and leads to lamentation, grief, and blaming the Divine decree.

Overall meaning of the hadith: In this narration the Prophet ﷺ commands us to focus on deeds that are truly beneficial, to seek Allah’s help in carrying them out, and to look forward to their fruits. He forbids helplessness, for it contradicts the very eagerness to pursue what is beneficial. Since people are continually exposed to trials in this world, he also enjoins patience and endurance, and he prohibits self-reproach in the form of saying, “If only I had done such-and-such,” or “If only I had refrained from such-and-such,” because such words bring no benefit; rather, they open a breach through which one’s enemy, Satan, enters and fills the person with sorrow.

Reason for citing the hadith in this chapter: it contains a prohibition against saying “if only” when calamities descend and it explains the harm that results from uttering it.

Lessons derived from the hadith:
1- An exhortation to strive diligently for benefit, whether immediate or long-term, by employing the appropriate means.
2- The obligation to seek Allah’s assistance in performing beneficial deeds and the prohibition of relying on one’s own power and strength.
3- A prohibition of helplessness, idleness, and abandoning the means.
4- Affirmation of Divine decree and destiny, and a clarification that they do not conflict with employing the means and striving for good.
5- The obligation to be patient when calamities strike.
6- A prohibition of saying “if only” in a spirit of discontent when afflictions occur, along with an explanation of the harm it causes.
7- A warning against the schemes of Satan.