Feel insecure from Allah’s Devising

In our day to day lives we humans keep devising/ scheming against one another for various reasons. What will we do when Allah, the Almighty Himself devises against us ?

We should all feel insecure from Allah's devising because Allah can change human's hearts faster than a wind. The difference between the change of heart between good to bad, from agreement to disagreement, willingness to unwillingness is as short a distance between our two fingers.

We may wonder why Allah would devise against his own people/ creations ? That's because He puts us through trial to test our faith when we least expect it. And a moment's change of heart towards Satan/ Allah's faith can change our lives. It can make a good person bad, a bad person good, a favoured person of Allah amongst His despised !

When we are enjoying the mercies Allah has blessed us with, He might suddenly take away all of it and see the course of action we take. Or Allah might lure us with something wrong and test how far we get lured. When Allah can devise against his own favourite Angel - Iblis, then what are we? One change of heart through Allah's devising made Iblis from an Angel to a Devil (Shaytaan) and most hated by Allah !

And finally what we do in the end will account for our actions in the afterworld. A person who has done good for his entire life, might land in Hell with one action of his. Or a person who has done nothing but bad things might become Allah's favoured by his actions or change of heart towards the end of his Life.

Hence, Pray to Allah to save us from HIS Devising !

Some excerpts from an article by Imam Dhahabi with Quranic and Hadeeth references on Beliefs & Practices, Major Sins

Allah, Most High says,

{Until, in the midst of their enjoyment of our gifts, on a sudden We called then to account, when lot They were plunged in despair!} (Al-An’am: 44)

This means that the punishment occurs suddenly while they are heedless. Al-Hasan said, whoever is blessed but unaware of Allah’s decision he is heedless, and whoever is afflicted but unaware of Allah’s trials is also heedless. Then he read the above Ayah and said, these people are put into devising as they got all what they need and then taken suddenly.

‘Uqbah Ibn Amir (may Allah please him) related that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,
{Whenever a sinful servant attains whatever he wants you should realize that he is drawn on little by little.” Then he reads, “But when they forgot the warning they had received, We opened to them the gates of all (good) things, until in the midst of their enjoyment of our gifts, on a sudden We called them to account, when lot They were plunged in despair.} (Al-An’am 44) (Ahmad and Al-Baihaqi)

It is narrated that,

“When Iblis (Satan) who was an angel -was devised, Gabriel and Mika’il burst weeping and Allah asked them, why did you weep? They answered, O Lord we cannot feel secure from Your devising. Hence, Allah said, “keep on feeling in secure from My Devising.”

`Aishah related that the Prophet used to regularly say,

“O changer of hearts! Make our hearts firm in Thy faith. He was asked, O Messenger of Allah! Do you fear (that we may convert) He said, people’s hearts are between two fingers of Allah’s who changes it whenever He likes.” (Ibn Majah, AI-Hakim, At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Hibban)

“Verily one of you behaves like the people of Paradise until there is but an arm’s length between him and it, and that which has been written overtakes him and so he behaves like the people of the Hell-Fire and thus he enters it.”( Bukhari)

“Verily one of you behaves like the people of Hell-fire until there is but an arm’s length between him and it, and that which has been written overtakes him and so he behaves like the people of Paradise and thus he enters it. Works are only judged by the end.”( Bukhari, Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi and Ahmad)

Salim Ibn Abdullah related that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) would frequently swear by saying,
“No, by the changer of the hearts.”( Muslim, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah and Ahmad)

This means that Allah changes one’s heart faster than the wind but in different way! Agreement, disagreement, willingness and hatred etc.

Allah says,
{And know that Allah cometh in between a man and his heart, and that it is He to whom ye shall (all) be gathered} (Al-Anfal: 24)

Mujahid comments that Allah comes in between one’s mind and his own hand as stated in Allah’s saying,
{Verily in this is a message for any that has a heart and understanding or who gives ear and is a witness.} (Qaf: 37)
i.e. he who has mind.

`Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) related that the Prophet (pbuh) would always say,
“O Changer of hearts! Make my heart firm in thy faith. I asked, O Messenger of Allah, I think that you make this supplication much! Do you fear? He said, how could I be secure while the people’s hearts are between the two fingers of Allah, Who changes it whenever He likes. Thus, if He wants to change one’s heart, He does.”

Therefore, you should not be deluded by your own faith, prayer, fasting or whatever you do of acts of worship. This is because all of these works refer to Allah’s will and his plentiful bounties and He can strip you of such blessings.