Zād al-Maʿād - Ibn al-Qayyim - (1/83)

Zād al-MaʿādIbn al-Qayyim

As for the Prophet of Repentance, he is the one through whom Allah opened the door of repentance to the people of the earth. Through him, Allah turned to them in mercy as He had never done for the people of the earth before. He, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sought forgiveness and repented more than any other created being, so much so that they would count (1) him saying a hundred times in a single gathering:

“My Lord, forgive me and accept my repentance. Indeed, You are the Accepter of Repentance, the All-Forgiving.” (2)

He would also say:

“O people, repent to your Lord, for I repent to Allah a hundred times a day.” (3)

Likewise, the repentance of his community is more complete than that of all other communities, more readily accepted, and easier to undertake. Repentance was among the most difficult things for those before them: the Children of Israel’s repentance for worshipping the calf even required putting their own people to death. As for this community, because of its honoured standing with Allah, He made its repentance consist of remorse and abandoning sin.

As for the Prophet of Battle, he is the one who was sent to fight against Allah’s enemies. No prophet and his community ever fought as the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his community have fought (4). The great battles that have taken place, and continue to take place, between his community and the disbelievers have no known precedent before him. His community kills disbelievers throughout the regions of the earth across successive ages, and has inflicted upon them battles unlike those waged by any other community.

As for the Prophet of Mercy, he is the one whom Allah sent as a mercy to all creation. Through him, He bestowed mercy upon the inhabitants of

(1) All manuscripts except مب and ن read: “ya‘uddū (they would count).” (2) Reported by Ahmad (4726, 5354), al-Bukhārī in al-Adab al-mufrad (618), Abū Dāwūd (1516), al-Tirmidhī (3434), al-Nasā’ī in al-Kubrā (10219, 10220), and Ibn Mājah (3814), from Ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both. Classified as authentic by al-Tirmidhī and Ibn Hibbān (927). (3) Reported by Muslim (2702), from Ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both. (4) “Wa-ummatuhu (and his community)” is absent from ص.

وأما نبيُّ التوبة، فهو الذي فتح الله به بابَ التوبة على أهل الأرض، فتاب الله به عليهم توبةً لم يحصل مثلها لأهل الأرض قبله. وكان ﷺ أكثر الخلق استغفارًا وتوبةً، حتى كانوا يعُدُّون (١) له في المجلس الواحد مائة مرة: «ربِّ اغفر لي، وتُبْ عليَّ، إنك أنت التواب الغفور» (٢). وكان يقول: «يا أيها الناس توبوا إلى ربِّكم، فإني أتوب إلى الله في اليوم مائة مرة» (٣). وكذلك توبة أمته أكمل من توبة سائر الأمم، وأسرع قبولًا، وأسهل تناولًا. وكانت توبة من قبلهم من أصعب الأشياء، حتى كان من توبة بني إسرائيل من عبادة العجل قتلُ نفوسهم. وأما هذه الأمة فلكرامتها على الله جعل توبتها الندم والإقلاع. وأما نبيُّ الملحمة، فهو الذي بُعِث بجهاد أعداء الله، فلم يجاهد نبيٌّ وأمتُه قطُّ ما جاهد رسولُ الله ﷺ وأمته (٤). والملاحم الكبار التي وقعت وتقع بين أمته وبين الكفار لم يُعهَد مثلُها قبله، فإن أمته يقتلون الكفار في أقطار الأرض على تعاقب الأعصار، وأوقعوا بهم من الملاحم ما لم تفعله أمة سواهم. وأما نبيُّ الرحمة، فهو الذي أرسله الله رحمةً للعالمين، فرحم به أهلَ

(١) ما عدا مب، ن: «يعدُّوا». (٢) أخرجه أحمد (٤٧٢٦، ٥٣٥٤) والبخاري في «الأدب المفرد» (٦١٨) وأبو داود (١٥١٦) والترمذي (٣٤٣٤) والنسائي في «الكبرى» (١٠٢١٩، ١٠٢٢٠) وابن ماجه (٣٨١٤)، من حديث ابن عمر ﵄. صححه الترمذي وابن حبان (٩٢٧). (٣) أخرجه مسلم (٢٧٠٢) من حديث ابن عمر ﵄. (٤) لم يرد «وأمته» في ص.