Al-Fawāʾid - Ibn al-Qayyim - (الكتاب/228)

Al-FawāʾidIbn al-Qayyim

Likewise, saintly miracles (karāmāt) are a trial and a test, just like kingship, authority, and wealth. Concerning His prophet Solomon—when he saw the throne of Bilqīs set before him—Allah the Exalted said, “This is by the bounty of my Lord, to test me whether I will give thanks or be ungrateful” (Q 27:40).

Thus blessings themselves are a test from Allah, an examination that reveals the gratitude of the thankful and the ingratitude of the thankless, just as hardships are a tribulation from Him—exalted is He. He tries His servants with favors just as He tries them with afflictions.

The Exalted also says: “As for man, when his Lord tests him, honors him, and bestows comfort upon him, he says, ‘My Lord has honored me.’ But when He tests him and restricts his provision, he says, ‘My Lord has humiliated me.’ No indeed!” (Q 89:15–17). In other words, not everyone upon whom I expand provision, honor, and prosperity is thereby being honored by Me, nor is everyone upon whom I tighten provision and try with hardship thereby being humiliated by Me.

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Whoever wishes his building to rise high must first strengthen, perfect, and diligently attend to its foundation, for the height of a structure is proportional to the soundness and solidity of its base.

Deeds and spiritual ranks are a building whose foundation is faith. When the foundation is firm, it carries the structure and raises it aloft; should part of the superstructure crumble, it can easily be repaired. But if the foundation is unsound, the building will neither rise nor stand, and if any portion of the base collapses, the entire edifice will fall—or come very near to falling.

The one endowed with insight devotes his energy to correcting and reinforcing the foundation, whereas the ignorant person adds storey upon storey without a base; before long, his structure collapses.

Allah the Exalted says, “Is one who laid the foundation of his building upon mindfulness of Allah and His good pleasure better, or one who laid the foundation of his building upon the brink of a crumbling cliff that then collapsed with him into the Fire of Hell?” (Q 9:109).

The foundation for the edifice of deeds is to a person’s spiritual structure what strength is to the human body; when that strength is robust

وكذلك الكراماتُ امتحانٌ وابتلاءٌ كالملك والسلطان والمال؛ قال تعالى عن نبيه سليمان لما رأى عرش بلقيس عنده: ﴿هَذَا مِنْ فَضْلِ رَبِّي لِيَبْلُوَنِي أَأَشْكُرُ أَمْ أَكْفُرُ﴾ [النمل: ٤٠]. فالنعم ابتلاءٌ من الله وامتحانٌ يظهر به شكر الشكور وكفر الكفور؛ كما أن المحن بلوى منه سبحانه؛ فهو يبتلي بالنعم كما يبتلي بالمصائب. قال تعالى: ﴿فَأَمَّا الْإِنْسَانُ إِذَا مَا ابْتَلَاهُ رَبُّهُ فَأَكْرَمَهُ وَنَعَّمَهُ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّي أَكْرَمَنِ (١٥) وَأَمَّا إِذَا مَا ابْتَلَاهُ فَقَدَرَ عَلَيهِ رِزْقَهُ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّي أَهَانَنِ (١٦) كَلَّا﴾ [الفجر: ١٥ - ١٧]؛ أي ليس كل من وسَّعتُ عليه وأكرمتُه ونعَّمته يكون ذلك إكرامًا مني له، ولا كل من ضيَّقتُ عليه رزقه وأبليتُه يكون ذلك إهانةً مني له. فصل من أراد علوَّ بنيانه فعليه بتوثيق أساسه وإحكامه وشدة الاعتناء به؛ فإن علو البنيان على قدر توثيق الأساس وإحكامه. فالأعمال والدرجات بنيانٌ، وأساسها الإيمان، ومتى كان الأساس وثيقًا حملَ البنيانَ واعتلى عليه، وإذا تهدَّم شيءٌ من البنيان سهُل تداركُه، وإذا كان الأساس غير وثيق لم يرتفع البنيانُ ولم يثبتْ، وإذا تهدَّم شيءٌ من الأساس سقط البنيانُ أو كاد. فالعارف همَّته تصحيح الأساس وإحكامه، والجاهلُ يرفع في البناء عن غير أساس؛ فلا يلبث بنيانه أن يسقط. قال تعالى: ﴿أَفَمَنْ أَسَّسَ بُنْيَانَهُ عَلَى تَقْوَى مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانٍ خَيرٌ أَمْ مَنْ أَسَّسَ بُنْيَانَهُ عَلَى شَفَا جُرُفٍ هَارٍ فَانْهَارَ بِهِ فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ﴾ [التوبة: ١٠٩]. فالأساسُ لبناء الأعمال كالقوة لبدن الإنسان؛ فإذا كانت القوة قويَّةً