As for the presence of an impediment that opposes and precludes it, this is because he himself may be too limited and weak to combine acts that are possible in themselves but mutually incompatible for him. If he is occupied with hearing or seeing something, speaking about it, considering it, or willing it—or if his limbs are occupied with extensive activity—this diverts him from another activity, even if it is good, because of his limited capacity and inability. Thus, the presence in him of one attribute or act becomes an impediment and barrier to another. His limited capacity and inability come down to his lack of power, so this too comes down to the absence that is attributable to him. Pure nonexistence is not a thing that could be attributed to Allah Most High.

If, however, the thing exists—as pain and its cause do—one should recognize that the evil that exists is neither evil in an absolute sense nor pure evil. Rather, it is evil for whoever suffers from it. One people’s calamities may be another people’s benefits. Hence the words of the hadith we have transmitted with a recurring feature throughout its chain:

“I believe in divine decree, its good and its evil, its sweetness and its bitterness.”

And in the hadith narrated by Abū Dāwūd:

“If you spent an earthful of gold, He would not accept it from you until you believed in divine decree, its good and its evil, and knew that whatever befell you could never have missed you, and whatever missed you could never have befallen you.”

Good and evil are thus relative to the servant to whom they pertain, exactly like sweetness and bitterness. Whatever causes a person no suffering is not evil for him, while whatever gives him enjoyment is good for him, as in the report: “The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) would teach a person whose brother recounted a dream to him to