He, to the believers, Merciful.»1 He does not show mercy to one who deserves wrath. If you both think He punishes you without a sin or a crime, then you have thought an evil thought of Him, and He, Exalted Glory, has said: «[And] that He may punish the hypocrite men and hypocrite women, and the polytheist men and polytheist women—those who think of Allah an evil thought. Upon them is a misfortune of evil nature; and Allah has become angry with them and has cursed them and prepared for them Hell, and evil it is as a destination.»2 If you two, in what you do of excessive asceticism and worship, hope for the reward of Allah, Exalted Glory, then He has been described with generosity, bounty, and liberality.
You yourselves have narrated from al-Mufaḍḍal ibn ‘Umar, from him is Peace, that he said: 'It is not fitting for the Generous One to demand compensation for His favors.'
Likewise, it is not fitting for the Creator, Exalted Glory, to initiate legal obligation (taklīf) for one He initiated with favor—rather, it was the recipient of the favor who requested the obligation. In this regard, there are many reports and verses from the Book indicating that what you are upon—if you overdo it with this intention you mentioned—is a denial and an evil thought of Allah. I hold you both in too high a regard to think of Allah anything other than pardon and favor. I have seen from you both an asceticism that a rational man would abstain from, and this path is of the 'reports of death'."
My Master asked: "How is that, O King?" The King said: "Death, according to us, is of three types: Natural Death, which is the separation of the soul from the body; Accidental Death, which is ignorance and sleep; and Optional Death, which is to prevent the soul from its lapses and to stand between it and its desires, as long as it does not demand of you a desire that takes you out of what is mandatory.