Al-Tafsīr al-Qayyim - Ibn al-Qayyim - (44)

Al-Tafsīr al-QayyimIbn al-Qayyim

separates the two speakers, their ranks, their statements, and their states. Give each their due, and do not treat the adulterated and the pure as one.

Section

The Fifth Rank: Being Granted Understanding

Allah Most High says (21:78, 79):

“And David and Solomon, when they judged concerning the field into which the people’s sheep had strayed by night, and We were witness to their judgment. We gave Solomon understanding of the case, and to each We gave judgment and knowledge.”

He mentions these two noble prophets, praising both for their knowledge and judgment, while singling out Solomon for understanding in this particular case.

When ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib was asked, “Did the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, give you anything exclusively, to the exclusion of other people?” he replied: “No, by Him who split the seed and created the soul, except an understanding of His Book that Allah grants a servant, and what is in this document.” It contained provisions concerning blood money—that is, compensatory payments—the freeing of captives, and that a Muslim is not to be put to death for killing a disbeliever.

In ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb’s letter to Abū Mūsā al-Ash‘arī «1», may Allah be pleased with them both, he wrote: “Apply your understanding to what is presented to you.” Understanding is a blessing Allah bestows upon His servant and a light He casts into his heart. Through it, he recognizes and perceives what others neither perceive nor recognize. He understands from a text what another does not, even though both have memorized it equally well and understand its basic meaning.

Understanding what Allah and His Messenger convey is the hallmark of consummate truthfulness and the charter of prophetic sainthood. In this, the ranks of scholars differ so greatly that one may be counted as equal to a thousand. Consider, then, the understanding of Ibn ‘Abbās when

(1) He is Abū Mūsā al-Ash‘arī, the Yemeni Quran reciter and commander. His lineage was traced to al-Ash‘ar, the brother of Humayd ibn Saba’. He was among the early pioneers of Islam. He emigrated from his hometown of Zabīd with approximately fifty-two men, then returned and set sail. The wind carried them to the Negus, where he remained with Ja‘far and his companions until he arrived alongside them aboard his own ship, while Ja‘far and his companions travelled aboard another. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ allotted shares of the spoils to those aboard their ship and those who accompanied them, but to no others who had been absent. The Prophet ﷺ appointed him governor of Aden, and ‘Umar appointed him governor of Kufa and Basra. Several cities were conquered under his command. He died in 44 AH. See Shadharāt al-dhahab.

بين القائلين والمرتبتين والقولين والحالين. وأعط كل ذي حق حقه، ولا تجعل الزغل والخالص شيئا واحدا. فصل المرتبة الخامسة: مرتبة الإفهام. قال الله تعالى: ٢١: ٧٨، ٧٩ وَداوُدَ وَسُلَيْمانَ إِذْ يَحْكُمانِ فِي الْحَرْثِ، إِذْ نَفَشَتْ فِيهِ غَنَمُ الْقَوْمِ وَكُنَّا لِحُكْمِهِمْ شاهِدِينَ. فَفَهَّمْناها سُلَيْمانَ، وَكُلًّا آتَيْنا حُكْماً وَعِلْماً فذكر هذين النبيين الكريمين: فأثنى عليهما بالعلم والحكم. وخص سليمان بالفهم في هذه الواقعة المعينة، وقال علي بن أبي طالب، وقد سئل: «هل خصكم رسول الله ﷺ بشيء دون الناس؟ فقال: لا، والذي فلق الحبة وبرأ النّسمة، إلا فهما يؤتيه الله عبدا في كتابه، وما في هذه الصحيفة. وكان فيها العقل، وهو الديات وفكاك الأسير، وأن لا يقتل مسلم بكافر» وفي كتاب عمر بن الخطاب لأبي موسى الأشعري «١» ﵄: «والفهم فيما أدلى إليك» فالفهم نعمة من الله على عبده، ونور يقذفه الله في قلبه. يعرف به، ويدرك ما لا يدركه غيره ولا يعرفه، فيفهم من النص ما لا يفهمه غيره، مع استوائهما في حفظه. وفهم أصل معناه. فالفهم عن الله ورسوله عنوان الصديقية، ومنشور الولاية النبوية، وفيه تفاوتت مراتب العلماء، حتى عدّ ألف بواحد، فانظر إلى فهم ابن عباس وقد

(١) هو ابو موسى الأشعري اليمني المقرئ الأمير نسب إلى الأشعر أخي حميد بن سبأ وكان من أهل السابقة والسبق في الإسلام وهاجر من بلده زبيد في نحو إثنين وخمسين رجلا ورجع فركب البحر فألقتهم الريح إلى النجاشي فوقف مع جعفر وأصحابه حتى قدم معهم في سفينته وجعفر وأصحابه في سفينة، وأسهم رسول الله ﷺ لسفينتهم ولمن جاء معهم ولم يسهم لمن غاب غيرهم واستعمله النبي ﷺ على عدن واستعمله عمر على الكوفة والبصرة وفتحت على يده عدة أمصار، توفي سنة أربع وأربعين للهجرة (انظر شذرات الذهب) .