How Can We Cultivate Contentment with Allah’s Decree?
Answered by Shaykh Anas al-Musa
Question
How can we attain the quality of contentment with Allah’s decree and predestination?
Answer
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds. Peace and blessings be upon the Messenger sent as a mercy to the worlds, our Master and Prophet, Muhammad, and his Family and Companions.
Understanding Contentment with Allah’s Decree
Contentment with Allah’s decree means wholeheartedly accepting whatever comes to us—whether painful or pleasing—without objection or resentment. It entails entrusting all affairs to the One who holds control over everything, as Allah (Most High) says,
“Say, (O Prophet,) ‘O Allah! Lord over all authorities! You give authority to whoever You please and remove it from whoever You please; You honor whoever You please and disgrace whoever You please—all good is in Your Hands. Surely You (alone) are Most Capable of everything.’” [Quran, 3:26]
This level of acceptance means viewing any trial or hardship as ultimately good, recognizing that Allah (Most High) knows what benefits and what harms us, even if we are unaware of it. True success lies in what Allah chooses for us, whether it aligns with our desires or not.
Definitions of Contentment by Ibn ‘Ajiba
Ibn ‘Ajiba defined contentment as “facing trials with a smiling face.” He also described it as “a joy that the heart feels upon the arrival of Allah’s decree,” and as “relinquishing one’s own choices regarding what Allah has decreed and approved.” Contentment is the opening of one’s heart to Allah’s will and the lifting of any rejection or resistance to what the One, the Compeller, has planned. [Ibn ‘Ajiba, Mi‘raj al-Tashawwuf]
Patience in Adversity
Finally, one must be patient when faced with difficulties and hardships. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said,
“Amazing is the affair of the believer, for there is good for him in every matter—and this is not the case with anyone except the believer. If he experiences joy, he is grateful, and that is good for him. If he experiences hardship, he is patient, and that is good for him.” [Muslim]
May Allah bless the Prophet Muhammad and give him peace, and his Family and Companions.
[Shaykh] Anas al-Musa
Shaykh Anas al-Musa, born in Hama, Syria, in 1974, is an erudite scholar of notable repute. He graduated from the Engineering Institute in Damascus, where he specialized in General Construction, and Al-Azhar University, Faculty of Usul al-Din, where he specialized in Hadith.
He studied under prominent scholars in Damascus, including Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghouri and Shaykh Adib al-Kallas, among others. Shaykh Anas has memorized the Quran and is proficient in the ten Mutawatir recitations, having studied under Shaykh Bakri al-Tarabishi and Shaykh Mowfaq ‘Ayun. He also graduated from the Iraqi Hadith School.
He has taught numerous Islamic subjects at Shari‘a institutes in Syria and Turkey. Shaykh Anas has served as an Imam and preacher for over 15 years and is a teacher of the Quran in its various readings and narrations.
Currently, he works as a teacher at SeekersGuidance and is responsible for academic guidance there. He has completed his Master’s degree in Hadith and is now pursuing his Ph.D. in the same field. Shaykh Anas al-Musa is married and resides in Istanbul.
