Al-Jawāb as-Sahīh li-man baddala dīn al-Masīh - Ibn Taimiya - (2/379)

Al-Jawāb as-Sahīh li-man baddala dīn al-MasīhIbn Taimiya

“O you who believe, what is the matter with you that, when you are told, ‘March forth in the path of Allah,’ you cling heavily to the earth? Are you content with the life of this world instead of the Hereafter? The enjoyment of worldly life, compared with the Hereafter, is but little.

If you do not march forth, He will punish you with a painful punishment, replace you with another people, and you will not harm Him in the least. Allah has power over all things.

If you do not support him, Allah has already supported him when the disbelievers drove him out—when he was one of two, as the two were in the cave—when he said to his companion, ‘Do not grieve; Allah is certainly with us.’ Then Allah sent down His tranquility upon him, strengthened him with forces you did not see, and made the word of those who disbelieved lowest, while the word of Allah is supreme. Allah is almighty, all-wise.

So march forth, whether light or heavy, and strive with your wealth and your lives in the path of Allah; that is best for you, if only you knew.

Had the prospect been an immediate gain and the journey easy, they would have followed you; but the distance seemed too far for them. Yet they will swear by Allah, ‘Had we been able, we would have gone out with you,’ destroying themselves—Allah knows that they are truly lying.

May Allah pardon you! Why did you grant them leave before it became clear to you who was truthful and you came to know the liars?

Those who believe in Allah and the Last Day do not ask your permission to strive with their wealth and their lives. Allah knows well the God-fearing.

Only those who do not believe in Allah and the Last Day ask your permission—their hearts are filled with doubt, so they waver in their doubt.

Had they really intended to go out with you, they would have made preparations for it; but Allah disliked their departure, so He held them back, and it was said, ‘Stay behind with those who stay.’

Had they gone out with you, they would have added nothing to you but trouble; they would have hurried about among you, seeking to stir up dissension, and among you there are those willing to listen to them. Allah knows well the wrongdoers.

They sought to sow dissension before and turned matters upside down for you until the truth came, and Allah’s command prevailed—though they were averse. ⦗9:38–48⦘

{يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَا لَكُمْ إِذَا قِيلَ لَكُمُ انْفِرُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ اثَّاقَلْتُمْ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ أَرَضِيتُمْ بِالْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا مِنَ الْآخِرَةِ فَمَا مَتَاعُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا فِي الْآخِرَةِ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌ - إِلَّا تَنْفِرُوا يُعَذِّبْكُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا وَيَسْتَبْدِلْ قَوْمًا غَيْرَكُمْ وَلَا تَضُرُّوهُ شَيْئًا وَاللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ - إِلَّا تَنْصُرُوهُ فَقَدْ نَصَرَهُ اللَّهُ إِذْ أَخْرَجَهُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا ثَانِيَ اثْنَيْنِ إِذْ هُمَا فِي الْغَارِ إِذْ يَقُولُ لِصَاحِبِهِ لَا تَحْزَنْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَنَا فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ سَكِينَتَهُ عَلَيْهِ وَأَيَّدَهُ بِجُنُودٍ لَمْ تَرَوْهَا وَجَعَلَ كَلِمَةَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا السُّفْلَى وَكَلِمَةُ اللَّهِ هِيَ الْعُلْيَا وَاللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ - انْفِرُوا خِفَافًا وَثِقَالًا وَجَاهِدُوا بِأَمْوَالِكُمْ وَأَنْفُسِكُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ذَلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ - لَوْ كَانَ عَرَضًا قَرِيبًا وَسَفَرًا قَاصِدًا لَاتَّبَعُوكَ وَلَكِنْ بَعُدَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الشُّقَّةُ وَسَيَحْلِفُونَ بِاللَّهِ لَوِ اسْتَطَعْنَا لَخَرَجْنَا مَعَكُمْ يُهْلِكُونَ أَنْفُسَهُمْ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ إِنَّهُمْ لَكَاذِبُونَ - عَفَا اللَّهُ عَنْكَ لِمَ أَذِنْتَ لَهُمْ حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكَ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا وَتَعْلَمَ الْكَاذِبِينَ - لَا يَسْتَأْذِنُكَ الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ أَنْ يُجَاهِدُوا بِأَمْوَالِهِمْ وَأَنْفُسِهِمْ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالْمُتَّقِينَ - إِنَّمَا يَسْتَأْذِنُكَ الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَارْتَابَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ فَهُمْ فِي رَيْبِهِمْ يَتَرَدَّدُونَ - وَلَوْ أَرَادُوا الْخُرُوجَ لَأَعَدُّوا لَهُ عُدَّةً وَلَكِنْ كَرِهَ اللَّهُ انْبِعَاثَهُمْ فَثَبَّطَهُمْ وَقِيلَ اقْعُدُوا مَعَ الْقَاعِدِينَ - لَوْ خَرَجُوا فِيكُمْ مَا زَادُوكُمْ إِلَّا خَبَالًا وَلَأَوْضَعُوا خِلَالَكُمْ يَبْغُونَكُمُ الْفِتْنَةَ وَفِيكُمْ سَمَّاعُونَ لَهُمْ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالظَّالِمِينَ - لَقَدِ ابْتَغَوُا الْفِتْنَةَ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَقَلَّبُوا لَكَ الْأُمُورَ حَتَّى جَاءَ الْحَقُّ وَظَهَرَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ وَهُمْ كَارِهُونَ} [التوبة: ٣٨ - ٤٨] .