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Is it true that whatever goodness you receive is from Allah and whatever bad you receive is from yourself?

Question

Is it true that whatever goodness you receive is from Allah and whatever bad you receive is from yourself?

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

Allah the Almighty says in Surah An-Nisaa' (what means): {What comes to you of good is from Allah, but what comes to you of evil, [O man], is from yourself. And We have sent you, [O Muhammad], to the people as a messenger, and sufficient is Allah as Witness.} [Qur'an 4: 79], and its meaning is as the commentators said: {What comes to you of good...} i.e., a favor or a blessing {is from Allah}, and He is the One who bestows and provides it. {But what comes to you of evil} i.e., an affliction or a matter that you hate, {is from yourself}, that is: because of your sins and what you have earned, but what He (Allah the Almighty) pardons is much more.

Ibn Katheer  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him said in his interpretation: {What comes to you of good is from Allah} means from Allah’s grace, kindness, and mercy. {But what comes to you of evil is from yourself} means from your own work, as Allah the Almighty says (what means): {And whatever strikes you of disaster - it is for what your hands have earned, but He pardons much.} [Quran 42: 30].

As-Suddi, Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Ibn Jurayj, and Ibn Zaid  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  them said: {... is from yourself}, meaning: because of for your sin.

Qataadah  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him said concerning this verse, “is from yourself” means, as a punishment to you, O son of Adam, for your sin. He said: It was mentioned to us that the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) used to say: “No man is scratched by a thorn, or stumbles, or has a twitching in a vein, except for a sin, and what Allah forgives is greater.

Allah knows best.

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