in jihad in Allah’s cause. The same applies to what causes no harm in this world, such as many acts of worship. Whatever is beneficial both in this world and in the Hereafter is also praiseworthy. There are thus seven categories:

Whatever is beneficial in the Hereafter is praiseworthy, whether it causes harm in this world, brings benefit, or neither benefits nor harms. Whatever is harmful in the Hereafter is blameworthy, whether it brings benefit in this world, causes harm, or neither benefits nor harms.

Three categories remain: what is beneficial in this world without being harmful in the Hereafter, and what is harmful in this world without being beneficial in the Hereafter. The beneficial is praiseworthy, and the harmful is blameworthy.

There are two views concerning the third category. One holds that it merits neither praise nor blame; the other holds that it is blameworthy.

Most of people’s condemnation of this world is not because it distracts them from the Hereafter, but because of the harm they suffer in it. It is indeed blameworthy in that respect. The strongest grounds for condemning it, however, are that it distracts from the Hereafter. Yet a person may count his misfortunes and forget his blessings. He may condemn many things because of some harm he suffers, although they contain many benefits that he fails to mention. Such condemnation is a form of fretfulness and panic, as