Whatever is written for you will unerringly come to you

 

A person who is impatient about his sustenance, worried about why he has so little, and unsatisfied at being lower than others in worldly status is like one who precedes the Imam when going from one stage of prayer to the next. At the end, he cannot make Salaams (the final action that makes the prayer complete) until after the Imam has done so. Similarly, one does not die until he receives all of the provision that was decreed for him. Sustenance and provision were preordained and decided upon fifty thousand years before the creation was created.

 

(The Event ordained by Allah will come to pass, so seek not to hasten it.)      (Qur'an 16: 1)

 

(And if He intends any good for you there is none who can repel His Favor…)                                   (Quran 10: 107)

 

'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said:

"O' Allah, I seek refuge in you from the stamina of the wicked person and from the feebleness that accompanies (a false) confidence?

 

This phrase has a very significant meaning. As I contemplated key events in history, I found that many of Allah's enemies had prodigious levels of fortitude, hardiness, and perseverance. In contrast, I found that many Muslims were insipid, lethargic, and feeble, all the while thinking --- and falsely so --- that they were putting their trust in Allah. A true trust in Allah requires striving and working, and then leaving the results to Allah.