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Affliction increases the believer's certainty in Allah's wisdom. Thus, affliction itself spoils the heedless person's love for Allah, but it increases the believer's love for Allah, the Almighty. Ibn Ata'illah Al-Sakandari said, "When the door of understanding is opened for you, withholding becomes the eye of giving. When He gives you, I bear witness to His kindness, and when He withholds, I bear witness to His overpowering might. He is, in all of that, acquainted with you and turning towards you with His tenderness upon you. It is only the withholding that pains you due to your lack of understanding of Allah in it."
Thus, you may be deprived of a blessing, but if Allah, the Almighty, grants you the ability to reflect on His wisdom when He withheld it, this reflection will return to you with gifts far greater than what you were deprived of. You will see that Allah, the Exalted, makes you know His names and attributes through this affliction. As for those who see affliction as pure evil, they are struck by a lack of reflection and understanding of Allah's wisdom.
Ibn Al-Qayyim said, "If the servant were to be just to his Lord and had the right to do so, he would know that Allah's favor upon him in what He withheld from him of the world, its pleasures, and its comforts is greater than His favor upon him in what He gave him."
The key to reflection and understanding is to be certain that Allah, the Almighty, has wisdom in everything. Go beyond doubting the existence of wisdom, be certain of Allah's wisdom, then reflect: what is this wisdom? At that moment, great treasures will be opened to you. The other key is to be certain of your ignorance in contrast to Allah's wisdom: "But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you."
I used to wish that the affliction would stop at this point and I would return to my normal life. Before my transfer to prison, I wished that I would not be transferred, before the trial, I wished that I would not be tried, before the judgment against me, I wished that I would not be judged, and before the decision to overturn the judgment that led to my release, I wished that this period between the judgment and its overturning would not be prolonged, but it was prolonged.
At every stage, I thought it was most beneficial for me that the affliction would stop at that point, but at every stage, I discovered that the continuation of the affliction was more beneficial for me than its cessation. Now, if I were asked: If all of this that happened to you did not happen, would you wish, O Iyad, that all of this that happened to you did not happen? My answer: No, by Allah, but I am happy and praise be to Allah. I am happy that Allah, the Exalted, did not fulfill my wish and supplication for an early release from captivity, but He chose for me, in His wisdom and mercy, what is better than what I chose for myself. I praise Allah, the Exalted, that this blessing of affliction continued for this long period so that I may reap the great divine gifts that I have told you about.
Ibn Al-Qayyim said, "Among the general hidden afflictions is that the servant, in a blessing that Allah has blessed him with and chosen for him, dislikes it and seeks to move from it to what he claims, in his ignorance, is better for him, and his Lord, in His mercy, does not take him out of that blessing and excuses him for his ignorance and bad choice for himself."
Then he said, "If Allah intends good and guidance for His servant, He makes him witness that what he is in is a blessing from His blessings upon him, and He makes him content with it, and He distributes His thanks upon it." Praise be to Allah, I have reached this stage in the latter part of the prison affliction. It is no longer just a matter of the chest, I understood some of the wisdom from it, but I wished that my heart would be more at ease. I understood a side of the wisdom theoretically, but through the experience of affliction, I understood it practically.
If you are afflicted and Allah, the Exalted, grants you understanding, you will see the truth of Muawiya's statement, may Allah be pleased with him, which was narrated by Al-Bukhari: "There is no wisdom except for one who has experience, there is no wisdom except for one who has experience." You will see how those who work for Islam have a missing link in their personality that is not completed except through sacrifice when they pay the price for their call. You will see how Allah, the Exalted, opens for the prisoner in His path victories that would not have occurred to him outside of prison. You will then understand every word of the following words of Sayyid Qutb, great words indeed.
Sayyid Qutb said, "Affliction is necessary for the nurturing of souls and the testing of resolve." The Quranic verse (Al-Baqarah 155) on trials: "And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient." The role of affliction in making faith precious.
How hardships awaken hidden strengths. The wisdom behind the affliction of callers to Islam (Du'at). The impact of sacrifice on the words of a da'ee.
Acknowledging that human understanding of divine wisdom is limited (Quranic verse: Al-Isra 85): "They ask you, [O Muhammad], about the soul. Say, 'The soul is of the affair of my Lord. And mankind have not been given of knowledge except a little.'" Allah's mercy in revealing some wisdom to reassure hearts. The specific wisdom in the type of affliction chosen for a da'ee (e.g., imprisonment).
Summary of the episode: trust in Allah's wisdom. Teaser for the next episode. Closing salutation: Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
Sayyid Qutb, who was imprisoned and executed in the path of Allah the Almighty, said: "There is no alternative to training the souls through trials, and testing the resolve on the battle for truth through fears, hardships, hunger, lack of wealth, lives, and fruits." Allah the Almighty said: "And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient." (Quran 2:155)
This trial is necessary for believers to bear the costs of faith so that it becomes dear to their hearts in proportion to what they have sacrificed for it. And cheap faiths, whose adherents do not bear their costs, are not dear to them to abandon at the first shock. The costs here are the precious price by which faith becomes dear to the hearts of its people before it becomes dear to the hearts of others. The more they suffer for its sake and the more they strive for it, the dearer it becomes to them and the more they believe in it. Likewise, others will not realize its value except when they see the trials of its people and their patience with them.
Look at what he, may Allah have mercy on him, said: "Trials stir up hidden powers and stored energy, and open in the hearts channels and paths that the believer would not have known except under the hammers of trials." So this is from the wisdom of Allah the Almighty in testing the callers. It is true that if they had remained outside prison, perhaps they would have been able to socialize with people, read references, and disseminate works more, but Allah the Almighty wants to purify their intentions and bring life to their words. As it is said: "The deed of one man among a thousand is more effective than the words of a thousand men about one man." If the caller remains and speaks without sacrificing, his words will not have the desired effect.
This does not mean that you will encompass all of Allah's wisdom in trials or that you should not have good thoughts until you understand it, for Allah the Almighty said: "And you have not been given of knowledge except a little." (Quran 17:85) So you have only understood a little of Allah's wisdom, but He, glorified and exalted be He, in His wisdom and mercy, has informed you of some of this wisdom to reassure your heart.
Look at His wisdom, glorified and exalted be He, in choosing the type of trial. The caller may think that the best for him is not to be imprisoned so that he does not waste his time and so that he can employ his energies in calling people, but Allah the Almighty has chosen a suitable type for this caller: prison, and in it there are very great benefits that I have told you about. It is easy for us to understand these meanings in relatively light trials, but the heart may be assailed by doubt when it sees people being tried with very great trials. We will speak about these people in the next episode, God willing.
The conclusion of this episode: Trust in the wisdom of Allah in your trial, and then great treasures will be opened for you.
Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah.