The Jaahil (ignorant man) complains of Allah to the people.  He behaves in this manner due to his extreme ignorance of the being about whom he is complaining and the being to whom he is complaining.  If he recognised his Rabb, he would have never complained about Him.  Similarly, if he recognised the people, he would never have complained to them.  One of the Salaf (pious predecessors) saw a man complaining of his poverty to another man.  Thus he (the pious man) said to the complainer:  “You are complaining about a being who showers mercy upon you to a being who shows no mercy upon you.”  The poet says in this regard:

و اذا شكوتَ الى ابن آدم إنّما                      تشكو الرحيم الى الذى لايرحم

(When you complain to the son of Adam, you are merely complaining of the Most-Merciful to the one who shows no mercy)

On the contrary, the ‘Aarif (one who recognised Allah) complains to Allah alone.  More so, the greatest ‘Aarif complains to Allah about himself, and not about the people.  Hence he complains about the reason why people oppress him.  His attention is focused on the following Aayaat:

1.)    “And whatever difficulty befalls you is due to the earning (doing) of your hands.”  (Surah Shura, Verse 30)

2.)    “And whatever difficulty befalls you is from yourself (due to your sin).”  (Surah Nisaa, Verse 79)

3.)    “When you are afflicted with a difficulty the double of which you had inflicted (upon the disbelievers), do you say:  “From where did this come?”  Say:  “It is from yourselves!”  (Surah Aal-e-Imraan, Verse 165)

(In other words, realising that difficulty could be the result of sin.  The possessor of the highest standards of ‘Irfaan and Ma’rifat (recognition of Allah) never complains to Allah about his difficulties, instead he laments over his spiritual weakness … and asks Allah for help)

In short, there are three stages:

1. The lowest stage – that you complain of Allah to His creation.

2. The highest stage – that you complain of yourself to Allah.

3. The middle stage – that you complain of the creation to Allah

May Allah guide us to ponder and take heed.   Aameen

(Extracted from Ibnul Qayyim (R.A.A.)’s “Al-Fawaa’id, Page 127)

Translated by: 

                                    Abu Hudhaifa Muhammad Karolia

                                    1 May 2003

                                     Safar 1424

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Last modified: 07/10/07