These, then, are the four possible states a person may find himself in when calamity strikes.

1. The first state is resentment, which may appear in the heart, on the tongue, or through one’s limbs.

   • Resentment in the heart is when—God forbid—a person harbors displeasure or bitterness toward his Lord, feeling as though Allah has wronged him by this affliction.

   • Resentment on the tongue is to cry out in despair—“Alas, what ruin, what destruction!”—or to curse time itself, thereby offending Allah the Exalted, and the like.

   • Resentment through the limbs is to slap one’s cheeks, strike one’s head, pull out one’s hair, tear one’s garment, and similar actions.

   Such is the condition of the panic-stricken who forfeit the reward. They do not escape the calamity; rather, they earn sin as well, so they suffer two misfortunes: one in their religion because of their resentment, and another in the world through the pain that has already reached them.

2. The second state is patience: he restrains himself. He dislikes the calamity and would prefer it had never happened, yet he keeps his tongue from uttering what angers Allah, his limbs from doing what displeases Him, and his heart from harboring any grievance against Allah. He is patient, even though he detests the hardship.

3. The third state is contentment: the person’s breast is opened to the decree; he accepts it fully, as though he had never been afflicted at all.

4. The fourth state is gratitude: he thanks Allah for the calamity itself. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), whenever he saw something he disliked, would say, “All praise is due to Allah in every…"