If you knew mankind, you’d NEVER complain to them

 

The ignorant one complains about Allaah to the people! And this is the worst type of ignorance, because if he truly knew his Lord he would have never complained, and if he knew (the nature) of people he wouldn’t complain to them.

Some of the Salaf once saw a man complaining to another about his
difficulties and poverty whereupon they said, 

“O so and so! Verily you did not gain from this complain of yours anything but the fact that you complained about one that shows mercy to you (i.e. Allaah) to one that doesn’t show you any mercy at all (i.e. man).”

So the wise person complains TO Allaah (not ABOUT Allaah), and the best of them complains about their own shortcomings to Allaah not complaining about other peoples’ shortcomings.

So the three different levels are:

1. The worst – He who complains about Allaah to mankind.

2. The middle – He who complains about the people to Allaah.

3. The best – He who complains about his own shortcomings to Allaah.

[Taken from the book Fawaa-id al-Fawaa-id by Ibnul-Qayyim]