Risālat Ibn al-Qayyim ilā Ikhwānih - Ibn al-Qayyim - (الكتاب/18)

Risālat Ibn al-Qayyim ilā IkhwānihIbn al-Qayyim

And Allah, exalted be He, has coupled patience with certainty, for they (1) are the servant’s true happiness, and the loss of either of them deprives him (2) of that happiness. The heart is visited by sudden impulses of desires that contradict Allah’s command (3), and by sudden impulses (4) of doubtful notions that contradict His revelation. With patience one repels the desires, and with certainty one drives away (5) the doubtful notions (6). Desire and misconception are wholly opposed to the religion; no one will be spared Allah’s punishment (7) except the person (8) who wards off his desires through patience and his misconceptions through certainty. For this reason the Almighty has informed us that the deeds of those given over to desires and misconceptions are rendered void. He, Most High, said: “Like those before you—they were mightier than you in strength and possessed more wealth and children. They enjoyed their allotted share, and you have enjoyed your allotted share just as those before you enjoyed their allotted share, and you plunged [into vain talk] as they plunged.” (at-Tawba 9:69). This (9) enjoyment of their allotted share refers to their taking their portion of base desires. He then said, “and you plunged as they plunged,” which is to plunge into falsehood (10) regarding the religion of Allah; it is the plunging of the people of misconceptions (11). Then

(1) Manuscript C reads “between them, for through them” in place of “between patience and certainty, since they are.” (2) Manuscript B reads “we establish” in place of “he loses it”; manuscript C reads “and by losing them, he loses” in place of “and losing them causes him to lose it.” (3) Manuscript C reads “for the matter” in place of “for Allah’s command.” (4) The word tawariq (“nightly visitations”) is omitted in manuscript C both here and in the preceding occurrence. (5) Manuscript C reads “ward off” in both occurrences. (6) See Ibn Taymiyyah, Iqtida al-Sirat al-Mustaqim, 1/106. (7) The phrase “from Allah’s punishment” is omitted in manuscript C. (8) The word “from” is omitted in manuscript B. (9) Manuscript C reads “and” in place of “thus this.” (10) Manuscript B reads “the discussion of the people of falsehood” in place of “engaging in falsehood.” (11) See Ibn Taymiyyah, Iqtida al-Sirat al-Mustaqim, 1/107.

وجمع -سبحانه- بين الصبر واليقين؛ إذ هما (١) سعادة العبد، وفقدهما يُفقده (٢) سعادته، فإن القلب تطرقه طوارق الشهوات المُخالفة لأمر الله (٣)، وطوارق (٤) الشبهات المخالفة لخبره، فبالصبر يَدفع الشهوات، وباليقين يَدفع (٥) الشبهات (٦). فإن الشهوة والشبهة مضادتان للدين من كل وجهٍ، فلا ينجو من عذاب الله (٧) إلا من (٨) دفع شهواته بالصبر، وشبهاته باليقين؛ ولهذا أخبر -سبحانه- عن حبوط أعمال أهل الشهوات والشبهات فقال -تعالى-: ﴿كَالَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ كَانُوا أَشَدَّ مِنْكُمْ قُوَّةً وَأَكْثَرَ أَمْوَالًا وَأَوْلَادًا فَاسْتَمْتَعُوا بِخَلَاقِهِمْ فَاسْتَمْتَعْتُمْ بِخَلَاقِكُمْ كَمَا اسْتَمْتَعَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ بِخَلَاقِهِمْ وَخُضْتُمْ كَالَّذِي خَاضُوا﴾ [التوبة: ٦٩]، فهذا (٩) الاستمتاع بالخلاق هو استمتاعهم بنصيبهم من الشهوات، ثم قال: ﴿وَخُضْتُمْ كَالَّذِي خَاضُوا﴾، وهذا هو الخوض بالباطل (١٠) في دين الله وهو خوض أهل الشبهات (١١). ثم

(١) في ج (بينهما لأن بهما) بدل (بين الصبر واليقين إذ هما). (٢) في ب (نعقد) بدل (يفقده)، وفي ج (وبفقدهما يفقد) بدل (وفقدهما يفقده). (٣) في ج (للأمر) بدل (لأمر الله). (٤) طوارق، في هذا الموضع وفي الذي قبله سقطتا من ج. (٥) في ج (تدفع) في الموضعين. (٦) انظر: اقتضاء الصراط المستقيم، لابن تيمية (١/ ١٠٦). (٧) (من عذاب الله) ساقطة من ج. (٨) (من) ساقطة من ب. (٩) في ج (و) بدل (فهذا). (١٠) في ب (خوض أهل الباطل) بدل (الخوض بالباطل). (١١) انظر: اقتضاء الصراط المستقيم (١/ ١٠٧).