Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (10/666)

Majmu' al-FatawaIbn Taimiya

The shaykh and imam, the scholar who practised what he knew, the consummate learned authority, Shaykh al-Islām and mufti to the people, Taqī al-Dīn Ibn Taymiyyah—may Allah strengthen him and increase him from His immense bounty—was asked about “beautiful patience,” “gracious forgiveness,” and “gracious withdrawal,” and about the various forms of piety and patience found among people.

He replied—may Allah have mercy on him:

All praise is due to Allah. To proceed:

Allah commanded His Prophet to observe gracious withdrawal, gracious forgiveness, and beautiful patience. (*) “Gracious withdrawal” is withdrawal without causing harm; “gracious forgiveness” is forgiveness without reproach; and “beautiful patience” is patience without complaint.

Jacob, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“I complain of my anguish and sorrow only to Allah.”

Yet he also said:

“So I shall bear this with beautiful patience. And Allah is the One whose help is sought against what you describe.”

Thus, complaining to Allah does not contradict beautiful patience. It is reported that Moses, peace and blessings be upon him, used to say: “O Allah, to You belongs all praise, to You complaints are addressed, You are the One whose help is sought, and through You

(*) Shaykh Nāsir ibn Hamad al-Fahd stated (p. 88): Most of this treatise—“A Discussion of Gracious Withdrawal, Gracious Pardon, and the Categories of Piety and Patience”—was mistakenly repeated in the treatise “The Sufis and the Poor” (11:5–36). I have drawn attention to this matter in detail in my discussion of volume eleven.

وَسُئِلَ الشَّيْخُ الْإِمَامُ الْعَالِمُ الْعَامِلُ الْحَبْرُ الْكَامِلُ شَيْخُ الْإِسْلَامِ وَمُفْتِي الْأَنَامِ تَقِيُّ الدِّينِ ابْنُ تَيْمِيَّة - أَيَّدَهُ اللَّهُ وَزَادَهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ الْعَظِيمِ -: عَنْ (الصَّبْرِ الْجَمِيلِ وَ (الصَّفْحِ الْجَمِيلِ) وَ (الْهَجْرِ الْجَمِيلِ) وَمَا أَقْسَامُ التَّقْوَى وَالصَّبْرِ الَّذِي عَلَيْهِ النَّاسُ؟ فَأَجَابَ - رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ -: الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ، أَمَّا بَعْدُ: فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ أَمَرَ نَبِيَّهُ بِالْهَجْرِ الْجَمِيلِ وَالصَّفْحِ الْجَمِيلِ وَالصَّبْرِ الْجَمِيلِ (*) " فَالْهَجْرُ الْجَمِيلُ " هَجْرٌ بِلَا أَذًى وَ " الصَّفْحُ الْجَمِيلُ " صَفْحٌ بِلَا عِتَابٍ وَ " الصَّبْرُ الْجَمِيلُ " صَبْرٌ بِلَا شَكْوَى قَالَ يَعْقُوبُ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ {إنَّمَا أَشْكُو بَثِّي وَحُزْنِي إلَى اللَّهِ} مَعَ قَوْلِهِ: {فَصَبْرٌ جَمِيلٌ وَاللَّهُ الْمُسْتَعَانُ عَلَى مَا تَصِفُونَ} فَالشَّكْوَى إلَى اللَّهِ لَا تُنَافِي الصَّبْرَ الْجَمِيلَ وَيُرْوَى عَنْ مُوسَى عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَقُولُ: " اللَّهُمَّ لَك الْحَمْدُ وَإِلَيْك الْمُشْتَكَى وَأَنْتَ الْمُسْتَعَانُ وَبِك

(*) قال الشيخ ناصر بن حمد الفهد (ص ٨٨): وهذه الرسالة - (مسألة في الهجر الجميل والصفح الجميل وأقسام التقوى والصبر) - قد تكرر أكثرها مرة أخرى عن طريق الخطأ في رسالة (الصوفية والفقراء) في (١١/ ٥ - ٣٦)، وقد نبهت على هذا الأمر بالتفصيل في الكلام على المجلد الحادي عشر.