Part 58

On certain occasions, it is lawful to show approval and hide one’s denial like in the case of he who is forced to say words of disbelief. What is meant here is that it is inevitable that everyone will face affliction and harm. There is no way to be saved from affliction. That is why Allah, the Exalted mentioned this point in several places saying that people have to be afflicted and that affliction can be by means of happiness and misfortune. Man_ will be afflicted with what pleases and harms him, so he needs to be patient and praise Allah.

Allah, the Almighty says, 4 nee gf a Fe wee gs 4 Sus SST asks Oy MI Je u chs bl >

which means, "Verily! We have made that which is on earth as an adornment for it, in order that We may test them (mankind) as to which of them are best in deeds. [l.e. those who do good deeds in the most perfect manner, that means to do them (deeds) totally for Aliah's sake and in accordance to the legal ways of the Prophet]." (Al-Kahf, 18:7)

And He, the Almighty says,

4 ope a EG ATE gialis... >

which means, "We tried them with good (blessings) and evil (calamities) in order that they might turn (to Allah's Obedience)."

And He, the Almighty says,

Zs . th eboee ee BP ae ee oe ete Bae iit OS 68 ot oil Sy BH UH SG Let 58 ote eke ee Bee

which means, "Then if there comes to you guidance from Me, then whoever follows My Guidance shall neither go astray, nor fall into distress and misery. "But whosoever turns away from My Reminder (i.e. neither believes in this Qur'an nor acts on its orders, etc.) verily, for him is a life of hardship, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection." (Taha, 20:123124)

And He, the Almighty says,

which means, "Do you think that you will enter Paradise before Allah tests those of you who fought (in His Cause) and (also) tests those who are As-Sdbirin (the patient ones, etc.)?" (Al-

This verse is in Al-'Imran and He, the Almighty says before that in chapter Al-Baqarah,

AL-FAWA'ID ; A Collection of Wise Syaings * 349

“ fe gee SPL ge al te IF ge ie 8

4a lye 8 Waele Oe ge

which means, "Or think you that you will enter Paradise without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you? They were afflicted with severe poverty and ailments and were so shaken that even the Messenger and those who believed along with him said, “When (will come) the Help of Allah?" Yes! Certainly, the Help of Allah is near!" (Al-Baqarah, 2:214)

The soul will never become pious and purified except through undergoing afflictions. It is the same as gold that can never be pure except after removing all the base metals in it. The soul is ignorant and unjust and this is the origin of the evil that confronts the servant. Aliah, the Almighty says,

which means, "Whatever of good reaches you, is from Allah, but whatever of evil befalls you, is from yourself." (An-Nisa’, 4:79)

And He, the Almighty says,

which means, "(What is the matter with you?) When a single disaster smites you, although you smote (your enemies) with one twice as great, you say: "From where does this come to us?" Say (to them), "It is from yourselves (because of your evil deeds)." (Ai-Imran, 3:165)

350 * AL-FAWA'ID: A Collection of Wise Sayings

And He, the Almighty says,

which means, "And whatever of misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your hands have earned. And He pardons much." (Ash-Shara, 42:30)

And He, the Almighty says,

Begs oe é 2

which means, "That is so because Allah will never change a grace which He has bestowed on a people until they change what is in their ownselves." (Al-Anfal, 8:53)

And He, the Almighty says, 4B 5 ct 95 ot nd “id 3 Sb Kee agi dl sigh 13)... >

which means, "But when Allah wills a people's punishment, there can be no turning back of it, and they will find besides Him no protector." (Ar-Ra'd, 13:11)

And Allah mentions the punishments of all the nations from the time of Adam (Adam, peace be upon him) until late in time. And during all that He mentioned how they wronged themselves and Allah was not unjust to them. The first to confess that is our parents; Allah says that they said,

oe Pr or ea ee 6 a ne

which means, "Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. If You forgive us not, and bestow not upon us Your Mercy, we shall certainly be of the losers.” (Al-A’raf, 7:23)

AL-FAWA'ID : A Collection of Wise Syaings * 351

And Allah says to Satan,

which means, "That | will fill Hell with you [/blis (Satan)] and those of them (mankind) that follow you, together." (Sad, 38:85)

And Allah says that Satan said,

which means, "O my Lord! Because you misled me, | shall indeed adorn the path of error for them (mankind) on the earth, and | shall mislead them all. "Except Your chosen, (guided) Slaves among them." (Al-Hijr, 15:39-40)

And Allah, the Almighty says, Bp gill je UT ys YELL 3 ie 5 coatis Sy}

which means, "Certainly, you shall have no authority over My slaves, except those who follow you of the Ghawin (Mushrikan and those who go astray, criminals, polytheists, and evil-doers,

Our pious predecessors acknowledge this fact like the sayings of Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, and Ibn Mas'id: | will say my opinion concerning this matter, if it is right, it is granted by Allah and if it iS wrong it is from me.

And in the divine hadith, Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger (peace be upon him) said that Allah said, "My servants, these for you | shall reward you for them, so he whose deeds of yours which | am recording finds

good, should praise Allah and he who does not find that should not blame anyone but his own self."*!

It was mentioned in the authentic hadith that is the hadith of Sayyid Al-Istighfar (The best supplication for asking forgiveness), that the servant should say, “Allahumma Anta Rabby, a ildha ill4 anta, Khalagtany wa-ana ‘abduka, wa-ana ‘ala ‘ahdika wa-wa‘dika mastata'tu, a‘idhu bika min sharri ma sanatu, Abd’u laka Bini'matika ‘alayya, wa-abi’u Bithanby, Fagfir ly, fa’innahu |@ yaghtirudh-dhundba illa anta. (O Allah, you are my Lord, there is no god but You. You created me | am Your servant, and | am always trying to fulfill my promise and covenant with You as much as | can. | seek refuge with You from the evil that | have done. | acknowledge Your Blessings upon me and | acknowledge my sins. | beseech You to forgive me, for none forgives sins but You.) If somebody recites it during the day with firm faith in it, and dies on the same day before the evening, he will be from the people of Paradise; and if somebody recites it at night with firm faith in it, and dies before the morning, he will be from the people of Paradise."

And it was narrated by Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) taught him what to recite during the day and the night and when he is about to sleep, "Allahumma Fatir is-samawat wal-ard, ‘alimi alghaibi wash-shahadah, rabi kuli shai'in wa malikahi, ashhadu an 1a ilaha ila anta, a‘ddhu bika min sharri nafsy wa sharri ashshaitan wa shirkihi, wa an agtarif ‘ala nafsy sd’an aw ajurahu ila muslim. (O Allah! Creator of the Heavens and the Earth. The All-Knower of the unseen and the seen. The Lord of everything

5" Recorded by Muslim, book of Virtue, good manners and joining the ties of kinship.

82 Recorded by Al-Bukhary, book of invocations, chapter on the best of supplications, no.6306.

AL-FAWA'ID : A Collection of Wise Syaings * 353

which means, “So be patient (O Muhammad). Verily, the Promise of Allah is true, and let not those who have no certainty

Recorded by Ibn Majah, no.88, Ahmad in his Musnag, vol.4, no.419, and ‘Abd bin Hamid, no.535, narrated by Ibn Masa and it is Marfd' (traceable),

354 * AL-FAWA'D: A Collection of Wise Sayings

of faith, discourage you from conveying Allah's Message (which you are obliged to convey). (Ar-Rim, 30:60)

It is said that he who is stable and whose belief is stable _ will have true belief and faith within his heart both through deeds and knowledge. The knowledge of a servant may be good but his soul cannot be patient during times of hardship, so he goes astray.