Al-Zuhd - Ahmad Ibn Hanbal - (244)

1738 – ʿAbd Allah narrated to us; my father narrated to us; ʿAli ibn Thābit narrated to us; Jaʿfar ibn Burqān narrated, saying:

ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz wrote to Sālim ibn ʿUmar:

“ammā baʿd (to proceed): Allah—exalted is He—has tested me with this responsibility without consultation or any request on my part; rather, it is what Allah—exalted is He—had decreed. I therefore ask Allah, Who has tried me with this trial, to help me bear it. When this letter of mine reaches you, send me the writings of ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb—his judicial rulings and his policy concerning the ahl al-dhimmah (non-Muslim subjects under covenant), for I am determined to follow in his footsteps and to conduct myself according to his practice, if Allah assists me in that. Peace.”

Sālim wrote back to him:

“Your letter reached me, in which you state that Allah—exalted is He—has tried you with this matter without your seeking it or consulting about it, but rather it is what Allah had decreed to test you with. I ask Allah, Who has tried you with this trial, to aid you in bearing it. You are not living in the time of ʿUmar, nor do you have ʿUmar’s men with you. Yet if you intend the truth and desire it, Allah will help you attain it, will provide you with administrators, and will bring them to you from where you do not expect. Indeed, Allah’s help is in proportion to the intention: whoever perfects his intention for good, Allah’s help for him will be complete; and whoever’s intention ⦗245⦘ falls short, the help will fall short in proportion to that deficiency. Peace.”

١٧٣٨ - حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ ثَابِتٍ، حَدَّثَنَا جَعْفَرُ بْنُ بُرْقَانَ قَالَ: كَتَبَ عُمَرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ إِلَى سَالِمِ بْنِ عُمَرَ: " أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ – Exalté soit-Il – ابْتَلَانِي بِمَا ابْتَلَانِي بِهِ مِنْ هَذَا الْأَمْرِ، عَنْ غَيْرِ مَشُورَةٍ وَلَا طَلَبٍ لَهُ وَلَكِنْ كَانَ مَا قَدَّرَ اللَّهُ – Exalté soit-Il – فَأَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ الَّذِي ابْتَلَانِي بِمَا ابْتَلَانِي أَنْ يُعِينَنِي عَلَيْهِ فَإِذَا جَاءَكَ كِتَابِي هَذَا فَابْعَثْ إِلَيَّ بِكُتُبِ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ وَقَضَائِهِ وَسِيرَتِهِ فِي أَهْلِ الذِّمَّةِ فَإِنِّي مُتَّبِعٌ أَثَرَهُ وَسَائِرٌ بِسِيرَتِهِ إِنْ أَعَانَنِي اللَّهُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ وَالسَّلَامُ، فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ سَالِمٌ: جَاءَنِي كِتَابُكَ تَذْكُرُ أَنَّ اللَّهَ – Exalté soit-Il – ابْتَلَاكَ بِمَا ابْتَلَاكَ بِهِ مِنْ هَذَا الْأَمْرِ مِنْ غَيْرِ طَلَبٍ وَلَا مَشُورَةٍ كَانَ مِنْكَ وَلَكِنْ مَا كَانَ قَدَّرَ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَبْتَلِيَكَ فَأَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ الَّذِي ابْتَلَاكَ بِمَا ابْتَلَاكَ بِهِ أَنْ يُعِينَكَ عَلَيْهِ فَإِنَّكَ لَسْتَ فِي زَمَانِ عُمَرَ وَلَيْسَ عِنْدَكَ رِجَالُ عُمَرَ فَإِنْ نَوَيْتَ الْحَقَّ وَأَرَدْتَهُ أَعَانَكَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَأَتَاحَ لَكَ عُمَّالًا وَأَتَاكَ بِهِمْ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا تَحْتَسِبُ فَإِنَّ عَوْنَ اللَّهِ عَلَى قَدْرِ النِّيَّةِ فَمَنْ تَمَّتْ نِيَّتُهُ فِي الْخَيْرِ تَمَّ عَوْنُ اللَّهِ لَهُ وَمَنْ قَصُرَتْ ⦗٢٤٥⦘ نِيَّتُهُ قَصُرَ مِنَ الْعَوْنِ بِقَدْرِ مَا قَصُرَ مِنْهُ وَالسَّلَامُ "