(201) It is related by Uqbah bin ‘Aamir that the Apostle of God
said: “When you see that God is conferring upon someone His favour
in this world he is desirous of [like wealth, honour and comfort] in
spite of his evil conduct, know that, for him, it is Istedraj. After
saying it, the Prophet recited the following verse of the Quran: Then,
when they forgot that whereof they had been reminded, We opened unto
them the gate of all things till, even as they were rejoicing in that
which they were given, We seized them unawares, and to, they were dumbfounded.
[vi : 44]
-Musnad-i-Ahmad
Commentary.-Istedraj is among the laws of God that are operative in
the world and according to which He directs the affairs of individuals
and communities. It denotes that when a defiant bondsman (or group)
exceeds the limits of intransigence, God, out of extreme displeasure,
occasionally, gives him rope, and the door of boons and blessings is
opened for him so that he may go ahead with sinfulness, and, then, receive
the severest chastisement. In the usage of Islam, it is called Istedraj.
The above Tradition, thus, tells that if you see a person [or group]
that ha completely forgotten God and his [or its] life is soaked in
sensuality and wickedness and yet various Divine favours are being conferred
upon him [or it] and he [or it] is enjoying all the pleasant conditions
of the life then do not be misled into believing that God is bestowing
His blessings upon him [or it] as a mark of good pleasure. He is only
giving him [or it] a free scope, and, ultimately, he [or it] is bound
to be a loser.