Tafsir al-Uthaymin Juz Amma - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (247)

Tafsir al-Uthaymin Juz AmmaIbn al-'Uthaymin

and through it admits one into the Gardens—the Gardens of Eden, meaning Gardens of permanent abode—and into pleasant dwellings within those Gardens. These dwellings are pleasant both in their construction and in the materials from which they are built. The Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—said: “Two Gardens are made of gold—their vessels and everything within them—and two Gardens are made of silver—their vessels and everything within them.” (1)

By Allah, even if a person remained in prostration from the time he reached puberty until he died, that would still be a meager price for this tremendous prize. If its only reward were that a person was saved from the Fire, that alone would suffice. Sometimes a person reflects and says, “If only I had never been born,” or, “It would be enough for me simply to be saved from the Fire.” Umar ibn al-Khattāb—may Allah be pleased with him—said: “If only I were a tree that was cut down! If only my mother had never given birth to me!” (2)

A person may think that he is safe because he prays, fasts, gives charity, performs Hajj, honors his parents, and does similar deeds. Yet there may be a thorn of rancor in his heart that leads to an evil end—Allah forbid. The Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—said: “One of you may perform the deeds of the people of Paradise until only a cubit remains between him and it.” That is, only a short time remains before his death—no more than a cubit in terms of deeds—for all his deeds are scattered dust. He performs the deeds of the people of Paradise as he appears to people, while he is one of the people of the Fire, as stated in the authentic hadith.

His words, “until only a cubit remains between him and it,” do not mean that his deeds have brought him close to Paradise. Rather, they mean that only a short period of his life remains. “Then he performs the deeds of the people of the Fire and enters it.” This applies when a person performs his deeds for the sake of other people, as the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—said: “A man may perform the deeds of the people of Paradise as he appears to people, while he is one of the people of the Fire.” (3)

When a person encounters texts such as these, he fears for himself: he fears ostentation, and he fears

(1) Narrated by al-Bukhārī in *Book of Exegesis*, chapter “And Besides These Two Are Two Gardens” (4878). (2) Al-Bukhārī narrated a similar report with the wording: “If I possessed enough gold to fill the earth, I would use it to ransom myself from Allah’s punishment—Glorified and Exalted is He—before seeing it” (3692). (3) Its source was cited previously on p. 65.

ويدخل بها الجنات، جنات عدن أي جنات إقامة، ومساكن طيبة في جنات عدن، مساكن طيبة في بنايتها وفي مادة البناء، كما قال النبي ﵊: «جنتان من ذهب آنيتهما وما فيهما، وجنتان من فضة آنيتهما وما فيهما» (١) ، والله لو يبقى الإنسان في سجدة منذ بلغ إلى أن يموت لكان هذا ثمناً قليلاً بالنسبة إلى هذه الغنيمة العظيمة، ولو لم يكن إلا أن ينجو الإنسان من النار لكفى، أحياناً الإنسان يفكر يقول ليتني لم أولد أو يكفيني أن أنجو من النار، وها هو عمر بن الخطاب ﵁ يقول: ليتني شجرة تعضد، ليت أمي لم تلدني (٢) ، لأن الإنسان يظن أنه آمن لأنه يصلي، ويصوم، ويتصدق، ويحج ويبر الوالدين وما أشبه ذلك، لكن قد يكون في قلبه حسيكة تؤدي إلى سوء الخاتمة، ـ والعياذ بالله ـ كما قال النبي ﷺ: «إن أحدكم ليعمل بعمل أهل الجنة حتى ما يكون بينه وبينها إلا ذراع» يعني مدة قريبة لموته ما هو إلا ذراع في العمل؛ لأن عمله كله هباء، هو يعمل بعمل أهل الجنة فيما يبدو للناس وهو من أهل النار كما جاء في الحديث الصحيح، لكن قوله: «حتى ما يكون بينه وبينها إلا ذراع» ليس معناه أن عمله أوصله إلى قريب من الجنة، وإنما المعنى حتى لا يبقى عليه إلا مدة قليلة في الحياة «ثم يعمل بعمل أهل النار فيدخلها» لكن هذا فيما إذا كان عمل الإنسان للناس كما قال ﵊: «إن الرجل ليعمل بعمل أهل الجنة فيما يبدو للناس وهو من أهل النار» (٣) ، والإنسان إذا مر على مثل هذه النصوص يخاف على نفسه، يخاف من الرياء، يخاف من

(١) أخرجه البخاري كتاب التفسير باب قوله:) وَمِنْ دُونِهِمَا جَنَّتَانِ) (٤٨٧٨) . (٢) أخرجه البخاري نحوه بلفظ: (لو أن لي طلاع الأرض ذهباً لأفتديت به من عذاب الله ﷿ قبل أن أراه) (٣٦٩٢) .. (٣) تقدم تخريجه ص (٦٥) .