What is Ridha?

Know that ridha is a well established doctrine validated by both the Holy Qur’an and Sunnah (practices) of Holy Prophet (s.a.w). Says the Holy Qur’an:

“The true believers (mu’minin) are pleased with God.” [5:122]

It is also said in the Holy Book:

“Verily, Allah is pleased with true believers.” [48:18]

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w) has said:

“He who is satisfied with God gets real taste of iman.”

Ridha is of two kinds. Ridha (pleasure) of Allah with His servant, and ridha of the servant with (the decree) of Allah.

God’s pleasure with the servant is manifest in His bounties and gifts both material and spiritual; and the servant’s pleasure with God is the name of his obedience to God’s commands and submission to His Will. Actually man’s pleasure is the result of God’s pleasure, since, unless God is kind to him he cannot be obedient to God.

Ridha on the part of man is really his determination to accept God’s decree irrespective of whether it is favourable or unfavourable, and whether it is in the shape of fire of God’s Wrath (jalal) or it is illuminated by the rays of His Beauty (jamal). Being burnt or illuminated does not make any difference to him because both spring from God Almighty and whatever comes from the Beloved is welcome. That is to say whatever happens to him, he should regard it as his destiny and be pleased with it.

He who is pleased with the decrees of God lives in peace and bliss. Says the Holy Prophet (s.a.w):

“He, who is not pleased with God, has a worried soul and a troubled body.”

It is ridha which removes sorrows and cures negligence. It banishes the thought of any other than God from the hearts and cuts across the shackles of hardships. Therefore, ridha can be exercised only by the man who believes that the author of good and evil is the Almighty and that He has an eye on him in all circumstances.

It is said that once a dervish fell into a river. Someone shouted from outside, “Should I bring someone to rescue you?” He said, “No.” The man said, “Do you wish to die?” He said, “No.” The man asked, “What do you wish?” He said, “I wish what God wishes. I have nothing to do with wishing.”

There are many more sayings about ridha which I cannot deal within this article for the sake of brevity.