Ibn al-Qayyim said:
‘Every Muslim should be warned of the oppression of: ‘I – My/Mine – I Possess’
Indeed these three words are what Iblees (Shaytan), Fir’awn and Qaroon were tried with.
- Iblees said: ‘I am better than him’
- Fir’awn said: ‘Is not mine the Kingdom of Egypt,’
- Qaroon said: ‘This has been given to me only because of knowledge I possess.’
So regarding the saying of the Slave of Allaah ‘I’ – then the best that he can be described with is:
- I am a slave who sins, makes mistakes, seeks forgiveness and recognizes this.
So regarding the saying of ‘My/Mine’ – and those statements similar to that is:
- My sins, my crimes, my humbleness, my depravation and submissiveness.
So regarding the saying of ‘I Possess’:
- Forgive me for my mistakes and what I do intentionally, in jest, or in seriousness and I possess all these shortcomings.
[From ‘Za’ad al-Ma’aad’ 2/475 – By Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawzeeyah]
