Risālat Ibn al-Qayyim ilā Ikhwānih - Ibn al-Qayyim - (الكتاب/49)

—fruits beyond all possible comparison with even the loftiest pleasures this world could ever provide.

A person gains no real good from his life if his heart is turned away from this and the path that leads to it is barred⦗1⦘; rather, he falls under the Divine saying: “Leave them to eat and enjoy themselves, and to be distracted by [false] hope; soon they will come to know” (Qur’an 15:3).

⦗2⦘

The Sixth Witnessing⦗3⦘: The Witnessing of Shortcoming

Know⦗4⦘ that even if a servant exerted the utmost⦗5⦘ diligence and poured out his full effort⦗6⦘ in fulfilling the command, he would still be deficient. Allah’s right over him is far greater, and what he ought⦗7⦘ to confront that right with—of obedience, servitude, and devoted service⦗8⦘—surpasses what he has rendered many times over. His exalted greatness and majesty demand from worship a degree befitting them.

So if the attendants and slaves⦗9⦘ of earthly kings treat their masters in their service

(1) The phrase wa-tariq al-wusul ilayhi anhu masdudan (and the way of reaching Him through him is blocked) is omitted from manuscript C. (2) Omitted from the base manuscript and manuscript C; supplied from manuscript B. (3) Omitted from manuscript C. (4) Manuscript C reads li-anna (because). (5) Manuscript C reads kull (every) in place of ghayat (utmost). (6) The phrase wa-badhl wus'ihi (and exerting his utmost effort) is omitted from manuscript C. (7) The word lahu (for him) is omitted from manuscript C. (8) The phrase min al-taa wa-al-ubudiyyah wa-al-khidmah (of obedience, servitude, and service) is omitted from manuscript C. (9) The phrase wa-abidihim (and their servants) is omitted from manuscript C.

وبين أعلى نعيم الدنيا ألبتة. وما للمرء خير في حياته إذا كان قلبه عن هذا مصدودًا، وطريق الوصول إليه عنه مسدودًا (١)، بل هو كما قال تعالى: ﴿ذَرْهُمْ يَأْكُلُوا وَيَتَمَتَّعُوا وَيُلْهِهِمُ الْأَمَلُ فَسَوْفَ يَعْلَمُونَ (٣)﴾ [الحجر: ٣]. [فصل] (٢) المشهد (٣) السادس: مشهد التقصير وأنَّ (٤) العبد لو اجتهد في القيام بالأمر غاية (٥) الاجتهاد وبذل وسعه (٦) فهو مُقصِّر، وحَق الله -سبحانه- عليه أعظم، والذي ينبغي له (٧) أنْ يُقابَل به من الطاعة والعبودية والخدمة (٨) فوق ذلك بكثير، وأنَّ عظمته وجلاله -سبحانه- يقتضي من العبودية ما يليق بها. وإذا كان خدم الملوك وعبيدهم (٩) يعاملونهم في خدمتهم

(١) (وطريق الوصول إليه عنه مسدودًا) ساقطة من ج. (٢) ساقطة من الأصل و ج، وأثبتت من ب. (٣) ساقطة من ج. (٤) في ج (لأن). (٥) في ج (كل) بدل (غاية). (٦) (وبذل وسعه) ساقطة من ج. (٧) (له) ساقطة من ج. (٨) (من الطاعة والعبودية والخدمة) ساقطة من ج. (٩) (وعبيدهم) ساقطة من ج.