Kitab at-Tawhid - Ibn Khuzaima - (1/36)

Kitab at-TawhidIbn Khuzaima

Abū Mūsā Muhammad ibn al-Muthannā narrated to us. He said: Abū Dāwūd Sulaymān ibn ⦗37⦘ Dāwūd narrated to us. He said: Abān—meaning Ibn Yazīd—narrated to us, from Yahyā ibn Abī Kathīr, from Zayd ibn Sallām, from Abū Sallām, from al-Hārith al-Ashʿarī, that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“Allah revealed five commandments to John, son of Zechariah, peace be upon him, instructing him to act upon them and to command the Children of Israel to act upon them.”

He then related the hadith in full, including the words:

“When you stand to pray, do not turn aside, for Allah turns His Face towards the face of His servant.”

Abū Bakr said: I have dictated this report in full in the Book of Prayer, through Abū Tawbah al-Rabīʿ ibn Nāfiʿ, from Muʿāwiyah ibn Sallām. Jesus, the spirit of Allah, urged Allah’s prophet John, son of Zechariah, to teach the Children of Israel what Allah had commanded him to convey. Among the things Allah commanded John, son of Zechariah, to convey to the Children of Israel was that Allah turns His Face towards the face of His servant when he stands to pray. This clearly and firmly establishes that the Children of ⦗38⦘ Israel were certain that their Creator has a Face which He turns towards the face of the one praying to Him.

Our Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, informed his community of what Allah, Mighty and Majestic, had commanded John, son of Zechariah, peace be upon them both, to enjoin upon the Children of Israel, so that his community might know with certainty that Allah has a Face which He turns towards the face of the one praying to Him. Likewise, Allah revealed to him, in the Criterion that He sent down to him:

“Wherever you turn” [al-Baqarah: 115]—meaning in your prayer—“there is the Face of Allah” [al-Baqarah: 115].

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُوسَى مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى قَالَ: ثنا أَبُو دَاوُدَ سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ ⦗٣٧⦘ دَاوُدَ قَالَ: ثنا أَبَانُ يَعْنِي ابْنَ يَزِيدَ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ سَلَّامٍ، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَّامٍ، عَنِ الْحَارِثِ الْأَشْعَرِيِّ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: " إِنَّ اللَّهَ أَوْحَى إِلَى يَحْيَى بْنِ زَكَرِيَّا عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ بِخَمْسِ كَلِمَاتٍ: أَنْ يَعْمَلَ بِهِنَّ , وَيَأْمُرَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ أَنْ يَعْمَلُوا بِهِنَّ " فَذَكَرَ الْحَدِيثَ بِطُولِهِ، وَقَالَ فِي الْحَدِيثِ: «وَإِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ فَلَا تَلْتَفِتُوا، فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يُقْبِلُ بِوَجْهِهِ إِلَى وَجْهِ عَبْدِهِ» قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ: قَدْ أَمْلَيْتُ خَبَرَ أَبِي تَوْبَةَ الرَّبِيعِ بْنِ نَافِعٍ , عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ سَلَّامٍ بِهَذَا الْخَبَرِ بِطُولِهِ فِي كِتَابِ الصَّلَاةِ , فَعِيسَى رُوحُ اللَّهِ قَدْ حَثَّ نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ يَحْيَى بْنَ زَكَرِيَّا أَنْ يُعَلِّمَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ مَا أَمَرَهُ اللَّهُ بِإِعْلَامِهِ، وَفِيمَا أَمَرَ اللَّهُ يَحْيَى بْنَ زَكَرِيَّا بِإِعْلَامِهِ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ، أَنَّ اللَّهَ يُقْبِلُ بِوَجْهِهِ إِلَى وَجْهِ عَبْدِهِ , إِذَا قَامَ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ، فَفِي هَذَا مَا بَانَ وَثَبَتَ وَصَحَّ أَنَّ بَنِي ⦗٣٨⦘ إِسْرَائِيلَ كَانُوا مُوقِنِينَ بِأَنَّ لِخَالِقِهِمْ وَجْهًا يُقْبِلُ بِهِ إِلَى وَجْهِ الْمُصَلِّي لَهُ وَنَبِيُّنَا صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَدْ أَعْلَمَ أُمَّتَهُ مَا أَمَرَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ بِهِ يَحْيَى بْنَ زَكَرِيَّا عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلَامُ أَنْ يَأْمُرَ بِهِ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ لِتَعْلَمَ وَتَسْتَيْقِنَ أُمَّتُهُ أَنَّ لِلَّهِ وَجْهًا يُقْبِلُ بِهِ عَلَى وَجْهِ الْمُصَلِّي لَهُ، كَمَا أَوْحَى إِلَيْهِ فِيمَا أَنْزَلَ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْفُرْقَانِ: {فَأَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّوا} [البقرة: ١١٥] أَيْ بِصَلَاتِكُمْ {فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ اللَّهِ} [البقرة: ١١٥]