When the servant attains ināya (divine favor), the paths of ihsan (spiritual excellence) from the treasury of goodness are opened to him. As Allah's aids and lights continue, the servant's heart becomes protected against all kinds of material and spiritual illnesses. His perception becomes sound, he becomes aware of the sweetness of iman (faith), and he experiences the health and taste of his perception.
When his qalb (the heart) is afflicted with the illness of heedlessness from Allah, he cannot perceive these things. It is just like a person who, when stricken with a fever, tastes sugar as bitter. In reality, sugar is not bitter, but sweet. In the same way, when the illnesses are uprooted and cast out from the heart, the heart perceives things as they truly are, understands the taste of iman, the sweetness of obedience, and the bitterness of opposing Allah.
The heart's tasting the sweetness of iman necessitates that it covet iman and witness Allah's ihsan (spiritual excellence) to it. Thus, such hearts cling to the causes that preserve and perpetuate iman. To perceive the sweetness of obedience requires persisting in it and attaining Allah's ihsan in that sweetness.
As for the hearts' perceiving the bitterness of disbelief and opposition, it is so that they may abandon them, hate them, and not incline toward them. This state leads them to abandon sinning and to know what sin is.
"riḍā" 807 Not everyone who knows what sin is necessarily abandons it, nor does everyone who abandons sin necessarily know what sin is. For this reason, the light of basīra (spiritual insight) shows a person that opposing Allah and being heedless of Him is a deadly poison for hearts. There are nine stations of certainty: These are tawba (repentance), zuhd (asceticism), sabr (patient endurance), shukr (gratitude), khawf (fear), riḍā (contentment with God's decree), rajāʾ (hope), tawakkul (reliance upon God), and maḥabba (love). It is not correct to consider any of these stations as resulting from the removal of planning or choice with Allah. (Tanwīr, 8)
Tawakkul (reliance upon God) is that the one who relies upon Allah entrusts all his affairs to Allah and depends on Him in all matters. Whoever does these, removes planning, and submits to the flow of destiny. The connection of the removal of planning with the stations of tawakkul and riḍā is clearer than with the other stations. This is in contradiction with the station of maḥabba, because the one who loves is immersed in the love of the beloved and is in a state of unity of will with the beloved. The beloved has become his very desire. The lover has no time to make plans against Allah, for his love for Allah occupies him sufficiently. For this reason, some have said: Whoever tastes the sweetness of something purely for Allah's riḍā, Allah will keep him away from all that is other than Him (mā siwā). It also contradicts the station of riḍā. This is clear and contains no confusion whatsoever.
The one who is content is content with what Allah has decreed for him from pre-eternity and is satisfied with it. In this case, how could he attempt to make plans against what Allah has decreed for him? He does not attempt to plan, because he submits to Allah's decree regarding himself. Do you not know that the light of riḍā cleanses all stains from hearts? To the one who is content with Allah, Allah sends the light of contentment from His judgments, so that person no longer thinks of planning. It is sufficient for the servant that his Master has chosen beautiful things for him. (Tanwīr, 14)
Riḍā is one of the fruits of maḥabba and is an exalted station among the stations of maḥabba. To show contentment with everything the Beloved does is maḥabba.