are all the property of Allah—Mighty and Majestic. He brought them into existence from nothing, disposes of them as He wills, and judges concerning them as He pleases. No one can overturn His judgment or repel His decree. This is conveyed by His words, “Indeed, we belong to Allah”—that is, we are His possessions, subject to His authority and governance. He is our Lord and we are His servants, and everything that befalls us occurs by His decree and predestination: “No calamity befalls the earth or yourselves except that it is written in a Record before We bring it into being. This is certainly easy for Allah.” 1

The second principle is that the servant know that his final destination and return are to Allah. Allah Most High says, “And that to your Lord is the ultimate end,” 2 and He says, “Surely to your Lord is the return.” 3 The servant must inevitably leave this world behind and come before his Lord on the Day of Resurrection alone, just as He created him the first time, without family, wealth, or clan. He will come to Him only with his good and evil deeds. This is conveyed by the words, “And indeed, to Him we shall return.” It is the servant’s acknowledgment that he will return to Allah and that He—Glorified is He—will recompense him for what he sent forth in this life. He will then devote himself to what will benefit him when he meets Allah. When an afflicted person says these words in this manner—mindful of their meaning and truly realizing all that they signify and require—he is guided to a straight path.

Abū Nuaym narrated in al-Hilya from al-Hasan ibn Alī al-Ābid, who said: “Al-Fudayl ibn Iyād asked a man, ‘How many years of your life have passed?’ He replied, ‘Sixty years.’ Al-Fudayl said, ‘For sixty years you have been journeying toward your Lord, and you are close to arriving.’ The man said, ‘Abū Alī, indeed, we belong to Allah, and indeed, to Him we shall return.’ Al-Fudayl asked him, ‘Do you understand what you are saying?’ The man replied, ‘I said, “Indeed, we belong to Allah, and indeed, to Him