Al-Qawaid al-Hisan li-Tafsir al-Quran - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (124)

Al-Qawaid al-Hisan li-Tafsir al-QuranAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

Rule Forty-Nine: When Allah bars His believing servants from something their hearts cling to, He opens for them a door that is more beneficial, easier, and more fitting for them.

This is part of His subtle kindness. The Exalted says, “Do not covet what Allah has bestowed on some of you over others. Men shall have a share of what they earn, and women shall have a share of what they earn. Ask Allah for His bounty” (1) (4:32). He forbade them to yearn for what brings no benefit, opened before them the gates of grace and generosity, and commanded them—through the language of their very state—to ask Him for His favor.

When Moses (peace be upon him) heard Allah’s speech and asked to behold Him, only to be denied, Allah comforted him with the immense good He had already granted: “O Moses, I have chosen you above the people by My messages and by My speaking to you. So take what I have given you and be among the grateful” (7:144).

Likewise, He says, “Whatever verse We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, We bring one that is better or equal to it” (2:106); and, “If the two separate, Allah will enrich each of them out of His abundance” (4:130). Many other verses convey this same meaning.

(1) Shaykh Ibn Uthaymin says: “Through this, a person comes to recognize the favor of his Lord and His benevolence toward His creation: whenever He withholds something from them, He opens for them doors to something better. Allah’s statement, ‘Do not wish for that by which Allah has favored some of you over others,’ refers to knowledge, wealth, status, leadership, and the like. Allah has favored some people over others, so do not wish that what Allah has given your brother were yours rather than his. This is why He said, ‘Do not wish for that by which Allah has favored [some over others],’ and did not say, ‘Do not wish for the like of that by which Allah has favored [some over others],’ for a person may wish for the like of what Allah has bestowed upon some of His servants.”

القاعدة التاسعة والأربعون: إذا منع الله عباده المؤمنين شيئاً تتعلق به إرادتهم، فتح لهم باباً أنفع لهم منه وأسهل وأولى وهذا من لطفه، قال تعالى: ﴿وَلا تَتَمَنَّوْا مَا فَضَّلَ اللَّهُ بِهِ بَعْضَكُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ لِلرِّجَالِ نَصِيبٌ مِمَّا اكْتَسَبُوا وَلِلنِّسَاءِ نَصِيبٌ مِمَّا اكْتَسَبْنَ وَاسْأَلُوا اللَّهَ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ﴾ (١) [النساء: من الآية٣٢] ، فنهاهم عن تمني ما ليس بنافع، وفتح لهم أبواب الفضل والإحسان، وأمرهم أن يسألوه بلسان الحال. ولما سأل موسى ﵇ ربَّه الرؤية حين سمع كلامه، ومنعه منها، وبلسان المقال سلّاه بما أعطاه من الخير العظيم، فقال: ﴿قَالَ يَا مُوسَى إِنِّي اصْطَفَيْتُكَ عَلَى النَّاسِ بِرِسَالاتِي وَبِكَلامِي فَخُذْ مَا آتَيْتُكَ وَكُنْ مِنَ الشَّاكِرِينَ﴾ [لأعراف: ١٤٤] ، وقوله تعالى: ﴿مَا نَنْسَخْ مِنْ آيَةٍ أَوْ نُنْسِهَا نَأْتِ بِخَيْرٍ مِنْهَا أَوْ مِثْلِهَا﴾ [البقرة: من الآية١٠٦] ، وقوله تعالى: ﴿وَإِنْ يَتَفَرَّقَا يُغْنِ اللَّهُ كُلّاً مِنْ سَعَتِهِ﴾ [النساء: من الآية١٣٠] ، وفي هذا المعنى آيات كثيرة.

(١) يقول الشيخ ابن عثيمين: " وهذا يعرف الإنسان به فضل ربه ﷿ وإحسانه إلى خلقه أنه إذا منعهم من شيء فتح لهم أبوابا خيرا منه، فقوله تعالى: " ولا تتمنوا ما فضل الله به بعضكم على بعض " يعني من العلم والمال والجاه والرئاسة وغير ذلك، الله ﷾ فضل الناس بعضهم على بعض، فلا تتمنى أن يكون ما أعطاه الله أخاك لك دون أخيك، ولهذا قال: " ولا تتمنوا ما فضل الله " ولم يقل: ولا تتمنوا مثل ما فضل الله، لأن الإنسان يجوز أن يتمنى مثل ما فضل الله به بعض عباده. "