would weaken his faith and diminish his certainty. Likewise, His subtle kindness towards the strong believer includes preparing circumstances of trial and testing, helping him through them, and relieving him of their burden, so that his faith increases and his reward grows. Glory be to the Most Subtle in His kindness, whether He tries or spares, gives or withholds.

Among the manifestations of Allah’s subtle kindness towards His servant is that He enables him to pursue his own perfection by the shortest path, although other paths exist that would make the journey longer. He facilitates his learning from a book or teacher through whom his aim can be attained more directly and easily. Likewise, He facilitates for him an act of worship that he can perform with ease, without hindering him from other beneficial pursuits. This, too, is part of His subtle kindness.

Among the manifestations of Allah’s subtle kindness towards His servant, when He decrees for him numerous demands, varied occupations, plans, and concerns, both internal and external—so burdensome that even an entire community could not manage them if they were divided among its members—is that He grants him a magnanimous disposition, great forbearance, and a heart at ease. He can thus give each matter penetrating consideration and manage it thoroughly, neither troubled nor disturbed by their number and diversity. Rather, Allah Most High has helped him with them, shown him subtle kindness in handling them, and graciously facilitated their means and methods. If you wish to understand this, consider the circumstances of the Chosen Prophet ﷺ, whom Allah sent to bring well-being and happiness in both abodes. He sent him to perfect himself and to perfect a great community, the best of all communities. Yet Allah enabled him, within just a portion of his noble life—approximately one-third of it—to fulfil all that Allah commanded, despite its abundance and diversity; to establish his community’s entire religion for them and teach them all its foundations and detailed rulings. Through him, Allah brought a great community out of darkness into light and brought about benefits, welfare, goodness, and happiness for individuals and the wider community that an entire nation could not have achieved.

Among the manifestations of Allah Most High’s subtle kindness towards His servant is that He makes the sins with which He tries him a cause for His mercy. When the servant falls into them, He opens for him the door to repentance, humble pleading, and earnest supplication to his Lord, to self-reproach and self-abasement, and to the removal of self-admiration and pride from his heart—all of which is better for him than many acts of obedience.