Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (5/408)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

Therefore, sermons (1) must include praise of Allah and affirmation of His oneness. For this reason, sermons delivered on Fridays, at the Eids, and on other occasions contain these two foundations. Likewise, the tashahhud at the end of the prayer begins with praise of Allah and concludes with the two testimonies of faith. Praise can be given only to one who is loved, and worship can be devoted only to one who is loved. We have discussed (2) the true meanings of these words at length in many places.

If the servants praise Him, extol Him, and love Him, then He (3)—glorified is He—is all the more worthy of praising Himself, extolling Himself, and loving Himself, as the best of creation said:

“I cannot enumerate all praise of You; You are as You have praised Yourself.” (4)

No praise offered by anyone is greater than the Lord’s praise of Himself. There is no praise without love, and no love from one beloved to another beloved is greater than the Lord’s love for Himself. His love for all those among His servants whom He loves follows from His love for Himself. Thus, He loves those who act justly, those who do good, the patient, and the believers; He loves those who constantly repent and those who purify themselves; and He rejoices at the repentance of those who repent. All of this follows from His love for Himself (5). For if a believer loves, for Allah’s sake, those created beings whom he loves—so that his love for the Messenger and the righteous follows from his love for Allah—then how much more is this true of the Exalted Lord with regard to the creatures He loves?

He loves them only as a consequence of His love for Himself (6), and He created all things for the sake of His wisdom, which He loves.

(1) H, B: “sermon.” (2) N, M: “and it has been discussed at length.” (3) H, B: “and He is.” (4) This hadith and the commentary on it appeared previously at 2/159. (5) H, B: “follows from His love for Himself.” (6) M: “because of His love for Himself.”

فَلَا بُدَّ فِي الْخُطَبِ (١) مِنَ الْحَمْدِ لِلَّهِ وَمِنْ تَوْحِيدِهِ ; وَلِهَذَا كَانَتِ الْخُطَبُ فِي الْجُمَعِ وَالْأَعْيَادِ وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ مُشْتَمِلَةً عَلَى هَذَيْنِ الْأَصْلَيْنِ، وَكَذَلِكَ التَّشَهُّدُ فِي آخِرِ الصَّلَاةِ أَوَّلُهُ ثَنَاءٌ عَلَى اللَّهِ، وَآخِرُهُ الشَّهَادَتَانِ، وَلَا يَكُونُ الثَّنَاءُ إِلَّا عَلَى مَحْبُوبٍ، وَلَا التَّأَلُّهُ إِلَّا لِمَحْبُوبٍ، وَقَدْ بَسَطْنَا (٢) الْكَلَامَ فِي حَقَائِقِ هَذِهِ الْكَلِمَاتِ فِي مَوَاضِعَ مُتَعَدِّدَةٍ. وَإِذَا كَانَ الْعِبَادُ يَحْمَدُونَهُ وَيُثْنُونَ عَلَيْهِ وَيُحِبُّونَهُ، فَهُوَ (٣) سُبْحَانَهُ أَحَقُّ بِحَمْدِ نَفْسِهِ وَالثَّنَاءِ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ وَالْمَحَبَّةِ لِنَفْسِهِ، كَمَا قَالَ أَفْضَلُ الْخَلْقِ: " «لَا أُحْصِي ثَنَاءً عَلَيْكَ أَنْتَ كَمَا أَثْنَيْتَ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ» " (٤) فَلَا ثَنَاءَ مِنْ مُثْنٍ أَعْظَمُ مِنْ ثَنَاءِ الرَّبِّ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ، وَلَا ثَنَاءَ إِلَّا بِحُبٍّ، وَلَا حُبَّ مِنْ مَحْبُوبٍ لِمَحْبُوبٍ أَعْظَمُ مِنْ مَحَبَّةِ الرَّبِّ لِنَفْسِهِ، وَكُلُّ مَا يُحِبُّهُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ فَهُوَ تَابِعٌ لِحُبِّهِ لِنَفْسِهِ، فَهُوَ يُحِبُّ الْمُقْسِطِينَ وَالْمُحْسِنِينَ، وَالصَّابِرِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنِينَ، وَيُحِبُّ التَّوَّابِينَ، وَيُحِبُّ الْمُتَطَهِّرِينَ، وَيَفْرَحُ بِتَوْبَةِ التَّائِبِينَ، كُلُّ ذَلِكَ تَبَعًا لِمَحَبَّتِهِ لِنَفْسِهِ (٥) ; فَإِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ إِذَا كَانَ يُحِبُّ مَا يُحِبُّهُ مِنَ الْمَخْلُوقَاتِ لِلَّهِ ; فَيَكُونُ حُبُّهُ لِلرَّسُولِ وَالصَّالِحِينَ تَبَعًا لِحُبِّهِ لِلَّهِ، فَكَيْفَ الرَّبُّ تَعَالَى فِيمَا يُحِبُّهُ مِنْ مَخْلُوقَاتِهِ؟ ! . إِنَّمَا يُحِبُّهُ تَبَعًا لِحُبِّهِ لِنَفْسِهِ (٦) ، وَخَلَقَ الْمَخْلُوقَاتِ لِحِكْمَتِهِ الَّتِي يُحِبُّهَا.

(١) ح، ب: الْخُطْبَةِ. (٢) ن، م: وَقَدْ بُسِطَ. (٣) ح، ب: وَهُوَ. (٤) سَبَقَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ وَالتَّعْلِيقُ عَلَيْهِ فِيمَا مَضَى ٢/١٥٩ (٥) ح، ب: تَابِعٌ لِمَحَبَّةِ نَفْسِهِ. (٦) م: لِمَحَبَّةِ نَفْسِهِ.