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Fatwa CenterThe impermissibility of inner objection to Divine Decree
Question
If a man suffers from a calamity and does not show patience by objecting to and expressing discontent with this Decree within himself and wanting to change it at any cost, but he cannot, will this cause the anger of Allaah The Almighty? Does Allaah The Almighty reward one for his suffering whether or not he shows patience?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alyhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
The Islamic Sharee‘ah requires the Muslim to be patient with a calamity without showing discontent, and the reward for that corresponds positively with the amount of patience and submission that one shows to Allaah The Almighty. This is because afflictions are meant for testing and purifying the believer. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {Do the people think that they will be left to say, "We believe" and they will not be tried?} [Quran 29:2]
Therefore, it is not permissible for the Muslim to say or do anything that would contradict contentment with the Decree and Destiny ordained by Allaah The Almighty; otherwise, he will be extremely disobedient to Allaah The Almighty. This is because the Decree of Allaah The Almighty is entirely good and full of justice and wisdom. So, the Muslim has to accept it. However, there will be no harm if this happens without discontent. A similar thing happened with the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. When ‘Aa’ishah 
said, "Oh, my head!" the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, replied: "(Rather) It is me who should say, 'Oh my head.'"
Commenting on this Hadeeth, Al-Haafith Ibn Hajar 
said, "The Hadeeth indicates that telling (others) about pain is not a complaint. There are many people who keep silent, yet they are discontent; and there are many people who complain, yet they are contented. The determining factor here is the action of the heart, not one’s words."
Now it should be clear to the questioner that inner objection to the Decree and Destiny of Allaah The Almighty is impermissible except in the form of inner feelings and whispers which he cannot discard. In such a case, he is not blameworthy. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: "Allaah has forgiven my Ummah (nation) the evil thoughts that occur to their minds as long as such thoughts are not put into action or uttered." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Seeking to alleviate one's suffering through lawful means is not a form of discontent with the Divine Decree, such as when a person is sick and he goes to the doctor or seeks treatment through Sharee‘ah-approved Ruqyah (Quranic treatment).
Allaah Knows best.
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