Al-Tafsīr al-Qayyim - Ibn al-Qayyim - (221)

Al-Tafsīr al-QayyimIbn al-Qayyim

?” He replied, “Yes, she bore a lamb last year, and the wolf ate it in this spot.” Then we came upon some people, among whom was a woman riding her camel. It was bellowing and bending its neck towards her. He asked, “Do you know what this camel is saying?” We answered, “No.” He said, “It is cursing its rider and saying that she saddled it over a needle lodged in its hump.”

He continued: We reached them and said, “You people! Our companion here claims that this camel is cursing its rider and saying that she saddled it over a needle lodged in its hump.” They made the camel kneel and removed its load, and there it was, just as he had said.

Here is a ewe that warned her lamb of the wolf once, and it took heed. Yet Allah, glorified is He, has warned the son of Adam of his wolf time and again, but he insists on answering whenever it calls him, spending his nights and mornings with it:

14: 23 “And Satan will say when the matter has been decided, ‘Indeed, Allah promised you a true promise. I too made promises to you, but I broke them. I had no authority over you; I merely called you, and you responded to me. So do not blame me, but blame yourselves. I cannot come to your aid, nor can you come to mine. I disavow your having previously associated me with Allah. Indeed, the wrongdoers will have a painful punishment.’”

[Surah Āl ‘Imrān (3): verse 200]
“O you who believe, be patient, outlast others in patience, remain on guard, and be mindful of Allah, so that you may succeed.” (200)

He commanded them to be patient: this is the patience a person exercises within himself.

Vying in patience means resisting an adversary in the arena of patience. Its reciprocal grammatical form requires two parties, as with exchanging insults or blows. It therefore describes the believer’s patience in confronting his adversary.

Remaining on guard means standing firm and persisting in patience and in vying with one’s adversary.

A servant may be patient without vying with his adversary in patience, and he may vie with him without remaining on guard. He may be patient without vying with his adversary, and remain on guard without practising mindfulness of Allah as an act of worship.

Thus Allah, glorified is He, tells us that mindfulness of Him is the foundation of all this, and that success depends upon it.

هذا؟ قال: نعم ولدت سخلة عام أول، فأكلها الذئب بهذا المكان، ثم أتينا على قوم فيهم ظعينة على جمل لها وهو يرغو، ويحنو عنقه إليها. فقال: أتدرون ما يقول هذا البعير؟ قلنا: لا. قال: فإنه يلعن راكبته ويزعم أنها رحلته على مخيط وهو في سنامه. قال: فانتهينا إليهم. فقلنا: يا هؤلاء، إن صاحبنا هذا يزعم أن هذا البعير يلعن راكبته، ويزعم أنها رحلته على مخيط، وأنه في سنامه، قال: فأناخوا البعير وحطوا عنه، فإذا هو كما قال. فهذه شاة قد حذرت سخلتها من الذئب مرة فحذرت. وقد حذر الله سبحانه ابن آدم من ذئبه مرة بعد مرة، وهو يأبى إلا أن يستجيب له إذا دعاه، ويبيت معه ويصبح ١٤: ٢٣ وَقالَ الشَّيْطانُ لَمَّا قُضِيَ الْأَمْرُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَعَدَكُمْ وَعْدَ الْحَقِّ وَوَعَدْتُكُمْ فَأَخْلَفْتُكُمْ وَما كانَ لِي عَلَيْكُمْ مِنْ سُلْطانٍ إِلَّا أَنْ دَعَوْتُكُمْ فَاسْتَجَبْتُمْ لِي، فَلا تَلُومُونِي وَلُومُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ، ما أَنَا بِمُصْرِخِكُمْ وَما أَنْتُمْ بِمُصْرِخِيَّ، إِنِّي كَفَرْتُ بِما أَشْرَكْتُمُونِ مِنْ قَبْلُ. إِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ لَهُمْ عَذابٌ أَلِيمٌ. [سورة آل عمران (٣) : آية ٢٠٠] يا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اصْبِرُوا وَصابِرُوا وَرابِطُوا وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ (٢٠٠) فأمرهم بالصبر، وهو حال الصابر في نفسه. والمصابرة: مقاومة الخصم في ميدان الصبر، فإنها مفاعلة، تستدعي وقوفها بين اثنين، كالمشاتمة والمضاربة- فهي حال المؤمن في الصبر مع خصمه. والمرابطة، وهي الثبات واللزوم، والإقامة على الصبر والمصابرة. فقد يصبر العبد ولا يصابر، وقد يصابر ولا يرابط. وقد يصبر ولا يصابر، ويرابط من غير تعبد بالتقوى. فأخبر سبحانه أن ملاك ذلك كله: التقوى، وأن الفلاح موقوف عليها.