Iqtiḍāʾ al-Ṣirāṭ al-Mustaqīm - Ibn Taimiya - (2/399)

—by Your leave, for surely You guide whom You will to a straight path.

For Allah, exalted is He, says,
“Humankind were once a single community,”
(2:213)
that is, they later fell into disagreement, as is also stated in Sūrah Yūnus. It is further reported that this wording appears likewise in the recension of Ibn Masʿūd.

He continues:
“So Allah sent the prophets as bearers of glad tidings and as warners, and He sent down with them the Book in truth so that it might judge between people concerning that over which they differed. None differed about it except those who had been given it, after clear proofs had come to them, out of mutual envy. Then Allah guided those who believed to the truth of that over which they had disagreed, by His permission; and Allah guides whom He wills to a straight path.” (2:213)

(1) Sahih Muslim, “The Prayer of Travelers,” chapter: “Supplications during the Night Prayer,” hadith no. 770 (1:534). (2) Surah al-Baqarah, from verse 213. (3) The author is alluding to the verse: “Mankind were but one community, then they differed” (Surah Yunus, 10:19). The printed edition inserts this verse in the main text, whereas the manuscript copies do not mention it. (4) I.e., according to the recitation of Abd Allah ibn Masud; see Tafsir Ibn Jarir, 2:194–195. (5) Surah al-Baqarah, verse 213.

بإذنك إنك تهدي من تشاء إلى صراط مستقيم» (١) وذلك أن الله تعالى يقول: {كَانَ النَّاسُ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً} [البقرة: ٢١٣] (٢) أي: فاختلفوا، كما في سورة يونس (٣) وقد قيل: إنها كذلك في حرف عبد الله (٤) {فَبَعَثَ اللَّهُ النَّبِيِّينَ مُبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنْذِرِينَ وَأَنْزَلَ مَعَهُمُ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ فِيمَا اخْتَلَفُوا فِيهِ وَمَا اخْتَلَفَ فِيهِ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ أُوتُوهُ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَتْهُمُ الْبَيِّنَاتُ بَغْيًا بَيْنَهُمْ فَهَدَى اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لِمَا اخْتَلَفُوا فِيهِ مِنَ الْحَقِّ بِإِذْنِهِ وَاللَّهُ يَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ} [البقرة: ٢١٣] (٥)

(١) صحيح مسلم، كتاب صلاة المسافرين، باب الدعاء في صلاة الليل وقيامه، الحديث رقم (٧٧٠) ، (١ / ٥٣٤) . (٢) سورة البقرة: من الآية ٢١٣. (٣) يشير إلى قوله تعالى: " وَمَا كَانَ النَّاسُ إِلَّا أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً فَاخْتَلَفُوا " سورة يونس: الآية ١٩، وقد أثبتها في المطبوعة في المتن، لكن النسخ المخطوطة لم تذكرها كما هو مثبت. (٤) يعني في قراءة عبد الله بن مسعود رضي الله عنه. انظر: تفسير ابن جرير (٢ / ١٩٤، ١٩٥) . (٥) سورة البقرة: الآية ٢١٣.