from Allah, and do not give way to inaction. If something befalls you, do not say, ‘Had I done this, such and such would have happened.’ Rather, say, ‘Allah decreed it, and He does whatever He wills,’ for ‘if’ opens the way for Satan’s work.”
He thus commanded him to strive for what benefits him and to seek Allah’s help, and forbade him from remaining inactive through reliance on divine decree. He then instructed him, when something befalls him, not to despair over what he has missed, but to consider divine decree and surrender the matter to Allah, since at that point he can do nothing else. As one wise man said: “Matters are of two kinds: those about which something can be done, and those about which nothing can be done. One should not remain inactive concerning the former, nor become distressed over the latter.”
In Sunan Abī Dāwūd, it is related:
“Two men brought a dispute before the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and he ruled against one of them. The man against whom he ruled said, ‘Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best Disposer of affairs.’ The Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said, ‘Allah censures inaction. Rather, you must act resourcefully. Then, if something overcomes you, say, “Allah is sufficient for me, and He is the best Disposer of affairs.”’”
Another hadith states:
“The discerning person is one who holds himself to account and works for what comes after death. The ineffectual person is one who lets his soul follow its desires and indulges in wishful thinking about Allah.”
It was narrated by Ibn Mājah and al-Tirmidhī, who graded it as good.
Shaddād ibn Aws reported that the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said:
“The discerning person is one who holds himself to account and works for what comes after death. The ineffectual person is one who lets his soul follow its desires and indulges in wishful thinking about Allah, Mighty and Majestic.”
Some people misread the word as al-fājir (the wicked), whereas the correct reading is al-ʿājiz (the ineffectual)