Al-Fawāʾid - Ibn al-Qayyim - (الكتاب/232)

Al-FawāʾidIbn al-Qayyim

behave arrogantly, grow angry on its behalf, or envy anyone for what Allah has granted him. Envy, in truth, is a form of hostility toward Allah: the envier detests the blessing that Allah loves for His servant and longs for its disappearance, while Allah loathes that. Thus he opposes Allah in His decree and His providence, in what He loves and what He hates. For this very reason Satan is His real enemy, for the root of Satan’s sin was arrogance and envy.

These two traits are uprooted only through knowing Allah, affirming His oneness, being content with Him and with His decree, and continually turning back to Him.

Anger is removed by recognizing the soul’s worthlessness—that it does not deserve that one should flare up or seek revenge for its sake—for doing so gives it precedence, in pleasure and displeasure, over its Creator and Originator. The most powerful way to repel this disease is to train the soul to be angry for Allah’s sake and pleased for His sake; whenever a measure of such godly anger or pleasure enters it, an equal measure of self-centered anger and pleasure departs—and the reverse is likewise true.

As for lust, its remedy lies in sound knowledge and insight: realizing that indulging the soul’s cravings is the surest path to being deprived of them, while restraining those cravings is the surest path to attaining them in the most complete manner. Each time you throw open the door of desires for it, you are laboring to bar it from them; each time you close that door, you are laboring to lead it to them in the best possible way.

Anger is like a wild beast: once its owner unleashes it, it starts by devouring him. Lust is like fire: once a person kindles it, it begins by burning him. Arrogance is like contesting a king for his kingdom; if it does not destroy you, it will surely cast you out. Envy is like antagonizing someone far more powerful than you.

Whoever subdues his lust and his anger causes Satan to fear even his shadow; but whoever is subdued by his lust and anger recoils in terror from his own imagination.

يتكبْر ولم يغضبْ لها ولم يحسُدْ أحدًا على ما آتاه الله؛ فإن الحسد في الحقيقة نوعٌ من معاداة الله؛ فإنه يكره نعمة الله على عبده وقد أحبها الله، ويُحِبّ زوالَها عنه والله يكره ذلك؛ فهو مضادٌّ لله في قضائه وقدره ومحبته وكراهته، ولذلك كان إبليس عدوَّه حقيقةً؛ لأنَّ ذنبه كان عن كبر وحسد. فقلْعُ هاتين الصفتين بمعرفة الله وتوحيده والرضى به وعنه والإنابة إليه. وقَلْع الغضب بمعرفة النفس وأنها لا تَستحقُّ أن يغضب لها وينتقم لها؛ فإن ذلك إيثارٌ لها بالرضى والغضب على خالقها وفاطرها. وأعظم ما تدفع به هذه الآفة أن يُعوِّدها أن تَغضَب له سبحانه وترضى له؛ فكلما دخلها شيءٌ من الغضب والرضى له خرجَ منها مقابله من الغضب والرِّضى لها، وكذا بالعكس. أما الشهوةُ فدواؤها صحة العلم والمعرفة بأن إعطاءها شهواتِها أعظمُ أسباب حرمانها إياها ومنعها منها، وحِمْيتها أعظم أسباب اتصالها إليها؛ فكلما فتحتَ عليها بابَ الشهوات كنتَ ساعيًا في حرمانها إياها، وكلما أغلقتَ عنها ذلك الباب كنتَ ساعيًا في إيصالها إليها على أكمل الوجوه. فالغضب مثل السَّبُع؛ إذا أفلتَه صاحبُه بدأ بأكله، والشهوة مثل النار، إذا أضرمها صاحبها بدأتْ بإحراقه، والكبر بمنزلة منازعة الملك ملكه؛ فإن لم يُهلِكْك طردَك عنه، والحسد بمنزلة معاداة من هو أقدر منك. والذي يَغلِبُ شهوتَه وغضبَه يَفْرَقُ الشيطانُ من ظله، ومن تَغلِبه شهوتُه وغضبُه يَفرَقُ من خياله.