Is Complaining Out Loud in Frustration a Sin or Objecting to Allah’s Decree?
Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick
Question
A brother does not curse or insult, but when things go wrong, he complains out of distress. He says things like “What is wrong with this thing?” or “What is wrong with these phones?” He also says, “To Allah we belong, and to Him we return” (inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un). Is this unlawful, or is it objecting to Allah’s decree?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate.
No. Saying such things in a moment of frustration is not unlawful, and it is not objecting to Allah’s decree. There is no insult to Allah in it, no blame directed at Him, and no disbelief.
Complaining to Allah and Complaining About Allah
There is a difference between complaining to Allah Most High and complaining about Allah. The Prophet Jacob (peace be upon him) said: “I complain of my anguish and sorrow only to Allah.” [Quran 12:86]
Complaining about Allah means blaming Him for what happens or speaking as if He has treated you unfairly. Saying something about a phone or a small annoyance is not the same. These are just words of frustration, not blame toward Allah.
A Better Habit
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “If something afflicts you, do not say, ‘If only I had done such and such.’ Rather say, ‘This is what Allah has decreed, and He does as He wills.'” [Muslim]
So the brother should train himself to replace the complaint with these words, or with “Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un,” which he already says. That is the path of etiquette (adab), not a matter of sin.
And Allah knows best.
Shaykh Irshaad Sedick
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Shaykh Irshaad Sedick was raised in South Africa in a traditional Muslim family. He graduated from Dar al-Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah in Strand, Western Cape, under the guidance of the late world-renowned scholar Shaykh Taha Karaan (Allah have mercy on him), where he taught.
Shaykh Irshaad received Ijaza from many luminaries of the Islamic world, including Shaykh Taha Karaan, Shaykh Muhammad Awama, Shaykh Muhammad Hasan Hitu, and Mawlana Abdul Hafeez Makki, among others.
He is the author of the text “The Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal: A Hujjah or not?” He has been the Director of the Discover Islam Centre, and for six years, he has been the Khatib of Masjid Ar-Rashideen, Mowbray, Cape Town.
Shaykh Irshaad has fifteen years of teaching experience at some of the leading Islamic institutes in Cape Town. He is currently building an Islamic podcast, education, and media platform called ‘Isnad Academy’ and has completed his Master’s degree in the study of Islam at the University of Johannesburg. He has a keen interest in healthy Prophetic living and fitness.
