THE COMPLAINT OF THE IGNORANT PERSON
[From
‘al-Fawaa·id (p.
114) of Imaam Ibnul-Qayyim –rahimahullaah]
“The ignorant person complains about Allaah to the people, and this is the limit
of ignorance of the One complained about and the one complained to; for if
he had known his Lord he would not have
complained concerning Him, and if knew the people he would not complain to them.
One of the Salaf saw a man complaining to another man about
his poverty and need, so he said: ‘O
person! By Allaah! You have not done anything more than complain about One Who
is Merciful to you, to one who is not merciful to you.’
In that regard it has been said:
‘If you make a complaint to the son of Aadam, then you are
only
complaining about the Merciful One to someone who is not
merciful.’
And the one who is truly aware complains to Allaah
alone; and the one who is the most
aware, from those who are truly aware, is the one who makes his complaints to
Allaah about himself, not about the people; so he is therefore complaining
about the reasons which cause the people to overwhelm him. So he is looking to His Saying –He the
Most High:
وَمَا أَصَابَكُم مِّن مُّصِيبَةٍ فَبِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ ۞
[Sooratush-Shooraa (42):30]
[[Meaning: And whatever misfortune befalls you, then it
is because of the sins that your hands have committed.]]
And His Saying:
مَّا أَصَابَكَ مِنْ حَسَنَةٍ فَمِنَ اللَّهِ ۖ وَمَا أَصَابَكَ مِن
سَيِّئَةٍ فَمِن نَّفْسِكَ ۞
[Sooratun-Nisaa · (4):79]
[[Meaning:
Whatever good reaches you, is from Allaah; but whatever evil befalls you, then
it is on account of yourself.]]
And
His Saying:
أَوَلَمَّا أَصَابَتْكُم مُّصِيبَةٌ قَدْ أَصَبْتُم مِّثْلَيْهَا قُلْتُمْ
أَنَّىٰ هَٰذَا ۖ قُلْ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ أَنفُسِكُمْ۞
[Soorah Aal 'Imraan (3): 165]
[[Meaning: Why is it that when a single disaster struck you,
even though you had struck the enemy
with one twice as great, you said: ‘From where is this?’ Say: ‘It is on account
of yourselves.’]]
So the levels are three: the lowest/most despicable of them
is that you complain about Allaah to His creation; and the highest of them is
that you complain about yourself to Him; and the middle one is that you
complain about His creation to Him.”
Translated by Aboo Talhah Daawood ibn Ronald Burbank
Taken from: https://alitisaambissunnah.wordpress.com/2011/10/16/the-complaint-of-the-ignorant-person/
