Al-Uqud al-Durriyya - Ibn Abd al-Hadi - (الكتاب/438)

I said: Throughout this entire period Shaykh Taqī al-Dīn—may Allah have mercy on him—remained revered and honored; the naqīb of the Citadel and his deputy showed him great deference, inquiring about his needs(1) and striving earnestly to meet them.

Much of what he composed during that time had already left his hands: some of it was copied by his companions, and it circulated and became widely known(2). A few months before his death, however, a royal decree(3) arrived ordering that everything in his possession be removed; not a single book, sheet of paper, inkwell, or pen was left with him. Thereafter, whenever he wished to send a note to one of his companions, he would write it(4) with charcoal. I have seen several pages he dispatched in this manner, some of them indeed written in charcoal.

Among them is a page in which he writes:

Bismillāh al-Raḥmān al-Raḥīm (In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful)
Peace be upon you, together with the mercy of Allah and His blessings(5). By Allah’s praise and favor, we are enjoying ever-increasing and abundant blessings, and everything Allah does brings victory to Islam—one of Allah’s greatest favors.

“He it is who sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth so that He might make it prevail over all religion; and Allah suffices as a Witness.” [Q 48:28]

Satan, however, has mobilized his party to corrupt the religion of Allah with which He sent His messengers and by which He revealed(6) His books.

(1) The base manuscript and B read: “wa-yast‘arida.” (2) The phrase “wa-zahara” (and it became manifest) is missing in B; K has “wa-ishtahara wa-zahara” (and it became well-known and manifest). (3) K and T read: “marsum al-sultan” (the sultan’s decree). (4) F and K read: “yaktubuha” (he writes it). (5) B reads: “awraqan ‘iddatan wa-ba‘duha … yaqulu fiha: salam Allahu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatuhu …” (“several sheets, and in some of them he writes: peace and mercy of Allah be upon you …”). (6) The word “bihi” (with it) is not found in K or T.

قلتُ: وما زال الشيخُ تقيُّ الدين ــ ﵀ ــ في هذه المدَّة معظَّمًا مكرَّمًا، يُكرمه نقيبُ القلعة ونائبها إكرامًا كثيرًا، ويستعرضان (١) حوائجه ويُبالغان في قضائها. وكان ما صنَّفه في هذه المدة قد خرج بعضُه من عنده، وكتبه بعض أصحابه، وظهر واشتهر (٢)، فلما كان قبل وفاته بأشهُر وَرَد مرسومٌ (٣) بإخراج ما عنده كلِّه، ولم يبق عنده كتابٌ ولا ورقة، ولا دَوَاةٌ ولا قلم. وكان بعد ذلك إذا كتب ورقةً إلى بعض أصحابه، كتبها (٤) بفحم. وقد رأيتُ أوراقًا عِدَّة بعثها إلى أصحابه، وبعضُها مكتوبٌ بفحم. منها ورقةٌ يقول فيها: ﷽ سلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته (٥). نحن ولله الحمد والشكر في نعم متزايدة متوفِّرة، وجميعُ ما يفعله الله فيه نصر الإسلام، وهو من نعم الله العظام. و ﴿هُوَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلَ رَسُولَهُ بِالْهُدَى وَدِينِ الْحَقِّ لِيُظْهِرَهُ عَلَى الدِّينِ كُلِّهِ وَكَفَى بِاللَّهِ شَهِيدًا﴾ [الفتح: ٢٨]. فإنَّ الشيطان استعمل حزبه في إفساد دين الله، الذي بعث به رُسُلَه، وأنزل به (٦) كُتُبَه.

(١) الأصل و (ب): «ويستعرضا». (٢) «وظهر» ليست في (ب)، (ك): «واشتهر وظهر». (٣) (ك، ط): «مرسوم السلطان». (٤) (ف، ك): «يكتبها». (٥) (ب): «أوراقًا عدة وبعضها. . . يقول فيها: سلام الله عليكم ورحمته. . .». (٦) «به» ليست في (ك، ط).