it be what it may—must distinguish between what benefits it, brings it comfort and joy, and what harms it, brings it misery and pain. This is the essence of divine commands and prohibitions: Allah Most High has commanded His servants to do what benefits them and forbidden them from what harms them.
People fall into “four categories” with respect to divine law and decree. The worst of creation are those who invoke divine decree as an excuse for themselves but do not accept it as an excuse for others. They appeal to it to justify sins and faults, yet find no reassurance in it when calamities strike. As one scholar said: “When obedient, you are a Qadarī; when disobedient, a Jabrī. You adopt whichever doctrine suits your desires.”
At the opposite extreme are the best of creation: those who patiently endure calamities and seek forgiveness for their faults. As Allah Most High says:
“So be patient. Indeed, Allah’s promise is true. And seek forgiveness for your sin.”
And He Most High says:
“No calamity befalls the earth or yourselves without being recorded in a Book before We bring it into being. That is surely easy for Allah.”
“So that you may neither grieve over what you have missed nor exult over what He has given you.”
And He Most High says:
“No calamity befalls except by Allah’s permission. And whoever believes in Allah, He guides his heart.”
One of the early generations said: “This is a man who is struck by a calamity and knows that it is from Allah, so he is content and submits.”
He Most High says:
“And those who, when they commit an indecency or wrong themselves, remember Allah and seek forgiveness for their sins—and who forgives sins except Allah?—and do not knowingly persist in what they have done.”
Allah Most High relates that when Adam, peace be upon him, had done what he did, he said:
“Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves. If You do not forgive us and have mercy on us, we will surely be among the losers.”
And He relates that Iblīs said:
“Because You have led me astray, I will surely make evil appealing to them on earth, and I will lead them all astray.”
Thus, whoever repents resembles