Al-Jawāb as-Sahīh li-man baddala dīn al-Masīh - Ibn Taimiya - (6/21)

better and good, whereas the other involves evil and harm; yet this one is still superior and more excellent, even though it is obligatory.

Thus His statement:

“Follow the best of what has been sent down to you from your Lord” (az-Zumar 39:55)

is a directive to adopt the finest course, whether by performing the commanded deed or by abstaining from the prohibited one. It therefore includes both the obligatory and the recommended, for each of these is better than what is unlawful or disliked. Still, the command may sometimes impose an obligation and at other times indicate a recommendation,

just as He enjoined excellence in His words:

“And do good; surely Allah loves those who excel” (al-Baqarah 2:195).

Excellence (iḥsān) is in part obligatory and in part recommended.

هَذَا خَيْرٌ وَحَسَنٌ، وَفِي هَذَا شَرٌّ وَسَيِّئٌ، لَكِنَّ هَذَا خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ وَإِنْ كَانَ وَاجِبًا. فَقَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: {وَاتَّبِعُوا أَحْسَنَ مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ} [الزمر: ٥٥] هُوَ أَمْرٌ بِالْأَحْسَنِ مِنْ فِعْلِ الْمَأْمُورِ أَوْ تَرْكِ الْمَحْظُورِ، وَهُوَ يَتَنَاوَلُ الْأَمْرَ بِالْوَاجِبِ وَالْمُسْتَحَبِّ، فَإِنَّ كِلَاهُمَا أَحْسَنُ مِنَ الْمُحَرَّمِ وَالْمَكْرُوهِ. لَكِنْ يَكُونُ الْأَمْرُ أَمْرَ إِيجَابٍ، وَأَمْرَ اسْتِحْبَابٍ، كَمَا أَمَرَ بِالْإِحْسَانِ فِي قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: {وَأَحْسِنُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ} [البقرة: ١٩٥] وَالْإِحْسَانُ مِنْهُ وَاجِبٌ، وَمِنْهُ مُسْتَحَبٌّ.