Al-Tafsīr al-Qayyim - Ibn al-Qayyim - (178)

Al-Tafsīr al-QayyimIbn al-Qayyim

The first level is knowledge and understanding, together with conviction that what is testified to is true and established.

The second is speaking and giving utterance to it, even without making it known to anyone else: one may speak of it to oneself, mention it, utter it, or write it down.

The third is making known to others what one has testified to, informing them of it and explaining it to them.

The fourth is requiring others to abide by its content and commanding them accordingly.

Allah’s testimony to His own oneness and His upholding of justice encompasses these four levels: His knowledge of this, His speaking of it, His making it known and conveying it to His creation, and His commanding them to abide by it and making it binding upon them.

As for the level of knowledge, testimony to the truth necessarily entails it; otherwise, the witness would be testifying to something of which he had no knowledge. Allah Most High says:

43:86: “They bear witness to the truth while knowing it.”

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, pointing to the sun: “Bear witness to what is as clear as this.”

As for the level of speaking and reporting, whoever speaks of something and reports it has thereby testified to it, even without explicitly using the word ‘testimony.’ Allah Most High says:

6:150: “Say, ‘Bring your witnesses who testify that Allah has forbidden this.’ If they testify, do not testify with them.”

And He says:

43:19: “They have made the angels, who are servants of the Most Merciful, females. Did they witness their creation? Their testimony will be recorded, and they will be questioned.”

Thus, He called their statement testimony, even though they neither used the word ‘testimony’ nor delivered it before others.

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “False testimony has been equated with associating partners with Allah.” «1»

False testimony is false speech, as Allah Most High says:

22:31: “And shun false speech, being devoted to Allah alone, associating no partners with Him.”

In connection with this verse, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “False testimony has been equated with associating partners with Allah.”

Thus, he called false speech testimony. Allah Most High also called a servant’s admission against himself testimony. He says:

(1) Reported by al-Tirmidhī from Khuraym ibn Fātik with the wording: “False testimony is equivalent to shirk (associating partners with Allah)…” No. 2300.

فأول مراتبها: علم ومعرفة، واعتقاد لصحة المشهود به وثبوته. وثانيها: تكلمه بذلك ونطقه به. وإن لم يعلم به غيره، بل يتكلم هو به مع نفسه، ويذكرها وينطق بها، أو يكتبها. وثالثها: أن يعلم غيره بما شهد به، وبخبره به، ويبينه له. ورابعها: أن يلزمه بمضمونها، ويأمره به. فشهادة الله سبحانه لنفسه بالوحدانية، والقيام بالقسط: تضمنت هذه المراتب الأربع: علم الله سبحانه بذلك، وتكلمه به، وإعلامه، وإخباره خلقه به، وأمرهم وإلزامهم به. أما مرتبة العلم: فإن الشهادة بالحق تتضمنها ضرورة، وإلا كان الشاهد شاهدا بما لا علم له به. قال الله تعالى: ٤٣: ٨٦ شَهِدَ بِالْحَقِّ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ وقال النبي ﷺ: «على مثلها فاشهد» وأشار إلى الشمس. وأما مرتبة التكلم والخبر: فمن تكلم بشيء وأخبر به فقد شهد به. وإن لم يتلفظ بالشهادة. قال تعالى: ٦: ١٥٠ قُلْ هَلُمَّ شُهَداءَكُمُ الَّذِينَ يَشْهَدُونَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ حَرَّمَ هذا. فَإِنْ شَهِدُوا فَلا تَشْهَدْ مَعَهُمْ وقال تعالى: ٤٣: ١٩ وَجَعَلُوا الْمَلائِكَةَ الَّذِينَ هُمْ عِبادُ الرَّحْمنِ إِناثاً، أَشَهِدُوا خَلْقَهُمْ؟ سَتُكْتَبُ شَهادَتُهُمْ وَيُسْئَلُونَ فجعل ذلك منهم شهادة، وإن لم يتلفظوا بلفظ الشهادة، ولم يؤدوها عند غيرهم. قال النبي ﷺ: «عدلت شهادة الزور الإشراك بالله» «١» وشهادة الزور: هي قول الزور، كما قال تعالى: ٢٢: ٣١ وَاجْتَنِبُوا قَوْلَ الزُّورِ: حُنَفاءَ لِلَّهِ غَيْرَ مُشْرِكِينَ وعند هذه الآية قال رسول الله ﷺ: «عدلت شهادة الزور الإشراك بالله» فسمى قول الزور شهادة. وسمى الله تعالى إقرار العبد على نفسه شهادة، قال تعالى:

(١) أخرجه الترمذي عن خريم بن فاتك بلفظ: عدلت شهادة الزور بالشرك.. برقم ٢٣٠٠.