There is good for a Believer in
everything:
بسم الله والحمد لله
والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد
27. Abu Yahya Suhaib bin Sinaan رضي الله عنه reported that the
Messenger of Allaah ﷺ
said:
❝How wonderful is the case of a believer; for all his
affairs are good for him, and this applies only to a believer. If something good
happens to him, he is thankful for it and that is good for him; if something
bad happens to him, he bears it with patience and that is good for him.❞
[Saheeh Muslim (7138), Kitaab al-Zuhd]
Shaikh Ibn al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله said:
The author (Imaam al-Nawawee) رحمه الله mentioned the Hadeeth
of Suhaib al-Roomee that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: ❝How wonderful is the case of
a believer; there is good for him in everything…❞, meaning: the
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم
expressed his amazement in a good way; ❝…for the case of a believer…❞, meaning: the
affairs concerning a Believer. All the affairs concerning a Believer are only
good for him, and this is not applicable to anyone except a Believer.
Then the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم explained this further on how it is good.
He صلى الله عليه وسلم
said: ❝If something good happens to him, he is thankful for it
and that is good for him; if something bad happens to him, he bears it with patience
and that is good for him.❞, this is the condition of a Believer. Every person
is under the Will of Allaah and His Decree, and his affairs are between the
two: Either he is bestowed with prosperity or afflicted with adversity. People
in regards to these two afflictions are (further) divided into two categories:
a Believer and a disbeliever.
As for a Believer, everything that Allaah has decreed for
him is only good for him. If he is afflicted with adversity he is patient with
the Decree of Allaah, and waits for the relief from Allaah, and hopes for his
reward from Allaah; and this is good for him. Through this he receives the
reward of the Saabireen (those who patiently persevere).
And if he is given religious blessings like: (beneficial) knowledge
and righteous deeds; or worldly prosperity like: wealth, children and family –
he is thankful to Allaah عز وجل by fulfilling the obligations and by being obedient to
Him, because being thankful to Allaah is not limited to uttering with the
tongue: “O thank you Allaah!” (or something similar), rather it also includes
being obedient to Him عز وجل.
So when he shows his gratitude towards Allaah then that is
good for him. And it becomes a cause of receiving two blessings: worldly
blessings and religious blessings. The worldly blessing is the prosperity which
he receives and the religious blessing is being able to thank Allaah for it.
This is the state of a Believer; he remains upon goodness – irrespective of whether
he is struck with adversity or bestowed with prosperity.
As for a Kaafir, then he is upon evil – and we seek Allaah’s
refuge. If he is afflicted by adversity, he does not remain patient, rather he
becomes annoyed (and shows his displeasure and becomes impatient), and wails
and invoke for (his own) destruction, and curse the era, and curse the time,
rather – he will curse Allaah عز وجل (and blame Him) – we seek Allaah’s refuge from this.
If something good happens to him, he does not thank Allaah
for it. So this blessing becomes a means for his punishment in the Hereafter
because a Kaafir does not eat a morsel nor sips a drink except that he is
committing a sin. [1] So when a Believer eats and drinks, there is no
sin for him, but when a Kaafir eats and drinks, he is sinning, as Allaah تعالى said:
﴿قُلْ مَنْ حَرَّمَ زِينَةَ
اللَّـهِ الَّتِي أَخْرَجَ لِعِبَادِهِ وَالطَّيِّبَاتِ مِنَ الرِّزْقِ ۚ قُلْ هِيَ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فِي الْحَيَاةِ
الدُّنْيَا خَالِصَةً يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ﴾
{Say (O Muhammad): “Who has
forbidden the adoration with clothes given by Allaah, which He has produced for
his slaves, and at-Taiyibaat [all kinds of Halaal (lawful) things] of food?”
Say: “They are, in the life of this world, for those who believe, (and)
exclusively for them (the believers) on the Day of Resurrection (the
disbelievers will not have a share from them).”} [Surah al-A`raaf
(7): 32]
These blessings are especially for the Believers (in this
world), and exclusively for them in the Hereafter. But as for those who do not believe,
then it is not for them, and they consume it while it is Haraam (forbidden) for
them, and they will be punished for it on the Day of Judgment.
(The state of) a Kaafir is evil, whether he is afflicted
with an adversity or bestowed with a blessing, whereas a Believer is (always) upon
goodness.
(Benefit) from this Hadeeth: Encouragement towards
Imaan and that the Believer is always upon goodness and in a state of blessing.
(Another benefit): Encouragement towards patience
during hardship, and this is from the characteristics of a Believer. So if you
see yourself being patient during hardship, hoping for the reward from Allaah,
and waiting for relieve from Him – then this is an indication for one’s Imaan.
But if you see the opposite, then you should blame yourself, mend your ways,
and turn to Allaah in repentance.
(Another benefit): Encouragement towards being
thankful to Allaah and showing gratitude to Him when something good happens,
because when a person thanks his Lord for His blessings, then this is a sign for
his success and it becomes a means for the increase in the blessing, as Allaah تعالى said:
﴿وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ
لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ ۖ وَلَئِن كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِي لَشَدِيدٌ﴾
{And (remember) when your
Lord proclaimed: “If you give thanks, I will give you more (of My Blessings),
but if you are thankless (i.e. disbelievers), verily! My Punishment is indeed
severe.”} [Surah Ibraaheem (14): 7]
So if Allaah guides a person towards the ability to thank
Him, then this in itself is a blessing, for which a person needs to thank
Allaah for the third time…and so on and so forth. [2]
Because thanking Allaah is the least a person can do. So when Allaah تعالى bestows
upon you His favors and helps you in it, then this is also a blessing.
Verily, when Allaah تعالى guides you towards the ability to thank Him,
then this is a blessing for which you need to thank Him anew. When you have thanked
Allaah, it is a blessing for which you need to thank Him a second time. When
you have thanked Him (the second time), then it is a blessing for which you
need to thank Him the third time…and thus the cycle.
But the reality is that we are negligent and heedless about
this. [3]
We beseech Allaah to awaken our hearts and your hearts, and rectify our deeds
and your deeds. He is indeed Jawwaadun-Kareem.
[Sharh Riyaadh al-Saaliheen of Shaikh Ibn al-`Uthaymeen (1/197-200)]
Translator's Notes:
[1] Are you not ashamed O Children of
Aadam??!
Allaah تعالى says:
{Does he (man) think that none sees him? Have We not
made for him two eyes, And a tongue and two lips? And shown him the two ways
(good and evil)?} [Surah al-Balad (90): 7-11]
Ibn al-Jawzee رحمه الله said: ❝I contemplated about sins, and I realized that it is not
possible for a person to commit a sin except that he (mis)uses one of the many
blessings bestowed upon him by Allaah.❞
Ahmad bin Abi al-Hawaaree reported on the authority of Abu
`Abdullaah al-Raazee that Sufyaan bin `Uyainah رحمه الله said
to him: ❝O Abu `Abdullaah! One of the
ways a person thanks Allaah, for His blessings, is by Praising Him for it and
using it (the blessings) in His obedience. It is not from thanking Allaah that
a person uses these blessings in disobeying Allaah.❞
[Tahdheeb Al-Kamaal by Al-Mizzee (11/192)]
[2] Being able to thank and praise Allaah - for
the blessings that He has bestowed upon us - is in itself a blessing which many
are deprived off, as Allaah تعالى said:
﴿وَقَلِيلٌ مِّنْ عِبَادِيَ الشَّكُورُ﴾
{But (only) few of My slaves are grateful.} [Surah Saba (34): 13]
And also:
﴿وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَنشَأَ
لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَالْأَبْصَارَ وَالْأَفْئِدَةَ ۚ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَشْكُرُونَ﴾
{It is He, Who has created for you (the sense of)
hearing (ears), sight (eyes), and hearts (understanding). Little are you
grateful.} [Surah al-Mu’minoon (23): 78]
The ability to thank Allaah for His blessings, by saying
al-Hamdulillaah, is a blessing in itself which is better than any other
blessing:
Anas bin Maalik رضي الله عنه narrated that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم
said: ❝Allaah does not bestow a
blessing upon any slave and he (the slave) says: ‘Al-hamdu Lillaah (praise is
to Allaah)’, except that what he gives (the praise) is better than what he
received (the blessing).❞ [Sunan
Ibn Maajah (3805) and graded as “Hasan” by
Shaikh al-Albaanee]
Note: The
Hadeeth does not mean that the action of a slave is better than the action of
Allaah. Rather, the ability to thank Allaah for His blessings and favors is in
itself a blessing from Allaah. Some blessings are greater than others. Being
able to thank and praise Allaah is a religious blessing which is better than
the worldly blessings like health, wealth, status, children and the other
blessings which He تعالى bestows. The health will deteriorate, the
wealth will diminish, the status will not always remain, and children will pass
away, but the praise of Allaah will endure.
Hishaam bin Yahya bin Yahya reported that his father who reported
from his grandfather that one of the workers of `Umar Ibn `Abdul `Azeez رحمه الله wrote to him mentioning
in his letter: O Ameer al-Mu’mineen! I am in a land in which the blessings are
in abundance, to this extent that I fear that its people will not be able to
Thank (Allaah the way He should be thanked). So `Umar wrote back to him saying:
❝I used to think that you were (one of those who were) well
versed in (the Book of) Allaah. Verily! Allaah تعالى does not bestows His blessing upon His servant and he praises
Allaah (by saying الحمد لله) except
that his (ability to) praise Allaah تعالى is better
than the blessing which he received. If you did not know about this (then read)
the Book of Allaah which He تعالى revealed.
Allaah تعالى said:
﴿وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا دَاوُودَ
وَسُلَيْمَانَ عِلْمًا ۖ
وَقَالَا الْحَمْدُ لِلَّـهِ الَّذِي فَضَّلَنَا عَلَىٰ كَثِيرٍ مِّنْ عِبَادِهِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ﴾
{And indeed We gave knowledge to Dawood and
Sulaimaan, and they both said: “All the praises and thanks be to Allaah, Who
has preferred us above many of His believing slaves!”} [Surah al-Naml (27): 15]
And which blessing is better than what was given to
Dawood and Sulaimaan عليهما السلام?!
And Allaah تعالى said:
﴿وَسِيقَ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا
رَبَّهُمْ إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ زُمَرًا ۖ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا جَاءُوهَا﴾ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ:
﴿وَقِيلَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ﴾
{And those who kept their duty to their Lord will be
led to Paradise in groups, till, when they reach it…} till the saying of Allaah تعالى: {and it will be said. All the praises and thanks be to
Allaah…} [Surah al-Zumar (39): 73
- 75]
And which blessing is better than entering the
Jannah?!❞ [Al-Hilyah (5/293)]
It is reported from Ka`b (ibn Maalik) رضي الله عنه that he said: ❝No servant is blessed by Allaah with a blessing in this world
and he thanks Allaah for it and humbles himself with it for Allaah (i.e. makes
use of it in Allaah’s obedience), except that Allaah تعالى will make him benefit from that blessing in this world and
through it will raise his status in the Jannah. And no servant is blessed with
a blessing in this world and he does not thank Allaah for it nor humbles
himself (i.e. disobeys Allaah with it) except that Allaah will deprive him from
benefiting from that blessing in this world and will open for him (the door) of
the Hellfire. If He تعالى wishes, He will
punish him or He will overlook his (misdeeds).❞ [al-Hilyah (6/43)]
[3] Abu Haazim said: ❝Any blessing which does not make one closer to Allaah عز وجل is in fact a trial.❞ [al-Mujaalasah
wa Jawaahir al-`Ilm (4/19/1163)]
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