Al-Furūsiyya - Ibn al-Qayyim - (الكتاب/466)

Section
Many people confuse courage with sheer physical strength, but the two are different. Courage (1) is the steadfastness of the heart when calamities strike, even if one’s physical might (2) is slight.

Abu Bakr al-Ṣiddīq—may Allah be pleased with him—was the bravest member of the ummah after the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. ʿUmar and others were stronger than he, yet he surpassed all the Companions by the firmness of his heart in every scene that would have shaken mountains. On such occasions his heart remained steady, his spirit composed; the valiant Companions and their champions would take refuge with him, and he would steady and embolden them.

It would have sufficed him (3) to display such composure only on the night in the Cave.

Add to that his resolve on the Day of Badr, when he said to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, “O Messenger of Allah, some (4) moderation in your pleading with your Lord will suffice; He will surely fulfill for you what He has promised.” (5)

Remember as well his fortitude on the Day of Uhud, when Satan cried out among the people that Muhammad had been killed, and fewer than twenty men remained with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ at Uhud (6); yet even then his heart was firm, his breast at peace. (7)

(1) From MS Z. (2) See the author’s Kitab al-Ruh, pp. 352–353. (3) From MS Z. (4) From MS Z. (5) Recorded by al-Bukhari in his Sahih, no. 4594, and by Muslim in his Sahih, no. 1763; Muslim’s version is the longer one, narrated on the authority of Ibn Abbas. (6) From the words “Rasul” to “fi,” according to MS Z. (7) In MSS H and Ta the reading is “fi.”

فصلٌ وكثيرٌ من الناس تشتبه عليه الشجاعة بالقُوَّة، وهما متغايران، فإن الشجاعة هي (١): ثباتُ القلب عند النوازل؛ وإن كان ضعيف البطش (٢). وكان الصِّدِّيق ﵁ أشجع الأُمَّة بعد رسول الله ﷺ، وكان عُمَرُ وغَيْرُهُ أقوى منه، ولكن برز على الصحابة كلهم بثباتِ قلبه في كل موطن من المواطن التي تزلزل الجبال، وهو في ذلك ثابت القلب، ربيط الجأش، يلوذ به شجعان الصحابة وأبطالهم، فيثبَّتُهم ويشجِّعُهم. ولو لم يكن له (٣) إلا ثبات قَلْبه يوم الغَار وليلته. وثبات قَلْبهِ يوم بَدْرٍ، وهو يقول لرسول الله ﷺ: "يا رسول الله! كفاك بعض (٤) مناشدتك ربَّك؛ فإنه منجز لك ما وعدك" (٥). وثبات قلبه يوم أحد، وقد صَرَخ الشيطان في الناس بأن مُحَمَّدًا قد قُتِل، ولم يبق أحدٌ مع رسول الله ﷺ إلا دون عشرين في (٦) أُحدٍ، وهو مع (٧) ذلك ثابت القلْب، سَاكن الجَأْش.

(١) من (ظ). (٢) انظر كتاب الروح للمؤلف ص ٣٥٢ - ٣٥٣. (٣) من (ظ). (٤) من (ظ). (٥) أخرجه البخاري في صحيحه رقم (٤٥٩٤)، ومسلم في صحيحه رقم (١٧٦٣) واللفظ لمسلم مطوّلًا من حديث ابن عباس ﵄. (٦) من قوله (رسول) إلى (في) من (ظ). (٧) في (ح، مط) (في).