On the authority of Abū Saʿīd, may Allah be pleased with him, in a narration traced back to the Prophet:

“Among the signs of weak certainty is that you seek people’s approval at the price of Allah’s displeasure, that you praise them for a portion of Allah’s provision, and that you blame them for what He has not granted you. Indeed, Allah’s provision is not drawn nearer by the eagerness of any seeker, nor is it kept back by the aversion of any hater.” (1)

Weak (ḍuʿf): with the ḍād pronounced either with ḍamma or fatḥa; the opposite of strength and soundness.

Certainty (yaqīn): the opposite of doubt; the perfection of faith.

“To please people at the cost of Allah’s anger”: to prefer their satisfaction over Allah’s.

“To praise them”: to thank and commend them.

“For a portion of Allah’s provision”: for what has reached you through their hands, attributing it to them while forgetting the true Bestower.

“To blame them for what He has not granted you”: if you request something from them and they withhold it, you reproach them for that.

Overall meaning of the ḥadīth: In this report the Messenger of Allah ﷺ clarifies the proper stance of a Muslim—strong trust in Allah, reliance upon Him, and the conviction that everything is under His management and will. This includes the causes: when Allah wills, He connects them to their effects.