This hadith includes the words:

“I acknowledge Your favour upon me, and I acknowledge my sin.”

Among His blessings upon His believing servant are the faith and good deeds He enables him to attain. These come from His grace, kindness, mercy and wisdom, while the servant’s evil deeds fall within His justice and wisdom. Every blessing from Him is an act of grace, and every punishment from Him is an act of justice. He is not questioned about what He does because of the perfection of His wisdom, mercy and justice—not merely because of His overwhelming might and power, as Jahm and his followers maintain.

This has been discussed at length, and the true meaning of the following words has been explained:

“All good is in Your hands, and evil is not attributable to You.”

This is so even though He is the Creator of all things. It has also been explained that evil is ascribed to Allah in the Quran and Sunnah only in one of three ways:

First, within a general statement, such as:

“Allah is the Creator of all things.”

Second, by ascribing it to its cause, as in His words:

“From the evil of what He has created.”

Third, by leaving its agent unmentioned, as in the words of the jinn:

“We do not know whether evil is intended for those on earth or whether their Lord intends guidance for them.”

He brings together “the three categories” in al-Fātihah, saying:

“All praise is for Allah, Lord of all worlds.”

This is a general statement. He also says:

“The path of those You have blessed, not of those who have incurred wrath.”

Here He leaves the agent of wrath unmentioned. Then He says:

“Nor of those who have gone astray.”

Thus, He ascribes going astray to the created being. Another example is the statement of Allah’s intimate friend:

“And when I am ill, it is He who heals me.”