Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (1/23)

Majmu' al-FatawaIbn Taimiya

The second perspective:

Allah created His creatures to worship Him—a worship that encompasses knowing Him, turning to Him, loving Him and being sincerely devoted to Him. Through remembering Him, their hearts find tranquillity; through seeing Him in the Hereafter, their eyes find delight. Nothing He gives them in the Hereafter is dearer to them than looking upon Him, and nothing He gives them in this world is greater than faith in Him.

Their need for Him in worshipping Him and devoting themselves to Him is as great as—and indeed greater than—their need for Him as their Creator and Lord. For this worship is their intended ultimate goal, and through it they act and move. Without it, they can have neither well-being nor success, neither bliss nor pleasure, under any circumstances. Rather, whoever turns away from the remembrance of his Lord will have a life of hardship, and We shall raise him blind on the Day of Resurrection. This is why Allah does not forgive associating partners with Him, but forgives anything less than that for whomever He wills. This is also why “There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah” is the best of good deeds, and why affirming His oneness through the declaration “There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah” is the foundation of the whole matter.

As for affirming Allah’s oneness in His lordship, which creation has acknowledged and speculative theologians have established, this alone is not sufficient. Rather, it forms part of the proof against them. This is the meaning of the reported saying:

“O son of Adam, I created everything for you, and I created you for Me. By My right over you, do not let what I created for you distract you from what I created you for.”

Know that this is Allah’s right over His servants: that they worship Him and associate nothing with Him, as stated in the authentic hadith narrated by Mu‘ādh from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace:

“He said, ‘Do you know what Allah’s right over His servants is?’

I replied, ‘Allah and His Messenger know best.’

He said, ‘Allah’s right over His servants is that they worship Him and associate nothing with Him. Do you know what the servants’ right over Allah is if they do that?’

I replied, ‘Allah and His Messenger know best.’

He said, ‘Their right is that He not punish them.’”

الْوَجْهُ الثَّانِي: أَنَّ اللَّهَ خَلَقَ الْخَلْقَ لِعِبَادَتِهِ الْجَامِعَةِ لِمَعْرِفَتِهِ وَالْإِنَابَةِ إلَيْهِ وَمَحَبَّتِهِ وَالْإِخْلَاصِ لَهُ فَبِذِكْرِهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُمْ؛ وَبِرُؤْيَتِهِ فِي الْآخِرَةِ تَقَرُّ عُيُونُهُمْ وَلَا شَيْءَ يُعْطِيهِمْ فِي الْآخِرَةِ أَحَبُّ إلَيْهِمْ مِنْ النَّظَرِ إلَيْهِ؛ وَلَا شَيْءَ يُعْطِيهِمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا أَعْظَمُ مِنْ الْإِيمَانِ بِهِ. وَحَاجَتُهُمْ إلَيْهِ فِي عِبَادَتِهِمْ إيَّاهُ وَتَأَلُّهِهِمْ كَحَاجَتِهِمْ وَأَعْظَمَ فِي خَلْقِهِ لَهُمْ وَرُبُوبِيَّتِهِ إيَّاهُمْ؛ فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ هُوَ الْغَايَةُ الْمَقْصُودَةُ لَهُمْ؛ وَبِذَلِكَ يَصِيرُونَ عَامِلِينَ مُتَحَرِّكِينَ، وَلَا صَلَاحَ لَهُمْ وَلَا فَلَاحَ؛ وَلَا نَعِيمَ وَلَا لَذَّةَ؛ بِدُونِ ذَلِكَ بِحَالِ. بَلْ مَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَنْ ذِكْرِ رَبِّهِ فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنْكًا وَنَحْشُرُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَعْمَى. وَلِهَذَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَنْ يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ، وَلِهَذَا كَانَتْ لَا إلَهَ إلَّا اللَّهُ أَحْسَنَ الْحَسَنَاتِ، وَكَانَ التَّوْحِيدُ بِقَوْلِ: لَا إلَهَ إلَّا اللَّهُ؛ رَأْسَ الْأَمْرِ. فَأَمَّا تَوْحِيدُ الرُّبُوبِيَّةِ الَّذِي أَقَرَّ بِهِ الْخَلْقُ، وَقَرَّرَهُ أَهْلُ الْكَلَامِ؛ فَلَا يَكْفِي وَحْدَهُ، بَلْ هُوَ مِنْ الْحُجَّةِ عَلَيْهِمْ، وَهَذَا مَعْنَى مَا يُرْوَى: {يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ خَلَقْتُ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ لَكَ، وَخَلَقْتُكَ لِي، فَبِحَقِّي عَلَيْكَ أَنْ لَا تَشْتَغِلَ بِمَا خَلَقْتُهُ لَكَ، عَمَّا خَلَقْتُكَ لَهُ} . وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ هَذَا حَقُّ اللَّهِ عَلَى عِبَادِهِ أَنْ يَعْبُدُوهُ وَلَا يُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئًا، كَمَا فِي الْحَدِيثِ الصَّحِيحِ الَّذِي رَوَاهُ مُعَاذٌ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: {أَتَدْرِي مَا حَقُّ اللَّهِ عَلَى عِبَادِهِ؟ قَالَ قُلْتُ: اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَم. قَالَ: حَقُّ اللَّهِ عَلَى عِبَادِهِ أَنْ يَعْبُدُوهُ وَلَا يُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئًا أَتَدْرِي مَا حَقُّ الْعِبَادِ عَلَى اللَّهِ إذَا فَعَلُوا ذَلِكَ؟ قَالَ قُلْت: اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَم. قَالَ: حَقُّهُمْ أَنْ لَا يُعَذِّبَهُمْ} .