Al-Tafsīr al-Qayyim - Ibn al-Qayyim - (309)

Al-Tafsīr al-QayyimIbn al-Qayyim

and His messengers:

21:90: “They used to hasten to good deeds and call upon Us with hope and fear.”

This approach is better than the first approach and than positing disagreement over what supplication denotes. It also resolves the difficulties surrounding the term salāh as used in revealed law: has it been transferred from its linguistic sense, acquiring a literal meaning in revealed law, or is it used figuratively in that law? On this understanding, salāh retains its linguistic meaning: supplication. Supplication comprises both supplication through worship and supplication through asking. From the opening declaration of Allah’s greatness to the concluding salutation, the worshipper engages in one or the other. Thus, the worshipper is truly engaged in salāh, neither figuratively nor through a transferred usage. Rather, the term salāh has been restricted to this particular act of worship, just as speakers and customary usage restrict other words to part of what they denote, such as dābbah (animal), ra’s (head), and similar terms. This amounts simply to restricting a word to part of its original range of meaning. For this reason, it entails a transfer of meaning, but no departure from its original sense. And Allah knows best.

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Such is salāh as offered by a human being.

As for Allah’s blessings upon His servants, they are of two kinds: general and special.

His general blessings are those He bestows upon His believing servants. Allah Most High says:

33:43: “It is He who bestows blessings upon you, and His angels do so as well.”

This also includes the Prophet’s supplications—peace and blessings be upon him—for blessings upon individual believers, such as his words: “O Allah, bless the family of Abū Awfā.”

Another hadith relates that a woman said to him, “Invoke blessings upon me and my husband.” He replied, “May Allah bless you and your husband.”

The second kind consists of His special blessings upon His prophets and messengers, particularly their last and finest, Muhammad—peace and blessings be upon him. Several views have been expressed concerning the meaning of salāh from Him—glorified is He.

ورسله: ٢١: ٩٠ إِنَّهُمْ كانُوا يُسارِعُونَ فِي الْخَيْراتِ وَيَدْعُونَنا رَغَباً وَرَهَباً. وهذه الطريقة أحسن من الطريقة الأولى، ودعوى الخلاف في مسمى الدعاء وبهذا تزول الإشكالات الواردة على اسم الصلاة الشرعية، هل هو منقول من موضعه في اللغة. فيكون حقيقة شرعية، أو مجازا شرعيا؟ فعلى هذا تكون الصلاة باقية على مسماها في اللغة، وهو الدعاء. والدعاء دعاء عبادة ودعاء مسألة. والمصلي من حين تكبيره إلى سلامه بين دعاء العبادة ودعاء المسألة فهو في صلاة حقيقة لا مجازا، ولا منقولة، لكن خص اسم الصلاة بهذه العبادة المخصوصة كسائر الألفاظ التي يخصها أهل اللغة والعرف ببعض مسماها كالدابة والرأس ونحوها. فهذا غاية تخصيص اللفظ وقصره على بعض موضوعه ولهذا يوجب نقلا ولا خروجا عن موضوعه الأصلي والله أعلم. فصل هذه الصلاة من الآدمي. وأما صلاة الله سبحانه على عباده فنوعان: عامة وخاصة. أما العامة: فهي صلاته على عباده المؤمنين، قال تعالى: ٣٣: ٤٣ هُوَ الَّذِي يُصَلِّي عَلَيْكُمْ وَمَلائِكَتُهُ ومنه دعاء النبي ﷺ بالصلاة وعلى آحاد المؤمنين كقوله: «اللهم صل على آل أبي أوفى» وفي حديث آخر: «أن امرأة قالت له: صلّ عليّ وعلى زوجي. قال: صلّى الله عليك وعلى زوجك» . النوع الثاني صلاته الخاصة: على أنبيائه ورسله خصوصا على خاتمهم وخيرهم محمد ﷺ. فاختلف الناس في معنى الصلاة منه سبحانه على أقوال.