Al-Istiqama - Ibn Taimiya - (2/12)

Al-IstiqamaIbn Taimiya

As for its being narrower, it excludes protective jealousy that involves no sharing with the one who feels it, such as a believer’s protective jealousy lest his relatives commit unlawful sexual intercourse, or lest Allah’s sacred limits be violated. Allah Himself has protective jealousy concerning these things, and the believer accords with his Lord, loving what He loves and hating what He hates. Hence, al-Qushayrī described Allah’s protective jealousy in terms consistent with his own terminology, saying: “Allah’s protective jealousy means that He does not accept others sharing with Him in what is His exclusive right: His servant’s obedience to Him.”

This understanding of protective jealousy is broader in one respect than what the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, mentioned, and further removed from the intended meaning of the protective jealousy he attributed to the True One, glorified is He. The Prophet explained that Allah’s protective jealousy concerns a believer’s committing what He has forbidden him, and His male or female servant’s committing unlawful sexual intercourse. He also said: “Because of His protective jealousy, He has forbidden indecent acts, whether openly committed or concealed.” Thus, he described protective jealousy in general as relating to the commission of forbidden acts, with its greatest intensity and force directed against the commission of indecent acts, whether openly committed or concealed.

For someone who understands it as excluding others from sharing in His exclusive right, associating partners with Allah would fall more properly within the scope of protective jealousy than indecent acts would. Accordingly, applying the term ‘protective jealousy’ to associating partners with Allah would be more appropriate than applying it to unlawful sexual intercourse.

Moreover, if we understand it as excluding others from sharing in His exclusive right to His servant’s obedience, this could include permissible acts that a servant performs without intending to draw nearer to Allah, since he has not performed them for Allah. Yet these do not fall within the protective jealousy with which the Messenger described his Lord.

Furthermore, sharing in what is His exclusive right may not include the commission of indecent acts

وَأما كَونه اخص فانه يخرج مِنْهُ الْغيرَة الَّتِي لَا يُشَارِكهُ فِيهَا مثل غيرَة الْمُؤمن ان يَزْنِي اقاربه اَوْ غيرته ان تنتهك محارم الله فَإِن الله يغار من ذَلِك وَالْمُؤمن مُوَافق لرَبه فيحب مَا احب وَيكرهُ مَا كره وَلِهَذَا وصف غيرَة الله بِمَا يُوَافق اصطلاحة فَقَالَ غيرَة الله انه لَا يرضى بمشاركة الْغَيْر مَعَه فِيمَا هُوَ حق لَهُ من طَاعَة عَبده وَهَذِه الْغيرَة اعم مِمَّا ذكره النَّبِي صلى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسلم من وَجه وابعد عَن مَقْصُود الْغيرَة الَّتِي ذكرهَا النَّبِي صلى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسلم من غيرَة الْحق سُبْحَانَهُ فقد فسر غيرته ان يَأْتِي الْمُؤمن مَا حرم عَلَيْهِ وَبِأَن يَزْنِي عَبده اَوْ تَزني امته وَقَالَ من اجل غيرته حرم الْفَوَاحِش مَا ظهر مِنْهَا وَمَا بطن فَجعل الغبرة مُطلقَة مُتَعَلقَة بِفعل الْمُحرمَات وَجعل عظمها وسلطانها فِي اتيان الْفَوَاحِش مَا ظهر مِنْهَا وَمَا بطن وَمن جعلهَا لنفي الْمُشَاركَة فِي حَقه كَانَ دُخُول الشّرك فِي الله فِي بَاب الْغيرَة عِنْده اولى من دُخُول الْفَوَاحِش وَكَانَ اسْتِعْمَال لفظ الْغيرَة فِي الشّرك اولى من اسْتِعْمَال لفظ الْغيرَة فِي الزِّنَا وايضا اذا جعلناها لنفي الْمُشَاركَة فِيمَا هُوَ حق لَهُ من طَاعَة عَبده فقد يدْخل فِي ذَلِك مَا يَفْعَله العَبْد من الْمُبَاحَات على غير وَجه التَّقَرُّب فان هَذَا لم يَفْعَله لله وَمَعَ هَذَا فَلَيْسَ من غيرَة الله الَّتِي وصف الرَّسُول بهَا ربه وايضا فالمشاركة فِيمَا هُوَ حق لَهُ فد لَا يدْخل فِيهِ فعل الْفَوَاحِش