Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (5/193)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

On this basis, the word shaytān (Satan) derives from shatana (“to be far removed”). According to major derivation, it also belongs to the pattern (1) shāta–yashītu (“to perish or burn”), because the two forms share the letters shīn and tā, while nūn and yā are close in articulation.

In Surah al-Nās, He—Glorified is He (2)—commands that refuge be sought from “the evil of the whisperer—from among jinn and mankind—who whispers into the hearts of mankind.” This includes the whispering of a person’s own soul to him, as well as the whispering of others to him.

The meaning of this verse has been discussed at length in a separate work (3).

The point here is that it is established (4) in the authentic hadith collections, from the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—through the hadiths of Abu Hurayrah and Ibn Abbas:

“If a servant intends to commit a sin, it is not recorded against him. If he abandons it for Allah’s sake, one complete good deed is recorded for him; but if he commits it, one sin is recorded against him. And when (5) he intends a good deed, one complete good deed is recorded for him; if he performs it, ten good deeds are recorded for him, up to seven hundredfold and many times beyond that.” (6)

(1) The word *bāb* is added in N and M. (2) H and B read: “Thus Allah—Glorified is He—.” (3) W reads: “elsewhere.” Ibn Taymiyya’s statement, “The discussion of the meaning of the verse …,” and so forth, suggests that he wrote a separate work on verse 259 of Surah al-Baqara. However, I have found nothing among the reference works and manuscripts available to me that indicates this. Perhaps the correct reading is: “The discussion of the meaning of the surah is presented at length in a separate work,” with Ibn Taymiyya referring to Surah al-Nās, since he wrote a separate treatise on its interpretation. It was published in the Riyadh edition of *Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā*, 17/509–536. (4) N reads: “If it is said: It is established.” (5) N and M read: “and when.” (6) This hadith, with variations in wording, is narrated from Ibn Abbās—may Allah be pleased with them both—in al-Bukhārī, 8/103, Book of Heart-Softening Reports, chapter “One Who Intends a Good or Bad Deed”; Muslim, 1/117–118, Book of Faith, chapter “When the Servant Intends a Good Deed, It Is Recorded”; and *Sunan al-Tirmidhī*, 4/330, Book of Exegesis, [Surah al-Anʿām]. The hadith also appears in *Sunan al-Dārimī* and *Sunan Ahmad* in numerous places.

وَعَلَى هَذَا فَالشَّيْطَانُ مُشْتَقٌّ مِنْ شَطَنَ، وَعَلَى الِاشْتِقَاقِ الْأَكْبَرِ هُوَ مِنْ بَابِ (١) شَاطَ يَشِيطُ، لِأَنَّهُمَا اشْتَرَكَا فِي الشِّينِ وَالطَّاءِ. وَالنُّونُ وَالْيَاءُ مُتَقَارِبَتَانِ. فَهُوَ سُبْحَانُهُ (٢) أَمَرَ فِي سُورَةِ النَّاسِ بِالِاسْتِعَاذَةِ مِنْ: شَرِّ الْوَسْوَاسِ مِنَ الْجِنَّةِ وَالنَّاسِ، الَّذِي يُوَسْوِسُ فِي صُدُورِ النَّاسِ. وَيَدْخُلُ فِي ذَلِكَ وَسْوَسَةُ نَفْسِ الْإِنْسَانِ لَهُ، وَوَسْوَسَةُ غَيْرِهِ لَهُ. وَالْقَوْلُ فِي مَعْنَى الْآيَةِ مَبْسُوطٌ فِي مُصَنَّفٍ مُفْرَدٍ (٣) . وَالْمَقْصُودُ هُنَا أَنَّهُ قَدْ ثَبَتَ (٤) فِي الصِّحَاحِ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - مِنْ حَدِيثِ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ وَابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ: " «أَنَّ الْعَبْدَ إِذَا هَمَّ بِخَطِيئَةٍ لَمْ تُكْتَبْ عَلَيْهِ، فَإِنْ تَرْكَهَا لِلَّهِ كُتِبَتْ لَهُ حَسَنَةً كَامِلَةً، فَإِنْ عَمِلَهَا كُتِبَتْ عَلَيْهِ سَيِّئَةً وَاحِدَةً، وَأَنَّهُ إِذَا (٥) هَمَّ بِحَسَنَةٍ كُتِبَتْ لَهُ حَسَنَةً كَامِلَةً، فَإِنْ عَمِلَهَا كُتِبَتْ لَهُ عَشْرَ حَسَنَاتٍ إِلَى سَبْعِمِائَةِ ضِعْفٍ إِلَى أَضْعَافٍ كَثِيرَةٍ» " (٦) .

(١) بَابِ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (ن) ، (م) . (٢) ح، ب: فَاللَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ. (٣) و: فِي غَيْرِ هَذَا الْمَوْضِعِ، وَقَوْلُ ابْنِ تَيْمِيَّةَ: وَالْقَوْلُ فِي مَعْنَى الْآيَةِ. . . إِلَخْ، يُفْهَمُ مِنْهُ أَنَّ لَهُ مُصَنَّفًا مُفْرَدًا عَنْ آيَةِ ٢٥٩ مِنْ سُورَةِ الْبَقَرَةِ، وَلَمْ أَجِدْ فِيمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيَّ مِنْ مَرَاجِعَ وَمَخْطُوطَاتٍ مَا يَدُلُّ عَلَى ذَلِكَ، وَلَعَلَّ الصَّوَابَ: وَالْقَوْلُ فِي مَعْنَى السُّورَةِ مَبْسُوطٌ فِي مُصَنَّفٍ مُفْرَدٍ، وَيَكُونُ مَقْصُودُ ابْنِ تَيْمِيَّةَ سُورَةُ النَّاسِ، فَإِنَّ لَهُ رِسَالَةً خَاصَّةً فِي تَفْسِيرِهَا نُشِرَتْ فِي مَجْمُوعِ فَتَاوَى الرِّيَاضِ ١٧/٥٠٩ - ٥٣٦ (٤) ن: فَإِنْ قِيلَ: إِنَّهُ قَدْ ثَبَتَ. (٥) ن، م: وَإِذَا. (٦) الْحَدِيثُ مَعَ اخْتِلَافٍ فِي الْأَلْفَاظِ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا فِي الْبُخَارِيِّ ٨/١٠٣ (كِتَابُ الرِّقَاقِ، بَابُ مَنْ هَمَّ بِحَسَنَةٍ أَوْ بِسَيِّئَةٍ) مُسْلِمٍ ١/١١٧ - ١١٨ كِتَابُ الْإِيمَانِ بَابُ إِذَا هَمَّ الْعَبْدُ بِحَسَنَةٍ كُتِبَتْ، سُنَنَ التِّرْمِذِيِّ ٤/٣٣٠ (كِتَابُ التَّفْسِيرِ، [سُورَةُ الْأَنْعَامِ] وَالْحَدِيثُ فِي سُنَنِ الدَّارِمِيِّ وَسُنَنِ أَحْمَدَ فِي مَوَاضِعَ كَثِيرَةٍ.