Al-Irshad ila Sahih al-Itiqad - Salih Al-Fawzan - (75)

Al-Irshad ila Sahih al-ItiqadSalih Al-Fawzan

This very explanation offered by Ibn Kathīr, may Allah have mercy on him, is the view chosen by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah. Allah Himself reports this equalising of others with Him when He says: “By Allah, we were clearly in error when we treated you as equal with the Lord of the worlds” 1, and in His words: “Yet those who disbelieve set up equals to their Lord.” 2

Allah also says: “But those who believe are more intense in their love for Allah.” 3 That is, the believers love Allah more than the idol-makers love their so-called partners, or—as others explained—more than the idol-makers love their partners for whom they claim equality with Allah. The verse therefore proves that whoever loves something with a love equal to the love due to Allah has taken that thing as a rival to Him.

Shaykh Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb said: “Contained in this verse is the principle that whoever sets up a rival whose love equals the love of Allah has fallen into major shirk.”

As noted earlier, the love of Allah that is the love of servitude must take precedence over any love that does not constitute servitude—the shared loves such as love for parents, children, spouses, or wealth—for Allah has threatened the one who gives priority to these loves over love for Him. He says:

“Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your spouses, your clan, wealth you have amassed, merchandise whose decline you fear, or dwellings you cherish are dearer to you than Allah, His Messenger, and striving in His cause, then wait until Allah brings about His command. Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient.” 4

Thus the Almighty threatens those who prefer any of these eight beloved things to love for Allah, His Messenger, and the deeds He loves. He did not threaten people merely for loving such things, for that is part of human nature and not a matter of choice; rather, the threat concerns the one who places their love ahead of love for Allah and His Messenger and ahead of what Allah and His Messenger love. One must therefore favour what Allah desires from His servant over what the servant himself desires. Love for Allah has identifying signs, among them:

Whoever truly loves Allah gives priority to the deeds that Allah loves over

(1) Surah al-Shuʿara, verses 97–98. (2) Surah al-Anʿam, verse 3. (3) Surah al-Baqarah, verse 165. (4) Surah al-Tawbah, verse 24.

وهذا الذي قاله ابن كثير رحمه هو اختيار شيخ الإسلام ابن تيمية ﵀؛ كما حكى الله هذه التسوية عنهم في قوله: ﴿تَاللَّهِ إِنْ كُنَّا لَفِي ضَلالٍ مُبِينٍ إِذْ نُسَوِّيكُمْ بِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ﴾ ١، وقوله تعالى: ﴿ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِرَبِّهِمْ يَعْدِلُونَ﴾ ٢. وقوله تعالى: ﴿وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَشَدُّ حُبّاً لِلَّهِ﴾ ٣، أي: أشد حبا لله من أصحاب الأنداد لله، وقيل: أشد حبا لله من أصحاب الأنداد لأندادهم. فدلت الآية على أن من أحب شيئا كحب الله؛ فقد اتخذه ندّاً لله. قال الشيخ محمد بن عبد الوهاب ﵀: "وفيه أن من اتخذ ندّاً تساوى محبته محبة الله؛ فهو الشرك الأكبر". وقلنا قريبا: إن محبة الله التي هي محبة العبودية، يجب أن تقدم على المحبة التي ليست عبودية، وهي المحبة المشتركة؛ كمحبة الآباء والأولاد والأزواج والأموال؛ لأن الله توعد من قدَّم هذه المحبة على محبة الله؛ قال تعالى: ﴿قُلْ إِنْ كَانَ آبَاؤُكُمْ وَأَبْنَاؤُكُمْ وَإِخْوَانُكُمْ وَأَزْوَاجُكُمْ وَعَشِيرَتُكُمْ وَأَمْوَالٌ اقْتَرَفْتُمُوهَا وَتِجَارَةٌ تَخْشَوْنَ كَسَادَهَا وَمَسَاكِنُ تَرْضَوْنَهَا أَحَبَّ إِلَيْكُمْ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَجِهَادٍ فِي سَبِيلِهِ فَتَرَبَّصُوا حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ اللَّهُ بِأَمْرِهِ وَاللَّهُ لا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْفَاسِقِينَ﴾ ٤، فتوعد سبحانه من قدم هذه المحبوبات الثمان على محبة الله ورسوله والأعمال التي يحبها، ولم يتوعد على مجرد حب هذه الأشياء؛ لأن هذا شيء جُبل عليه الإنسان ليس اختياريّا، وإنما توعد من قدم محبتها على محبة الله ورسوله ومحبة ما يحبه الله ورسوله؛ فلا بد من إيثار ما أحبه الله من عبده وأراده على ما يحبه العبد ويريده؛ فمحبة الله لها علامات تدل عليها: منها: أن من أحب الله تعالى: فإنه يقدم ما يحبه الله من الأعمال على

١ سورة الشعراء، الآيتان: ٩٧ ـ ٩٨. ٢ سورة الأنعام، الآية: ٣. ٣ سورة البقرة، الآية: ١٦٥. ٤ سورة التوبة، الآية: ٢٤.