On Cause & Effect

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ 

The following is an extract of a Letter, from the discourses of Shaykh Ibrahim ibn ‘Abdullah Niyas al-Kawlakhi (q.s.): “On cause and effect.” 

“We have seen two examples in this dunya that lead us to bear witness to the statement if the cause is multiplied, then the effect too, is multiplied.  The first example is the cause of provision in the life of this world.  Everyone who works will find that it is the cause of his finding sustenance, and everyone who does not will find that to be the cause of his not finding sustenance. 

سُوۡرَةُ النّجْم

وَأَن لَّيۡسَ لِلۡإِنسَـٰنِ إِلَّا مَا سَعَىٰ (٣٩) 

That man can have nothing but what he strives for; (Surah an-Najm:39) 

It is for this reason that you find lots of sustenance in the dunya.  The second example are the many causes for death.  One person dies because of this cause and another person expires due to that cause.  There are no end to the different causes of death and therefore, we see the many different kinds of death occurring.  We always hear about someone dying from this and that until we ourselves will eventually die because of some cause. 

Forgiveness of sins also has many different causes and we are hopeful that we avail ourselves of each and every one of them.  Dzikr of Allah is one such cause; sitting with the righteous people is another; joining the gatherings of remembrance and admonition is another.  Sitting in one righteous gathering is enough to cause the expiation of a thousand sinful gatherings.  We ask that Allah Enable us to move between jami’ and tafriq.  May He Enable some of us to be the cause of others obtaining His Forgiveness, and may He Continue to Give benefit to some on account of others.”