and believing in His decrees. This sermon thus holds the whole framework of Islam and faith together.

He also said: There are several ways in which good things are from Allah and bad things are from oneself:

First: Blessings come without being earned.

Second: Doing good deeds is itself part of Allah’s kindness to His servant. He created life, sent the messengers, and made faith dear to His servants. When you reflect on this, you thank Allah, and He grants you more. When you recognize that evil comes only from yourself, you repent, and it ceases.

Third: A good deed is rewarded many times over.

Fourth: He loves good and is pleased with it: He loves to bestow blessings and loves to be obeyed. Thus, those who know Allah observe proper reverence by attributing blessings to Him and evil to where it occurs, as the leader of the pure monotheists said:

“Who created me, and He guides me,”

continuing to his words:

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

Fifth: Good is attributed to Him because, in every respect, His bestowal of it is an act of kindness. As for evil, He decreed it only for a wise purpose.

Sixth: Good deeds have actual existence and are connected with mercy and wisdom;