّاسِ مِنْ ذَلِكَ بَلْ مِنَ الْكُفْرِ

Or what is decreed upon the people from that, but rather from disbelief.

وَيَشْهَدُونَ أَنَّ هَذَا جَارٌ بِمَشِيئَةِ اللَّهِ وَقَضَائِهِ وَقَدْرِهِ

And they testify that this is a misfortune by the will of God and by His decree and by His predestination.

دَاخِلٌ فِي حُكْمِ رُبُوبِيَّتِهِ وَمُقْتَضَى مَشِيئَتِهِ

Included within the rule of His sovereignty and what His will necessitates.

فَيَظُنُّونَ الَاِسْتِسْلامَ لِذَلِكَ وَمُوَافَقَتَهُ وَالرِّضَا بِهِ

So they suppose submission to that, and agreement with it, and satisfaction with it.

وَنَحْوِ ذَلِكَ دِينًا وَطُرُقًا وَعِبَادَةً

And similar to that: a religion, ways, and acts of worship.

فَيُضَاهِئُونَ الْمُشْركين الَّذين قَالُوا

So they imitate the polytheists who said:

لَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مَا أَشْرَكْنَا وَلَا آبَاءُنَا وَلَا حُرِمْنَا مِنْ شَيْءٍ

If God had willed, we would not have associated partners, nor would our fathers, nor would we have been deprived of anything.

وَقَالُوا أَنْ نُطْعِمَ مَن لَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَأَطْعَمَهُ

And they said, "Should we feed one whom, if God had willed, He would have fed?"

وَقَالُوا لَوْ شَاءَ الرَّحْمَٰنُ مَا عَبَدْنَاهُمْ

And they said, "If the Most Merciful had willed, we would not have worshiped them."

وَلَو هُدوا لَعَلِمُوا أَن القِدْرُ أُمرنا

And if they had been guided, they would have known that the divine decree commanded us.

أَنْ نَرْضَى بِهِ وَنَصْبِرَ عَلَى مُوْجِبِهِ

that we accept it and patiently endure what it brings

فِي الْمُصِيبَاتِ الَّتِي تَصِيبُنَا كَالْفَقْرِ وَالْمَرَضِ وَالْخَوْفِ

Among the calamities that befall us are poverty, illness, and fear.

قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَىٰ مَا أَصَابَ مِنْ مُصِيبَةً إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَمَنْ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ يَهْدِيهِ قَلْبَهُ

Allah, the Exalted, said: No calamity befalls except by Allah's permission, and whoever believes in Allah, He guides his heart.

قَالَ بَعْضُ السَّلَفِ

Some of the pious predecessors said:

هُوَ الرَّجُلُ تُصِيبُهُ الْمُصِيبَةُ فَيَعْلَمُ أَنَّهَا مِنْ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ فَيَرْضَى وَيَسْلَمُ

He is the man who, when a calamity befalls him, knows that it is from God, and is content and at peace.

وَفِي الصَّحِيحَيْنِ عَن النَّبِي ﷺ أَنه قَالَ

And in the two authentic hadith collections, it is reported from the Prophet, peace be upon him, that he said:

اِحْتَجَّ آدَمُ وَ مُوسَىٰ فَقَالَ مُوسَىٰ

Adam and Moses presented an argument, and Moses said:

أَنْت آدَمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكِ اللَّهُ بِيَدِهِ

You are Adam, whom Allah created with His own hand.

وَنفخ فِيك مِنْ رُوحِهِ

And He breathed into you from His Spirit.

وَأَسْجُدُ لَكَ مَلَائكَته

And His angels prostrated to you.

وَعَلَّمَكَ أَسْمَاءَ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ

and taught you the names of all things.

فَلِمَاذَا أَخْرَجْتِنَا وَنَفْسَكِ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ

Then why did you bring us and your self out of Paradise?

فَقَالَ آدَمُ

Then Adam said:

أَنْتَ مُوسَى الَّذِي اِصْطَفَاكَ اللَّهُ بِرِسَالَاتِهِ وَبِكَلَامِهِ

You are Moses, whom God chose for His messages and for His word.

فَهَل وَجَدْتَ ذَلِك مَكْتُوبًا عَليّ قِبَلٍ أَن أخلق

So did you find that written about me before I was created?

قَالَ نَعَمْ

He said, "Yes."

قَالَ فَحَاجَ آدَمُ مُوسَى

He said: Adam disputed with Moses.

وآدَمُ ﵇ لَمْ يَحْتَجْ عَلَى مُوسَى بِالْقِدْرِ

And Adam did not invoke the divine decree against Moses.

ظَنًّا أَنَّ الْمُذَنَّبَ يَحْتَجُّ بِالْقَدْرِ

They supposed that the sinner would appeal to the divine decree.

فَإِنَّ هَذَا لَا يَقُولُهُ مُسْلِمٌ وَلَا عَاقِلٌ

For this is not something a Muslim or a reasonable person would say.

وَلَوْ كَانَ هَذَا عُذْرًا لَكَانَ عُذْرًا لِإِبْلِيسِ وَقَوْمِ نُوحٍ وَقَوْمِ هُودٍ وَكُلِّ كَافِرٍ

If this were an excuse, it would excuse Iblis, the people of Noah, the people of Hud, and every unbeliever.

وَلَا مُوسَىٰ لَامَ آدَمَ أَيْضًا لِأَجَلِ الذَّنْبِ

Moses did not blame Adam because of the sin either.

فَإِن آدَمَ قَدْ تَابَ إِلَى رَبِّهِ فَاجْتَبَاهُ وَهَدَى

For Adam had repented to his Lord, so He chose him and guided him.

وَلَكِنَّ لَامَهُ لِأَجَلِ الْمُصِيبَةِ الَّتِي لَحِقَتْهُمْ بِالْخَطِيَّةِ

But he reproached him for the calamity that had befallen them because of the sin.

وَلِهٰذَا قَالَ فَلِمَاذَا أَخْرَجْتَنَا وَنَفْسِكِ مِنَ الْجَنَّٰةِ

And because of this he said, "So why did you expel us and your self from Paradise?"

فَأَجَابَهُ آدم

Adam answered him:

إِنْ هَذَا كَانَ مَكْتُوبًا عَلَيَّ قِبَلًا أَنْ أُخْلَقَ

If this was written upon me before I was created.

فَكَانَ الْعَمَلُ وَالْمُصِيبَةُ الْمُتَرَتِّبَةُ عَلَيْهِ مُقَدَّرًا

So the deed and the calamity resulting from it were decreed.

وَمَا قُدِرَ مِنَ الْمُصِيبَاتِ يَجِبُ الاِسْتِسْلَامُ لَهُ

One must accept whatever calamities have been decreed.

فَإِنَّهُ مِنْ تَمَامِ الرِّضَا بِاللَّهِ رَبًّا

Indeed, it is from the completeness of contentment with Allah as Lord.

وَأَمَّا الذُّنُوبَ فَلَيْسَ لِلْعَبْدِ أَنْ يَذْنَبَ

As for sins, it is not for the servant to sin.

وَإِذَا أَذْنَبَ فَعَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَسْتَغْفِرَ وَيَتُوبَ

And if he sins, then upon him is to seek forgiveness and repent.

فَيَتُوبُ مِنْ صُنُوفِ الْمَعَايِبِ وَيَصْبِرُ عَلَى الْمَصَائِبِ

Then he repents from various kinds of faults and is patient upon the calamities.

قَالَ تَعَالَىٰ فَاصْبِرْ إِنَّ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لِذَنْبِكَ

Allah, the Exalted, said: "So be patient; indeed, the promise of Allah is true, and seek forgiveness for your sin."

وَقَالَ تَعَالَىٰ وَإِنْ تَصْبِرُوا وَتَتَّقُوا لَا يَضُرُّكُمْ كَيْدُهُمْ شَيْئًا

And the Most High said: "And if you are patient and are God-fearing, their plotting will not harm you at all."

وَقَالَ وَإِنْ تَصْبِرُوا وَتَتَّقُوا فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ مِنْ عَزْمِ الْأُمُورِ

And He said: "And if you are patient and are mindful of God, then indeed that is among the matters of firm resolve."

وَقَالَ يُوسُف ﵇ إِنَّه مَنْ يَتَّقِ وَيَصْبِرْ فَإِن اللَّهَ لَا يُضِيعُ اجر الْمُحْسِنِينَ

And Joseph said, "Indeed, whoever is God-conscious and patient, then indeed God will not let the reward of the doers of good be lost."