Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (28/40)

Majmu' al-FatawaIbn Taimiya

but if something contrary to his desires befalls him, he turns back, having worshipped Allah on an edge. An “edge” is a side, like the edge of a loaf or a mountain, where one has no firm footing.

“If good befalls him”—in this world—“he is content with it; but if a trial befalls him”—meaning an ordeal by which he is tested—“he turns back on his face, losing both this world and the Hereafter. That is the clear loss.”

The edge of a mountain affords no firm footing. The meaning is that he loses this world through the ordeal that befalls him, and loses the Hereafter by turning back from the religion.

“He calls upon, besides Allah, that which cannot harm him”—to the end of the verse.

That is, he calls upon created beings, fearing them and placing his hopes in them, although they have no power to harm or benefit him. Indeed, their harm is nearer than their benefit. Even if the occasion of its revelation concerned a particular individual who embraced Islam after having been a polytheist, its ruling applies generally to everyone encompassed by its wording and meaning until the Day of Resurrection. Thus, whoever calls upon anyone other than Allah is a polytheist. Direct observation bears this out: when a person complains to created beings, their harm is nearer than their benefit.

As for the Creator—majestic is His glory, holy are His names, and there is no deity worthy of worship except Him—when a created being complains to Him, lays his needs before Him, and seeks His forgiveness for his sins, He supports and strengthens him, guides him, meets his needs, enriches him, draws him near, grants him contentment, loves him, and chooses him.

But when a servant lays his needs before a created being, that being considers him contemptible, looks down on him, and then turns away from him. The servant loses this world and the Hereafter, even if the other grants some of what he seeks, for he regards the servant as one of his subjects, enslaving him to serve his own desires.

Allah’s intimate friend, may the finest blessings and peace be upon him, said:

“So seek provision from Allah and worship Him

وَإِنْ أَصَابَهُ مَا يُخَالِفُ هَوَاهُ رَجَعَ وَقَدْ عَبَدَ اللَّهَ عَلَى حَرْفٍ وَ " الْحَرْفُ " هُوَ: الْجَانِبُ كَحَرْفِ الرَّغِيفِ وَحَرْفِ الْجَبَلِ لَيْسَ مُسْتَقِرًّا بِثَبَاتِ {فَإِنْ أَصَابَهُ خَيْرٌ} فِي الدُّنْيَا {اطْمَأَنَّ بِهِ وَإِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ فِتْنَةٌ} أَيْ: مِحْنَةٌ اُمْتُحِنَ بِهَا {انْقَلَبَ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ خَسِرَ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةَ ذَلِكَ هُوَ الْخُسْرَانُ الْمُبِينُ} وَحَرْفُ الْجَبَلِ لَيْسَ مُسْتَقِرًّا بِالثَّبَاتِ مَعْنَاهُ: خَسِرَ الدُّنْيَا بِمَا اُمْتُحِنَ بِهِ وَخَسِرَ الْآخِرَةَ بِرُجُوعِهِ عَنْ الدِّينِ {يَدْعُو مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لَا يَضُرُّهُ} الْآيَةَ. أَيْ: يَدْعُو الْمَخْلُوقِينَ؛ يَخَافُهُمْ وَيَرْجُوهُمْ وَهُمْ لَا يَمْلِكُونَ لَهُ ضَرًّا وَلَا نَفْعًا بَلْ ضَرُّهُمْ أَقْرَبُ مِنْ نَفْعِهِمْ؛ وَإِنْ كَانَ سَبَبُ نُزُولِهَا فِي شَخْصٍ مُعَيَّنٍ أَسْلَمَ وَكَانَ مُشْرِكًا فَحُكْمُهَا عَامٌّ فِي كُلِّ مَنْ تَنَاوَلَهُ لَفْظُهَا وَمَعْنَاهَا إلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ. فَكُلُّ مَنْ دَعَا غَيْرَ اللَّهِ فَهُوَ مُشْرِكٌ وَالْعِيَانُ يُصَدِّقُ هَذَا؛ فَإِنَّ الْمَخْلُوقِينَ إذَا اشْتَكَى إلَيْهِمْ الْإِنْسَانُ فَضَرَرُهُمْ أَقْرَبُ مِنْ نَفْعِهِمْ وَالْخَالِقَ - جَلَّ جَلَالُهُ وَتَقَدَّسَتْ أَسْمَاؤُهُ وَلَا إلَهَ غَيْرُهُ - إذَا اشْتَكَى إلَيْهِ الْمَخْلُوقُ وَأَنْزَلَ حَاجَتَهُ بِهِ وَاسْتَغْفَرَهُ مِنْ ذُنُوبِهِ: أَيَّدَهُ وَقَوَّاهُ وَهَدَاهُ وَسَدَّ فَاقَتَهُ وَأَغْنَاهُ وَقَرَّبَهُ وَأَقْنَاهُ وَحَبَّهُ وَاصْطَفَاهُ وَالْمَخْلُوقُ إذَا أَنْزَلَ الْعَبْدُ بِهِ حَاجَتَهُ اسْتَرْذَلَهُ وَازْدَرَاهُ ثُمَّ أَعْرَضَ عَنْهُ خَسِرَ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةَ وَإِنْ قَضَى لَهُ بِبَعْضِ مَطْلَبِهِ؛ لِأَنَّهُ عِنْدَهُ مِنْ بَعْضِ رعاياه يَسْتَعْبِدُهُ بِمَا يَهْوَاهُ قَالَ الْخَلِيلُ عَلَيْهِ أَفْضَلُ الصَّلَاةِ وَالسَّلَامِ: {فَابْتَغُوا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ الرِّزْقَ وَاعْبُدُوهُ