dislikes death, this entails His disliking putting him to death, even though He wills to do so because of His wisdom in it, glorified and exalted is He. Thus, things that Allah Most High hates and forbids are neither to be loved nor approved of. Rather, we are content with what Allah is pleased with in creating them, because of His wisdom in doing so. Likewise, actions that He neither loves nor hates should neither be loved nor approved of, just as they should not be hated. The contentment established by the revealed texts is to be content with Allah as one’s Lord, Islam as one’s religion, and Muhammad as one’s Prophet.

It is authentically reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“Whoever is content with Allah as his Lord, Islam as his religion, and Muhammad as his Prophet has a right upon Allah that He make him content.”

As for divine decree, one is content with Allah, for He deserves praise in every circumstance. One is also content with the wisdom that pleases Him, for the sake of which He created what He created, even though we hate those created things that He hates. Where there is no revealed command, or the revealed command is unclear, compliance, contentment, and love do not apply as they do in relation to a revealed command, even if the matter is divinely decreed.

This is a point on which many of the elite among the “spiritual wayfarers” and their shaykhs err, let alone their ordinary followers. They differ in this according to their knowledge of the revealed commands and their obedience to them. Some have greater knowledge of the revealed commands than others and are more obedient to them. Such a person