Sharḥ Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (3/293)

Sharḥ Riyāḍ al-ṢāliḥīnIbn al-'Uthaymin

you perform the deeds of the people of Paradise with sincerity—may Allah make us and all Muslims among them—Allah will never abandon you, even though things may outwardly seem otherwise to people.

The proof for this qualification is what is recorded in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī. A man was with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) on a military campaign. He was exceptionally brave and daring, leaving no enemy—great or small—without striking him down. The Companions marvelled at his courage and valor. Then, one day, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “He is one of the people of the Fire.” We seek refuge in Allah! This fearless warrior who devastates the enemy is bound for the Fire? The statement weighed heavily upon the Muslims; they were shocked and afraid. How could such a man be among the people of the Fire?

One of them said, “By Allah, I will stay close to him, follow him, and watch him to see how his end turns out.” So he accompanied him. During the fighting, the brave man was struck by an arrow and became distraught. He seized his sword, drew it, placed it against his chest, leaned on it until it pierced through his back, and killed himself in despair. The observer then went to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said, “Messenger of Allah, I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that you are the Messenger of Allah.” The Prophet asked, “Why do you say this?” He replied, “The man you declared to be among the people of the Fire has done such-and-such.”

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “A man may perform the deeds of the people of Paradise as they appear to people…”

Praise be to Allah for this qualification: a person may seem to others to be doing the deeds of the people of Paradise while in reality he is one of the people of the Fire. People think he is righteous, yet corruption lurks in his heart, and he is bound for the Fire.

In the ḥadīth of Ibn Masʿūd it is stated: “One of you may act with the deeds of the people of the Fire until there is only an arm’s length between him and it; then what has been decreed overtakes him, so he performs the deeds of the people of Paradise and enters it.” This is the opposite of the first case.

عملت بعمل أهل الجنة بإخلاص ـ نسأل الله أن يجعلنا والمسلمين منهم ـ فإن الله لا يخذلك، لكن فيما يبدو للناس. والدليل على هذا القيد ما ثبت في صحيح البخاري، أن رجلاً كان مع النبي ﷺ في غزوة، وكان شجاعاً مقداماً، لا يترك للعدو شاذة ولا فاذة إلا قضى عليه، فتعجب الناس منه؛ ومن شجاعته، من إقدامه، فقال النبي ﷺ ذات يوم: ((إنه من أهل النار)) أعوذ بالله، هذا الشجاع الذي يفتك بالعدو من أهل النار؟ فكبُر ذلك على المسلمين، وعظم عليهم، وخافوا، كيف يصير هذا من أهل النار؟ فقال رجل: والله لألزمنه؛ أتابعه وأراقبه؛ لأرى نهايته كيف تكون؟ فمشى معه، وفي أثناء القتال أصاب هذا الرجل الشجاع السهم فجزع، فأخذ بسيفه فسله، فوضعه في صدره، واتكأ عليه حتى خرج من ظهره، قتل نفسه جزعاً، فجاء الرجل إلى النبي ﷺ وقال: يا رسول الله أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وأنك رسول الله. قال: وبم؟ قال: الرجل الذي قلت إنه من أهل النار. حصل له كذا وكذا. فقال النبي ﷺ: ((إن الرجل ليعمل بعمل أهل الجنة فيما يبدو للناس)) الحمد لله على هذا القيد، يعمل فيما يبدو للناس بعمل أهل الجنة وهو من أهل النار، يظنون أنه صالح، ولكن في قلبه فساد وهو من أهل النار. قال في حديث ابن مسعود: ((وإن أحدكم ليعمل بعمل أهل النار حتى ما يكون بينه وبينها إلا ذراع، فيسبق عليه الكتاب، فيعمل بعمل أهل الجنة فيدخلها)) هذا عكس الأول.