Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (5/221)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

Allah the Exalted says:

“And who despairs of his Lord’s mercy except those who are astray?” [al-Hijr 15:56]

Whoever knows Allah’s forbearance and mercy cannot despair, even if his sins are many and his acts of disobedience grave, for Allah’s pardon is more extensive.

“O Allah, grant us rain of mercy, not rain of punishment, affliction, destruction, or drowning,” and so on. (1)

Issue: According to the madhhab, it is sunnah for one to turn one’s cloak inside out during the sermon, face the qiblah, and supplicate.

Some scholars said that the turning of the cloak should only take place after the supplication, as an optimistic sign that Allah has answered the supplication and will turn the situation from hardship to ease.

If they are given rain before they go out, they should thank Allah and ask Him for more of His bounty. ………

His statement, “If they are given rain before they go out, they should thank Allah”: the pronoun refers to the people. That is, if Allah gives them rain and sends it down before they set out, then there is no need for them to go out. If they were to go out in this state, they would be introducing an innovation, because the prayer for rain is prescribed only to seek rainfall. Once they have been given rain, there is no need for it.

Instead, they have another duty: the duty of gratitude. They should thank Allah the Exalted for this blessing with their hearts, their tongues, and their limbs, because gratitude pertains to these three matters: the heart, the tongue, and the limbs.

(1) The supplication to which the author refers, and which he mentions in the commentary, has been narrated in similar wording as a marfu report (attributed to the Prophet) from Ibn Umar. Al-Suyuti attributed it in Jam al-Jawami (1/385) to al-Tabarani. Al-Shafii also cited it in al-Umm (1/251), from Salim from his father, as a muallaq report (without a connected chain), stating: “It is narrated from Salim from his father,” and then mentioned it. Ibn Hajar said in al-Talkhis (2/99): “We have not found a chain of transmission for it, nor did al-Bayhaqi connect its chain in his works. Rather, al-Bayhaqi narrated it in al-Marifah through al-Shafii, who said: ‘It is narrated from Salim on his authority...’”

قال الله تعالى: ﴿وَمَنْ يَقْنَطُ مِنْ رَحْمَةِ رَبِّهِ إِلاَّ الضَّآلُّونَ﴾ [الحجر: ٥٦] فمن عرف حلم الله ﷿ ورحمته، فإنه لا يمكن أن يقنط حتى لو كانت ذنوبه كثيرة، ومعاصيه كبيرة، فإن عفو الله أوسع. «اللهم سقيا رحمة لا سقيا عذاب، ولا بلاء، ولا هدم، ولا غرق» إلخ (١). مسألة: يسن على المذهب: أن يقلب رداءه في أثناء الخطبة، ويستقبل القبلة ويدعو. وقال بعض العلماء: إنما يكون القلب بعد الدعاء؛ تفاؤلاً بأن الله أجاب الدعاء، وأنه سيقلب الحال من الشدة إلى الرخاء. وَإِنْ سُقُوا قَبْلَ خُرُوجِهِمْ شَكَرُوا اللهَ، وَسَأَلُوهُ الْمَزِيدَ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ ......... قوله: «وإن سقوا قبل خروجهم شكروا الله»، الضمير يعود على الناس، أي: إن سقاهم الله وأنزل المطر قبل أن يخرجوا، فلا حاجة للخروج، ولو خرجوا في هذه الحال لكانوا مبتدعين؛ لأن صلاة الاستسقاء إنما تشرع لطلب السُقيا، فإذا سقوا فلا حاجة لها، ويكون عليهم وظيفة أخرى وهي وظيفة الشكر، فيشكرون الله ﷾ على هذه النعمة بقلوبهم وبألسنتهم وبجوارحهم؛ لأن الشكر يتعلق بهذه الأشياء الثلاثة: القلب، واللسان، والجوارح.

(١) هذا الدعاء الذي أشار إليه الماتن؛ وذكره في الشرح روي مرفوعاً بنحوه من حديث ابن عمر ﵄ عزاه السيوطي في «جمع الجوامع» (١/ ٣٨٥) إلى الطبراني، وذكره الشافعي في «الأم» (١/ ٢٥١) عن سالم عن أبيه تعليقاً، فقال: «وروي عن سالم عن أبيه وذكره … ». قال ابن حجر في «التلخيص» (٢/ ٩٩): «ولم نقف له على إسناد، ولا وصله البيهقي في مصنفاته، بل رواه البيهقي في «المعرفة» من طريق الشافعي، قال: ويروى عن سالم به … ».