Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (8/225)

Majmu' al-FatawaIbn Taimiya

the Bestower of blessings.

He, Most High, says:

“Whatever blessing you have is from Allah.”

And He says:

“He has subjected to you whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth—all from Him.”

No one can match His recompense for obedience and gratitude, or for disobedience and disbelief. For this reason, no created being may be obeyed in disobedience to the Creator. He, Most High, says:

“We have enjoined upon man kindness to his parents. But if they strive to make you associate with Me that of which you have no knowledge, do not obey them”—to the end of the verse.

And in the other verse:

“But if they strive to make you associate with Me that of which you have no knowledge, do not obey them, but keep their company in this world with kindness.”

The point is that when a person recognizes that all blessings come from Allah, he places his trust and hope in Him, glorified be He; and when he understands the gratitude He deserves, which none other deserves … (1)

The cause of evil is confined to his own self. He thus recognizes where harm comes to him, seeks forgiveness and Allah’s help, and seeks refuge in Him from deeds he has not yet committed. As one of the early Muslims said:

“Let no servant place his hope in anyone but his Lord, nor fear anything but his sin.”

This contradicts the position of the Jahmiyyah, who say that He punishes without sin, and who fear Him even if they have not sinned. When a person believes His words:

“Whatever good befalls you is from Allah, and whatever evil befalls you is from yourself,”

he recognizes the falsity of this position.

The statement of Ibn ʿAbbās and others has already been cited: what befell them on the day of Uhud was because of their sins. He made no exception for anyone. This is one benefit of making the address specific: it prevents anyone from supposing that it is a general statement subject to exceptions.

(1) A blank in the original. Shaykh Nāsir ibn Hamad al-Fahd stated (p. 72): The passage corresponding to the blank, as given in 14/341, reads: “Once he knows the gratitude Allah deserves—which none other deserves—[his knowledge that good things come from Allah leads him to thank Allah sincerely and rely upon Him. Were it said that they came from himself, that would be mistaken, for some of them involve no contribution from his deeds, while those to which his deeds contribute are nevertheless bestowed by Allah. For there is no power or strength except through Allah, and no refuge or escape from Him except with Him. He also knows that] (1) the cause of evil is confined to the self…” (1) This passage fills the blank in the original. Undoubtedly, the abridger would have shortened it; however, we do not know how it was abridged, so I have retained it in full.

الْمُنْعِمُ. قَالَ تَعَالَى: {وَمَا بِكُمْ مِنْ نِعْمَةٍ فَمِنَ اللَّهِ} وَقَالَ: {وَسَخَّرَ لَكُمْ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا مِنْهُ} وَجَزَاؤُهُ عَلَى الطَّاعَةِ وَالشُّكْرِ وَعَلَى الْمَعْصِيَةِ وَالْكُفْرِ لَا يَقْدِرُ أَحَدٌ عَلَى مِثْلِهِ، فَلِهَذَا لَمْ يَجُزْ أَنْ يُطَاعَ مَخْلُوقٌ فِي مَعْصِيَةِ الْخَالِقِ، وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: {وَوَصَّيْنَا الْإِنْسَانَ بِوَالِدَيْهِ حُسْنًا وَإِنْ جَاهَدَاكَ لِتُشْرِكَ بِي مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ فَلَا تُطِعْهُمَا} الْآيَةَ. وَفِي الْآيَةِ الْأُخْرَى: {وَإِنْ جَاهَدَاكَ عَلى أَنْ تُشْرِكَ بِي مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ فَلَا تُطِعْهُمَا وَصَاحِبْهُمَا فِي الدُّنْيَا مَعْرُوفًا} . وَالْمَقْصُودُ أَنَّهُ إذَا عَرَفَ أَنَّ النِّعَمَ كُلَّهَا مِنْ اللَّهِ صَارَ تَوَكُّلُهُ وَرَجَاؤُهُ لَهُ سُبْحَانَهُ، وَإِذَا عَلِمَ مَا يَسْتَحِقُّهُ مِنْ الشُّكْرِ الَّذِي لَا يَسْتَحِقُّهُ غَيْرُهُ. . . (١) وَالشَّرُّ انْحَصَرَ سَبَبُهُ فِي النَّفْسِ، فَعَلِمَ مِنْ أَيْنَ يَؤْتَى فَاسْتَغْفَرَ وَاسْتَعَانَ بِاَللَّهِ وَاسْتَعَاذَ بِهِ مِمَّا لَمْ يَعْمَلْ بَعْدُ؛ كَمَا قَالَ مَنْ قَالَ مِنْ السَّلَفِ: لَا يَرْجُوَنَّ عَبْدٌ إلَّا رَبَّهُ وَلَا يَخَافَنَّ إلَّا ذَنْبَهُ، وَهَذَا خِلَافُ قَوْلِ الْجَهْمِيَّة الَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ: يُعَذِّبُ بِلَا ذَنْبٍ، وَيَخَافُونَهُ وَلَوْ لَمْ يُذْنِبُوا، فَإِذَا صَدَّقَ بِقَوْلِهِ: {مَا أَصَابَكَ مِنْ حَسَنَةٍ فَمِنَ اللَّهِ وَمَا أَصَابَكَ مِنْ سَيِّئَةٍ فَمِنْ نَفْسِكَ} عَلِمَ بُطْلَانَ هَذَا الْقَوْلِ. وَقَدْ تَقَدَّمَ قَوْلُ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ وَغَيْرِهِ: إنَّ مَا أَصَابَهُمْ يَوْمَ أُحُدٍ كَانَ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ: لَمْ يَسْتَثْنِ مِنْ ذَلِكَ أَحَدًا؛ وَهَذَا مِنْ فَوَائِدِ تَخْصِيصِ الْخِطَابِ لِئَلَّا يُظَنَّ أَنَّهُ عَامٌّ مَخْصُوصٌ.

(١) بياض بالأصل قال الشيخ ناصر بن حمد الفهد (ص ٧٢): وموضع البياض كما في ١٤/ ٣٤١: (وإذا علم ما يستحقه الله من الشكر - الذي لا يستحقه غيره -[صار علمه بأن الحسنات من الله يوجب له الصدق في شكر الله، والتوكل عليه. ولو قيل: إنها من نفسه لكان غلطاً؛ لأن منها ما ليس لعمله فيه مدخل، وما كان لعمله فيه مدخل فإن الله هو المنعم به، فإنه لا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله، ولا مَلْجَأ ولا مَنْجَى منه إلا إليه. وعلم أن] (١) الشر قد انحصر سببه فى النفس. . .) (١) هذا النص موضع البياض في الأصل، ولا شك أن المختصر سيقوم باختصاره، إلا أننا لا نعلم كيف تم اختصاره فأبقيته كاملا