al-Nasihah al-Waladiyyah - Abu al-Walid al-Baji - (9)

al-Nasihah al-WaladiyyahAbu al-Walid al-Baji

In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.

May Allah bless our master Muhammad and his family.

The shaykh, jurist, imam, and hadith master Abu al-Walīd al-Bājī—may Allah be pleased with him and have mercy upon him—said:

Introduction

My two sons—may Allah guide you both, direct you to the right path, grant you success, protect you, graciously bestow upon you the good of this world and the Hereafter, and by His mercy shield you from the evils of both. Now that you have reached the stage at which religious obligations will soon become binding upon you and you will become accountable, and since I am certain that you have attained an age at which you can understand admonition, discern right guidance, and are ready for instruction and learning, it has become incumbent upon me to present you with my testament and make my sincere counsel clear to you. I fear that death may overtake me before I am able to undertake your instruction, training, guidance, and education in person.

If Allah Most High prolongs my life, there will be abundant counsel, instruction, guidance, and education. “My success comes only through Allah. In Him I put my trust, and in Him let all who trust place their trust.” Your hearts and forelocks are in His hand. But if what I anticipate and expect—the approach of death and the end of hope—prevents me from doing so, then what I set down in this testament and explain by way of sincere counsel contains that which, if you follow it, will keep you steadfast upon the path of the righteous early generations, enable you to prosper in the profitable trade, and secure for you the good of this world and the Hereafter.

I entrust your religion and worldly affairs to Allah, ask Him to safeguard your present lives and your ultimate return, and consign all your affairs to Him. He is sufficient for me concerning you both, and He is the best Trustee.

No one offers a child more sincere counsel than his father

Know that no one offers you more sincere counsel than I do, and no one is more compassionate toward you than I am.

﷽ صلى الله على سيدنَا مُحَمَّد وَآله قَالَ الشَّيْخ الْفَقِيه الإِمَام الْحَافِظ أَبُو الْوَلِيد الْبَاجِيّ ﵁ ورحمه الْمُقدمَة يَا بني هداكما الله وأرشدكما ووفقكما وعصمكما وتفضل عَلَيْكُمَا بِخَير الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَة ووقاكما محذورهما برحمته إنَّكُمَا لما بلغتما الْحَد الَّذِي قرب فِيهِ تعين الْفُرُوض عَلَيْكُمَا وَتوجه التَّكْلِيف إلَيْكُمَا وتحققت أنكما قد بلغتما حد من يفهم الْوَعْظ ويتبين الرشد وَيصْلح للتعليم وَالْعلم لزمني أَن أقدم إلَيْكُمَا وصيتي وَأظْهر إلَيْكُمَا نصيحتي مَخَافَة أَن تخترمني منية وَلم أبلغ مُبَاشرَة تعليمكما وتدريبكما وإرشادكما وتفهيمكما فَإِن أنسأ الله تَعَالَى فِي الْأَجَل فسيكثر النصح والتعليم والإرشاد والتفهيم وَمَا توفيقي إِلَّا بِاللَّه عَلَيْهِ توكلت وَعَلِيهِ فَليَتَوَكَّل المتوكلون بِيَدِهِ قُلُوبكُمَا ونواصيكما وَإِن حَال بيني وَبَين ذَلِك مَا أتوقعه وَأَظنهُ من اقتراب الْأَجَل وَانْقِطَاع الأمل فَفِيمَا أرسمه من وصيتي وأبينه من نصيحتي مَا إِن عملتما بِهِ ثبتما على منهاج السّلف الصَّالح وفزتما بالمتجر الرابح ونلتما خير الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَة وأستودع الله دينكما ودنياكما وأستحفظه معاشكما ومعادكما وأفوض إِلَيْهِ جَمِيع أحوالكما وَهُوَ حسبي فيكما وَنعم الْوَكِيل لَا أحد أنصح للْوَلَد من وَالِده واعلما أَن لَا أحد أنصح مني لَكمَا وَلَا أشْفق مني عَلَيْكُمَا