THE EIGHTEENTH DISCOURSE On not complaining

It is a parting advice of mine to you whether friend or foe that you should not blame your Lord for what He does to you, and for His causing trials for you. Rather, you should give publicity to what good happens to you and to your thankfulness on that account. Your telling a lie in expression of your gratitude without any blessing is better than your stating a true fact and giving publicity to any grievance for your external circumstances. Who is there that is devoid of the blessings of God? God the Mighty and Glorious says: And if you count Allah *s favours, you will not be able to number them (14:34). How many blessings there are with you and you do not recognise them! Do not feel comforted with anything in the creation and do not be in love with it and do not communicate to anyone the state of your affairs. Your love should rather be for the sake of God, the Mighty, the Glorious, and your comfort should be in Him and your grievance against Him should be communicated only to Him. You should look to nobody else, because in nothing else is there any hann or good, or any appropriation and renunciation or any honour or dishonour, or any elevation or fall, or any poverty or affluence, or any movement or pause. All things are the creation of God, and in the hand of God lies the source of their movement by His command and permission. They continue to exist up to a time appointed by Him. And everything exists according to a measure fixed by Him. Whatever He has made posterior can by no means be prior and whatever He has made prior can by no means be made posterior. If God intends any harm to you no one can avert it except He. And if He intends any good, no one can withhold His favour. Thus, if you complain against Him while you are in comfort and enjoying some blessings, just desiring an increase in them and shutting your eyes to what is with you of blessing and comfort, considering them very poor, God will be angry with you and take these two things away from you and make your complaint real and double your trouble and intensify His chastisement and anger and hatred for you; and He will make you fall away from His sight. • Therefore, with utmost effort, beware of complaining even if your flesh is cut into pieces by means of scissors. Save yourself! Fear God! Fear God! Fear God! Make good your escape! Make good your escape! Beware! Beware! Verily most of the various calamities that befall the son of Adam are due to complaint against his Lord. How can one complain against Him, and He is the most merciful of the merciful ones and the best of all judges; Patient, Aware, Compassionate, Merciful, Kind towards His servants; He is not unjust to His servants and is like a patient, affectionate, loving, kind physician who is also a kinsman (to the patient). Can any fault be found in an affectionate kind-hearted father or mother? The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has said: "God is more merciful towards His servant than a mother is towards her son." 0 poor man ! show good manners to the utmost. Exhibit patience at the time of calamity, even if you become exhausted by patience. Hold on to patience even if you get exhausted through your cheerful submission to, and harmony with God. Hold on to cheerful resignation to, and concord with Him. Remain ever pleased and get reconciled. If your self still remains in existence, vanish it out and bring death over it. When you are thus lost, 0 you philosopher's stone! where will you be obtained? Where will you be found? Have you not heard the word of God: Fighting is enjoined on you, though it is disliked by you; and it may be that you dislike a thing while it is good for you and it may be that you love a thing while it is evil for you; and Allah knows while you know not. (2:216). The knowledge of the reality of things has been kept rolled away from you and you have been screened away from it. So do not show bad manners in disliking or liking it. Follow the Law in all that may happen to you if you are in a state of piety (salih) which is the first step, and follow the commandment in the state of wilayat and in the state of dying out of the existence of desire and do not go beyond this. This is the second step. Be pleased with the action of God and be reconciled to it and vanish into th'e state of the abdal and the ghauth and the siddiq and these are the final stages. Keep clear out of the way of destiny and do not stand in its way and curb yourself and your desire, and restrain your tongue from complaint. Then when you have done this, if the destiny is good, your Lord will give you more good, and an enjoyable and happy life. And if it is a bad one, God will protect you in the course of it through your obedience to Him and will keep away from you all blame and will keep you lost in it until the time it passes away from you and the point of the ripeness of time also passes —just as the night passes into the day and the coldness of winter passes and merges into the summer. Here is an example for you and you should take lesson from it. Again, in the self of man there are various kinds of sins and faults and blemishes on account of which he is unworthy of the company of God, unless he becomes purged of impurities and sins; and no one can kiss His threshold except those who are purified from the dirt of self-conceit, just as no one can be worthy- of the company of kings except those who are cleansed of impurities and bad smell and dirt. Thus calamities are atonements and purifiers. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has said: "The fever of one day is an atonement for the sins of a whole year."