Al-Qawaid al-Hisan li-Tafsir al-Quran - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (138)

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

nor fatigue, nor hunger in the path of Allah, nor do they tread any place that angers the unbelievers, nor do they inflict any injury upon an enemy, without a righteous deed being recorded for them thereby; for Allah never lets the reward of those who excel go to waste.⦗9:120⦘ All of these are consequences that flow from their actions. He then cited the deeds they themselves actually perform: “Nor do they spend any amount, small or great, nor do they cross any valley, without it being written for them, so that Allah may reward them for the best of what they used to do.”⦗9:121⦘

The effects that spring from a person’s deeds are of two kinds:

Those that occur without the doer’s deliberate intent. A person may carry out righteous, charitable works and others imitate him in that good; this is counted among the consequences of his deed. Or he may marry solely to safeguard his chastity, and Allah grants him righteous children from whom he benefits and who pray for him—this, too, is among the after-effects of his action.
The second—and nobler—kind is when the effect is sought deliberately. Whoever teaches others beneficial knowledge: the very act of teaching is among the greatest deeds, and every bit of knowledge and good that issues from it is likewise written among the results of his work. The same applies to one who does a good deed intending that people follow his example, or who marries seeking chastity and upright offspring and attains his aim. Likewise, anyone who plants a crop, sets a tree, or practices a craft that benefits people in their religious or worldly affairs, intending thereby benefit for himself and for them—every advantage that stems from that work is counted among the effects of his deed, even if he receives wages or payment for it. Indeed, Allah will admit three people to Paradise because of a single arrow: the one who forged it, the one who shot it, and the one who handed it to the archer.⦗1⦘

(1) Reported by Abu Dawud, no. 2513, and al-Nasai, 6:28. It was authenticated as sahih by al-Hakim and Ibn Khuzaymah. The author mentions three matters here, whereas Ibn Uthaymin counted them as four: (1) the servant is credited for the deed he actually performed; (2) he is credited with completing what he began but did not finish; (3) he is credited for what results from his deed; and (4) he is credited for what he left due to an excuse, if it was a deed he habitually performed.

وَلا نَصَبٌ وَلا مَخْمَصَةٌ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَلا يَطَأُونَ مَوْطِئاً يُغِيظُ الْكُفَّارَ وَلا يَنَالُونَ مِنْ عَدُوٍّ نَيْلاً إِلَّا كُتِبَ لَهُمْ بِهِ عَمَلٌ صَالِحٌ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ﴾ ، [التوبة: ١٢٠] ، فكل هذه الأمور من آثار عملهم ثم ذكر أعمالهم التي باشروها بقوله: ﴿وَلا يُنْفِقُونَ نَفَقَةً صَغِيرَةً وَلا كَبِيرَةً وَلا يَقْطَعُونَ وَادِياً إِلَّا كُتِبَ لَهُمْ لِيَجْزِيَهُمُ اللَّهُ أَحْسَنَ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ﴾ ، [التوبة: ١٢١] ،. والأعمال التي هي من آثار عمل العبد نوعان: أحدهما: أن تقع بغير قصد من الإنسان، كأن يعمل أعمالاً صالحة خيرية، فيقتدي به غيره في هذا الخير، فإن ذلك من آثار عمله وكمن يتزوج بقصد الإعفاف فقط، فيعطيه الله أولاداً صالحين ينتفع بهم وبدعائهم. والثاني: وهو أشرف النوعين: أن يقع ذلك بقصده، كمن علم غيره علماً نافعاً فنفس تعليمه ومباشرته له من أجل الأعمال، ثم ما حصل من العلم والخير المترتب على ذلك، فإنه من آثار عمله. وكمن يفعل الخير ليقتدي به الناس، أو يتزوج للعفة ولحصول الذرية الصالحة، فيحصل مراده، فإن هذا من آثار عمله، وكذلك من يزرع زرعاً أو يغرس غرساً أو يباشر صناعة مما ينتفع بها الناس في أمر دينهم ودنياهم، وقد قصد بذلك حصول النفع له ولغيره، فما ترتب من نفع على هذا العمل فإنه من آثار عمله، وإن كان يأخذ على عمله أجراً وعوضاً، فإن الله يدخل بالسهم الراحد الجنة ثلاثة: صانعه وراميه والممد به (١)

(١) أخرجه أبو داود برقم ٢٥١٣ والنسائي برقم ٦/٢٨. وصححه الحاكم وابن خزيمة. ولقد أورد المؤلف هنا ثلاثة أمور، وقد جعلها ابن عثيمين أربعة أمور هي: ١- يكتب للعبد عمله الذي باشره. ٢- يكمل له ما شرع فيه ولم يكمله. ٣- يكتب له ما نشأ من عمله. ٤- ويكتب له ما تركه لعذر وكان يعمله.