In the Name of Allah, The Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Interpretation of the verse:
The remarkable thing about Allah’s Divine Words
“No calamity befalls on the earth or in yourselves but it is inscribed in the Book of Decrees before We bring it into existence. That is, indeed, easy for Allah. In order that you may not grieve at the things that you fail to get nor grieve over that which has been given to you. And Allah likes not prideful boasters.”
[LVII; 22,23]
Is that both Verses, particularly the second one, refer to the fact that man’s heart cannot bear excessive happiness or sadness. But what makes man’s happiness or sadness bearable is the thought that all things that befall man come from Allah, All-Mighty, Most Gracious. This is called “Islamic Monotheism”. In other words, if man is a monotheist, i.e. believes that there is only one God, Allah, All-Mighty, Most Gracious, the influence of both fortunes and misfortunes on him is eased and made bearable. This is because both fortunes and misfortunes have the same impact on man. A great many poor people are shocked dead when they receive a large fortune. That is why Allah, Most Gracious, says in the above Verses,
“In order that you may not grieve at the things that you fail to get nor grieve over that which has been given to you”.
In other words, if you are a monotheist, believing that all things come from the Lord, Allah, All-Mighty, Most Gracious, the influence of both fortunes and misfortunes on your heart are soothed and made easy. To this effect, Allah’s Messenger, (PBUH), says,
“If a person that is visited by worry or depression invokes, ‘O Allah! I am your salve, the son of your he-slave, and the son of your she-slave. My forelock is in Your Hand! Your Judgment will inevitably come to pass on me! Your Decree for me is Just and Fair! I beseech You by each and every Divine Name whereby You have named Yourself, You have taught to any of Your creatures, You have sent down in Your Book, or You have kept secret with You, to make the Holy Quran the spring for my heart, the light for my breast, the relief for my sadness, and the removal of my worry!’, Allah will certainly remove his worry and depression from him, and He will replace them with delight.”
He was asked: “O Allah’s Messenger! Don’t we have to learn them (words of the above invocation)?” He, (PBUH), answered,
“Yes, indeed! All those who hear them have to learn them.”
[Narrated by Ahmad (3712), Abu Ya’la (5297), Ibn Hibban (972), Al-Hakim (1/905), and Majma’ A-Fawa’id (10/186)]
Allah’s Messenger, (PBUH), also says,
“He on whom Allah bestows a Favor should always thank Allah. He whose sins have become numerous should (hurriedly) ask Allah for forgiveness. And He whose provision is narrowed for him should always say, ‘There is neither might nor power except with Allah.’”
[Narrated by At-Tabarani in Al-Mu’jam As-Sagheer (965) on authority of Abu Hurairah]
The venerable Companion Ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah, be pleased with him, says, “Each one of us is (sometimes) sad and (sometimes) happy. But he who is visited by a misfortune should turn it into patience; and he who is visited by a good thing should turn it into gratefulness.”
Most amazingly, calculations showed that during World War II, 2,000,000 people died of psychic stress in some European countries, while only 350,000 died in battlefield. This means that in the absence of Islamic Monotheism and True Faith in Allah, All-Mighty, Most Gracious, psychic stress has a very serious negative effect on man. That is why Allah, Most Gracious, says,
“No calamity befalls on the earth or in yourselves but it is inscribed in the Book of Decrees before We bring it into existence. That is, indeed, easy for Allah.”
[Ibid; 22]
To wrap up, he who knows the reality of the life of this present world does not rejoice at weal, nor does he grieve at woe. This is because Allah, Most Gracious, has made the present world an abode of trial and labor, just as He, Glory to Him, has made the Hereafter an abode of recompense. He, Blessed and Exalted, has made trial in the present world as a reason for reward in the Hereafter, just as He, Most Merciful, has made reward in the Hereafter as a recompense for trial in the present world. Therefore, He, Praise belongs to Him, takes in order to give and tries in order to reward.
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of Creations