And when he realizes that evil befalls him only through himself, because of his sins, he seeks forgiveness and repents, thereby removing the cause of that evil. Thus, the servant is constantly giving thanks and seeking forgiveness, so that good continues to multiply for him and evil is warded off.

Thus, in his sermons, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) would say, “Praise be to Allah,” thanking Allah. Then he would say, “We seek His help and His forgiveness”: we seek His help in obedience and His forgiveness for disobedience. Then he would say, “And we seek refuge in Allah from the evils of our souls and from the evils of our deeds.”

He thereby seeks refuge in Him from the evil within the soul and from the punishment for his deeds. Evil comes only from his own soul and its deeds. He therefore seeks refuge in Allah from the evil of his soul: lest he commit sins as a result of his wrongdoings. Then, if he does act, he seeks refuge in Allah from the evils of his deeds and from the punishments for them. Thus, he seeks His help in obedience and the means that lead to it, and seeks refuge in Him from disobedience and its punishment.

The servant’s knowledge that whatever good befalls him is from Allah, and whatever misfortune befalls him is from himself, calls for both of these responses. Here, Allah, glorified be He, distinguishes between the two after bringing them together in His statement:

“Say, ‘All is from Allah.’”

He thus explained that good and evil—blessings and calamities, and also acts of obedience and disobedience according to those who include them in this statement—are “from Allah.” Then He explained the distinction that benefits them: namely, that this good comes from