Qa'ida fi al-Sabr - Ibn Taimiya - (94)

they patiently persevered and were certain of Our signs.¹ Thus, it is through patience and certainty that leadership in the religion is attained.² When this patience is joined to a robust certainty and faith, the servant ascends the degrees of felicity by Allah’s grace. That is Allah’s bounty; He grants it to whom He wills, and Allah is the Possessor of tremendous bounty.

For this reason Allah the Exalted says: “Repel [evil] with that which is better; then the one between you and whom there was enmity will become as though he were a warm friend. Yet none is granted it”—that is, such righteous deeds as pardoning and overlooking³—“except those who are patient, and none is granted it except one who possesses a mighty share.”⁴ That share is abundant: it is Paradise.⁵

Several matters help the servant to maintain this patience:

1) Qur'an, Surah al-Sajda, verse 24. 2) In manuscript B the text reads: “Thus, through patience and certainty one attains…”. 3) The phrase “that is, righteous deeds such as forbearance and pardon” is missing in manuscript B. 4) Qur'an, Surah Fussilat, verses 34–35.

صَبَرُوا وَكَانُوا بِآياتِنَا يُوقِنُونَ﴾ ١ فبالصبر واليقين تنال٢ الإمامة في الدين، فإذا انضاف إلى هذا الصبر قوة اليقين والإيمان ترقى العبد في درجات السعادة بفضل الله، وذلك فضل الله يؤتيه من يشاء والله ذو الفضل العظيم. ولهذا قال الله تعالى: ﴿ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا الَّذِي بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ عَدَاوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُ وَلِيٌّ حَمِيمٌ وَمَا يُلَقَّاهَا﴾ يعني: الأعمال الصالحة مثل العفو والصفح٣ ﴿إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا وَمَا يُلَقَّاهَا إِلاَّ ذُو حَظٍّ عَظِيمٍ﴾ ٤ نصيب وافر وهي الجنة٥. ويعين العبد على هذا الصبر عدة أشياء:

١ الآية [٢٤] من سورة السجدة. ٢ في (ب) : (فالصبر واليقين ينال) . ٣ جملة "يعني الأعمال الصالحة مثل العفو والصفح" ساقطة من (ب) . ٤ الآيتان [٣٤،٣٥] من سورة فصلت.