Al-Muqaddimāt al-Mumahhidāt - Ibn Rush al-Jadd - (1/56)

Al-Muqaddimāt al-MumahhidātIbn Rush al-Jadd

Section

Allah, exalted is He, has explicitly affirmed that faith increases, saying:

“Whenever a surah is revealed, some of them say, ‘Which of you has this increased in faith?’ As for those who believe, it has increased them in faith, and they rejoice.” [al-Tawbah: 124]

This means increased certainty in faith and greater protection against doubt entering it. For the Messenger’s signs, his words, and the revelation sent down to him confirm one another. This brings greater certainty in faith, clearer insight in holding fast to it, and greater protection against the intrusion of doubt.

Section

Faith thus varies in degree with respect to certainty, strength, knowledge, and freedom from the intrusion of doubt. The stronger a person’s certainty concerning Allah and knowledge of Him, the less susceptible he is to doubts. Someone who believes in Allah without coming to know Him through reasoning from evidence is not like someone who has come to know Him in this way. Nor is someone who knows Him through one line of evidence like someone who knows Him through many. Likewise, someone who knows Him through proofs without witnessing the signs is not like someone who personally witnessed them in the presence of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in the strength of certainty within his heart and his resistance to being shaken in his faith or led astray from it by Satan.

It is reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “Among my Companions are those whose faith is more firmly established in their hearts than the firmly anchored mountains.” He also said of one of his Companions—I think it was Abū Bakr—“Were the veil lifted for him, his certainty would not increase.”

It is also related that Munkar and Nakīr came to Umar ibn al-Khattāb and asked him, “Who is your Lord, and what is your religion?” He replied, “As for me, Allah is my Lord, Islam is my religion, and Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is my Prophet. But you two—who is your Lord, what is your religion, and who is your Prophet?” They looked at one another and said, “It is Umar,” then departed from him. Then can

فصل وقد نص الله ﵎ على زيادة الإيمان فقال: ﴿وَإِذَا مَا أُنْزِلَتْ سُورَةٌ فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَقُولُ أَيُّكُمْ زَادَتْهُ هَذِهِ إِيمَانًا فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فَزَادَتْهُمْ إِيمَانًا وَهُمْ يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ﴾ [التوبة: ١٢٤]. ومعنى ذلك زيادة اليقين في الإيمان والبعد من دخول الشك فيه عليه؛ لأن آيات الرسول ﷺ وأقواله وما ينزل عليه يصدق بعضه بعضا، وذلك يوجب زيادة اليقين في الإيمان والاستبصار في التمسك به والبعد من دخول الشك عليه فيه. فصل فالإيمان يتفاضل في زيادة اليقين والقوة فيه والعلم به والبعد من دخول الشك عليه فيه، فكلما قوي اليقين بالله والعلم به لمن عرفه كان أبعد من طرو الشكوك عليه، فليس من آمن بالله ولم يعرفه بالاستدلال عليه كمن عرفه به، ولا من عرفه بوجه واحد من وجوه الأدلة كمن عرفه من وجوه كثيرة، ولا من عرفه بالأدلة دون معاينة الآيات كمن شاهدها وعاينها بحضرة النبي ﵊ في قوة اليقين في القلب وبعده عن أن يفتن فيه أو يزيغه الشيطان عنه. روي أن رسول الله ﷺ قال: «إن من أصحابي من الإيمان في قلبه أثبت من الجبال الرواسي». وقال في بعض أصحابه أراه أبا بكر: «لو رفع له الغطاء ما زاد يقينا». ويروى أن عمر بن الخطاب أتاه منكر ونكير فقالا له: من ربك وما دينك، فقال لهما أما أنا فالله ربي والإسلام ديني ومحمد ﷺ نبيي، وأنتما فمن ربكما وما دينكما ومن نبيكما؟ فنظر بعضهما إلى بعض فقالا إنه عمر وانصرفا عنه. فهل