Sharḥ Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (1/541)

Sharḥ Riyāḍ al-ṢāliḥīnIbn al-'Uthaymin

In these verses and their like is clear evidence that a person ought to feel fear and awe, to dread the possibility that his heart might swerve, and to keep asking Allah at all times for firmness. For every human heart is held between two fingers of the Most Merciful; He turns it however He wills—if He pleases, He sets it upright, and if He pleases, He lets it deviate, and we seek refuge in Him.

We therefore ask the Turner of hearts to make our hearts steadfast upon His obedience and to grant us uprightness on His religion and perseverance therein.

The second verse is His saying: “Those to whom people said, ‘The people have gathered against you, so fear them,’ but it only increased them in faith, and they said, ‘Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best Trustee’” (Āl ‘Imrān 3:173).

This verse was revealed about the Companions—may Allah be pleased with them—after what befell them at the Battle of Uḥud: the wounds, injuries, and martyrs they suffered. They were told that Abū Sufyān had decided to attack them again and had rallied people against them. The Prophet ﷺ therefore summoned them to confront him, and they answered the call of Allah and His Messenger even after the hurt that had struck them and the great calamity they had endured: seventy of them had been killed, martyred in the path of Allah, and both the Prophet ﷺ and other Companions suffered what they suffered. Yet despite all that, they still obeyed Allah and the Messenger.

Allah the Exalted says: “Those who responded to Allah and the Messenger after injury had struck them—for those among them who did good and were mindful of Allah there is a mighty reward” (Āl ‘Imrān 3:172). And He says: “Those to whom people said, ‘The people have gathered against you…’” (Āl ‘Imrān 3:173), meaning that Abū Sufyān and those with him, the remaining nobles of Quraysh, had mustered against the Prophet ﷺ seeking to wipe him out, but Allah refuses except to perfect His light.

The Companions were told, “Fear these people,” yet it only increased them in faith, because the believer

وفي هذه الآيات وأشباهها دليل على انه ينبغي للإنسان إن يخاف، ويوجل، ويخشى من زيغ القلب، ويسال الله دائما الثبات، فانه ما من قلب من قلوب بني آدم إلا وهو بين إصبعين من أصابع الرحمن، يقلبه كيف يشاء، إن شاء أقامه، وإن شاء أزاغه والعياذ بالله. فنسال الله مقلب القلوب إن يثبت قلوبنا على طاعته، وإن يرزقنا الاستقامة على دينه والثبات عليه. الآية الثانية: قوله تعالى: (الَّذِينَ قَالَ لَهُمُ النَّاسُ إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ جَمَعُوا لَكُمْ فَاخْشَوْهُمْ فَزَادَهُمْ إِيمَاناً وَقَالُوا حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ) (آل عمران: ١٧٣) . هذه الآية نزلت في الصحابة_ رضي الله عنهم_ حيث حصل عليهم ما حصل في غزوة أحد، مما أصابهم من القرح والجروح الشهداء، فقيل لهم: إن أبا سفيان كان قد عزم على الكرة عليكم، وجمع لكم الناس، فندبهم النبي ﵊ إلى ملاقاته ومقابلته، فاستجابوا الله والرسول من بعد ما أصابهم القرح، ووأصيبوا بهذه النكبة العظيمة، فقتل منهم سبعون رجلا استشهدوا في سبيل الله، وحصل للنبي ﷺ ولغيره من صحابته_ رضي الله عنهم_ ما حصل، ومع هذا استجابوا لله وللرسول. قال الله تعالى: (الَّذِينَ اسْتَجَابُوا لِلَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا أَصَابَهُمُ الْقَرْحُ لِلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا مِنْهُمْ وَاتَّقَوْا أَجْرٌ عَظم (ِ١٧٢الَّذِينَ قَالَ لَهُمُ النَّاسُ إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ جَمَعُوا لَكُمْ) (آل عمران: من الآية١٧٣) ، يعني إن أبا سفيان ومن معه ممن بقي من كبراء قريش جمعوا للنبي ﷺ يريدون استئصاله، ولكن يأبى الله إلا إن يتم نوره. قيل للصحابة: اخشوا هؤلاء، ولكنهم ازدادوا إيمانا لان المؤمن