20. NOT COMPREHENDING WISDOM SHOULD BE ATTRIBUTED TO LACK OF KNOWLEDGE
Pay attention to this chapter as it is very important.
Whoever believes in Allah must accept His decisions and know that He is the Wise, the Sovereign and One who does not do things without significance.
If the wisdom behind something escapes man, he attributes ignorance (jahl) to himself and accepts the decisions of Allah the Wise (al-Hakim ) and Sovereign (al-Malik ). If the intellect asks him about the wisdom (hikm a ) behind something, he says, ‘It is not clear to me, but I must surrender matters to the Owner.’
Some people used their intellects only to judge the actions of Allah Almighty, and sought that if they were to come from a creation, it would indicate the opposite of wisdom— so they attributed this to Allah, which is pure blasphemy (kufr al-mahad) and stone-cold madness (junun al-barid).
The correct way is to attribute ignorance to oneself for minds fall short of realising His wisdom.
The first one to employ such logic was Satan, as he saw his Creator preferring mud to fire, and the mind sees that fire is better, so he criticised His wisdom.
This curse has spread among some so-called scholars and many commoners. How often have we seen a scholar objecting and a commoner rejecting and disbelieving! This curse has prevailed among most people.
They see a scholar in adversity’ and a lecherous in prosperity, so they assume, ‘This does not befit wisdom.’
Scholars know that Allah Almighty obligated Zakat (Alms giving), Jizyah, spoils of war and expiations in order to give independence to the poor. The aggressors are therefore the ones at fault, as well as those obligated to pay alms, yet deceive and pay it partially so that the poor starve.
We must deny those aggressors and not object to the One who decreed sufficiency for the poor.
This also entails within it, a punishment for aggressors for withholding the rights of the poor, and a trial for the poor in patience about their rights.
The majority of these objectors are not safe at the time of death, from an objection that inclines towards disbelief that risks the soul exiting in blasphemy.
How often does a commoner say, “Such-and-such is in adversity, and he does not deserve that!”
This means that he was subjected to what is claimed, not to be right. A lecher once said:
O Lord! You create moons at night
horseradish branches and sand dunes
Then make passion forbidden to Your servants
O Just Ruler, is that justice?
Some scholars recite similar poems and enjoy them, which is pure blasphemy. They did not understand the wisdom of prohibition or its meaning, because Allah did not forbid love but forbade acting on it in ways that were censured, such as the look, the touch and the indecent deed.
Refraining from what one desires is a proof of belief in the One who forbids, like the thirsty person refraining from drinking water during Ramadan; it is a proof of belief in Him who commanded fasting. Surrendering the soul to striving in cause of Allah is a proof of certainty of recompense. What is desired is merely a sample of what awaits (in the Hereafter), had he pondered and exercised patience for a while, he would win greatly.
If I begin to relate stories, I know scholars and the masses will object. One of the best examples is what has been narrated about Ibn Al-Rawandi. He became very hungry one day, so he sat on the bridge being tormented by his hunger. Some horses adorned with silk and garments passed by, so he asked, ‘Whose are these?’ He was told, ‘They belong to ‘All ibn Baltaq, the son of the Caliph.’
Then after this, some beautiful slave girls passed by and he again asked, ‘Whose are these?’ They replied, ‘They belong to ‘All ibn Baltaq.’
Then a man passed by him and saw the signs of hunger on him, so he threw a couple of loaves of bread at him, and he took them and threw them away saying, ‘All that for ‘All ibn Baltaq, and these are for me?’
The ignorant fool forgot that his words and objection deserved this hunger. To him all people are full of defect and yet dare object to Him, in whose actions there is no imperfection— you are a creation made from water and mud, and from a disdained liquid, then you continuously carry filth within you— and if breathing air was kept away from you, you would become corpses.
How often does your wisdom raise an opinion then realizing its faults when presenting it to others! In addition to your excessive sinning, can you do nothing except object to the Wise Owner?
If the purpose of all these adversities were merely for us to submit, it would be enough. Had He created the creation to indicate His existence, then destroyed them without promising them (any recompense), He would have had the right to do so, because He is the Owner. Yet out of His Grace, promised resurrection and recompense and eternal happiness.
Therefore, whenever something happens for which you do not know or understand the wisdom, attribute it to your lack of knowledge. You may see someone who was apparently killed without fairness, when he was responsible for the killing and oppression of others. It is very rare for someone to be in adversity unless he was deserving of it, but these recompensed sins are hidden from us and we only see the resultant penalty.
Surrender you therefore, and you will be safe. Beware of uttering a word of objection or concealment of discontent, for it may throw you outside of the pale of Islam.
(Source: al-Hafiz Abu’l-Faraj ibn al-jawzl [d. 597AH] “CAPTURED THOUGHTS being” a translation of his masterpiece ‘Sayd al-K hatir)
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