The Truth said: “And whatever strikes you of calamity is for what your hands have earned.” What is the meaning of the verse?

The questioner : The Truth, Glorified and Exalted is He, says: Many calamities befall a person, and he becomes confused: is it from himself due to negligence in taking the means, or is it something decreed by Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He? For Allah does not choose but good. So how can one reconcile the belief of the person with the decree of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He?

The Shaykh : First: I have a note on the word “The Truth.” We believe that Allah is the Clear Truth, and that among His names is “The Truth.” But for us to say “The Truth said” or “The Truth said” and the like, always, whereas its usage in the speech of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and the speech of the Companions is that they say “Allah said.” The word “Allah” conveys a meaning different from “The Truth”; it conveys that He alone is the deity and what other than Him is false, and He is the true deity. Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to say “Allah the Exalted said” or “Allah the Exalted said” or the like, as the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say: and he would say “Allah the Exalted said” and the like. This is the first matter. And what I have heard in my information from the speech of the predecessors is that they refer to Allah as “The Truth” and say “The Truth said,” except among the later generations. The later generations frequently say it, and they also frequently use the word “The Chosen One” to mean the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). There is no doubt that he is Chosen and is the origin of the Chosen, but for us to say “The Messenger of Allah” or “The Prophet said” or “The Messenger said” is better, because this is what is customary in the practice of the Salaf or in the speech of the Salaf. Is that clear? Good.
As for the question about the verse: This is like His saying, the Exalted: So calamities are by the causes of deeds, but the calamity may be specific or general, and the cause may be specific or general. The evidence for that is the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He: A person may feel that he has no sin upon him because his sins are few, and because when he errs he seeks forgiveness, so he says: Where did this calamity come from? We say: There are partners with you, and their deeds may be the cause of your being struck:
Second: The fact that you see yourself as not being in error is a cause for the calamity, because if a person holds this belief, he becomes proud of himself and arrogant toward his Lord, saying: O Lord! I did not do what warrants the punishment or the calamity. And the belief of a person that he is sinless is the place of error, meaning: whoever claims sinlessness is the one who has not been protected, because a person must know himself, and which of us has not erred?
Someone may say: Do calamities not befall the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)? We say: Yes, calamities befall the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), but the calamities for the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) are for the elevation of his rank, because he, may the prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, attained the highest of every beautiful description, and I say: the highest of every beautiful description attributed to the created. Patience requires something to be patient over, so for this reason the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was afflicted with harm in his calling, is that not so? He was afflicted by his calling? How? How was he afflicted?
The student: ...

The Shaykh : They rejected his calling and lied about him, saying: “A sorcerer, a liar, a poet, a madman.” They threw offal on him while he was prostrating under the Ka'bah. This is a great affliction, so he was patient.
Also, the illnesses that befall him befall him more than what befalls us, twice as much, as he said, peace and blessings be upon him: Rather, when he departed this world in his death throes, peace and blessings be upon him, the severity of death struck him in a way it did not strike others, peace and blessings be upon him. Why? So that he might attain the highest rank in patience with the decrees of Allah and with the laws of Allah. Do you understand now?
So the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), the calamities that we believe he was struck with were for what? To complete the degree of patience for him, so that he would be a patient and thankful one. As for thankfulness, he attained, by Allah, the highest degree of the thankful ones, until he would stand in the night until his feet would swell and his leg would crack, and he was asked about that, and he said: So he attained the highest degree of patience and the highest degree of thankfulness, may the prayers and peace of Allah be upon him. Is the matter clear? Good, what comes after it?