Al-Tafsīr al-Qayyim - Ibn al-Qayyim - (181)

Al-Tafsīr al-QayyimIbn al-Qayyim

This too is called testimony, as in His words, Most High: 9:17 “It is not for the polytheists to maintain Allah’s mosques while bearing witness against themselves to disbelief.” This is their testimony against themselves through their deeds and words of disbelief. These bear witness to their disbelief, and they themselves testify against themselves to what those deeds and words attest against them.

The point is that He, glorified is He, bears witness to that which He has made His created signs indicate. Their significance derives entirely from His creating and fashioning them. He also bears witness through His spoken signs, which accord with what His created signs attest. Thus, testimony through words and testimony through actions agree, as He, Most High, says: 41:53 “We will show them Our signs on the horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that it is the truth”—meaning that the Quran is the truth. He thus tells us that, through His signs on the horizons and within themselves, He demonstrates the truth of His spoken signs.

This testimony through actions has been mentioned by a number of leading scholars of Arabic and Quranic commentary. Ibn Kaysān «1» said: “Through His wondrous governance and His perfectly ordered affairs, Allah has borne witness before His creation that there is no god but Him.”

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As for the fourth level—commanding this and making it binding—although testimony alone does not necessarily entail it, testimony in this passage indicates and includes it.

For He, glorified is He, has borne witness to it as One who has ruled, decreed, commanded, and made it binding upon His servants. As He, Most High, says: 17:23 “Your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him.” And He, Most High, says: 16:51 “Allah has said, ‘Do not take two gods. He is only One God.’” And He, Most High, says: 98:5 “They were commanded only to worship Allah, devoting their religion sincerely to Him.” And He, Most High, says: 17:22 “Do not set up another god alongside Allah.” And He, Most High, says: 26:213

(1) He is Wahb ibn Kaysān al-Madanī, the tutor, who died in 127 AH at an advanced age.

ويسمى هذا شهادة أيضا، كما في قوله تعالى: ٩: ١٧ ما كانَ لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ أَنْ يَعْمُرُوا مَساجِدَ اللَّهِ شاهِدِينَ عَلى أَنْفُسِهِمْ بِالْكُفْرِ فهذه شهادة منهم على أنفسهم بما يفعلون من أعمال الكفر وأقواله، فهي شهادة بكفرهم، وهم شاهدون على أنفسهم بما شهدت بها عليهم. والمقصود: أنه سبحانه يشهد بما جعل آياته المخلوقة دالة عليه. فإن دلالتها إنما هي بخلقه وجعله، ويشهد بآياته القولية الكلامية المطابقة لما شهدت به آياته الخلقية، فتتطابقت شهادة القول وشهادة الفعل، كما قال تعالى: ٤١: ٥٣ سَنُرِيهِمْ آياتِنا فِي الْآفاقِ وَفِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ، حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ أي أن القرآن هو الحق. فأخبر أنه يدل بآياته الأفقية والنفسية على صدق آياته القولية الكلامية. وهذه الشهادة الفعلية: قد ذكرها غير واحد من أئمة العربية والتفسير. قال ابن كيسان «١» : شهد الله بتدبيره العجيب، وأموره المحكمة عند خلقه: أنه لا إله إلا هو. فصل وأما المرتبة الرابعة: وهي الأمر بذلك والإلزام به، وإن كان مجرد الشهادة لا يستلزمه، لكن الشهادة في هذا الموضع تدل عليه، وتتضمنه. فإنه سبحانه شهد به شهادة من حكم به، وقضى وأمر، وألزم عباده به كما قال تعالى: ١٧: ٢٣ وَقَضى رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ وقال تعالى: ١٦: ٥١ وَقالَ اللَّهُ لا تَتَّخِذُوا إِلهَيْنِ اثْنَيْنِ، إِنَّما هُوَ إِلهٌ واحِدٌ وقال تعالى: ٩٨: ٥ وَما أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ وقال تعالى: ١٧: ٢٢ لا تَجْعَلْ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلهاً آخَرَ وقال تعالى: ٢٦: ٢١٣

(١) هو وهب بن كيسان المدني المؤدب توفي سنة سبع وعشرين ومائة عن سن عالية.