Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (5/309)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

The servant asks Allah to grant him understanding and teach him (1), to open his heart, and to make faith and righteous deeds beloved to him. He does not seek this from anyone other than Allah.

The Most High said:

“What of one whose heart Allah has opened to Islam, so that he is upon a light from his Lord?”

[Surah al-Zumar: 22]

And He said:

“Whoever Allah wills to guide, He opens his heart to Islam; and whoever He wills to lead astray, He makes his heart tight and constricted.”

[Surah al-An‘ām: 125]

And He said:

“So We gave Solomon understanding of it.”

[Surah al-Anbiyā’: 79]

Thus, He singled out Solomon by granting him understanding, even though both men were judges; He did not single out either of them with any outward knowledge.

The Most High also said:

“By the soul and the One Who fashioned it, then inspired it with its wickedness and its piety.”

[Surah al-Shams: 7–8]

“The oath most frequently sworn by the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—was: ‘No, by the Turner of hearts.’” (2)

And he said: “There is no heart among the hearts of the servants except that it is between two of the fingers of

(1) H, B: “that He teach him and grant him understanding.” (2) The hadith is narrated from Ibn Umar—may Allah be pleased with them both—in al-Bukhārī, 8/128–129, Book of Oaths, chapter “How the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—Used to Swear”; 9/118, Book of Tawhīd (Monotheism), chapter “The Turner of Hearts”; Sunan al-Tirmidhī, 3/48, Book of Vows, chapter “How the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—Used to Swear”; Sunan al-Nasā’ī, 7/3, Book of Oaths and Vows, chapter “Swearing by the Disposer of Hearts,” in two places; Sunan Ibn Mājah, 1/676, Book of Expiations, chapter “The Oath by Which the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—Used to Swear”; Sunan al-Dārimī, 2/187, Book of Vows and Oaths, chapter “Whichever Name of Allah You Swear By Becomes Binding upon You”; al-Muwatta’, 2/480, Book of Vows and Oaths, chapter “Oaths in General”; and al-Musnad (al-Ma’ārif ed.), 7/17, 215.

وَيَطْلُبُ الْعَبْدُ مِنَ اللَّهِ أَنْ يُفَهِّمَهُ وَيُعَلِّمَهُ (١) وَيَشْرَحَ صَدْرَهُ، وَأَنْ يُحَبِّبَ إِلَيْهِ الْإِيمَانَ وَالْعَمَلَ الصَّالِحَ، وَلَا يَطْلُبُ هَذَا مِنْ غَيْرِ اللَّهِ. قَالَ تَعَالَى: {أَفَمَنْ شَرَحَ اللَّهُ صَدْرَهُ لِلْإِسْلَامِ فَهُوَ عَلَى نُورٍ مِنْ رَبِّهِ} [سُورَةُ الزُّمَرِ: ٢٢] . وَقَالَ: {فَمَنْ يُرِدِ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَهدِيَهُ يَشْرَحْ صَدْرَهُ لِلْإِسْلَامِ وَمَنْ يُرِدْ أَنْ يُضِلَّهُ يَجْعَلْ صَدْرَهُ ضَيِّقًا حَرَجًا} [سُورَةُ الْأَنْعَامِ: ١٢٥] . وَقَالَ: {فَفَهَّمْنَاهَا سُلَيْمَانَ} [سُورَةُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ: ٧٩] ، فَخَصَّ سُلَيْمَانَ بِالتَّفْهِيمِ مَعَ أَنَّهُمَا كَانَا حَاكِمَيْنِ، لَمْ يَخُصَّ أَحَدَهُمَا بِعِلْمٍ ظَاهِرٍ، وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: {وَنَفْسٍ وَمَا سَوَّاهَا - فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَاهَا} [سُورَةُ الشَّمْسِ: ٧ - ٨] . «وَكَانَتْ أَكْثَرُ يَمِينِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -: " لَا وَمُقَلِّبِ الْقُلُوبَ» " (٢) . وَقَالَ: " «مَا مِنْ قَلْبٍ مِنْ قُلُوبِ الْعِبَادِ إِلَّا وَهُوَ بَيْنَ إِصْبِعَيْنِ مِنْ أَصَابِعِ

(١) ح، ب: أَنْ يُعَلِّمَهُ وَيُفَهِّمَهُ (٢) الْحَدِيثُ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا - فِي الْبُخَارِيِّ ٨/١٢٨ - ١٢٩ كِتَابُ الْأَيْمَانِ بَابُ كَيْفَ كَانَتْ يَمِينُ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - ٩/١١٨ كِتَابُ التَّوْحِيدِ، بَابُ مُقَلِّبِ الْقُلُوبِ، سُنَنِ التِّرْمِذِيِّ ٣/٤٨ كِتَابُ النُّذُورِ، بَابُ كَيْفَ كَانَ يَمِينُ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -، سُنَنِ النَّسَائِيِّ ٧/٣، كِتَابُ الْأَيْمَانِ وَالنُّذُورِ بَابُ الْحَلِفِ بِمُصَرِّفِ الْقُلُوبِ، فِي مَوْضِعَيْنِ، سُنَنُ ابْنِ مَاجَهْ ١/٦٧٦ (كِتَابُ الْكَفَّارَاتِ، بَابُ يَمِينِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - الَّتِي كَانَ يَحْلِفُ بِهَا) ، سُنَنُ الدَّارِمِيِّ ٢/١٨٧ كِتَابُ النُّذُورِ وَالْأَيْمَانِ، بَابُ بِأَيِّ أَسْمَاءِ اللَّهِ حَلَفْتَ لَزِمَكَ، الْمُوَطَّأِ ٢/٤٨٠ كِتَابُ النُّذُورِ وَالْأَيْمَانِ، بَابُ جَامِعِ الْأَيْمَانِ، " الْمُسْنَدِ " (ط. الْمَعَارِفِ) ٧/١٧، ٢١٥