And when my life becomes a field of Satan take away my soul...

And when my life becomes a field of Satan take away my soul towards you (before I become eligible for Divine retribution).” Istidrāj (Drawing Near) Istidrāj is also included in Allah (S.w.T.)’s plan. At times the respite granted by Allah (S.w.T.) also includes a new blessing. Allah (S.w.T.) bestows His bounties upon a person who has sinned so that he may feel ashamed of himself and make amends. Instead, the person often develops confidence and blatantly commits more sins.

Such unfortunate people are mentioned in the following verse of Qur’an: “And (as to) those who reject Our communications, We draw them near (to destruction) by degrees from whence they know not.” (Surah al-Ar’āf 7:182) It is recorded in Safinat’ul-Bihār, “When Allah wishes good for a person and he commits a sin, Allah involves him in difficulties so that he may become aware that the cause of his problems is his own sin. He can then repent for it (immediately).

When Allah wishes to punish a person who commits a sin, He gives him a new form of blessing so that he may be dazzled by the blessing and ignore repentance. This is what Allah means in the Ayat (quoted above).” Istidrāj denotes failure to repent When Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) was asked the meaning of “Istidrāj” he replied: “When a person commits a sin he is given respite and a new blessing, then when he fails to repent he is slowly led towards destruction; about which he is heedless.

This is known as Istedraj and ‘Allah’s Plan.”[^2] It is related from Amir ul-Mu’minīn (a.s.) that he said: “Certainly, those who are given an increase in wealth and property by Allah, should not think anything but that it is Istidrāj. They should not be fearless (of Allah’s plan). Because calm precedes storm.”[^3] Fearlessness of Allah (S.w.T.)’s Plan Allah (S.w.T.) possesses two kinds of qualities, the Jamali (good) and Jalali (severe).

Example of Jamali qualities are His being Rahmān (Beneficent), Rahīm (Merciful), Karīm (Generous), Halīm (Magnanimous), Shakūr (Thankful), Ghafūr (one who forgives). The Jalali qualities are His being Jabbar (Mighty), Qahhar (One who punishes), Muntaqim (One who retributes), Muzallil (One who degrades), Mutakabbir (Proud) and Shadīdul Iqab (Severe in punishing).