Explanation of the words of Imam al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) regarding what he quoted: "
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The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful:
These two hadiths, the hadith of Abu Hurayrah and Abu Sa'id, and the hadith of 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with them all): in them is evidence, indeed in them is evidence, that a person's sins are expiated by what befalls him of worry, fatigue, distress, and the like. This is from the grace of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). He (Glorified and Exalted is He) tests His servant with calamities, and they become an expiation for his sins and a removal of his errors. A person in this world cannot remain happy all the time; rather, he has a day of joy and a day of sadness, a day when something comes to him and a day when it does not. So he is afflicted with calamities in his soul, calamities in his body, calamities in his community, and calamities in his family, and the calamities that befall a person are innumerable. But:. So if you are afflicted with a calamity, do not think that this worry that comes to you or this pain that comes to you, even if it is a thorn, goes to waste. Rather, you will be compensated with something better than it. Your sins will be removed from you, just as a tree sheds its leaves. This is from the grace of Allah. And if a person adds to this patience and the intention of seeking reward, meaning the intention of seeking the reward, then he has a reward along with this. So calamities are of two types: sometimes, when a person is afflicted, he remembers the reward and intends this calamity for the sake of Allah, so there are two benefits in it: the expiation of sins and the increase of good deeds. And sometimes he is heedless of this: his chest becomes narrow, a wound befalls his finger or something similar, and he is heedless of the intention of seeking reward, seeking the reward and recompense from Allah, so in that is the expiation of his sins.
So he is a winner in every case in these calamities that come to him, a winner in every case. Either he wins the expiation of sins and the removal of errors without obtaining a reward, because he did not intend anything and did not seek the reward, or he wins two things: the expiation of sins and the obtaining of recompense from Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
Therefore, a person should, if he is afflicted, even by a thorn that pricks him, remember the intention of seeking reward, seeking the reward from Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) for this calamity, so that he is rewarded for it along with its expiation of sins. This is from the grace of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), His existence and His generosity, that He tests the believer and then rewards him for this trial or expiates his sins. So praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. Glory be to Allah, glory be to Allah.
These two hadiths, the hadith of Abu Hurayrah and Abu Sa'id, and the hadith of 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with them all): in them is evidence, indeed in them is evidence, that a person's sins are expiated by what befalls him of worry, fatigue, distress, and the like. This is from the grace of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). He (Glorified and Exalted is He) tests His servant with calamities, and they become an expiation for his sins and a removal of his errors. A person in this world cannot remain happy all the time; rather, he has a day of joy and a day of sadness, a day when something comes to him and a day when it does not. So he is afflicted with calamities in his soul, calamities in his body, calamities in his community, and calamities in his family, and the calamities that befall a person are innumerable. But:
The believer's entire affair is good for him. If hardship befalls him, he is patient, and it is good for him. If ease befalls him, he is grateful, and it is good for him.
المؤمن أمره كله له خير ، إن أصابته ضراء صبر فكان خيرا له ، إن أصابته سراء شكر فكان خيرا لهSo he is a winner in every case in these calamities that come to him, a winner in every case. Either he wins the expiation of sins and the removal of errors without obtaining a reward, because he did not intend anything and did not seek the reward, or he wins two things: the expiation of sins and the obtaining of recompense from Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
Therefore, a person should, if he is afflicted, even by a thorn that pricks him, remember the intention of seeking reward, seeking the reward from Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) for this calamity, so that he is rewarded for it along with its expiation of sins. This is from the grace of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), His existence and His generosity, that He tests the believer and then rewards him for this trial or expiates his sins. So praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. Glory be to Allah, glory be to Allah.