Al-'Uqubat - Ibn Abi al-Dunya - (150)

Al-'UqubatIbn Abi al-Dunya

225 – ʿAbd Allāh narrated to us; he said: Yaḥyā ibn Ayyūb narrated to us; he said: ʿAlī ibn Thābit narrated to us; he said: Abū Ilyās Idrīs ibn Sinān narrated to me, from Wahb ibn Munabbih:

“The Children of Israel said to Isaiah: ‘We have performed our prayer, yet our prayer has brought no light; we have given our zakah, yet our zakah has brought no purification; we have wept with the moaning of doves and the howling of wolves, yet none of this is heard from us.’

“He said: ‘Then ask them: On account of what is this, and what is it that withholds My response? Is it because My hand is short of resources? How could that be when the treasuries of the heavens and the earth are in My hand and I spend of them as I will? Or is it that My mercy has become constrained? It is only through My mercy that the merciful show mercy. Or is it miserliness that overtakes Me? Am I not the most generous of those who are asked and the best of givers?

‘If only these people would look inward with the forbearance placed in their breasts and use it to gain the life of this world, they would know whence they were struck—and then … Indeed, their own souls are their fiercest enemy. How can I illumine their prayer while their hearts are bent toward the dunya (world), … and they deem My sacred limits lawful? ⦗151⦘ Or how can I accept their fast when they draw strength for it from unlawful food?—I think he also said: Or how can I accept their zakah when they have snatched it from the people by force? And for what should I reward its doers—those usurpers?

‘For I decreed upon Myself, on the day I created the heavens and the earth, a fixed term that must surely come to pass. So ask them: When will that be? And who among the supporters of this affair knows of it—if they are truthful?

‘For that I shall raise a Prophet who is unlettered: neither harsh nor hard-hearted, not one who shouts in the markets, not one who decks himself in obscenity, nor one given to foul speech. I shall guide him to every beautiful quality and endow him with every noble trait. Then I shall make piety his conscience, wisdom his intellect, righteousness and loyalty his nature. I shall make his community the best community ever brought forth for humankind: they enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong, out of faith in Me and sincerity. They perform prayer for Me on the heights, purify their limbs, their Gospel is in their breasts, their offering is their own blood—lions by day, monks by night. That is My bounty; I bestow it upon whom I will, and I am the Lord of tremendous bounty.’

٢٢٥ - حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَيُّوبَ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ ثَابِتٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو إِلْيَاسَ إِدْرِيسُ بْنُ سِنَانٍ، عَنْ وَهْبِ بْنِ مُنَبِّهٍ،: " قَالَتْ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ لِشَعْيَا: صَلَّيْنَا فَلَمْ تُنَوَّرْ صَلَاتُنَا، وَتَزَكَّيْنَا فَلَمْ تُزَكَّ زَكَاتُنَا، وَبَكَيْنَا بِمِثْلِ حَنِينِ الْحَمَامِ وَعَوِيِّ الذِّئَابِ فِي كُلِّ ذَلِكَ لَا يُسْمَعُ مِنَّا. قَالَ: فَاسْأَلْهُمْ: بِمَ ذَلِكَ؟ وَمَا الَّذِي يَمْنَعُنِي مِنْ ذَلِكَ؟ لِأَنَّ ذَاتَ يَدِي مِنْ قِلَّةٍ؟ فَكَيْفَ وَبِيَدِي خَزَائِنُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ، أُنْفِقُ كَيْفَ أَشَاءُ؟ أَمْ لِأَنَّ رَحْمَتِي ضَاقَتْ؟ وَإِنَّمَا يَتَرَاحَمُ الْمُتَرَاحِمُونَ بِفَضْلِ رَحْمَتِي، أَمْ لِأَنَّ الْبُخْلَ يَعْتَرِينِي؟ أَوَلَسْتُ أَجْوَدَ مَنْ سُئِلَ، وَأَفْضَلَ مَنْ أَعْطَى؟ لَوْ أَنْ هَؤُلَاءِ الْقَوْمَ نَظَرُوا لِأَنْفُسِهِمْ بِالْحِلْمِ الَّذِي يُورَثُ فِي صُدُورِهِمْ، فَاشْتَرَوْا بِهَا الدُّنْيَا، إِذًا لَعَرَفُوا مِنْ أَيْنَ أُتُوا، وَإِذًا. . . . إِنَّ أَنْفُسَهُمْ هِيَ أَعْدَى الْعُدَاةِ لَهُمْ. كَيْفَ أُنَوِّرَ صَلَاتَهُمْ وَقُلُوبُهُمْ صَاغِيَةٌ إِلَى الدُّنْيَا. . . وَيَسْتَحِلُّونَ مَحَارِمِي؟ ⦗١٥١⦘ أَمْ كَيْفَ أَقْبَلُ صِيَامَهُمْ وَهُمْ يَتَقوَّوْنَ عَلَيْهِ بِالطُّعْمَةِ الْحَرَامِ؟ أَظُنُّهُ قَالَ: أَمْ كَيْفَ أَقْبَلُ زَكَاتَهُمْ وَإِنَّمَا اغْتَصَبُوا النَّاسَ؟ وَبِمَ أُؤْجِرُ عَلَيْهَا أَهْلَهَا الْمُغْتَصِبِينَ؟ فَإِنِّي قَضَيْتُ عَلَى نَفْسِي قَضَاءً يَوْمَ خَلَقْتُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ جَعَلْتُ لِذَلِكَ أَجَلًا مُؤجَّلًا لَابُدَّ وَأَنْ سَوْفَ يَقَعُ، فَاسْأَلْهُمْ مَتَى ذَلِكَ؟ وَمَنِ الْعَالِمُ بِهَذَا الْأَمْرِ مِنْ أَعْوَانِ هَذَا الْأَمْرِ إِنْ كَانُوا صَادِقِينَ؟ فَإِنِّي مُبْعِثٌ لِذَلِكَ نَبِيًّا أُمِّيًّا، لَيْسَ بِفَظٍّ وَلَا غَلِيظٍ، وَلَا صَخَّابٍ بِالْأَسْوَاق، وَلَا مُتَزَيِّنٍ بِالْفُحْشِ، وَلَا قَوَّالٍ للْخَنَا أُسَدِّدُهُ لِكُلِّ جَمِيلٍ، وَأَهَبُ لَهُ كُلَّ خُلُقٍ كَرِيمٍ، ثُمَّ أَجْعَلُ التَّقْوَى ضَمِيرَهَ، وَالْحِكْمَةَ مَعْقُولَهُ، وَالْبِرَّ وَالْوَفَاءَ طَبِيعَتَهُ، وَأَجْعَلُ أُمَّتَهُ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ، تَأْمُرُ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ، وَتَنْهَى عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ، إِيمَانًا بِي وَإِخْلَاصًا، يُصَلُّونَ لِي عَلَى الْأَشْرَافِ، يُطَهِّرُونَ الْأَطْرَافَ، أَنَاجِيلُهُمْ صُدُورُهُمْ، وَقُرْبَانُهُمْ دِمَاؤُهُمْ، لُيُوثُ النَّهَارِ، رُهْبَانُ اللَّيْلِ، ذَلِكَ فَضْلِي أُؤْتِيهِ مَنْ أَشَاءُ، وَأَنَا ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيمِ "