The complaint of the ignorant person

[From ‘al-Fawaa·id’ (p.114) of Imaam Ibnul-Qayyim رحمه الله]

“The ignorant person complains about Allaah to the people, and this is the limit of  ignorance of the One complained about and the one complained to; for if he had known his Lord he would not have complained concerning Him, and if knew the people he would not  complain to them.

One of the Salaf saw a man complaining to another man about his poverty and need, so he said: ‘O person! By Allaah! You have not done anything more than complain about One Who is Merciful to you, to one who is not merciful to you.’ 

In that regard it has been said:

‘If you make a complaint to the son of Aadam, then you are only complaining about the Merciful One to someone who is not merciful.’

And the one who is truly aware complains to Allaah alone; and the one who is the most aware, from those who are truly aware, is the one who makes his complaints to Allaah about himself, not about the people; so he is therefore complaining about the reasons which cause the people to overwhelm him. So he is looking to His Saying -He the Most High:

وَمَا أَصَابَكُم مِّن مُّصِيبَةٍ فَبِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَيَعْفُو عَن كَثِيرٍ

"And whatever misfortune befalls you, then it is because of the sins that your hands have committed."

(Sooratush-Shooraa (42):30)

And His Saying:

مَّا أَصَابَكَ مِنْ حَسَنَةٍ فَمِنَ اللّهِ وَمَا أَصَابَكَ مِن سَيِّئَةٍ فَمِن نَّفْسِكَ وَأَرْسَلْنَاكَ لِلنَّاسِ رَسُولاً وَكَفَى بِاللّهِ شَهِيدًا

"Whatever good reaches you, is from Allaah; but whatever evil befalls you, then it is on account of yourself."

(Sooratun-Nisaa· (4):79)

أَوَلَمَّا أَصَابَتْكُم مُّصِيبَةٌ قَدْ أَصَبْتُم مِّثْلَيْهَا قُلْتُمْ أَنَّى هَـذَا قُلْ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ أَنْفُسِكُمْ إِنَّ اللّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

"Why is it that when a single disaster struck you, even though you had struck the

enemy with one twice as great, you said: ‘From where is this?’ Say: ‘It is on account of

yourselves."

(Soorah Aal `Imraan (3):165)

So the levels are three: the lowest/most despicable of them is that you complain about  Allaah to His creation; and the highest of them is that you complain about yourself to Him; and the middle one is that you complain about His creation to Him."