Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (2/326)

Majmu' al-FatawaIbn Taimiya

For if a father were to do something that impoverished him, causing his children to suffer, and they began blaming him for the poverty that had befallen them, this would not be the same as blaming him for having sinned. The servant is commanded to bear patiently what has been decreed, to obey what has been commanded, and, whenever he sins, to seek forgiveness. As Allah Most High says:

“So be patient. Indeed, the promise of Allah is true. And ask forgiveness for your sin.”

And Allah Most High says:

“No disaster strikes except by permission of Allah. And whoever believes in Allah—He will guide his heart.”

A number of the early generations said: “This refers to a man whom a calamity befalls: he knows that it is from Allah, so he accepts it and submits.”

Whoever invokes divine decree to justify neglecting what he has been commanded to do, yet reacts impatiently when something he dislikes befalls him by divine decree, has turned faith and religion upside down and joined the party of heretical hypocrites. Such is the condition of those who invoke divine decree as a justification. When calamity strikes one of them, his distress is great and his patience scant; he neither considers divine decree nor submits to it. Yet when he commits a sin, he begins invoking divine decree to justify it. He neither does what is commanded, nor refrains from what is forbidden, nor patiently bears what is decreed. Despite this, he claims to be among Allah’s greatest, most God-fearing allies and among the leading authorities of those who truly affirm His oneness. In reality, he is one of Allah’s heretical enemies and belongs to the party of the accursed Satan.

Only those furthest removed from goodness, religion, and faith follow this path. You will find one of them the most domineering of people when he has power, and the greatest in injustice and aggression; yet when subdued, he is the most abject of people, and the greatest in distress and weakness. People have witnessed this among factions far removed from faith in the Book and among combatants of various kinds.

فَإِنَّ الْأَبَ لَوْ فَعَلَ فِعْلًا افْتَقَرَ بِهِ حَتَّى تَضَرَّرَ بَنُوهُ فَأَخَذُوا يَلُومُونَهُ لِأَجْلِ مَا لَحِقَهُمْ مِنْ الْفَقْرِ: لَمْ يَكُنْ هَذَا كَلَوْمِهِ لِأَجْلِ كَوْنِهِ أَذْنَبَ. وَالْعَبْدُ مَأْمُورٌ أَنْ يَصْبِرَ عَلَى الْمَقْدُورِ وَيُطِيعَ الْمَأْمُورَ وَإِذَا أَذْنَبَ اسْتَغْفَرَ. كَمَا قَالَ تَعَالَى: {فَاصْبِرْ إنَّ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لِذَنْبِكَ} وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: {مَا أَصَابَ مِنْ مُصِيبَةٍ إلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَمَنْ يُؤْمِنْ بِاللَّهِ يَهْدِ قَلْبَهُ} . قَالَ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْ السَّلَفِ: هُوَ الرَّجُلُ تُصِيبُهُ الْمُصِيبَةُ فَيَعْلَمُ أَنَّهَا مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ فَيَرْضَى وَيُسَلِّمُ. فَمَنْ احْتَجَّ بِالْقَدَرِ عَلَى تَرْكِ الْمَأْمُورِ وَجَزِعَ مِنْ حُصُولِ مَا يَكْرَهُهُ مِنْ الْمَقْدُورِ فَقَدْ عَكَسَ الْإِيمَانَ وَالدِّينَ وَصَارَ مِنْ حِزْبِ الْمُلْحِدِينَ الْمُنَافِقِينَ وَهَذَا حَالُ الْمُحْتَجِّينَ بِالْقَدَرِ. فَإِنَّ أَحَدَهُمْ إذَا أَصَابَتْهُ مُصِيبَةٌ عَظُمَ جَزَعُهُ وَقَلَّ صَبْرُهُ فَلَا يَنْظُرُ إلَى الْقَدَرِ وَلَا يُسَلِّمُ لَهُ وَإِذَا أَذْنَبَ ذَنْبًا أَخَذَ يَحْتَجُّ بِالْقَدَرِ فَلَا يَفْعَلُ الْمَأْمُورَ وَلَا يَتْرُكُ الْمَحْظُورَ وَلَا يَصْبِرُ عَلَى الْمَقْدُورِ وَيَدَّعِي مَعَ هَذَا أَنَّهُ مِنْ كِبَارِ أَوْلِيَاءِ اللَّهِ الْمُتَّقِينَ وَأَئِمَّةِ الْمُحَقِّقِينَ الْمُوَحِّدِينَ وَإِنَّمَا هُوَ مِنْ أَعْدَاءِ اللَّهِ الْمُلْحِدِينَ وَحِزْبِ الشَّيْطَانِ اللَّعِينِ. وَهَذَا الطَّرِيقُ إنَّمَا يَسْلُكُهُ أَبْعَدُ النَّاسِ عَنْ الْخَيْرِ وَالدِّينِ وَالْإِيمَانِ تَجِدُ أَحَدَهُمْ أَجْبَرَ النَّاسَ إذَا قَدَرَ وَأَعْظَمَهُمْ ظُلْمًا وَعُدْوَانًا وَأَذَلَّ النَّاسَ إذَا قُهِرَ وَأَعْظَمَهُمْ جَزَعًا وَوَهَنًا؛ كَمَا جَرَّبَهُ النَّاسُ مِنْ الْأَحْزَابِ الْبَعِيدِينَ عَنْ الْإِيمَانِ بِالْكِتَابِ وَالْمُقَاتِلَةِ مِنْ أَصْنَافِ النَّاسِ.