does not approve of them or love them, even though He has pre-ordained and decreed them. The Exalted says, “And Allah does not love corruption” (al-Baqarah 2:205); and, “He is not pleased with disbelief for His servants” (al-Zumar 39:7). Rather, He is angered by it, as He says, “That is because they followed that which angered Allah and disliked His pleasure, so He rendered their deeds void” (Muḥammad 47:28).
Some scholars therefore held that one is pleased with such matters insofar as they are ascribed to Allah as acts of creation, yet is displeased with them insofar as they are ascribed to the servant as his own deed and acquisition. This does not contradict the preceding view; both return to a single foundation—namely, that Allah, glorified be He, has decreed all things for a wise purpose. From the vantage-point of that wisdom they are beloved and acceptable, even though in themselves they may be disliked and detested; for a single thing can combine two qualities, being loved from one aspect and hated from another. As the authentic hadith states: “I have never hesitated over anything I intend to do as I hesitate to take the soul of My believing servant; he dislikes death and I dislike displeasing him, yet it is unavoidable for him.”
As for those who restrict contentment to the decree itself—which is an attribute and act of Allah—and not to the decreed matter that He brings into existence, they depart from the purpose of this discussion. Our concern is not with being pleased about what inheres in the Divine Essence of attributes and actions, but with being pleased about His created effects. We have explained this issue elsewhere.
Although contentment is an act of the heart, its perfection lies in praise (ḥamd); indeed, some have defined praise as contentment. For this reason the Quran and Sunnah command praising Allah in every circumstance, which implicitly includes accepting His decrees. The Prophet ﷺ said, “The first people to be called to Paradise will be the ḥammādūn—those who praise Allah in prosperity and adversity.” It is also related that when something pleased him he would say, “Praise be to Allah, by whose favor righteous deeds are perfected,” and when something displeased him he would say, “Praise be to Allah in every situation.”
In the Musnad of Imām Aḥmad, on the authority of Abū Mūsā al-Ashʿarī, the Prophet ﷺ said: “When the child of a servant dies, Allah says to the angels, ‘Have you taken the child of My servant?’ They reply, ‘Yes.’ He says, ‘Have you taken the apple of his heart?’ They reply, ‘Yes.’ He says, ‘What did My servant say?’ They reply, ‘He praised You and said: Innā lillāhi wa-innā ilayhi rājiʿūn (Indeed we belong to Allah, and to Him we shall return).’ He then says, ‘Build for My servant a house in Paradise and call it the House of Praise.’”
Our Prophet ﷺ is the bearer of the Banner of Praise, and his community are the praise-givers who praise Allah in prosperity and adversity. Contentment and praise in times of hardship are warranted by two considerations:
- The servant knows that Allah, exalted be He, is inherently deserving of such praise, for He has fashioned everything with excellence and perfected everything. He is the All-Knowing, the Wise, the All-Aware, the Merciful.
- The servant knows that Allah’s choice for His believing servant is better than the servant’s own choice for himself, as Muslim and others relate from the Prophet ﷺ: “By Him in whose hand is my soul, Allah does not decree any matter for a believer except that it is good for him.”