Al-Muqaddimāt al-Mumahhidāt - Ibn Rush al-Jadd - (3/153)

Al-Muqaddimāt al-MumahhidātIbn Rush al-Jadd

In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy. May Allah bless Muhammad. I seek Allah’s help, and in Him I place my trust.

The Book of Emancipation

Concerning Emancipation

Allah, Mighty and Majestic, says:

“Then either release them graciously or for ransom, until the war lays down its burdens.” [Muhammad: 4]

The gracious release here means emancipation. Allah Most High also says:

“Yet he has not braved the steep path.” [al-Balad: 11] “And what will make you understand what the steep path is?” [al-Balad: 12] “Freeing a slave,” [al-Balad: 13] “or feeding, on a day of severe hunger,” [al-Balad: 14] “an orphan who is a near relative,” [al-Balad: 15] “or a needy person in abject poverty.” [al-Balad: 16]

The passage means: he has not braved the steep path—and what will make you understand what the steep path is?—neither by freeing a slave nor by feeding, on a day of severe hunger, an orphan who is a near relative or a needy person in abject poverty. This is because the negative particle lā (“not”) only ever occurs in repetition, as in His saying, Mighty and Majestic:

“He neither believed nor prayed.” [al-Qiyāmah: 31]

And His saying:

“No fear will be upon them, nor will they grieve.” [al-Baqarah: 38]

It occurs only once in this verse because its meaning entails the repetition in the answer that we have explained.

Thus, the verse means that this man—who thought that no one would have power over him, although Allah has power over him; who thought that no one had seen him, although Allah sees him; and who said that he had spent vast wealth, meaning a great deal, in hostility to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace—has not braved the steep path. Allah had shown him the two ways, meaning the paths of good and evil, and had blessed him with two eyes with which to see Allah’s proofs, and a tongue and two lips with which to express himself. Yet he has not ascended that path, braved it, or crossed it, neither by freeing a slave nor by feeding, on a day of severe hunger, an orphan who is a near relative or a needy person in abject poverty.

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ وصلى الله على محمد وبالله أستعين وعليه أتوكل كتاب العتق ما جاء في العتق قال الله ﷿: ﴿فَإِمَّا مَنًّا بَعْدُ وَإِمَّا فِدَاءً حَتَّى تَضَعَ الْحَرْبُ أَوْزَارَهَا﴾ [محمد: ٤] والمن العتاقة. وقال تعالى: ﴿فَلا اقْتَحَمَ الْعَقَبَةَ﴾ [البلد: ١١] ﴿وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الْعَقَبَةُ﴾ [البلد: ١٢] ﴿فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ﴾ [البلد: ١٣] ﴿أَوْ إِطْعَامٌ فِي يَوْمٍ ذِي مَسْغَبَةٍ﴾ [البلد: ١٤] ﴿يَتِيمًا ذَا مَقْرَبَةٍ﴾ [البلد: ١٥] ﴿أَوْ مِسْكِينًا ذَا مَتْرَبَةٍ﴾ [البلد: ١٦]. معنى الكلام فلا اقتحم العقبة وما أدراك ما العقبة لا بفك رقبة ولا بإطعام في يوم ذي مسغبة يتيما ذا مقربة أو مسكينا ذا متربة، لأن "لا" لا تأتي أبدا إلا مكررة، "مثل قوله ﷿: ﴿فَلا صَدَّقَ وَلا صَلَّى﴾ [القيامة: ٣١] ومثل قوله: ﴿فَلا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ﴾ [البقرة: ٣٨] فجاءت في هذه الآية مفردة لأن المعنى فيها هو ما ذكرناه من تكريرها في الجواب. فتفسير الآية: فلم يقتحم هذا الإنسان الذي ظن أن لن يقدر عليه أحد والله يقدر عليه، وظن أن لم يره أحد والله يراه، وقال إنه أهلك مالا لبدا أي كثيرا، يريد في عداوة النبي ﷺ وقد هداه الله النجدين، أي أراه طريق الخير والشر وأنعم عليه أن جعل له عينين يبصر بهما حجج الله، ولسانا وشفتين يعبر بهما عن نفسه العقبة ولا ركبها ولا اقتحمها ولا جازها لا بفك رقبة ولا بإطعام في يوم ذي مسغبة يتيما ذا مقربة أو مسكينا ذا متربة.