Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (5/143)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

An example of the first is blindness, deafness, ignorance, and the like.

An example of the second is fatigue in performing an act; that is, being able to act, but only with fatigue. Allah is declared free of this. Allah, exalted is He, says:

“And We have certainly created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them in six days, and no weariness touched Us.” [Qaf]

An example of the third is His saying, exalted is He:

“There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.” [al-Shura: 11]

For if He resembled created beings, He would be deficient; likening the Perfect to the deficient renders Him deficient. Indeed, merely attempting to compare the deficient with the Perfect renders the Perfect deficient, as the poet said:

Have you not seen that a sword’s worth is diminished
When it is said, “A sword cuts more keenly than a stick”?

And may Allah send blessings and abundant peace upon Muhammad the Prophet and his family, .......

His statement, “And may Allah send blessings upon Muhammad”: Allah’s blessing upon His servant is His praise of him among the highest assembly. This is the well-known explanation reported from Abu al-‘Aliyah, may Allah have mercy on him.

In one version, it reads: “And may Allah send blessings upon our master.” There is no doubt that he is the master of the children of Adam, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, and that he is our master, our leader, our example, and our model. However, I do not know of any hadith from the Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, in which he referred to himself as “our master” in the formula for invoking blessings upon him. If you know of such a hadith, then inform us of it—may Allah reward you with goodness. All the hadiths use the wording: “O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad,” and the Companions would say, “The Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, said.” We have not heard anyone say, “Our master said.” Later scholars, however, began to say, “Our master.” We say: he is indeed our master, without doubt; but the formula for invoking blessings upon the Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, requires textual authorization in this matter.

His statement, “the Prophet,” means Muhammad, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him.

مثال الأول: العمى، والصمم، والجهل، وما أشبه ذلك. ومثال الثاني: التعب عند الفعل، أي: يقدر على الفعل لكن مع تعب، فهذا ينزّه الله عنه، قال الله تعالى: ﴿وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ وَمَا مَسَّنَا مِنْ لُغُوبٍ *﴾ [ق]. ومثال الثالث: قوله تعالى: ﴿لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ﴾ [الشورى: ١١]، ولأنه لو ماثل المخلوق لكان ناقصاً، فإلحاق الكامل بالناقص يجعله ناقصاً، بل محاولة المقارنة بين الناقص والكامل يجعل الكامل ناقصاً على حد قول الشاعر: ألم تر أن السيف ينقص قدره إذا قيل: إن السيف أمضى من العصا وَصَلَّى اللهُ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ النَّبِيِّ وَآلِهِ، وَسَلَّمَ تَسْلِيماً كَثِيراً، ....... قوله: «وصلى الله على محمد»، صلاة الله على عبده ثناؤه عليه في الملأ الأعلى، هكذا اشتهر عن أبي العالية ﵀. وفي نسخة: «وصلى الله على سيدنا»، ولا شك أنه سيد ولد آدم ﷺ، وأنه سيدنا وإمامنا وقدوتنا وأسوتنا، ولكن لا أعلم حديثاً عن النبي ﵊ أنه وصف نفسه بالسيادة في الصلاة عليه، وإذا علمتم بحديث فدلونا عليه جزاكم الله خيراً. فكل الأحاديث: «اللهم صلّ على محمد»، والصحابة يقولون: قال النبي ﷺ، وما سمعنا أحداً يقول: قال: سيدنا، ولكن المتأخرين صاروا يقولون: «سيدنا» ونحن نقول: هو سيدنا لا شك، ولكن يحتاج في صيغة الصلاة على النبي ﷺ إلى توقيف في هذا. قوله: «النبي» أي: محمد ﷺ.