Reactions to Calamity

Q: What is the ruling on one who becomes discontented when he is afflicted by calamity?

A: In times of calamity, people divide into four different levels:

The First Level: Discontent and there are different types of discontent:

1. In the heart, as if he is angry with his Lord, and so he rails against what Allāh has ordained for him, and this is forbidden and could even lead to disbelief. Allāh says:

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ عَلَى حَرْفٍ فَإِنْ أَصَابَهُ خَيْرٌ اطْمَأَنَّ بِهِ وَإِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ فِتْنَةٌ انقَلَبَ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ خَسِرَ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةَ ذَلِكَ هُوَ الْخُسْرَانُ الْمُبِينُ

“And among mankind is he who worships Allaah as it were upon the edge (i.e. in doubt): if good befalls him, he is content therewith; but if a trial befalls him he turns back on his face (i.e. reverts to disbelief after embracing Islam). He loses both this world and the Hereafter.”

(Al-Hajj 22:11)

2. That it is spoken, such as invoking woe, destruction and the like and this is forbidden.

Beg Allaah to Forgive You!

وَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

"And all of you beg Allaah to forgive you, O believers, that you may become successful!"

[An-Nur 24:31]

Sheikh Uthaimeen رحمه الله says: 

"This verse shows that Repentance is an act deemed compulsory upon every mature, sane individual, because of the order entailed in this Verse. The Sheikh points out, that merely saying the words like Ya Allaah Agfirhlee (Oh Allaah forgive me), but at the same time persisting upon a sin or sins, and refusing to give up this sin, then this form of Tawbah will not benefit the individual and is at the same time mocking Allaah the Most High." 

(Sharh Riyaad'us Saaliheen, Chapter of Tawbah vol.1, pg.62-63)

Ibnul Qayyim رحمه الله says:  

Ponder this...

"I cried because I had no shoes, until I met a man with no feet..."

And Do Not Cut Ties with the Wombs that Bore You...

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُواْ رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالاً كَثِيراً وَنِسَاء وَاتَّقُواْ اللّهَ الَّذِي تَسَاءلُونَ بِهِ وَالأَرْحَامَ إِنَّ اللّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيبًا

"O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single person (Adam), and from him (Adam) He created his wife (Haawa), and from them both He created many men and women, and fear Allaah through Whom you demand your mutual (rights), and (DO NOT cut the ties with) the wombs (of kinship) . Surely, Allaah is Ever an All-Watcher over you."

Surah An-Nisaa [4:1]

Seek Out Your Heart in Three Places

Ibnul-Qayyim رحمه الله said,

“Seek out your heart in three places: when listening to the Qur'aan, in the gatherings of [Allaah’s] remembrance, and when [alone] in privacy. And if you do not find it in these places, then ask Allaah to grant you a heart – for verily, you do not have one.”

(Fawaaidul-Fawaaid, p.479)

When Ibn Baaz Lost his Eyesight

 

“Shaikh Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Humoodi mentioned a story to me about His Eminence, Sheikh ’Abdul-’Aziz ibn Baaz’s mother, so I asked him to write it which he did and for which I am grateful, dated 11/10/1421.  Here is the text of the letter:

الحمد لله وحده، والصلاة والسلام على من لا نبي بعده

Thereafter, at the request of my brother ’Abdul-Aziz ibn ’Abdullah as-Sadhaan that I write down for him the story of what happened to our father, His Eminence, Sheikh ’Abdul-’Aziz ibn Baaz, may Allaah’s Mercy be on him, and on our parents and all Muslims, [I present the following].

’Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Naasir ibn Jaabir from Riyadh told me that the Sheikh, may Allaah have mercy on him, lost his eyesight at the prime of his youth. His mother’s residence, and she was from the family of Huzaim, was in a district called Dikhnah, to the east of al-Hakm Palace. She used to have a neighbour who was the wife of Prince ’Abdul-’Aziz ibn Turki Aal-Su’ood.

Know that Nasr (aid) is accompanied by having Sabr (patience)

 Sheikh Saleh Al-Fawzaan

From the modes of Sabr, is having patience upon the decree of Allaah that is distressful in what happens to the servant from the calamities and by definition it is restraining the soul from becoming restless/impatient, refraining the tongue from complaining, wailing and mourning; refraining the body from unlawful actions like striking the side of the face, tearing the clothes and making supplication of the Pre-Islaamic Era [i.e. all these occurrences are from one who mourns the deceased].

And having patience upon the calamity that happens suddenly is similar to what the Prophet (صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم) said:

“Patience is with the first blow.”

And Allaah (سُبحانه وتعالى) says:

وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنَ الْخَوفْ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ الأَمَوَالِ وَالأنفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ

"And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but give glad tidings to As-Sâbirin (the patient ones, etc.)."

(Al-Baqarah 2:155)

Therefore it is a duty placed upon the believer to be patient upon whatever befalls him and whatever patience has been made easy upon him towards those affairs.

Yaa Miskeen!

Al-Imaam Al Fudayl ibn ‘Iyaad said:

“O Miskeen! You are an evil-doer and you think yourself to be one who does good. You are an ignoramus and you think yourself to be a scholar. You are a miser and you think yourself to be generous. O foolish one! You see that you are intelligent. Your time is short, but your hope is long.”

[Adh-Dhahabi]: I say: Yes, by Allah, he has spoken the truth. And you are an oppressor and you think yourself to be the one who is oppressed. And you eat what is unlawful and you think that you are cautious and fearful (in this regard). And you are a sinner and you think yourself to be just and upright. And you seek the knowledge (of the religion) for the world, and yet you think that you seek it for Allaah.

Source: Siyaar A’laam an-Nubalaa  سير أعلام النبلاء 8/440