Al-Tafsīr al-Qayyim - Ibn al-Qayyim - (653)

Al-Tafsīr al-QayyimIbn al-Qayyim

The eighth means: Giving charity and doing good as much as one can. This has a remarkable effect in warding off affliction, the evil eye, and the harm of the envier. Even if the experience of peoples, ancient and modern, were the only evidence for this, it would suffice. The evil eye, envy, and harm can scarcely gain power over someone who does good and gives charity. If any such harm does befall him, he is met with divine kindness, assistance, and support, and the outcome is good for him.

The charitable benefactor is protected by his kindness and charity: Allah provides him with a protective shield and an impregnable fortress.

In short, gratitude guards blessings against everything that might cause their loss. Among the most powerful such causes is the envy of the envier and the one who casts the evil eye. He neither relents nor tires, and his heart finds no relief until the blessing is taken away from the person he envies. Only then does his anguish subside and his fire die down—may Allah never extinguish it! Nothing guards Allah’s blessings as gratitude for them does, and nothing exposes them to loss as using them to disobey Allah does. This is ingratitude for the blessing, and it opens the door to ingratitude towards the Bestower.

The charitable benefactor enlists troops and an army to fight on his behalf while he sleeps in his bed. Whoever has an enemy but neither troops nor an army will soon be overcome by that enemy, however long the victory may be delayed. Allah is the One whose help is sought.

The ninth means: This is among the hardest and most demanding things for the soul, and only those granted an abundant share of Allah’s favour are enabled to practise it: extinguishing the fire of the envier, the aggressor, and the one who causes harm by treating him kindly. The more he increases in harm, wickedness, aggression, and envy, the more you increase in kindness towards him, sincere concern for his good, and compassion for him. I doubt you believe this is possible, let alone that you would put it into practice.

Listen, then, to His words, mighty and majestic is He:

41: 34–36 “Good and evil are not equal. Repel evil with what is better, and then the one between whom and you there was enmity will become like a devoted friend.

السبب الثامن: الصدقة والإحسان ما أمكنه. فإن لذلك تأثيرا عجيبا في دفع البلاء، ودفع العين، وشر الحاسد. ولو لم يكن في هذا إلا بتجارب الأمم قديما وحديثا لكفى به. فما تكاد العين والحسد والأذى يتسلط على محسن متصدق، وإن أصابه شيء من ذلك كان معاملا فيه باللطف والمعونة والتأييد. وكانت له فيه العاقبة الحميدة. فالمحسن المتصدق في خفارة إحسانه وصدقته، عليه من الله جنّة واقية، وحصن حصين. وبالجملة: فالشكر حارس النعمة من كل ما يكون سببا لزوالها. ومن أقوى الأسباب: حسد الحاسد والعائن. فإنه لا يفتر ولا يني، ولا يبرد قلبه حتى تزول النعمة عن المحسود. فحينئذ يبرد أنينه، وتتطفئ ناره، لا أطفأها الله. فما حرس العبد نعمة الله بمثل شكرها، ولا عرضها للزوال بمثل العمل فيها بمعاصي الله. وهو كفران النعمة. وهو باب إلى كفران المنعم. فالمحسن المتصدق يستخدم جندا وعسكرا يقاتلون عنه وهو نائم على فراشه. فمن لم يكن له جند ولا عسكر، وله عدو. فإنه يوشك أن يظفر به عدوه، وإن تأخرت مدة الظفر. والله المستعان. السبب التاسع: وهو من أصعب الأسباب على النفس، وأشقها عليها، ولا يوفق له إلا من عظم حظه من الله- وهو إطفاء نار الحاسد والباغي والمؤذي بالإحسان إليه. فكلما ازداد أذى وشرا وبغيا وحسدا ازددت إليه إحسانا، وله نصيحة، وعليه شفقة. وما أظنك تصدّق بأن هذا يكون، فضلا عن أن تتعاطاه. فاسمع الآن قوله ﷿: ٤١: ٣٤- ٣٦ وَلا تَسْتَوِي الْحَسَنَةُ وَلَا السَّيِّئَةُ، ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا الَّذِي بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ عَداوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُ وَلِيٌّ حَمِيمٌ.