by Allah, Glorified is He, that good comes from Allah, who bestows it upon them, and that evil befalls them only because of their sins. Hence He, Most High, says:

“But Allah would not punish them while you are among them, nor would Allah punish them while they seek forgiveness.”

He thus states that He does not punish anyone who seeks forgiveness, because seeking forgiveness erases the sin that causes punishment, thereby averting the punishment. Thus, in the Sunan of Abū Dāwūd and Ibn Mājah, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“Whoever frequently seeks forgiveness, Allah will grant him relief from every worry, a way out of every hardship, and provision from where he does not expect.”

He, Most High, also says:

“Worship none but Allah. Indeed, I am to you from Him a warner and a bearer of good tidings.”

“And seek your Lord’s forgiveness, then repent to Him. He will grant you good enjoyment for an appointed term and bestow His bounty upon everyone deserving of it.”

He thus makes clear that whoever worships Him alone and seeks His forgiveness will be granted good enjoyment for an appointed term; and whoever thereafter does good, He will grant him more of His bounty. A hadith states:

“Satan says, ‘I destroyed people through sins, but they destroyed me by saying “There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah” and seeking forgiveness. When I saw this, I spread vain desires among them, so they sin without repenting, because they think they are doing good.’”

Hence He, Most High, says:

“So We afflicted them with poverty and hardship, that they might humble themselves.”

“Why, then, did they not humble themselves when Our punishment came upon them?”

That is: why did they not humble themselves when Our punishment came upon them? When punishment comes, it is incumbent upon them to humble themselves. He, Most High, also says:

“We certainly seized them with punishment, yet they neither submitted to their Lord nor humbled themselves in supplication.”

ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz said: “No affliction descends except because of a sin, nor is it lifted except through repentance.” Hence He, Most High, says:

“Those to whom people said, ‘The people have gathered against you