and pursue it diligently, seek Allah’s help, and not succumb to helplessness; and something that befalls him through no act of his own, which he must endure patiently without giving way to distress.

For this reason, one of the wise—Ibn al-Muqaffaʿ or someone else—said: “Matters are of two kinds: those you can do something about, so do not be helpless in dealing with them; and those you can do nothing about, so do not give way to distress over them.”

This applies to all matters. For the believer, however, what he can do something about is what Allah has commanded him to do and loves for him to do. Allah has commanded him only to do what lies within his ability, for He does not burden any soul beyond its capacity. He has commanded him to do every good that lies within his ability. What he can do nothing about is what befalls him through no act of his own.

The terms “good things” and “bad things” encompass both categories. As applied to actions, examples include the words of Allah Most High:

“Whoever comes with a good deed will have ten times its like, and whoever comes with an evil deed will be recompensed only with its like.”

And His words:

“If you do good, you do good for yourselves; and if you do evil, it is against yourselves.”

And His words:

“The recompense for an evil deed is an evil deed like it.”

And His words:

“Yes, whoever earns evil and is encompassed by his sin.”

As for what befalls a person by divine decree, whether good or bad, an example is His saying:

“We tested them with good things and bad things, so that they might return.”

There are many other verses of this kind. And Allah knows best.