Zād al-Maʿād - Ibn al-Qayyim - (1/6)

Zād al-MaʿādIbn al-Qayyim

and there is nothing that does not glorify Him with praise, but you do not understand their glorification. Indeed, He is Forbearing, All-Forgiving.” [al-Isrā: 44].

I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, with no partner—a declaration by which the earth and the heavens stand, and for whose sake all creatures were created. With it Allah Most High sent His messengers, revealed His books, and instituted His laws. For its sake the scales were set up, the records laid out, and the marketplace of Paradise and Hell established. By it creation was divided into believers and disbelievers, the righteous and the wicked. It is the foundation of creation and command, reward and punishment, and the truth for which all creation was brought into being. Concerning it and its obligations, people will be questioned and called to account; upon it reward and punishment depend. On its basis the direction of prayer was established and the religion founded. For its sake the swords of jihad were drawn. It is Allah’s right over all His servants—the declaration of Islam and the key to the Abode of Peace.

Concerning it, the first and the last generations will be questioned. A servant’s feet will not move (1) from before Allah Most High until he has been asked two questions: “What did you worship?” and “How did you respond to the messengers?” (2) The answer to the first lies in fulfilling the declaration that there is no god but Allah through knowledge, affirmation, and action. The answer to the second lies in fulfilling the declaration that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah through knowledge, affirmation, submission, and obedience.

Thus I bear witness (3) that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger, entrusted with His revelation, and His chosen one from among His creation,

(1) Manuscript qāf: “wa-lā tazūl” (and will not move). (2) Al-Tabarī reports it in his Tafsīr (14/141) from Abū al-ʿĀliya with the wording: “All servants will be questioned on the Day of Resurrection about two matters: what they worshipped and how they responded to the messengers.” The author also quotes it from Abū al-ʿĀliya in Tarīq al-Hijratayn (2/644) and Madārij al-Sālikīn (1/420). (3) He prefixed fā (thus) because this statement follows from the answer to the second question. Manuscripts mīm-bā and nūn read: “wa-ashhadu” (and I bear witness).

وَإِنْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِلَّا يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِهِ وَلَكِنْ لَا تَفْقَهُونَ تَسْبِيحَهُمْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ حَلِيمًا غَفُورًا﴾ [الإسراء: ٤٤]. وأشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له، كلمة قامت بها الأرض والسماوات، وخُلِقت لأجلها جميعُ المخلوقات، وبها أرسل الله تعالى رسله، وأنزل كتبه، وشرع شرائعه. ولأجلها نُصِبت الموازين، ووُضِعت الدواوين، وقام سوق الجنة والنار. وبها تقسَّمت الخليقة إلى المؤمنين والكفار والأبرار والفجار. فهي منشأ الخلق والأمر والثواب والعقاب، وهي الحقُّ الذي خُلِقت له الخليقة، وعنها وعن حقوقها السؤال والحساب، وعليها يقع الثواب والعقاب. وعليها نُصِبت القبلة، وعليها أُسِّست الملَّة، ولأجلها جُرِّدت سيوفُ الجهاد، وهي حقُّ الله على جميع العباد، فهي كلمة الإسلام، ومفتاح دار السلام. وعنها يُسأل الأولون والآخرون، فلا تزول (١) قدما العبد بين يدي الله تعالى حتى يُسأل عن مسألتين: ماذا كنتم تعبدون؟ وماذا أجبتم المرسلين؟ (٢) فجواب الأولى بتحقيق لا إله إلا الله معرفةً وإقرارًا وعملًا. وجواب الثانية بتحقيق أن محمدًا رسول الله معرفةً وإقرارًا وانقيادًا وطاعةً. فأشهد (٣) أن محمدًا عبده ورسوله، وأمينه على وحيه، وخِيرته من خلقه،

(١) ق: «ولا تزول». (٢) أخرجه الطبري في «تفسيره» (١٤/ ١٤١) عن أبي العالية بلفظ: «يُسأل العبادُ كلُّهم عن خَلَّتين يوم القيامة: عما كانوا يعبدون، وعما أجابوا المرسلين»، وعن أبي العالية نقله المؤلف في «طريق الهجرتين» (٢/ ٦٤٤) و «مدارج السالكين» (١/ ٤٢٠). (٣) أدخل الفاء لكونه مرتَّبًا على جواب المسألة الثانية. وفي مب، ن: «وأشهد».