The Essence of Islam – Volume II — Page 339
Divine Decree and Determination 339 that deeply hidden matters, which resemble an absolute decree, can also be averted by prayer. . In short it should always be remembered in connection with prayer that sometimes God Almighty requires obedience to His own will and at other times He grants the supplication of a servant of His. In other words He deals with His servant like a friend. The prayers of the. Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be on him) were accepted on a grand scale and corresponding to this he stood very high in bowing to the will of God and in accepting it cheerfully. He lost eleven children, but he never asked "Why?" [Malfūzāt, vol. III, pp. 224-226]. It is the way of Allāh that when an action proceeds from man its effect is duly manifested by God Almighty. For instance, when we close all the doors of a room, this is our action and the result it entails, namely, that our room becomes dark is the effect of our action manifested by. God Almighty. This is God's eternal law. In the same way if we were to swallow poison in a fatal dose, this would doubtless be our action; our death following upon this action of ours would be God's action in accord with. His eternal law. Thus every action of ours is followed by a Divine action that is manifested after our action and is its necessary result. This system operates both in that which is manifest and also in that which is hidden. Every good or bad action of ours creates an effect which is manifested after our action. The meaning of the verse of the Holy Qur'ān: 122 خَتَمَ اللهُ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ : 122 Allāh has set a seal on their hearts. '-Al-Baqarah, 2:8 [Publisher]