(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.