Al-Tafsīr al-Qayyim - Ibn al-Qayyim - (93)

Al-Tafsīr al-QayyimIbn al-Qayyim

“Does man think he will be left without purpose?”

That is, neglected. Al-Shāfiʿī said: “Neither commanded nor forbidden.” Another said: “Neither rewarded nor punished.” Both meanings are correct, for reward and punishment follow from commands and prohibitions. Commands and prohibitions express the demand for worship and the will that it be performed; worship, in its essence, consists in complying with them.

Allah Most High says:

3: 191 “And they reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth: ‘Our Lord, You have not created this in vain. Glory be to You! Protect us from the punishment of the Fire.’”

He also says:

15: 85 “We did not create the heavens and the earth and everything between them except in truth.”

And He says:

45: 22 “Allah created the heavens and the earth in truth, so that every soul may be recompensed for what it has earned.”

He thus declares that He created the heavens and the earth in truth, which encompasses His commands and prohibitions, His reward and punishment.

If the heavens, the earth, and everything between them were created for this, and this is the ultimate purpose of creation, how can it be said that creation has no reason behind it and no intended wisdom as its ultimate purpose? Or that its purpose is merely to hire His servants, so that their reward will not be marred by reminders of His favor? Or merely to prepare souls for rational knowledge and discipline them by going against their accustomed habits?

Let the discerning person consider the difference between these statements and what revelation explicitly teaches. He will find that those who hold these views have neither esteemed Allah as He deserves nor truly known Him.

Allah Most High created His creatures only to worship Him—a worship that combines perfect love for Him with humble submission to Him and obedience to His commands.

The foundation of worship, then, is love of Allah—indeed, singling Him out in love, so that all love is for Allah. No one else is loved alongside Him; rather, others are loved only for His sake and out of love for Him, as one loves His prophets, messengers, angels, and devoted servants. Our love for them completes our love for Him; it is not a love that sets them alongside Him, like the love of those who take rivals besides Allah and love them as they love Him.

أَيَحْسَبُ الْإِنْسانُ أَنْ يُتْرَكَ سُدىً؟ أي مهملا. قال الشافعي: لا يؤمر ولا ينهى، وقال غيره: لا يثاب ولا يعاقب، والصحيح: الأمران. فإن الثواب والعقاب مترتب على الأمر والنهي والأمر والنهي هو طلب العبادة وإرادتها، وحقيقة العبادة امتثالهما. وقال تعالى: ٣: ١٩١ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلْقِ السَّماواتِ وَالْأَرْضِ: رَبَّنا ما خَلَقْتَ هذا باطِلًا سُبْحانَكَ. فَقِنا عَذابَ النَّارِ وقال ١٥: ٨٥ وَما خَلَقْنَا السَّماواتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَما بَيْنَهُما إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وقال ٤٥: ٢٢ وَخَلَقَ اللَّهُ السَّماواتِ وَالْأَرْضَ بِالْحَقِّ، وَلِتُجْزى كُلُّ نَفْسٍ بِما كَسَبَتْ. فأخبر أنه خلق السموات والأرض بالحق المتضمن: أمره ونهيه، وثوابه وعقابه. فإذا كانت السموات والأرض وما بينهما خلقت لهذا، وهو غاية الخلق، فكيف يقال: إنه لا علة له، ولا حكمة مقصودة هي غايته؟ أو إن ذلك لمجرد استئجار العباد حتى لا ينكّد عليهم الثواب بالمنة، أو لمجرد استعداد النفوس للمعارف العقلية. وارتياضها بمخالفة العوائد؟. فليتأمل اللبيب الفرقان بين هذه الأقوال، وبين ما دل عليه صريح الوحي يجد أن أصحاب هذه الأقوال ما قدروا الله حق قدره، ولا عرفوه حق معرفته. فالله تعالى إنما خلق الخلق لعبادته الجامعة لكمال محبته. مع الخضوع له والانقياد لأمره. فأصل العبادة: محبة الله، بل إفراده بالمحبة، وأن يكون الحب كله لله. فلا يحب معه سواه، وإنما يحب لأجله وفيه، كما يحب أنبياءه ورسله وملائكته وأولياءه، فمحبتنا لهم من تمام محبته، وليست محبة معه، كمحبة من يتخذ من دون الله أندادا يحبونهم كحبه.