Al-Uqud al-Durriyya - Ibn Abd al-Hadi - (الكتاب/363)

Al-Uqud al-DurriyyaIbn Abd al-Hadi

—and, exalted is His holiness, in that hour we gather all our concerns before Him and cast the affairs of this world out of our hearts (1), turning away from everything but Allah for one portion of the day. In so doing a person comes to know his state with his Lord: whoever already enjoys a standing with Him will feel his resolves stir during that moment, his inner secrets will rejoice (2) in love and veneration, and his sighs and hidden yearnings will soar to the heights. That hour is a preview of the servant’s condition in his grave, when he is cut off from his wealth and his loved ones. Whoever cannot empty his heart for Allah for even one hour of the day because of the worldly cares and manifold shackles that have closed in upon him—let him realize that he possesses no heavenly bond there, no share in loving or being loved. Let him weep over himself and accept from it nothing short of a portion of nearness to his Lord and intimacy with Him (3).

When that hour is devoted purely to Allah (4), it becomes possible to perform the five daily prayers as they should be—present-hearted, humble, and awestruck before the Mighty Lord in bowing and prostration.

We ought not to be miserly with ourselves by withholding, out of the twenty-four hours of every day and night, a single hour for Allah, the One, the All-Compelling. In that hour we worship Him as He deserves, then strive to perform the obligatory prayers and the night vigil (5) along the same path, under His watchful care. This, if Allah wills, is the way for all of us to true penetration (6).

As for the jurist, if he does not penetrate deeply into his knowledge, he has only attained

(1) MSS F and K read "min" (from). (2) The base text has "wa-intahajat" (and adopted the course). (3) The phrase "wa-unsuh" (and His intimacy) is absent from MS F. (4) MSS F and K read "hasalat" (it occurred). (5) This wording is not found in MSS K and T. (6) The base copy reads "al-fawz" (success), but I have adopted the wording preserved in the other manuscripts; this is supported by the author’s later statement: "If it was not enforced … then the ruling preferred by the jurists … was not enforced …"

وتعالى قدسُه، نجمعُ بين يديه في تلك الساعة همومَنا، ونطرحُ أشغال الدنيا عن (١) قلوبنا، فنزهدُ فيما سوى الله ساعةً من نهار، فبذلك يعرفُ الإنسانُ حالَه مع ربِّه، فمن كان له مع ربِّه حالٌ، تحرَّكَت في تلك الساعة عزائمُه، وابتهجَتْ (٢) بالمحبَّة والتعظيم سرائرُه، وطارت إلى العُلى زفراتُه وكوامِنُه. وتلك الساعة أنموذجٌ لحالة العبدِ في قبره، حين خُلُوِّه عن ماله وحِبِّه، فمن لم يُخْلِ قلبَه لله ساعةً من نهار، لِمَا احتوشَه من الهمومِ الدنيويّة وذوات الآصار. فلْيَعْلَم أنه ليس له ثَمَّ رابطة علويّة، ولا نصيبٌ من المحبة ولا المحبوبية، فلْيَبْكِ على نفسه، ولا يرضى منها إلا بنصيبٍ من قرب ربِّه وأُنْسِه (٣). فإذا خَلَصَت (٤) لله تلك الساعةُ أمكنَ إيقاعُ الصلواتِ الخمس على نمطها من الحضور والخشوع، والهيبة للربِّ العظيم في السجود والركوع. فلا ينبغي لنا أن نبخل على أنفسِنا في اليوم والليلة من أربعٍ وعشرين ساعة بساعةٍ واحدةٍ لله الواحد القهَّار، نعبُدُه فيها حقَّ عبادته، ثم نجتهدُ على إيقاع الفرائض والتهجّد (٥) على ذلك النَّهْج في رعايته، وذلك طريقٌ لنا جميعًا ــ إن شاء الله تعالى ــ إلى النفوذ (٦). فالفقيه إذا لم ينفُذْ في عِلْمه حصل

(١) (ف، ك): «من». (٢) الأصل: «وانتهجت». (٣) «وأنسه» ليست في (ف). (٤) (ف، ك): «حصلت». (٥) ليست في (ك، ط). (٦) الأصل: «الفوز» وما أثبته من النسخ، ويؤيده قوله بعد ذلك: «إذا لم ينفذ ... فالنافذ من الفقهاء .. لم ينفذ .. ».