THE STANCES TO BE ADOPTED WITH REGARD TO DECREED EVENTS WHICH ARE DISAGREEABLE

[From ‘al-Fawaa·id’ (pp.46-47) of Imaam Ibnul-Qayyim -rahimahullaah.]
“When something predecreed happens to the servant, and it is something which he dislikes, then he must adopt six stances regarding it:
The first: The stance of Tawheed: and that Allaah is the One Who decreed it, willed it, and created it. Whatever Allaah willed occurs, and whatever He did not will shall not occur;
The second: The stance of Justice (al-`Adl): And that His Judgement applies and occurs upon him, and whatever He ordains concerning him is fully just;
The third: The stance of Mercy (ar-Rahmah): And that His Mercy in this decreed matter outweighs His Anger, and His punishing; and that Mercy is its basis;
The fourth: The stance of Wisdom (al-Hikmah): And that His Wisdom -He the One free of all imperfections- necessitated that it should occur. He did not ordain it without purpose or frivolously.
The fifth: The stance of Praise (al-hamd): And that He- the Perfect- deserves full praise for that, from every aspect.
The sixth: The stance of Servitude (al-`Uboodiyyah): And that he is entirely a slave, in every sense. The Judgements and Decrees of his Master apply and occur upon him, since he belongs to Him and is His slave. So He controls him such that he is under His Decrees which relate to the creation, just as He controls him in his being under His Judgements relating to the Religion. So it is fully appropriate that these Decrees occur upon him.”