Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is Al-Lateef, commonly translated as The Most Kind and Gentle, or The Subtle One. But what exactly does it mean?
Imam as-Sa'di rahimahullah wrote in his tafseer the following (with slight adjustments):
🌿 ❛…Of His kindness [i.e. Lateef], He has made available to His servant every means that may form a barrier between him and sin, to the extent that if Allah knows that worldly gain, wealth, leadership and other things for which people compete in this world could cause His servant to turn away from obedience to Him, or make him negligent or lead him into sin, He diverts it from him and restricts his provision.❜ [Tafseer as-Sa'di, Surah ash-Shura 42:19]
From this, we understand that Allah's Knowledge encompasses even the subtle and the most hidden matters, and if there are evil in these matters, He diverts them away from us. And Allah tests us with hardship because He knows of the hidden khayr behind those adversities.
But due to our lack of knowledge, we think these difficulties and diversion of blessings — wealth, status, a prospective spouse, a holiday trip, a lost opportunity — are calamities. We feel disappointed and depressed, when in fact, the removal of these affairs are a form of Protection from Allah. Out of His Rahmah, Allah removes them from our path because He knows the catastrophic harm they would do to our Deen.
And Allah tests us with temporary hardships so that we may attain eternal success in the akhirah. For how many have turned to Allah in sincere repentance, and strengthened their relationship with Allah due to hardships.
This is Al-Lateef, The One Who protects us from harm and grants us khayr in unimaginable ways.
Indeed, when Allah withholds, He actually gives!
Your sister in Deen, Aida Msr ©
















