Al-Qawaid al-Hisan li-Tafsir al-Quran - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (133)

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

in performing good deeds, in shunning what is forbidden despite the strength of the impulses that call to it, and in remaining patient when calamities strike because of the sharpness of their blow, the reward grows greater and the recompense more abundant.

The Exalted also says, illustrating His gentleness in easing a difficult act of worship: “When He caused drowsiness to enfold you as a reassurance from Him, and sent down upon you water from the sky to purify you thereby, remove from you the filth of Satan, strengthen your hearts, and steady your feet. When your Lord revealed to the angels, ‘I am with you; so make firm those who believe. I shall cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve…’” (al-Anfal 8:11-12).

Here He reminds the believers of His favor in facilitating and arranging these matters that make worship easy, clearing away the obstacles and securing all of its fruits.

He, the Exalted, also says: “Surely the friends of Allah shall have no fear, nor shall they grieve—those who believed and were mindful of Him; for them are glad tidings in the life of this world and in the Hereafter” (Yunus 10:62-64).

Among the most honored and exalted forms of the glad tidings promised to Allah’s friends in this worldly life is that He makes acts of devotion easy for them, lightens the hardship of drawing near to Him, guides them to good, and keeps them from evil with the least effort.

And He says: “As for the one who gives, is mindful, and affirms the best promise, We shall ease him toward ease” (al-Layl 92:5-7)—that is, toward every state in which his affairs are rendered smooth and simple.

He further says, “Whoever acts righteously, whether male or female, while he is a believer, We shall assuredly grant him a goodly life” (al-Nahl 16:97).

Part of that goodly life they are granted is the sweetness they taste in acts of obedience and their finding the hardships of seeking Allah’s pleasure delightful. All of these states are good for the believer: if Allah smooths the way for worship and makes it light, he praises and thanks Him; and should obstacles arise, he perseveres in overcoming them, counts the effort and struggle as meritorious, and looks forward to immense reward. This meaning recurs in many verses of the Quran, and Allah knows best. (1)

(1) Shaykh Ibn Uthaymin says: “The essence of this principle is that reward is commensurate with hardship. It also demonstrates Allah’s favor toward His servants in making acts of obedience easy, and that facilitating acts of obedience is among the effects of His mercy.”

في فعل الطاعات، وفي ترك المحرمات لقوة الداعي إليها، وفي الصبر على المصيبات لشدة وقعها، كان الأجر أعظم والثواب أكبر، قال تعالى في بيان لطفه في تسهيل العبادة الشاقة: ﴿إِذْ يُغَشِّيكُمُ النُّعَاسَ أَمَنَةً مِنْهُ وَيُنَزِّلُ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً لِيُطَهِّرَكُمْ بِهِ وَيُذْهِبَ عَنْكُمْ رِجْزَ الشَّيْطَانِ وَلِيَرْبِطَ عَلَى قُلُوبِكُمْ وَيُثَبِّتَ بِهِ الْأَقْدَام إِذْ يُوحِي رَبُّكَ إِلَى الْمَلائِكَةِ أَنِّي مَعَكُمْ فَثَبِّتُوا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا سَأُلْقِي فِي قُلُوبِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا الرُّعْب﴾ ، [لأنفال: ١١-١٢] ،. فذكر منته على المؤمنين بتيسيره وتقديره لهذه الأمور التي يسر بها العبادة، مزيلة محصلة لثمراتها. وقال تعالى: ﴿إِنَّ أَوْلِيَاءَ اللَّهِ لا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ ﴿٣٢﴾ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَكَانُوا يَتَّقُونَ * لَهُمُ الْبُشْرَى فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ﴾ [يونس: ٦٢-٦٤] ،. فالبشرى التي وعد الله بها أولياءه في الحياة الدنيا من أشرفها وأجلها: أنه يسر لهم العبادات وهون عليهم مشقة القربات، وأن ييسرهم للخير، ويجنبهم الشر بأيسر عمل. وقال: ﴿فَأَمَّا مَنْ أَعْطَى وَاتَّقَى ﴿٥﴾ وَصَدَّقَ بِالْحُسْنَى ﴿٦﴾ فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْيُسْرَى﴾ ﴿الليل: ٥-٧﴾ ، أيْ لكل حالة فيها تيسير أموره وتسهيلها ﴿مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحاً مِنْ ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنْثَى وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُ حَيَاةً طَيِّبَةً﴾ ، [النحل: من الآية٩٧] ،. ومن الحياة الطيبة التي يرزقونها: ذوقُ حلاوة الطاعات، واستعذاب المشقات في رضا الله تعالى، فهذه الأحوال كلها خير للمؤمن، إن سهل الله له طريق العبادة وهونها حَمِدَ اللهَ وشكره، وإن قامت العقبات صبر في اقتحامها، واحتسب الخير في عنائه وجهاده ورجا عظيم الثواب، وهذا المعنى في القرآن في آيات متعددة، والله أعلم (١) .

(١) يقول الشيخ ابن عثيمين: " خلاصة هذه القاعدة أن الأجر على قدر المشقة، وفيها أيضا بيان المنة على العباد بتسهيل الطاعات، وأن تسهيل الطاعات من آثار رحمته"