Iqtiḍāʾ al-Ṣirāṭ al-Mustaqīm - Ibn Taimiya - (1/178)

Iqtiḍāʾ al-Ṣirāṭ al-MustaqīmIbn Taimiya

and almsgiving as well, yet this verse has come down to you and we cannot endure it.’

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, replied, ‘Do you wish to say what the people of the two scriptures before you said, “We hear and we disobey”? Rather, say: “We hear and we obey. Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the return.”’

When the Companions recited these words and their tongues yielded to them, Allah the Exalted immediately revealed:

‘The Messenger believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, and so do the believers. Each of them believes in Allah, His angels, His books, and His messengers; we make no distinction between any of His messengers. They say, “We hear and we obey. Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the return.”’ (Al-Baqarah 2:285)

After they responded in this way, Allah revoked the earlier ruling and revealed:

‘Allah does not burden any soul beyond its capacity. It shall have what it has earned and against it what it has incurred. Our Lord, do not take us to task if we forget or err.’ (Al-Baqarah 2:286) He said, ‘Granted.’

‘Our Lord, do not place upon us a burden such as You placed upon those before us.’ (2:286) He said, ‘Granted.’

‘Our Lord, do not impose on us what we have no strength to bear.’ (2:286) He said, ‘Granted.’

‘Pardon us, forgive us, and have mercy on us. You are our Protector; so grant us victory over the disbelieving people.’ (2:286) He said, ‘Granted.’

Thus the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, warned them not to receive Allah’s command as the people of the two scriptures had received it, and he ordered them to listen and obey. Allah commended them for that until He lifted the burden from them.

(1) Manuscripts D and T read: la nutiquha (“we cannot bear it”). (2) In other words, the Jews and the Christians; the two Books are the Torah and the Gospel. (3) This is the wording in all the manuscripts and in Musnad Ahmad, whereas Sahih Muslim reads dhallat, without the prefixed conjunction wa. (4) Sahih Muslim records the phrase: fa anzala (“so He revealed”). (5) The word naʿam (“yes”) is missing from manuscript T. (6) The hadith is reported in Sahih Muslim, Book of Faith, chapter “God obliges only what man can bear,” no. 125 (1/115–16), and in Musnad Ahmad 2/412. (7) Manuscripts A and T read: bima talaqqahu bihi (“with which he received it”). (8) From here up to the phrase “those who were before us” (about one and a half lines) is absent from manuscript T.

والصدقة، وقد نزلت عليك هذه الآية، (١) ولا نطيقها " قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: " أتريدون أن تقولوا كما قال أهل الكتابين (٢) من قبلكم: سمعنا وعصينا؟ بل قولوا: سمعنا وأطعنا، غفرانك ربنا وإليك المصير "، فلما اقترأها القوم، وذلت (٣) بها ألسنتهم، أنزل (٤) الله تعالى في إثرها: {آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ رَبِّهِ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ كُلٌّ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِنْ رُسُلِهِ وَقَالُوا سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ} [البقرة: ٢٨٥] فلما فعلوا ذلك نسخها الله؛ فأنزل الله: {لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا اكْتَسَبَتْ رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِنْ نَسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا} [البقرة: ٢٨٦] قال: نعم {رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَا إِصْرًا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِنَا} [البقرة: ٢٨٦] قال: نعم {رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِ} [البقرة: ٢٨٦] قال: نعم {وَاعْفُ عَنَّا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا أَنْتَ مَوْلَانَا فَانْصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ} [البقرة: ٢٨٦] قال: نعم» (٥) (٦) . فحذرهم النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أن يتلقوا أمر الله بما تلقاه (٧) . أهل الكتابين (٨) وأمرهم بالسمع والطاعة؛ فشكر الله لهم ذلك، حتى رفع الله عنهم

(١) في (د ط) : لا نطيقها. (٢) أي اليهود والنصارى، والكتابان: التوراة، والإنجيل. (٣) كذا في جميع النسخ ومسند أحمد، وفي مسلم: (ذلت) ، دون واو العطف. (٤) في مسلم: فأنزل. (٥) (نعم) : سقطت من (ط) . (٦) الحديث في صحيح مسلم، كتاب الإيمان، باب بيان أنه سبحانه وتعالى لم يكلف إلا ما يطاق، حديث رقم (١٢٥) ، (١ / ١١٥، ١١٦) ؛ وفي مسند أحمد (٢ / ٤١٢) . (٧) في (أط) : بما تلقاه به. (٨) من هنا حتى قوله: من كان قبلنا (سطر ونصف تقريبا) : سقط من (ط) .