Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (5/347)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

The Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—said in the well-known authentic hadith:

“I have been commanded to fight the people until they testify that there is no deity except Allah and that I am the Messenger of Allah. Once they say this, they have protected their lives and property from me, except by its due right, and their reckoning is with Allah.” (1)

The Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—also said in an authentic hadith:

“Whoever dies knowing that there is no deity except Allah will enter Paradise.” (2)

He also said:

“Whoever’s last words are ‘There is no deity except Allah’ will enter Paradise.” (3)

The entire Quran is replete with establishing this tawhīd and calling people to it, making salvation and success contingent upon it and showing that happiness in the Hereafter is attained through it. It is well known that people differ in the degree to which they realize it. Its true essence is to devote the whole of religion sincerely to Allah.

Fanā (passing away) in this tawhīd is coupled with baqā (abiding) (4). This means affirming in your heart the divinity of the True One while denying divinity to all besides Him, thereby combining negation and affirmation. Thus, you say, “There is no deity except Allah.” Negation is fanā, while affirmation is baqā.

Its true essence is that, through worshipping Him, you turn away from all besides Him; [through loving Him, from loving all besides Him] (5); through fearing Him, from fearing all besides Him; through obeying Him, from obeying all besides Him; through showing loyalty to Him, from showing loyalty to all besides Him; through asking Him, from asking all besides Him; through seeking refuge in Him, from seeking refuge (6) in all besides Him; and through relying upon Him rather than relying upon

(1) This hadith was cited previously, 2/121. (2) The hadith of Uthmān ibn Affān—may Allah be pleased with him—is found in Muslim, 1/55 (Book of Faith, chapter “Evidence That Whoever Dies Will Certainly Enter Paradise”), and al-Musnad (al-Maārif ed.), 1/376. (3) This hadith was cited previously, 2/122. (4) (ن) and (م): “with fanā (passing away).” (5) The text between square brackets is absent only from (ن). (6) (ن): “and through seeking His aid rather than seeking aid.”

قَالَ النَّبِيُّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - فِي الْحَدِيثِ الصَّحِيحِ الْمَشْهُورِ: " «أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أُقَاتِلَ النَّاسَ حَتَّى يَشْهَدُوا أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، فَإِذَا قَالُوهَا فَقَدْ عَصَمُوا مِنِّي دِمَاءَهُمْ وَأَمْوَالَهُمْ إِلَّا بِحَقِّهَا، وَحِسَابُهُمْ عَلَى اللَّهِ» " (١) . وَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - فِي الْحَدِيثِ الصَّحِيحِ أَيْضًا: " «مَنْ مَاتَ وَهُوَ يَعْلَمُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ» " (٢) . وَقَالَ: " «مَنْ كَانَ آخِرُ كَلَامِهِ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ» " (٣) . وَالْقُرْآنُ كُلُّهُ مَمْلُوءٌ مِنْ تَحْقِيقِ هَذَا التَّوْحِيدِ وَالدَّعْوَةِ إِلَيْهِ، وَتَعْلِيقِ النَّجَاةِ وَالْفَلَاحِ، وَاقْتِضَاءِ السَّعَادَةِ فِي الْآخِرَةِ بِهِ. وَمَعْلُومٌ أَنَّ النَّاسَ مُتَفَاضِلُونَ فِي تَحْقِيقِهِ، وَحَقِيقَتُهُ إِخْلَاصُ الدِّينِ كُلِّهِ لِلَّهِ. وَالْفَنَاءُ فِي هَذَا التَّوْحِيدِ مَقْرُونٌ بِالْبَقَاءِ (٤) ، وَهُوَ أَنْ تُثْبِتَ إِلَهِيَّةَ الْحَقِّ فِي قَلْبِكَ، وَتَنْفِيَ إِلَهِيَّةَ مَا سِوَاهُ، فَتَجْمَعَ بَيْنَ النَّفْيِ وَالْإِثْبَاتِ، فَتَقُولَ: لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، فَالنَّفْيُ هُوَ الْفَنَاءُ، وَالْإِثْبَاتُ هُوَ الْبَقَاءُ. وَحَقِيقَتُهُ أَنْ تَفْنَى بِعِبَادَتِهِ عَمَّا سِوَاهُ، [وَمَحَبَّتِهِ عَنْ مَحَبَّةِ مَا سِوَاهُ] (٥) ، وَبِخَشْيَتِهِ عَنْ خَشْيَةِ مَا سِوَاهُ، وَبِطَاعَتِهِ عَنْ طَاعَةِ مَا سِوَاهُ، وَبِمُوَالَاتِهِ عَنْ مُوَالَاةِ مَا سِوَاهُ، وَبِسُؤَالِهِ عَنْ سُؤَالِ مَا سِوَاهُ، وَبِالِاسْتِعَاذَةِ بِهِ عَنْ الِاسْتِعَاذَةِ (٦) بِمَا سِوَاهُ، وَبِالتَّوَكُّلِ عَلَيْهِ عَنِ التَّوَكُّلِ عَلَى

(١) سَبَقَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ فِيمَا مَضَى ٢/١٢١ (٢) الْحَدِيثُ عَنْ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ عَفَّانَ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ - فِي: مُسْلِمٍ ١/٥٥ (كِتَابُ الْإِيمَانِ، بَابُ الدَّلِيلِ عَلَى أَنَّ مَنْ مَاتَ دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ قَطْعًا) ، " الْمُسْنَدِ " (ط. الْمَعَارِفِ) ١/٣٧٦ (٣) سَبَقَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ فِيمَا مَضَى ٢/١٢٢ (٤) ن، م: بِالْفَنَاءِ. (٥) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) فَقَطْ. (٦) ن: وَبِالِاسْتِغَاثَةِ بِهِ عَنْ الِاسْتِغَاثَةِ.