Zād al-Maʿād - Ibn al-Qayyim - (2/406)

Zād al-MaʿādIbn al-Qayyim

then gave you strength after weakness, then weakness and grey hair after strength.” [al-Rūm: 54]

‘Utbah derives from ‘atab (hardship) (1), so their names indicated hardship that would befall them and weakness that would overtake them. Their Muslim opponents were ‘Alī, ‘Ubaydah, and al-Hārith (2): three names corresponding to their qualities—loftiness, servitude, and striving, which is cultivation. Thus they rose above their opponents through their servitude to Allah and their striving to cultivate for the Hereafter.

Since a name implies what it signifies and influences its bearer, the names most beloved to Allah are those that imply the qualities most beloved to Him, such as ‘Abd Allāh (servant of Allah) and ‘Abd al-Rahmān (servant of the Most Merciful). Attributing servitude to the names Allah and the Most Merciful is dearer to Him than attributing it to other names, such as the Subduer and the All-Powerful. Thus ‘Abd al-Rahmān is dearer to Him than ‘Abd al-Qādir (servant of the All-Powerful), and ‘Abd Allāh is dearer to Him than ‘Abd Rabbih (servant of his Lord). This is because the bond between the servant and Allah consists solely in servitude, while the bond (3) between Allah and the servant consists solely in mercy. Through His mercy, the servant comes into existence and attains the perfection of his existence. The purpose for which He brought him into being is that he should worship Him alone with love, fear, hope, reverence, and veneration. He thus becomes a servant of Allah, worshipping Him in accordance with the meaning of divinity contained in the name Allah—a meaning that cannot belong to anyone else. Since His mercy prevails over His wrath, and mercy is dearer to Him than wrath, ‘Abd al-Rahmān is dearer to Him than ‘Abd al-Qāhir (servant of the Subduer).

(1) Al-‘atab means hardship and an unpleasant occurrence. Al-‘atb may also mean reproach. (2) In the margin of manuscript ك: “The correct reading is Hamzah in place of al-Hārith.” This correction is accurate; see Sīrat Ibn Hishām (1/625) and other sources. (3) “between the servant … which” is omitted from manuscript ك.

ثُمَّ جَعَلَ مِنْ بَعْدِ ضَعْفٍ قُوَّةً ثُمَّ جَعَلَ مِنْ بَعْدِ قُوَّةٍ ضَعْفًا وَشَيْبَةً﴾ [الروم: ٥٤]، وعُتبة من العَتَب (١)، فدلَّت أسماؤهم على عَتَبٍ يحلُّ بهم وضَعفٍ ينالهم. وكان أقرانهم من المسلمين علي وعُبيدة والحارث (٢)، ثلاثة أسماءٍ تُناسب أوصافَهم، وهي العلوُّ والعبوديَّة والسَّعي الذي هو الحرث، فعَلَوا عليهم بعبوديَّتهم وسعيهم في حرث الآخرة. ولمَّا كان الاسم مقتضيًا لمسمَّاه ومؤثِّرًا فيه، كان أحبُّ الأسماء إلى الله ما اقتضى أحبَّ الأوصاف إليه، كعبد اللَّه وعبد الرَّحمن، وكان إضافة العبودية إلى اسم الله واسم الرَّحمن أحبَّ إليه من إضافتها إلى غيرهما من الأسماء، كالقاهر والقادر، فعبد الرَّحمن أحبُّ إليه من عبد القادر، وعبد الله أحبُّ إليه من عبد ربِّه؛ وهذا لأنَّ التعلُّق الذي بين العبد وبين الله إنَّما هو العبوديَّة المحضة، والتَّعلُّق الذي (٣) بين الله وبين العبد بالرَّحمة المحضة، فبرحمته كان وجوده وكمالُ وجوده، والغاية الَّتي أوجده لأجلها أن يتألَّهه وحدَه، محبَّةً وخوفًا ورجاءً وإجلالًا وتعظيمًا، فيكون عبدًا للَّه، وقد عبده بما في اسم الله من معنى الإلهيَّة التي يستحيل أن تكون لغيره. ولمَّا غلبت رحمتُه غضبَه، وكانت الرَّحمة أحبَّ إليه من الغضب، كان عبد الرَّحمن أحبَّ إليه من عبد القاهر.

(١) العتَب: الشدة والأمر الكريه. ويمكن أن يكون العَتْب بمعنى العتاب. (٢) في هامش ك: «صوابه مكان الحارث حمزة». وهو كما قال، انظر: «سيرة ابن هشام» (١/ ٦٢٥) وغيرها. (٣) «بين العبد ... الذي» ساقطة من ك.