Sharḥ Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (2/126)

Sharḥ Riyāḍ al-ṢāliḥīnIbn al-'Uthaymin

—by Allah’s grace—immediately after speaking of guidance, for guidance nourishes the heart with knowledge and faith and nourishes the limbs with righteous deeds.

By contrast, food, drink, and clothing sustain the physical body: the body cannot function without food, nor can it be covered without clothing. Hence He said, “My servants, all of you are hungry except those whom I feed, so ask Me for food and I shall feed you.” Our Lord speaks the truth: every one of us is hungry unless Allah feeds him. Had Allah not made available the means of our nourishment, we would have perished. Allah makes this plain in Sūrah al-Wāqiʿah: “Have you considered what you sow? Is it you who make it grow, or are We the Grower?” (al-Wāqiʿah 63–64).

The only possible reply is: No indeed—You, our Lord, are the One who causes it to grow. For Allah says, “If We willed, We could turn it into chaff, and you would be left in amazement, saying, ‘We are ruined; no, we have been deprived’” (al-Wāqiʿah 65–67). Notice that He said, “If We willed, We could turn it into chaff,” rather than, “If We willed, We would not make it grow.” Once the crop has sprouted and people have set their hopes upon it, their hearts become attached to it. Should it then be reduced to rubble after their hopes were raised, the blow would be far more painful. For this reason He said, “If We willed, We could turn it into chaff,” and not, “If We willed, We would not make it grow.”

Allah further says, “Have you considered the water that you drink? Is it you who bring it down from the clouds, or are We the One Who brings it down?” (al-Wāqiʿah 69). The phrase “from the clouds” refers to the sky-borne rain. The water we drink descends by Allah’s command, after which He channels it into the earth as subterranean springs. It permeates the soil, flows beneath the ground like rivers, and is then extracted with the tools Allah has subjugated for humanity—each era according to its needs. Such is Allah’s wisdom: He stored the water in the belly of the earth, for if it had remained on the surface

الله ﷿ بعد أن ذكر الهداية، لأن في الهداية غذاء القلب بالعلم والإيمان، والجوارح بالعمل الصالح. أما الطعام والشراب والكسوة فهي غذاء البدن، لأن البدن لا يستقيم إلا بالطعام، ولا يستتر إلا بالكسوة، ولهذا قال: (يا عبادي، لكم جائع إلا من أطعمته، فاستطعموني أطعمكم) وصدق ربنا ﷿ كلنا جائع إلا من أطعمه الله، ولولا أن الله تعالى يسر لنا ما يكون به طعامنا لهلكنا، يقول الله تعالى مبيناً ذلك في سورة الواقعة: (أَفَرَأَيْتُمْ مَا تَحْرُثُونَ أَأَنْتُمْ تَزْرَعُونَهُ أَمْ نَحْنُ الزَّارِعُونَ) . والجواب: بل أنت ـ يا ربنا ـ الذي زرعته، لأن الله يقول: (لَوْ نَشَاءُ لَجَعَلْنَاهُ حُطَاماً فَظَلْتُمْ تَفَكَّهُونَ إِنَّا لَمُغْرَمُونَ) بَلْ نَحْنُ مَحْرُومُونَ) (الواقعة: ٦٥، ٦٧) ، وتأمل كيف قال تعالى: (لَوْ نَشَاءُ لَجَعَلْنَاهُ حُطَاماً) ، ولم يقل: لو نشاء ما أنبتناه، لأنه إذا نبت وشاهده الناس؛ تعلقت به قلوبهم، فإذا جعل حطاماً بعد أن تعلقت به القلوب؛ صار ذلك أشد نكاية، ولهذا قال تعالى (لَوْ نَشَاءُ لَجَعَلْنَاهُ حُطَاماً) ، ولم يقل لو نشاء ما أنبتناه. وقال تعالى: (أَفَرَأَيْتُمُ الْمَاءَ الَّذِي تَشْرَبُونَ أَأَنْتُمْ أَنْزَلْتُمُوهُ مِنَ الْمُزْنِ) (الواقعة: ٦٩) ، يعني: من السحاب، (أَمْ نَحْنُ الْمُنْزِلُونَ) ؛ لأن الماء الذي نشرب من السحاب، ينزله الله ﷿ على الأرض فيسلكه ينابيع، يدخله في الأرض، ويجري فيما تحت الأرض كالأنهار، ثم يستخرج بالأدوات التي سخرها الله ﷿ في كل وقت بحسبه، وهذا من حكمة الله ﷿ أن استودع الماء في بطون الأرض، ولو بقى على ظهر