Thus the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, instructed him to do two things: to strive for what benefits him—which means complying with the command, worshipping Allah, and obeying Allah and His Messenger—and to seek Allah’s help. This entails believing in divine decree: that there is no might or power except through Allah, and that whatever Allah wills happens, while whatever He does not will does not happen.
Whoever thinks that he can obey Allah without His help, as the Magian Qadariyyah claim, has denied Allah’s perfect power, His unfailingly effective will, and His creation of all things. Whoever thinks that being helped to attain what he wants and having it made easy for him makes him praiseworthy, whether it accords with Allah’s revealed command or contradicts it, has denied Allah’s religion and rejected His Books, His messengers, His promise of reward, and His threat of punishment. He has merited His wrath and punishment in even greater measure than the former.
A servant may desire what Allah approves of, loves, and commands, and what brings him nearer to Him. Or he may desire what Allah hates, detests, is angered by, and forbids, and for which He punishes the one who does it. Either person may have his chosen course made easy for him, as the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
“Everyone will find easy that for which he was created. Whoever is among those destined for happiness will find the deeds of those destined for happiness made easy for him; whoever is among those destined for misery will find the deeds of those destined for misery made easy for him.”
The Most High has said:
“Whoever desires this fleeting life, We hasten for him therein whatever We will, for whomever We choose. Then We appoint Hell for him, where he will burn, condemned and banished.”
“But whoever desires the Hereafter and strives for it as he should, while being a believer—it is they whose striving will be appreciated.”
“To all—these and those—We extend the gifts of your Lord. The gifts of your Lord are not withheld.”
And the Most High has said: “As for