Sharḥ Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (3/613)

Sharḥ Riyāḍ al-ṢāliḥīnIbn al-'Uthaymin

Now imagine that you have a neighbor who annoys you with blaring noises, bangs on the shared wall, parks his car in front of your house, and the like. In such a case the right is yours—even though his conduct is not for Allah’s sake. If you wish, be patient, bear it, and wait for relief; Allah will raise up a supporter for you against him. If you prefer, you may demand your right, for Allah the Exalted has said, “But whoever defends himself after being wronged—there is no blame upon them” (Ash-Shūrā 42:41). Patience, however, is better so long as it does not embolden the aggressor to increase his oppression; should that happen, reclaiming your right becomes preferable in order to curb his wrongdoing.

The author—may Allah have mercy on him—then cited two verses already discussed: “those who restrain their anger and pardon people—and Allah loves the doers of good” (Āl ʿImrān 3:134); and, “Indeed, whoever is patient and forgives, that is surely of matters requiring firm resolve” (Ash-Shūrā 42:43).

He next quoted the ḥadith reported by Abū Hurayrah—Allah be pleased with him—about a man who said to the Prophet ﷺ, “I have relatives; I maintain ties with them but they cut me off. I treat them well yet they treat me badly. I am forbearing toward them but they behave foolishly toward me. What should I do?” The Prophet ﷺ replied, “If you are as you say, it is as though you are feeding them al-mall (hot ashes); and you will continue to have a supporter from Allah against them so long as you remain upon that.” In other words, you will have divine help; Allah will grant you victory over them, even if that comes later.

These relatives—Allah’s protection is sought—are such that their kinsman reaches out to them, yet they sever ties with him; he shows them kindness, yet they wrong him; he is patient, pardons, and overlooks, but they persist in ignorant behavior and only increase in hostility. Concerning such people the Prophet ﷺ said, “it is as though you are feeding them al-mall,” that is, burning ashes, “tasuffuhum” (putting it into their mouths)—a vivid metaphor indicating that this man is, in fact, triumphant over them.

ولنفرض أن لك جاراً يؤذيك؛ بأصوات مزعجة، أو دق الجدار، أو إيقاف السيارة أمام بيتك، أو ما أشبه ذلك، فالحق إذاً لك، وهو لو يؤذك في ذات الله، فإن شئت فاصبر وتحمل وانتظر الفرج، والله ﷾ يجعل لك نصيراً عليه، وإن شئت فخذ بحقك؛ لقول الله تعالى: (وَلَمَنِ انْتَصَرَ بَعْدَ ظُلْمِهِ فَأُولَئِكَ مَا عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ سَبِيلٍ) (الشورى: ٤١) ، ولكن الصبر أفضل ما لم يحصل بذلك زيادة عدوان من المعتدي، فحينئذٍ الأفضل أن يأخذ بحقه ليردعه عن ظلمه. ثم ذكر المؤلف ﵀ آيتين سبق الكلام عليهما؛ قوله تعالى: (وَالْكَاظِمِينَ الْغَيْظَ وَالْعَافِينَ عَنِ النَّاسِ وَاللَّهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ) (آل عمران: ١٣٤) .، وقوله (وَلَمَنْ صَبَرَ وَغَفَرَ إِنَّ ذَلِكَ لَمِنْ عَزْمِ الْأُمُورِ) (الشورى: ٤٣) . ثم ذكر حديث أبي هريرة ﵁ في رجلٍ قال للنبي ﷺ: إن لي قرابة أصلهم ويقطعوني، وأحسن إليهم ويسيئون إلىَّ، وأحلم عليهم ويجهلون عليَّ، يعني: فماذا أصنع؟ فقال النبي ﷺ: ((لئن كنت كما قلت فكأنما تسفهم المل، ولا يزال لك من الله تعالى ظهيرٌ عليهم ما دمت على ذلك)) يعني ناصر، فينصرك الله عليهم ولو في المستقبل. لأن هؤلاء القرابة والعياذ بالله يصلهم قريبهم لكن يقطعونه، ويحسن إليهم فيسيئون إليه، ويحلم عليهم ويعفو ويصفح ولكن يجهلون عليه ويزدادون، فهؤلاء قال النبي ﷺ: ((فكأنما تسفهم المل)) ، المل: الرماد الحار، وتسفهم: يعني تلقمهم إياه في أفواههم، وهو كناية عن أن هذا الرجل منتصر عليهم.