Zād al-Maʿād - Ibn al-Qayyim - (2/102)

and the dawn prayer in congregation to someone who prays throughout the entire night (1).

If it is asked: What, then, do you say about the hadith of Abū Mūsā al-Ash‘arī: “Whoever fasts every day, Hell will be narrowed around him until it is like this”—and he clenched his hand—which is recorded in Musnad Ahmad (2)?

The answer is: There is disagreement over the meaning of this hadith. Some say that Hell will be narrowed around him to confine him within it, because he imposes hardship on himself and overburdens himself, turns away from the guidance of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and believes that some other guidance is better than his.

Others say: Rather, it will be narrowed around him so that no room remains for him within it. This group favoured this interpretation on the grounds that, since the fasting person has restricted his own avenues of desire through fasting, Allah will narrow the Fire around him so that no place remains for him within it, because he has closed off the paths leading to it.

The first group favoured their interpretation, saying: Had he intended this meaning, he would have said, “It will be narrowed away from him.” As for its being narrowed around him, that can only occur when he is within it. They said: This interpretation accords (3) with the hadiths expressing disapproval of fasting every day and stating that the person who does so is like someone who has not fasted. And Allah knows best (4).

(1) Narrated by Muslim (656) from ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān (may Allah be pleased with him). (2) No. (19713). The hadith was graded authentic by Ibn Khuzaymah (2154), Ibn Hibbān (3584), and al-Albānī in al-Silsilah al-Sahīhah (3202). (3) k, s, j, mb: “muwāfiq” (in agreement). (4) “Wa-Allāhu a‘lam” (And Allah knows best) is absent from s.

والصُّبحَ في جماعةٍ بمن قام اللَّيل كلَّه (١). فإن قيل: فما تقولون في حديث أبي موسى الأشعريِّ: «مَن صام الدَّهر ضُيِّقتْ عليه جهنَّم حتَّى تكون هكذا»، وقبض كفَّه وهو في «مسند أحمد» (٢)؟ قيل: قد اختُلِف في معنى هذا الحديث. فقيل: ضُيِّقتْ عليه حصرًا له فيها، لتشديده على نفسه وحمْلِه عليها، ورغبتِه عن هَدْي رسول الله ﷺ، واعتقادِه أنَّ غيره أفضل منه. وقال آخرون: بل ضُيِّقتْ عليه، فلا يبقى له فيها موضعٌ. ورجَّحت هذه الطَّائفة هذا التَّأويل، بأنَّ الصَّائم لمَّا ضيَّق على نفسه مسالكَ الشَّهوات وطُرقَها بالصَّوم ضيَّق الله عليه النَّار، فلا يبقى له فيها مكانٌ، لأنَّه ضيَّق طُرقَها عنه. ورجَّحت الطَّائفة الأولى تأويلها بأن قالت: لو أراد هذا المعنى لقال: ضُيِّقتْ عنه، وأمَّا التَّضييق عليه فلا يكون إلا وهو فيها. قالوا: وهذا التَّأويل يوافق (٣) أحاديثَ كراهة صوم الدَّهر، وأنَّ فاعله بمنزلة من لم يصُمْ، والله أعلم (٤).

(١) رواه مسلم (٦٥٦) من حديث عثمان بن عفان ﵁ . (٢) برقم (١٩٧١٣). و الحديث صححه ابن خزيمة (٢١٥٤) وابن حبان (٣٥٨٤) والألباني في «السلسلة الصحيحة» (٣٢٠٢). (٣) ك، ص، ج، مب: «موافق». (٤) «والله أعلم» ليست في ص.