1ST STEP The Experience of Events

In another hadith, it is stated as follows:

“A person’s religion is according to the measure of his intellect. One who has no intellect has no religion.” (S: Suyuti – Jami‘ al-Saghir, 2183 [3.535, Hadith No: 4242], Narrated by Jabir ibn Abdullah, PBUH.)

In this regard our Prophet (PBUH) said :

Al-An'am-32 The life of this world is nothing but play and amusement. Certainly, the abode of the Hereafter is better for those who are the owners of taqwa (spiritual armor). Do you still not use your intellect?

Al-Anbiya-10 I swear We have sent down to you a Book in which you are mentioned. Will you still not use your intellect?

By nature, every person is at a different level of comprehension and possesses a unique capacity for perception. According to these varying levels of understanding, Allah causes events to occur around each individual. In other words, the less a person’s capacity to perceive, the more decisive and compelling the events Allah brings about in their life—so that they are driven to fulfill their responsibilities. For those with greater understanding, lighter events are sufficient for them to grasp the message and walk toward the goal. Allah Almighty knows every heart best and brings about the events that will draw a person closer to Him, tailored to their individual capacity. Indeed, the Holy Qur’an repeatedly asks us: “Will you still not use your intellect?”

Allah Almighty says: If My servant intends to commit an evil deed in his heart, do not record it against him immediately. If he actually commits that evil, then record it as a sin. But if he intends to do a good deed and cannot do it, record it as one reward. And if he carries it out, then record it as ten rewards.” (S: Muslim, Īmān, 203.)

In a hadith narrated by Abu Huraira, it is stated as follows:

Al-An'am-160: Whoever comes (before Allah) with a good deed, for him there are tenfold the like of it and whoever comes with an evil deed, he shall be recompensed only with the like of it and they shall not be wronged.

Allah Almighty is always on the side of His servant. Whoever comes to Him with one good deed—even if they are not on Allah’s path—Allah grants them tenfold rewards (merits). And whoever comes with a sin, He records only one sin for them. But for those who wish to reach Allah and become a true believer, this reward system increases from tenfold (1 to 10) up to seven hundredfold (1 to 700).

Al-Isra-11: And a man prays for evil as (if) he ought to pray for good, and a man turned to be hastier.

Since people evaluate both good and evil according to their own presumptions, they often pray for what is actually evil as if they were praying for good.

Imagine someone’s car being stolen: the person feels sorrow because his car was taken away. But in reality, that person is grieving over what is actually good. Because the thief committed an act of evil by stealing and thus lost merits (derecat), while the victim gained those lost merits because of the violation of their rightful due, thereby attaining good. As in this example, only the one who sees Allah’s will in the events they experience can rescue themselves from the 1st step of the ladder of Islam.

We humans regard the events that make us happy as good and those that upset us as evil. However, according to Allah Almighty, good is that which earns us merits (derecat), and evil is that which causes us to lose them.

Al-Baqarah-216: War is enjoined on you, even though it be disliked by you; and it may be that you dislike a thing and it is actually good for you and it may be that you love a thing and it is actually evil for you. And Allah knows while you do not know.

Every human brought into worldly life, under the natural standard of misguidance, experience a series of events from the moment they are born. And all of these events are designed by Allah Almighty with a specific purpose. Only the one who can comprehend Allah’s will in the events they live through can attain salvation. As Allah Almighty says in:

In the Holy Qur’an, the relationship between Allah and the human beings is designed in 28 steps. At the first step of this design are the events.

“If you speak to a group about matters beyond their intellect (understanding), it will surely be a cause of temptation (fitnah) for some of them.” (S: Muslim, Introduction, 3; see also: Al-Ajluni, 1/196)

We need to examine the universal message in these two hadiths in the light of the Qur’anic verses and other hadiths that are in accordance with the Holy Qur’an.