Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (8/72)

Majmu' al-FatawaIbn Taimiya

and day, and I forgive all sins, and I do not mind. So seek My forgiveness, and I will forgive you. O My servants, all of you are astray except those whom I guide, so seek My guidance, and I will guide you. O My servants, all of you are hungry except those whom I feed, so ask Me for food, and I will feed you. O My servants, you can never harm Me, nor can you ever benefit Me. O My servants, if all of you, from the first to the last, humans and jinn alike, had hearts as devout as the most devout heart among you, that would add nothing to My dominion. O My servants, if all of you, from the first to the last, humans and jinn alike, had hearts as wicked as the most wicked heart among you, that would diminish My dominion in no way. O My servants, if all of you, from the first to the last, humans and jinn alike, gathered on a single plain and asked of Me, and I gave each person what they requested, that would diminish My dominion no more than the sea is diminished by dipping a needle into it once. O My servants, it is only your deeds that I record for you and then recompense you for in full. Whoever finds good should praise Allah, and whoever finds otherwise should blame no one but himself.”

Although He, glorified be He, has no need of any of His creation, He created them and sent them a messenger to explain what brings them happiness and what brings them misery. Then, by His permission, He guided His believing servants to the truth concerning which they differed, graciously bestowing faith and righteous deeds upon them. Thus, His creation is by His bounty, His sending the Messenger is by His bounty, and His guiding them is by His bounty. Everything through which they attain good, whether their own abilities or anything else, is by His bounty. Likewise, reward and recompense are by His bounty, even though He has made this binding upon Himself, just as He has forbidden injustice for Himself, and has promised it. As He said:

“Your Lord has decreed mercy upon Himself.”

And He Most High said:

“And it is incumbent upon Us to help the believers.”

It will therefore assuredly come to pass, being binding by virtue of His own decree and promise

وَالنَّهَارِ وَأَنَا أَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا وَلَا أُبَالِي فَاسْتَغْفِرُونِي أَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ يَا عِبَادِي كُلُّكُمْ ضَالٌّ إلَّا مَنْ هَدَيْته فَاسْتَهْدُونِي أَهْدِكُمْ يَا عِبَادِي كُلُّكُمْ جَائِعٌ إلَّا مَنْ أَطْعَمْته فَاسْتَطْعِمُونِي أُطْعِمْكُمْ يَا عِبَادِي إنَّكُمْ لَنْ تَبْلُغُوا ضُرِّي فَتَضُرُّونِي وَلَنْ تَبْلُغُوا نَفْعِي فَتَنْفَعُونِي يَا عِبَادِي؛ لَوْ أَنَّ أَوَّلَكُمْ وَآخِرَكُمْ وَإِنْسَكُمْ وَجِنَّكُمْ كَانُوا عَلَى أَتْقَى قَلْبِ رَجُلٍ مِنْكُمْ مَا زَادَ ذَلِكَ فِي مُلْكِي شَيْئًا يَا عِبَادِي؛ لَوْ أَنَّ أَوَّلَكُمْ وَآخِرَكُمْ وَإِنْسَكُمْ وَجِنَّكُمْ كَانُوا عَلَى أَفْجَرِ قَلْبِ رَجُلٍ مِنْكُمْ مَا نَقَصَ ذَلِكَ مِنْ مُلْكِي شَيْئًا يَا عِبَادِي لَوْ أَنَّ أَوَّلَكُمْ وَآخِرَكُمْ وَإِنْسَكُمْ وَجِنَّكُمْ اجْتَمَعُوا فِي صَعِيدٍ وَاحِدٍ فَسَأَلُونِي فَأَعْطَيْت كُلَّ إنْسَانٍ مِنْهُمْ مَسْأَلَتَهُ مَا نَقَصَ ذَلِكَ فِي مُلْكِي شَيْئًا إلَّا كَمَا يَنْقُصُ الْبَحْرُ أَنْ يُغْمَسَ فِيهِ الْمِخْيَطُ غمسة وَاحِدَةً يَا عِبَادِي إنَّمَا هِيَ أَعْمَالُكُمْ أُحْصِيهَا لَكُمْ ثُمَّ أُوَفِّيكُمْ إيَّاهَا فَمَنْ وَجَدَ خَيْرًا فَلْيَحْمَدْ اللَّهَ وَمَنْ وَجَدَ غَيْرَ ذَلِكَ فَلَا يَلُومَنَّ إلَّا نَفْسَهُ} . وَهُوَ سُبْحَانَهُ مَعَ غِنَاهُ عَنْ الْعَالَمِينَ خَلَقَهُمْ وَأَرْسَلَ إلَيْهِمْ رَسُولًا يُبَيِّنُ لَهُمْ مَا يُسْعِدُهُمْ وَمَا يُشْقِيهِمْ ثُمَّ إنَّهُ هَدَى عِبَادَهُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ لِمَا اخْتَلَفُوا فِيهِ مِنْ الْحَقِّ بِإِذْنِهِ فَمَنَّ عَلَيْهِمْ بِالْإِيمَانِ وَالْعَمَلِ الصَّالِحِ فَخَلَقَهُ بِفَضْلِهِ وَإِرْسَالِهِ الرَّسُولَ بِفَضْلِهِ وَهِدَايَتِهِ لَهُمْ بِفَضْلِهِ وَجَمِيعُ مَا يَنَالُونَ بِهِ الْخَيْرَاتِ مِنْ قُوَاهُمْ وَغَيْرِ قُوَاهُمْ هِيَ بِفَضْلِهِ فَكَذَلِكَ الثَّوَابُ وَالْجَزَاءُ هُوَ بِفَضْلِهِ وَإِنْ كَانَ أَوْجَبَ ذَلِكَ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ كَمَا حَرَّمَ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ الظُّلْمَ وَوَعَدَ بِذَلِكَ كَمَا قَالَ: {كَتَبَ رَبُّكُمْ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ الرَّحْمَةَ} وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: {وَكَانَ حَقًّا عَلَيْنَا نَصْرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ} فَهُوَ وَاقِعٌ لَا مَحَالَةَ وَاجِبٌ بِحُكْمِ إيجَابِهِ وَوَعْدِهِ