Al-Fawāʾid - Ibn al-Qayyim - (الكتاب/139)

Al-FawāʾidIbn al-Qayyim

He, the Exalted, also says:

“Know that the life of this world is nothing but play, amusement, adornment, mutual boasting among you, and rivalry in wealth and children. It is like a rain shower: the vegetation it brings forth delights the tillers, then it withers, and you see it turn yellow, and finally it becomes chaff. In the Hereafter there is severe punishment—and forgiveness from Allah and His good pleasure—whereas the life of this world is nothing but the enjoyment of delusion.” ⦗20⦘

He, the Exalted, also says:

“Made attractive to people is the love of desires—for women, sons, hoards upon hoards of gold and silver, fine-bred horses, livestock, and fertile land. That is the enjoyment of the life of this world, but with Allah lies the finest destination. Say, ‘Shall I inform you of something better than all that? For those who are mindful of Allah there are gardens beneath which rivers flow, where they will abide forever; there they will have purified spouses and Allah’s good pleasure. Allah is All-Seeing of His servants.’” ⦗14–15⦘

He, the Exalted, says:

“They rejoice in the life of this world, yet the life of this world, in comparison with the Hereafter, is only a fleeting enjoyment.” ⦗26⦘

He (1) has threatened with the severest warning those who are content with the life of this world, find comfort in it, neglect His signs, and place no hope in meeting Him. He says:

“Indeed, those who do not look forward to meeting Us, who are pleased with the life of this world and feel secure in it, and those who are heedless of Our signs—such people shall have the Fire for their abode because of what they used to earn.” ⦗7–8⦘

He further reproached those believers who became satisfied with the world, saying:

“O you who believe, what is the matter with you that, when you are told, ‘March forth in the path of Allah,’ you cling heavily to the earth? Are you content with the life of this world instead of the Hereafter? But the enjoyment of the life of this world is trivial compared with the Hereafter.” ⦗38⦘

And in proportion to a servant’s desire for this world and his contentment with it

(1) The printed edition has the verb "tawaʿʿada" (threatened), but the wording adopted here reproduces the author’s original style as found in the draft of Tariq al-Hijratayn.

وقال تعالى: ﴿اعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ وَزِينَةٌ وَتَفَاخُرٌ بَينَكُمْ وَتَكَاثُرٌ فِي الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَوْلَادِ كَمَثَلِ غَيثٍ أَعْجَبَ الْكُفَّارَ نَبَاتُهُ ثُمَّ يَهِيجُ فَتَرَاهُ مُصْفَرًّا ثُمَّ يَكُونُ حُطَامًا وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانٌ وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إلا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ (٢٠)﴾ [الحديد: ٢٠]. وقال تعالى: ﴿زُيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ حُبُّ الشَّهَوَاتِ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ وَالْبَنِينَ وَالْقَنَاطِيرِ الْمُقَنْطَرَةِ مِنَ الذَّهَبِ وَالْفِضَّةِ وَالْخَيلِ الْمُسَوَّمَةِ وَالْأَنْعَامِ وَالْحَرْثِ ذَلِكَ مَتَاعُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَاللَّهُ عِنْدَهُ حُسْنُ الْمَآبِـ (١٤) قُلْ أَؤُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِخَيرٍ مِنْ ذَلِكُمْ لِلَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّاتٌ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا وَأَزْوَاجٌ مُطَهَّرَةٌ وَرِضْوَانٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ بَصِيرٌ بِالْعِبَادِ (١٥)﴾ [آل عمران: ١٤ - ١٥]. وقال تعالى: ﴿وَفَرِحُوا بِالْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا فِي الْآخِرَةِ إلا مَتَاعٌ (٢٦)﴾ [الرعد: ٢٦]. وقد تواعدَ (١) سبحانه أعظمَ الوعيد لمن رضي بالحياة الدُّنيا واطمأنَّ بها وغَفَلَ عن آياته ولم يَرْجُ لقاءه، فقال: ﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ لَا يَرْجُونَ لِقَاءَنَا وَرَضُوا بِالْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَاطْمَأَنُّوا بِهَا وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَنْ آيَاتِنَا غَافِلُونَ (٧) أُولَئِكَ مَأْوَاهُمُ النَّارُ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ (٨)﴾ [يونس: ٧ - ٨]. وعَيَّر سبحانه من رضي بالدُّنيا من المؤمنين، فقال: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَا لَكُمْ إِذَا قِيلَ لَكُمُ انْفِرُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ اثَّاقَلْتُمْ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ أَرَضِيتُمْ بِالْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا مِنَ الْآخِرَةِ فَمَا مَتَاعُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا فِي الْآخِرَةِ إلا قَلِيلٌ (٣٨)﴾ [التوبة: ٣٨]، وعلى قدر رغبة العبد في الدُّنيا ورضاهُ بها

(١) ط: "توعد". والمثبت أسلوب المؤلف كما في مسوَّدة طريق الهجرتين.