What God Has Chosen is Best

Allah the Exalted said: “And it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you and that you like a thing which is bad for you. Allah knows, while you do not know.” (Surah Al-Baqarah: 216).

How beautiful is this verse, and how profound is its meaning!

A person may grieve over the loss of something, or suffer from the delay of a wish, or undergo a trial whose wisdom he does not understand, only to discover later that God had averted harm from him or reserved for him greater good.

Be at ease, for what God has chosen for you is better than what you would choose for yourself, even if you do not grasp the wisdom behind it today.

One man was an employee in a government administration in the holy city of Makkah. He had a wife who was difficult to deal with, clingy, and irritable, making his life hard. He also had brothers who were disputing with him over a piece of land, and relations between him and them had deteriorated to the point of near estrangement.

One morning, as he left his home, his wife greeted him with a barrage of shouting and annoying criticism. He set off for work in a state of intense anger. The poor man arrived late at work and could not find a parking spot for his car. He parked in the manager’s designated spot, which was still unoccupied, and went up to sign in before the office closed, intending to return later to find another parking space for his car. Unfortunately, the manager arrived, also in a bad mood, and began shouting, “Who is this donkey who parked in my spot?”

Our man turned toward the manager and unleashed all his anger in the form of punches, kicks, blows, and insults. He then got into his car and left. The manager rose, called the Deputy Minister, and by the end of the day, an order had been issued transferring our man to a very distant location.

From Makkah to Arar, the news reached him, and he immediately wrote his resignation. Then, for several days, he reflected on his situation, saying to himself, “Well, what prevents me from going to Arar? There will be no manager like that one, no wife, and no brothers like those people. Could the situation there possibly be worse?”

The man tore up his resignation and accepted the transfer decision, which gave him a few days before he was to assume his duties at the new post.

He went immediately to a notary public, relinquished his land rights to his brothers, transferred ownership of his house to his wife’s name, and then went to the court and divorced his wife. He took his clothes and headed for Arar.

Upon arriving, he began working at that administration. His colleagues welcomed him warmly, as did the manager, who had a pressing need of his own, which we will learn about shortly.

The man easily integrated into his new environment, getting to know the people, who were there generous in time and spirit, and known for their generosity. The people loved him, and he loved them. One day, the administration manager in Arar called him and said, “You are a gift from God. You arrived at just the right time. I have become utterly bored with this place, and I am waiting for an opportunity to return to Riyadh. The only thing preventing me from leaving is that none of the administration’s employees hold a university degree. Now that you have arrived, I am leaving and recommending that you succeed me in my position.”

Weeks, or perhaps months, passed quickly. Approval came from the Ministry to transfer the manager to Riyadh and appoint our man in his place.

The man found himself regarded as one of the prominent figures of that small region. He sat with the Emir of the region and its notables, and heads of government departments, in their homes, majlis, and farms. He received a good promotion, which increased his income. He began hosting and inviting people, sacrificing animals for them, and was granted a nice piece of land as a municipal allowance, thanks to his association with the municipality’s secretary. He also obtained a loan from one of his friends, with which he built himself a magnificent and beautiful home, complete with a tent in its courtyard where he would host people and the elite.

The Ministry held a meeting that brought together department directors in Riyadh, where he encountered his former boss, who was taken aback by his appearance. When he recounted what had happened to him, the director was astonished, and any lingering resentment he had harbored toward him vanished. As for his acrimonious wife, the divorce had utterly broken her, and she greatly admired the man for what he had done when he relinquished the house to her and registered it in her name. She persistently urged him, seeking to return to his protection, but he refused unless she agreed to conditions that were nearly impossible, designed specifically for her to reject them. However, she accepted all of them, so he took her back into his protection. As for his brothers, they reflected on themselves and consulted one another before agreeing on the necessity of reconciling with their brother, who had grown resentful of them and distanced himself from them. They began to appease him, invited him to gatherings, hosted feasts in his honor, and mended the rift between themselves and him. After some time, he yearned for Mecca and returned there, honored, respected, and dignified.

Gentlemen, be optimistic about goodness, and know that God is merciful to His servants. When He closes one door for you, He opens others. Difficult circumstances and events may lead you down a path you never imagined, allowing you to discover that this very path is what carries you toward success and prosperity.