Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (5/404)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

their hearts a love for Allah that is matched by their love for no one else. For this reason, the Lord is praised unreservedly for everything He has done and is praised in particular for His kindness toward the one who praises Him. The latter is the praise of gratitude, while the former is praise of Him (1) for everything He has done.

As He says:

“All praise is for Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth and made darkness and light.”

[Surah al-An‘ām: 1]

And:

“All praise is for Allah, the Originator of the heavens and the earth,” to the end of the verse.

[Surah Fātir: 1]

Praise is the opposite of blame. Praise consists in speaking of the virtues of the one praised, together with love for him, whereas blame consists in speaking of the faults of the one blamed, together with hatred for him. Thus, there can be no praise of one who is praised without loving him, nor any blame of one who is blamed without hating him. To Him—glorified is He—belongs all praise in this world and the Hereafter.

The first words Adam uttered were:

[“All praise is for Allah, Lord of all worlds.”] (2)

The first words he heard from his Lord were:

“May your Lord have mercy on you.”

And the final supplication of the people of Paradise will be:

“All praise is for Allah, Lord of all worlds.”

The first to be summoned to Paradise will be those who praise Him abundantly. Our Prophet Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—is the bearer of the Banner of Praise; Adam and everyone beneath him will be under his banner. He is the possessor of the Praiseworthy Station, for which all generations, first and last, will envy him.

There can therefore be no worship without loving the one worshipped (3), [and no praise without loving the one praised] (4). He—glorified is He—is the One worshipped and praised.

(1) Manuscript *hāʾ* reads: “praise.” (2) The text in square brackets is absent from manuscript *nūn*. (3) Manuscripts *nūn*, *mīm*, *rāʾ*, and *hāʾ* read: *yuhibbu lil-maʿbūd* (“he loves for the one worshipped”). (4) The text in square brackets is absent from manuscript *nūn*. Manuscripts *mīm* and *yāʾ* read: “except with love for the one praised.”

قُلُوبِهِمْ مُحِبَّةَ اللَّهِ، لَا يُمَاثِلُهُ فِيهَا غَيْرُهُ. وَلِهَذَا كَانَ الرَّبُّ مَحْمُودًا حَمْدًا مُطْلَقًا عَلَى كُلِّ مَا فَعَلَهُ، وَحَمْدًا خَاصًّا عَلَى إِحْسَانِهِ إِلَى الْحَامِدِ، فَهَذَا حَمْدُ الشُّكْرِ، وَالْأَوَّلُ حَمْدُهُ (١) عَلَى كُلِّ مَا فَعَلَهُ. كَمَا قَالَ: {الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَجَعَلَ الظُّلُمَاتِ وَالنُّورَ} [سُورَةُ الْأَنْعَامِ: ١] ، {الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ فَاطِرِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ} الْآيَةَ [سُورَةُ فَاطِرٍ: ١] . وَالْحَمْدُ ضِدُّ الذَّمِّ. وَالْحَمْدُ خَبَرٌ بِمَحَاسِنَ الْمَحْمُودِ مَقْرُونٌ بِمَحَبَّتِهِ، وَالذَّمُّ خَبَرٌ بِمَسَاوِئِ الْمَذْمُومِ مَقْرُونٌ بِبُغْضِهِ ; فَلَا يَكُونُ حَمْدٌ لِمَحْمُودٍ إِلَّا مَعَ مَحَبَّتِهِ، وَلَا يَكُونُ ذَمٌّ لِمَذْمُومٍ إِلَّا مَعَ بُغْضِهِ، وَهُوَ سُبْحَانُهُ لَهُ الْحَمْدُ فِي الْأُولَى وَالْآخِرَةِ. وَأَوَّلُ مَا نَطَقَ بِهِ آدَمُ: [الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ] (٢) ، وَأَوَّلُ مَا سَمِعَ مِنْ رَبِّهِ: يَرْحَمُكَ رَبُّكَ، وَآخِرُ دَعْوَى أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ: أَنِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ، وَأَوَّلُ مَنْ يُدْعَى إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ الْحَمَّادُونَ، وَنَبِيُّنَا مُحَمَّدٌ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - صَاحِبُ لِوَاءِ الْحَمْدِ، آدَمُ فَمَنْ دُونَهُ تَحْتَ لِوَائِهِ، وَهُوَ صَاحِبُ الْمَقَامِ الْمَحْمُودِ، الَّذِي يَغْبِطُهُ بِهِ الْأَوَّلُونَ وَالْآخِرُونَ. فَلَا تَكُونُ عِبَادَةٌ إِلَّا بِحُبِّ الْمَعْبُودِ (٣) ، [وَلَا يَكُونُ حَمْدٌ إِلَّا بِحُبِّ الْمَحْمُودِ] (٤) ، وَهُوَ سُبْحَانُهُ الْمَعْبُودُ الْمَحْمُودُ.

(١) ح: حَمْدٌ. (٢) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) . (٣) ن، م، ر، ح: يُحِبُّ لِلْمَعْبُودِ. (٤) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) ، وَفِي (م) ، (ي) إِلَّا بِحُبٍّ لِلْمَحْمُودِ.