Does Allah, Mighty and Majestic, deserve praise in every circumstance?
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Here we ask: Does Allah, Mighty and Majestic, deserve praise in every circumstance? It is clear that He is praised in times of ease, for He has done you good and been merciful to you. But in times of hardship, how is He praised?
The student: ......
The Shaykh : First, we praise Him because we know that He did not decree this except for a wisdom that is beyond doubt. Second, the great benefits that result from this hardship necessitate that Allah be praised for it, is that not so? When a person is pricked by a thorn and feels pain, what happens to him? Some of his sins are expiated. His sins are heavy and shameful in the Hereafter, and the thorn is not that painful and is not apparent to people, yet his minor sins are expiated by it. For this reason, it was said to one of the women of worship when her finger was injured, and she did not feel pain, was not affected, and did not grieve, that she said: "The sweetness of its reward made me forget the bitterness of its patience." This is a strange word; the Sufis have strange words in worship and in seizing the mind. "The sweetness of its reward made me forget the bitterness of its patience," because the reward is greater than the calamity. So even the harm that befalls a person, Allah the Exalted is praised for it, because it is for a wisdom beyond doubt, and because the person is a servant of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and He does with him what He wills, and because the outcome is good. Now, is Allah the Exalted praised for the existence of disbelievers? Brother!
The student: .....
The Shaykh : What is praised? I seek refuge in Allah, O Shaykh. There is no power and no strength except in Allah. Seek forgiveness from Allah. What? Think. Yes.
The student: Yes, O Shaykh, He is praised for that because He legislated for us the jihad against them and martyrdom in His path, so we enter Paradise...
The Shaykh : Yes, if there were no disbeliever, would the believer be known? And would a person know the value of Allah's blessing upon him if there were no disbeliever? He would not know the value of Allah's blessing. And would the knowledge of jihad be established? And would there be anyone left for the Fire? It is necessary. But here is a matter: when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was afflicted with something that displeased him, he did not say: "Praise be to Allah for the hardship" or "for such and such." He said: "Praise be to Allah in every circumstance." And this matter, you should pay attention to it. When ease befalls you, you say: "Praise be to Allah by whose blessing good deeds are completed." When hardship befalls you, you say: "Praise be to Allah in every circumstance." And by this we know the error of the one who says: "Praise be to Allah who is not praised for any disliked thing other than Him." This is wrong, because this phrase indicates psychological tension and dislike for what Allah, Mighty and Majestic, has decreed for the person. And in it there is a contradiction: a disliked thing and praise. This is not straight. And in it there is also a contradiction of the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say: "Praise be to Allah in every circumstance." He did not mention the disliked thing, nor did he indicate that he was annoyed by it. Praise be to Allah in every circumstance. So if you are afflicted with ease, say: "Praise be to Allah by whose blessing good deeds are completed." And if you wish, specify: "Praise be to Allah who gave me a child," "Praise be to Allah who gave me success," "Praise be to Allah who gave me wealth," and the like, because this is better and the praise of Him is clear. But for disliked matters, do you say: "Praise be to Allah who made me ill?" No, what do you say? "Praise be to Allah in every circumstance." "Praise be to Allah who afflicted me with a calamity, the loss of my father or my brother or my uncle?" No, you say: "Praise be to Allah in every circumstance." And if you wish, say: "Praise be to Allah for what He has decreed," because this means "in every circumstance."
Among the benefits of the noble verse: that the Lord, Mighty and Majestic, is perfect in justice, such that He praises whoever deserves praise, just as He is praised because He is worthy of praise. Based on what? Based on the fact that means "praiser." Yes.
And among the benefits of the noble verse: that all that is in the Qur'an is entirely in accordance with wisdom, whether in permitting or prohibiting, obligating or generalizing. Why? The reason is that it was revealed from the Wise, the Praiseworthy, and what is revealed from the Wise must necessarily contain wisdom. And success is from Allah.
The student: ......
The Shaykh : First, we praise Him because we know that He did not decree this except for a wisdom that is beyond doubt. Second, the great benefits that result from this hardship necessitate that Allah be praised for it, is that not so? When a person is pricked by a thorn and feels pain, what happens to him? Some of his sins are expiated. His sins are heavy and shameful in the Hereafter, and the thorn is not that painful and is not apparent to people, yet his minor sins are expiated by it. For this reason, it was said to one of the women of worship when her finger was injured, and she did not feel pain, was not affected, and did not grieve, that she said: "The sweetness of its reward made me forget the bitterness of its patience." This is a strange word; the Sufis have strange words in worship and in seizing the mind. "The sweetness of its reward made me forget the bitterness of its patience," because the reward is greater than the calamity. So even the harm that befalls a person, Allah the Exalted is praised for it, because it is for a wisdom beyond doubt, and because the person is a servant of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and He does with him what He wills, and because the outcome is good. Now, is Allah the Exalted praised for the existence of disbelievers? Brother!
The student: .....
The Shaykh : What is praised? I seek refuge in Allah, O Shaykh. There is no power and no strength except in Allah. Seek forgiveness from Allah. What? Think. Yes.
The student: Yes, O Shaykh, He is praised for that because He legislated for us the jihad against them and martyrdom in His path, so we enter Paradise...
The Shaykh : Yes, if there were no disbeliever, would the believer be known? And would a person know the value of Allah's blessing upon him if there were no disbeliever? He would not know the value of Allah's blessing. And would the knowledge of jihad be established? And would there be anyone left for the Fire? It is necessary. But here is a matter: when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was afflicted with something that displeased him, he did not say: "Praise be to Allah for the hardship" or "for such and such." He said: "Praise be to Allah in every circumstance." And this matter, you should pay attention to it. When ease befalls you, you say: "Praise be to Allah by whose blessing good deeds are completed." When hardship befalls you, you say: "Praise be to Allah in every circumstance." And by this we know the error of the one who says: "Praise be to Allah who is not praised for any disliked thing other than Him." This is wrong, because this phrase indicates psychological tension and dislike for what Allah, Mighty and Majestic, has decreed for the person. And in it there is a contradiction: a disliked thing and praise. This is not straight. And in it there is also a contradiction of the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say: "Praise be to Allah in every circumstance." He did not mention the disliked thing, nor did he indicate that he was annoyed by it. Praise be to Allah in every circumstance. So if you are afflicted with ease, say: "Praise be to Allah by whose blessing good deeds are completed." And if you wish, specify: "Praise be to Allah who gave me a child," "Praise be to Allah who gave me success," "Praise be to Allah who gave me wealth," and the like, because this is better and the praise of Him is clear. But for disliked matters, do you say: "Praise be to Allah who made me ill?" No, what do you say? "Praise be to Allah in every circumstance." "Praise be to Allah who afflicted me with a calamity, the loss of my father or my brother or my uncle?" No, you say: "Praise be to Allah in every circumstance." And if you wish, say: "Praise be to Allah for what He has decreed," because this means "in every circumstance."
Among the benefits of the noble verse: that the Lord, Mighty and Majestic, is perfect in justice, such that He praises whoever deserves praise, just as He is praised because He is worthy of praise. Based on what? Based on the fact that
Praiseworthy
حميدAnd among the benefits of the noble verse: that all that is in the Qur'an is entirely in accordance with wisdom, whether in permitting or prohibiting, obligating or generalizing. Why? The reason is that it was revealed from the Wise, the Praiseworthy, and what is revealed from the Wise must necessarily contain wisdom. And success is from Allah.