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for whoever does not thank people has not thanked Allah (1). When someone wrongs them, they believe that they may respond to him with justice (2), though pardoning him is better, provided that punishing him does not involve a right belonging to Allah. Each of them regards Allah as having blessed him through the first person’s kindness (3), so that he may thank him for it, and as having tested him through the other person’s wrongdoing, just as He tests him with various afflictions, so that he may remain patient, seek forgiveness for his sins, and be content with His decree.
As is authentically established from the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—he said:
“Allah never decrees anything for a believer (4) without it being good for him. If prosperity comes to him and he gives thanks, it is good for him; and if adversity (5) comes to him and he remains patient, it is good for him. This applies to no one except the believer.” (6)
(1) A and B read: “Whoever does not thank people has not thanked Allah.” In ʿ, the phrase “has not thanked Allah” is omitted. M reads: “Whoever does not thank people said it…,” which is a corruption.
(2) ʿ reads: “Those who are wronged believe that they may fight him justly.” M reads: “Whoever praises them, they believe that he should be recompensed and repaid justly,” which is a corruption.
(3) N and M read: “through the first act of kindness.”
(4) ʿ and N read: “for the believer”; M: “the believer.”
(5) B reads: “If good befalls him”; A: “If evil befalls him,” which is a scribal error.
(6) A and B read: “except for the believers.” The hadith is narrated from Suhayb—may Allah be pleased with him—in Muslim, 4/2295, Book of Asceticism, chapter “The Believer’s Entire Affair Is Good.” Its wording there is: “How remarkable is the believer’s affair! His entire affair is good, and this applies to no one except the believer. If prosperity befalls him, he gives thanks…”—and the remainder of the hadith. It is also found in *al-Musnad*, 4/332–333 and 6/15–16. In the first two locations, the hadith begins: “I marvel at the believer’s affair” (variant: “at the affair of the believer”); in the last location: “I marvel at Allah’s decree for the believer.” Moreover, the first part of Ibn Taymiyya’s statement occurs in another hadith narrated from Anas—may Allah be pleased with him—in *al-Musnad*, Aleppo edition, 3/117: “I marvel at the believer: Allah never issues a decree without its being good for him”; and at 3/184: “I marvel at the believer: Allah never decrees anything for the believer without its being good for him.” Al-Albānī declared the hadith authentic in *Silsilat al-Ahādīth al-Sahīha*, 4/28.
فَإِنَّهُ مَنْ لَمْ يَشْكُرِ النَّاسَ لَمْ يَشْكُرِ اللَّهَ
(١)
، وَمَنْ أَسَاءَ إِلَيْهِمْ يَعْتَقِدُونَ جَوَازَ مُقَابَلَتِهِ بِالْعَدْلِ
(٢)
، وَأَنَّ الْعَفْوَ عَنْهُ أَفْضَلُ إِذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ فِي عُقُوبَتِهِ حَقٌّ لِلَّهِ، وَيَرَى أَحَدُهُمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ أَنْعَمَ عَلَيْهِ بِإِحْسَانِ الْأَوَّلِ
(٣)
لِيَشْكُرَهُ عَلَيْهِ، وَأَنَّهُ ابْتَلَاهُ بِإِسَاءَةِ هَذَا إِلَيْهِ كَمَا يَبْتَلِيهِ بِأَنْوَاعِ الْبَلَاءِ لِيَصْبِرَ وَيَسْتَغْفِرَ مِنْ ذُنُوبِهِ وَيَرْضَى بِقَضَائِهِ.
كَمَا ثَبَتَ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ:
" «لَا يَقْضِي اللَّهُ لِمُؤْمِنٍ
(٤)
قَضَاءً إِلَّا كَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُ، إِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ سَرَّاءُ فَشَكَرَ كَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُ، وَإِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ ضَرَّاءُ
(٥)
فَصَبَرَ كَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُ وَلَيْسَ ذَلِكَ لِأَحَدٍ إِلَّا لِلْمُؤْمِنِ» "
(٦)
(١) أ، ب: فَإِنَّ مَنْ لَا يَشْكُرُ النَّاسَ لَمْ يَشْكُرِ اللَّهَ، وَفِي (ع) سَقَطَتْ عِبَارَةُ لَمْ يَشْكُرِ اللَّهَ، وَفِي (م) قَالَهُ مَنْ لَمْ يَشْكُرِ النَّاسَ. . .، وَهُوَ تَحْرِيفٌ.
(٢) ع: وَمَنْ أُسِيءَ إِلَيْهِمْ يَعْتَقِدُونَ جَوَازَ مُقَاتَلَتِهِ بِالْعَدْلِ، م: وَمَنْ أَثْنَى عَلَيْهِمْ يَعْتَقِدُونَ جَزَاءً وَمُقَابَلَتَهُ بِالْعَدْلِ، وَهُوَ تَحْرِيفٌ.
(٣) ن، م: بِالْإِحْسَانِ الْأَوَّلِ.
(٤) ع، ن: لِلْمُؤْمِنِ، م: الْمُؤْمِنَ.
(٥) ب: إِنْ أَصَابَهُ خَيْرٌ، أ: إِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ شَرًّا، وَهُوَ تَصْحِيفٌ.
(٦) أ، ب: إِلَّا لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ، وَالْحَدِيثُ عَنْ صُهَيْبٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ فِي مُسْلِمٍ ٤/٢٢٩٥ كِتَابِ الزُّهْدِ، بَابِ الْمُؤْمِنُ أَمْرُهُ كُلُّهُ خَيْرٌ، وَلَفْظُهُ فِيهِ: عَجَبًا لِأَمْرِ الْمُؤْمِنِ، إِنَّ أَمْرَهُ كُلَّهُ خَيْرٌ وَلَيْسَ ذَاكَ لِأَحَدٍ إِلَّا لِلْمُؤْمِنِ، إِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ سَرَّاءُ شَكَرَ. الْحَدِيثَ. وَهُوَ فِي الْمُسْنَدِ ٤/٣٣٢، ٣٣٣، ٦/١٥، ١٦، وَأَوَّلُ الْحَدِيثِ فِي الْمَوْضِعَيْنِ الْأَوَّلَيْنِ، عَجِبْتُ مِنْ أَمْرِ (لِأَمْرِ) الْمُؤْمِنِ، وَفِي الْمَوْضِعِ الْأَخِيرِ: عَجِبْتُ مِنْ قَضَاءِ اللَّهِ لِلْمُؤْمِنِ. عَلَى أَنَّ الْقِسْمَ الْأَوَّلَ مِنْ كَلَامِ ابْنِ تَيْمِيَةَ جَاءَ فِي حَدِيثٍ آخَرَ عَنْ أَنَسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ فِي الْمُسْنَدِ ط الْحَلَبِيِّ ٣ ١١٧ وَلَفْظُهُ: عَجِبْتُ لِلْمُؤْمِنِ، إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمْ يَقْضِ قَضَاءً إِلَّا كَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُ، ٣/١٨٤، وَلَفْظُهُ: عَجِبْتُ لِلْمُؤْمِنِ، إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَقْضِي لِلْمُؤْمِنِ قَضَاءً إِلَّا كَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُ. وَقَالَ الْأَلْبَانِيُّ عَنِ الْحَدِيثِ فِي سِلْسِلَةِ الْأَحَادِيثِ الصَّحِيحَةِ ٤/٢٨ إِنَّهُ صَحِيحٌ.