Risālat Ibn al-Qayyim ilā Ikhwānih - Ibn al-Qayyim - (الكتاب/26)

Risālat Ibn al-Qayyim ilā IkhwānihIbn al-Qayyim

is my path (1) and the path of those who follow me (2); the same applies (3).

In either construction, therefore, the call to Allah proceeds upon his path and the path of his followers.

The fourth foundational principle: His words, “They guide by Our command” (Surah al-Sajdah 32:24). This affirms that they adhere to what Allah has sent down to His Messenger and that they guide others by it alone, to the exclusion of all other statements, opinions, sects, and schools; in fact, they guide only by His command and nothing else.

From this we learn that the leaders of the religion who deserve to be emulated are those who unite patience with certainty and who summon people to Allah through the sunnah and revelation, not through personal opinions or innovations. Such people are the Messenger’s, peace and blessings be upon him, deputies in his community; they are his elect and his allies. Whoever opposes them or fights them has opposed Allah—exalted is He—and Allah has declared war on him (4).

Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, said in the preface to his book refuting

(1) The phrase “that is, this is my path” is omitted in manuscript C. (2) At this point, a lacuna of approximately thirty-two printed lines begins in manuscripts B and C. In the margin of manuscript B, in the copyist’s hand, is written: “Something has fallen out of the exemplar from this point; I do not know whether it is one folio or more.” (7a). In the margin of manuscript C: “This is how it appears in the source copies from which it was transcribed” (5a). (3) Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, discussed this issue in Madarij al-Salikin, 2:482; Jala al-Afham, p. 317; Miftah Dar al-Sa'adah, 1:154; and al-Sawa'iq al-Mursalah, 1:155. (4) Al-Bukhari narrated through his chain from Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Allah said: Whoever shows enmity toward a devoted servant (wali) of Mine, I have declared war against him.” Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Softening the Hearts, chap. 38, “Humility,” 7:243, hadith no. 6502.

سبيلي (١) وسبيل من اتَّبعني (٢) فكذلك (٣). وعلى التقديرين فبسبيله وسبيل أتباعه الدعوة إلى الله. الأصل الرابع: قوله: ﴿يَهْدُونَ بِأَمْرِنَا﴾ [السجدة: ٢٤]، وفي ذلك دليل على اتِّباعهم ما أنزل الله على رسوله، وهدايتهم به وحده، دون غيره من الأقوال والآراء والنِّحَلِ والمذاهب، بل لا يَهْدون إلا بأمره خاصة. فحصل من هذا: أن أئمة الدين الذين يَقتدون بهم هم الذين جمعوا بين الصبر واليقين والدعوة إلى الله بالسنة والوحي لا بالآراء وبالبدع، فهؤلاء خلفاء الرسول ﷺ في أمته، وهم خاصته وأولياؤه، ومن عاداهم أو حاربهم فقد عادى الله -سبحانه- وآذنه بالحرب (٤). قال الإمام أحمد ﵀ في خُطبة كتابه في الرد على

(١) (أي هذه سبيلي) ساقطة من ج. (٢) من هنا يبدأ سقط في ب، و ج، بنحو اثنين وثلاثين سطرًا مطبوعًا. وكُتب في حاشية ب - بخط الناسخ -: "سقط في الأصل من هذا الموضع شيء، لا أدري ورقة أم أكثر؟ " (٧/ أ)، وفي حاشية ج: (هكذا في الأصول المنقول منها) (٥/أ). (٣) ذكر ابن القيم ﵀ هذه المسألة في (مدارج السالكين ٢/ ٤٨٢، وجلاء الأفهام في ص ٣١٧، ومفتاح دار السعادة ١/ ١٥٤، والصواعق المرسلة ١/ ١٥٥). (٤) روى البخاري بسنده عن أبي هريرة ﵁ قال: قال رسول الله ﷺ: "إن الله قال: من عادى لي وليًا فقد آذنته بالحرب"، صحيح البخاري، كتاب الرقاق باب (٣٨) التواضع (٧/ ٢٤٣، ح ٦٥٠٢).