Taqrib al-Tadmuriyyah - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (16)

in His words, “Worship Allah,” lies the command to devote oneself to Him, while in His words, “and do not associate anything with Him,” lies the prohibition of associating partners with Him.

The distinction between informational statements and requests—both in their essential nature and in the rulings that flow from them—is well known.

Accordingly, what the servants must do when faced with the information conveyed by Allah and His Messenger is to affirm and believe it exactly as Allah and His Messenger intended: affirmation that admits no denial, faith unmarred by disbelief, and certainty free of doubt. Allah, Exalted be He, says, “O you who believe, believe in Allah and His Messenger and in the Book He has sent down upon His Messenger, and in the Scripture He sent down before. Whoever disbelieves in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day has certainly strayed far away” (Q. 4:136).

As for the requests, the servants are obliged to carry them out in the manner Allah and His Messenger intended, without excess and without negligence. They perform what is commanded and avoid what is forbidden, as He, the Exalted, says: “O you who believe, obey Allah and His Messenger and do not turn away from him while you hear. And do not be like those who say, ‘We hear,’ yet they do not hear. Indeed, the worst of creatures in Allah’s sight are the deaf and the dumb who do not reason. Had Allah known any good in them, He would have made them hear; and even if He had made them hear, they would still have turned away in aversion” (Q. 8:20–23).

Once this has been made clear, two foundational principles follow:

ففي قوله: ﴿وَاعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ﴾ : الأمر بعبادة الله، وفي قوله: ﴿وَلا تُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئاً﴾ : النهي عن الإشراك به. والفرق بين الخبر والطلب في حقيقتيهما وحكمهما معلوم. فالواجب على العباد إزاء خبر الله ورسوله: التصديق والإيمان به على ما أراد الله ورسوله تصديقاً لا تكذيب معه؛ وإيماناً لا كفر معه، ويقيناً لا شك معه؛ لقوله تعالى: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا آمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَالْكِتَابِ الَّذِي نَزَّلَ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ وَالْكِتَابِ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَمَنْ يَكْفُرْ بِاللَّهِ وَمَلائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلالا بَعِيداً﴾ [النساء:١٣٦] . * والواجب على العباد إزاء الطلب: امتثاله على الوجه الذي أراد الله ورسوله من غير غلو ولا تقصير، فيقومون بالمأمور ويجتنبون المحظور لقوله تعالى: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَلا تَوَلَّوْا عَنْهُ وَأَنْتُمْ تَسْمَعُونَ، وَلا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ قَالُوا سَمِعْنَا وَهُمْ لا يَسْمَعُونَ، إِنَّ شَرَّ الدَّوَابِّ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ الصُّمُّ الْبُكْمُ الَّذِينَ لا يَعْقِلُونَ، وَلَوْ عَلِمَ اللَّهُ فِيهِمْ خَيْراً لَأسْمَعَهُمْ وَلَوْ أَسْمَعَهُمْ لَتَوَلَّوْا وَهُمْ مُعْرِضُونَ﴾ [الأنفال:٢٠ – ٢٣] . وإذا تبين ذلك؛ فها هنا أصلان: