Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ - Shams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi - (18/210)

Siyar Aʿlām al-NubalāʾShams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi

And He also said: “Be steadfast upholders of justice” (al-Nisāʾ 135).

Among the soul’s faculties is anger and desire, which make injustice seem attractive to it and blind it to the path of rectitude (1). The Exalted said: “When it is said to him, ‘Be mindful of Allah,’ pride in sin seizes him” (al-Baqara 206). And He said: “Every faction rejoices in what it possesses” (al-Rūm 32). Thus the virtuous person rejoices in what he knows, whereas the ignorant rejoices in what he does not truly understand—and in what will ultimately recoil upon him with harm.

Another faculty is understanding, through which the truth flashes before the soul at close range (2) and through which the darkness of thorny problems is illumined for it (3), so that by means of it (4) what is right appears clear and manifest. Conversely, there is ignorance, which obscures the path, makes all roads seem alike, and leaves the soul wavering in bewilderment, tossed about by doubt (5), until it plunges—rashly and recklessly—into one of the routes that depart from the truth. The Exalted said: “Are those who know equal to those who do not know?” (al-Zumar 9).

Among these faculties as well is the power of discrimination which the ancients called logic. By means of this power its Creator has opened for the soul a path to understand His address, to know things as they truly are, and to achieve comprehension; through it truth is distinguished from falsehood. Another is the faculty of reason, which assists the discerning soul in championing justice: whoever follows what sound intellect (6) illumines for him is saved and successful, while whoever fails to do so perishes. The Exalted said: “Indeed in that is a reminder for whoever has a heart or lends an ear while he is present” (Qāf 37).

Here, “heart” means intellect; as for the piece of flesh, it is possessed by everyone. Thus one who lacks reason is like a person who has no heart at all.

(1) The bracketed passage has been supplied from his work Al-Ihkam. (2) The base manuscript reads “lahu”; it has been corrected on the authority of Al-Ihkam. (3) The material enclosed in brackets is taken from Al-Ihkam. (4) The manuscript has “biha”; the reading has been amended in line with Al-Ihkam. (5) Al-Qamus explains taladdud as “to glance right and left, to be bewildered or stupefied, and to tarry.” (6) The manuscript reads atharah; the adopted reading follows Al-Ihkam, 1/5.

كُونُوا قَوَّامِينَ بِالقِسْطِ﴾ [النِّسَاء:١٣٥] وَمِنْهَا غضبٌ وَشَهْوَةٌ يُزَيِّنَان لَهَا الجُور وَيَعمِيَانهَا عَنْ طَرِيْق الرشد (١) ، قَالَ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَإِذَا قِيْلَ لَهُ اتَّقِ الله أَخَذَتْهُ العِزَّةُ بِالإِثْمِ﴾ [البَقَرَة:٢٠٦] . وَقَالَ: ﴿كُلُّ حِزْبٍ بِمَا لَدِيْهِمْ فَرحُوْنَ﴾ [الرُّوْم:٣٢] فَالفَاضِل يُسَرُّ بِمَعْرِفَته، وَالجَاهِل يُسَرُّ بِمَا لاَ يَدْرِي حقيقَةَ وَجْهِهِ وَبِمَا فِيْهِ وَبَالُه، وَمِنْهَا فَهْمٌ يُليح لَهَا (٢) الحَقُّ مِنْ قَرِيْب، وَينِير لَهَا فِي (٣) ظلمَات المشكلاَت، فَترَى بِهِ (٤) الصَّوَابَ ظَاهِراً جَلِيّاً، وَمِنْهَا جَهْلٌ يَطْمِسُ عَلَيْهَا الطَّرِيْق، وَيُسَاوِي عِنْدَهَا بَيْنَ السُّبُل، فَتبقَى النَفْسُ فِي حَيْرَةٍ تَتردد، وَفِي رِيب تَتَلَدَّد (٥) ، وَيَهْجُمُ بِهَا عَلَى أَحَد الطّرق المُجَانبَة لِلحق تَهَوُّراً وَإِقدَاماً، قَالَ تَعَالَى: ﴿هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الَّذِيْنَ يَعلمُوْنَ وَالَّذِيْنَ لاَ يَعلمُوْنَ﴾ [الزُّمَر:٩] وَمِنْهَا قُوَّةُ التّمِييز الَّتِي سمَّاهَا الأَوَائِلُ المنطقَ، فَجَعَلَ لَهَا خَالِقهَا بِهَذِهِ القُوَّة سَبيلاً إِلَى فَهم خِطَابِهِ، وَإِلَى مَعْرِفَة الأَشيَاء عَلَى مَا هِيَ عَلَيْهِ، وَإِلَى إِمَكَان التفهُم، فَبهَا تَكُوْن مَعْرِفَة الحَقّ مِنَ البَاطِل، وَمِنْهَا قُوَّةُ العَقْل الَّتِي تُعينُ النَفْس المُمَيِّزَة عَلَى نُصْرَة العَدْل، فَمَنِ اتَّبع مَا أَنَاره (٦) لَهُ العَقْلُ الصَّحِيْح، نَجَا وَفَاز، وَمِنْ عَاج عَنْهُ هَلَكَ، قَالَ تَعَالَى: ﴿إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَذِكْرَى لمَنْ كَانَ لَهُ قَلْبٌ أَوْ أَلقَى السَّمْعَ وَهُوَ شَهِيْدٌ﴾ [ق:٣٧] . فَأَرَادَ بِذَلِكَ العَقْلَ، أَمَا مُضغَةُ القَلْب، فَهِيَ لِكُلِّ أَحَد، فَغَيْرُ العَاقل كَمَنْ لاَ قَلْبَ لَهُ.

(١) ما بين معكوفين استدراك من كتابه " الاحكام ". (٢) في الأصل: " له " والتصويب من " الاحكام ". (٣) ما بين معكوفين مستدرك من " الاحكام ". (٤) في الأصل: " بها " والتصويب من " الاحكام ". (٥) في " القاموس " تلدد: تلفت يمينا وشمالا، وتحير متبلدا وتلبث. (٦) في الأصل: " أثاره "، والمثبت من " الاحكام " ١ / ٥.