حال السلف مع الفتن والمحن: قال شُرَيح رحمه الله: إنِّي لأصاب المُصيبة، فأحمَدُ الله عليها أربعَ مرَّات، أحمدُ إذ لَم يكُن أعظم منها، وأحمَدُ إذ رزقَني الصَّبْر عليها، وأحمدُ إذ وفَّقني للاسترجاع لِماَ أرجو مِن الثواب، وأحمَدُ إذ لم يجعلْها في ديني. [السير (تهذيبه) 1/457].
قال شيخ الإسلام ابن تيمية رحمه الله: والحمد على الضراء يوجبه مشهدان : أحدهما: علم العبد بأن اللّه ـ سبحانه ـ مستوجب لذلك، مستحق له لنفسه، فإنه أحسن كل شيء خلقه، وأتقن كل شيء، وهو العليم الحكيم، الخبير الرحيم. والثاني: علمه بأن اختيار اللّه لعبده المؤمن، خير من اختياره لنفسه، كما روى مسلم في صحيحه، وغيره عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أنه قال: (والذي نفسي بيده لا يقضي اللّه للمؤمن قضاء إلا كان خيرًا له، وليس ذلك لأحد إلا للمؤمن، إن أصابته سراء شكر فكان خيرًا له، وإن أصابته ضراء صبر فكان خيرًا له). مجموع الفتاوى10/29.
Full English translationThe way of the Salaf with trials and tribulations: Shurayh, may God have mercy on him, said: “When I am afflicted with a calamity, I praise God for it four times: I praise Him that it was not greater than it was, I praise Him that He granted me patience over it, I praise Him that He enabled me to say ‘To God we belong and to Him we shall return’ for the reward I hope for, and I praise Him that He did not make it a calamity in my religion.” [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 1/457]. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may God have mercy on him) said: “Praising God in times of hardship is necessitated by two considerations: First, the servant’s knowledge that God—exalted is He—is deserving of this and entitled to it by His own right, for He has perfected everything He created and made everything flawless. He is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, the All-Aware, the Most Merciful. Second, his knowledge that God’s choice for His believing servant is better than his own choice for himself, as narrated by Muslim in his Sahih and others on the authority of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who said: ‘By Him in Whose Hand is my soul, God does not decree anything for the believer except that it is good for him. This applies to no one except the believer. If good fortune befalls him, he is grateful, and that is good for him. If misfortune befalls him, he is patient, and that is good for him.’” (Majmu’ al-Fatawa 10/29)