Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (209)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

(136). “O you who believe, believe in Allah and His Messenger, the Book He has sent down upon His Messenger, and the Scripture He sent down before. Whoever disbelieves in Allah, His angels, His Books, His messengers, and the Last Day has indeed strayed far astray.”

Know that a command may be addressed to someone who has not yet entered into a matter and possesses none of it. In that case, it commands him to enter into it. An example is the command to one who is not a believer to believe, as Allah Most High says: “O you who were given the Scripture, believe in what We have sent down, confirming what is with you,” to the end of the verse.

Alternatively, it may be addressed to someone who has already entered into the matter. In that case, it commands him to set right what he already possesses and acquire what he does not yet possess. This includes what Allah mentions in this verse: His command to the believers to believe. This requires them to do whatever makes their faith sound—such as sincerity and truthfulness—to avoid whatever invalidates it, and to repent of everything that detracts from it.

It also commands them to acquire whatever knowledge and deeds of faith they do not yet possess. Whenever a revealed text reaches a believer and he understands its meaning and affirms it, that forms part of the faith he has been commanded to possess.

Likewise, all outward and inward deeds are part of faith, as demonstrated by numerous revealed texts and unanimously affirmed by the early generations of the Muslim community. One must then persevere in all of this and remain steadfast upon it until death, as Allah Most High says: “O you who believe, fear Allah as He deserves to be feared, and do not die except as Muslims.”

Here He commands belief in Him, His Messenger, the Quran, and the previous scriptures. All of this belongs to the obligatory faith without which a servant cannot be a believer: he must believe in general terms regarding matters whose details have not reached him, and in detail regarding those matters he knows in detail. Whoever possesses this faith as commanded has been guided and has attained success.

“Whoever disbelieves in Allah, His angels, His Books, His messengers, and the Last Day has indeed strayed far astray.” What misguidance could be farther than that of one who abandons the straight path of guidance and follows the path leading him to painful punishment?

Know that disbelief in any one of the matters mentioned is equivalent to disbelief in them all, for they are inseparably connected, and belief in some cannot exist without belief in the others. Then He says:

﴿١٣٦﴾ ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا آمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَالْكِتَابِ الَّذِي نَزَّلَ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ وَالْكِتَابِ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَمَنْ يَكْفُرْ بِاللَّهِ وَمَلائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلالا بَعِيدًا﴾ . اعلم أن الأمر إما أن يوجه إلى من لم يدخل في الشيء ولم يتصف بشيء منه، فهذا يكون أمرا له في الدخول فيه، وذلك كأمر من ليس بمؤمن بالإيمان، كقوله تعالى: ﴿يَأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ آمِنُوا بِمَا نزلْنَا مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا مَعَكُمْ﴾ الآية. وإما أن يوجه إلى من دخل في الشيء فهذا يكون أمره ليصحح ما وجد منه ويحصل ما لم يوجد، ومنه ما ذكره الله في هذه الآية من أمر المؤمنين بالإيمان، فإن ذلك يقتضي أمرهم بما يصحح إيمانهم من الإخلاص والصدق، وتجنب المفسدات والتوبة من جميع المنقصات. ويقتضي أيضا الأمر بما لم يوجد من المؤمن من علوم الإيمان وأعماله، فإنه كلما وصل إليه نص وفهم معناه واعتقده فإن ذلك من الإيمان المأمور به. وكذلك سائر الأعمال الظاهرة والباطنة، كلها من الإيمان كما دلت على ذلك النصوص الكثيرة، وأجمع عليه سلف الأمة. ثم الاستمرار على ذلك والثبات عليه إلى الممات كما قال تعالى: ﴿يَأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلا وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ﴾ وأمر هنا بالإيمان به وبرسوله، وبالقرآن وبالكتب المتقدمة، فهذا كله من الإيمان الواجب الذي لا يكون العبد مؤمنا إلا به، إجمالا فيما لم يصل إليه تفصيله وتفصيلا فيما علم من ذلك بالتفصيل، فمن آمن هذا الإيمان المأمور به، فقد اهتدى وأنجح. ﴿وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِاللَّهِ وَمَلائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلالا بَعِيدًا﴾ وأي ضلال أبعد من ضلال من ترك طريق الهدى المستقيم، وسلك الطريق الموصلة له إلى العذاب الأليم؟ " واعلم أن الكفر بشيء من هذه المذكورات كالكفر بجميعها، لتلازمها وامتناع وجود الإيمان ببعضها دون بعض، ثم قال: