Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (6/210)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

A sin accompanied by repentance produces in the one who committed it a degree of servitude to Allah, humble submission, humility, supplication, and other qualities that he did not possess before.

For this reason, a group of the early generations said:

“A servant may commit a sin and thereby enter Paradise, and he may perform a good deed (* and thereby enter Hell. He commits the sin, and it remains ever before his eyes (1). Whenever he remembers it, he repents to Allah, calls upon Him, and humbles himself before Him; thus, because of it, he enters Paradise. He performs the good deed *) (2), becomes self-admiring because of it, and enters Hell.”

It is related in a report:

“If you did not commit sins, I would fear for you something greater than sin: self-admiration.”

It is related in another report:

“Were repentance not the most beloved of all things to Him, He would not have tried His most honored creature with sin.”

It is related in another report that Allah Most High says:

“Those who remember Me are My companions; those who thank Me receive My increase; and those who obey Me receive My honor. As for those who disobey Me, I do not cause them (3) to despair of My mercy. If they repent, I am their Beloved, for Allah loves those who constantly repent [and loves those who purify themselves] (4). If they do not repent, I am their physician: I try them with afflictions to cleanse them of their faults.” (5)

One who repents is beloved to Allah, whether young or old.

[The Second Cause: Seeking Forgiveness]

Seeking forgiveness [is] (6) the request for forgiveness. It is a form of supplication and petition and is generally coupled with repentance [and enjoined

(1) (N) reads: “and it remains ever before his eyes.” (2) The passage between the two asterisks is omitted from (M). (3) (N) reads: “I do not cause them to despair.” (4) “And He loves those who purify themselves” is omitted from (N) and (M). (5) (N) and (M) read: “so that I may expiate some of their faults.” (6) “It is” is omitted from (N) and (M).

وَالذَّنْبُ مَعَ التَّوْبَةِ يُوجِبُ لِصَاحِبِهِ مِنَ الْعُبُودِيَّةِ وَالْخُشُوعِ وَالتَّوَاضُعِ وَالدُّعَاءِ وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ، مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ يَحْصُلُ قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ؛ وَلِهَذَا قَالَ طَائِفَةٌ مِنَ السَّلَفِ: إِنَّ الْعَبْدَ لَيَفْعَلُ الذَّنْبَ فَيَدْخُلُ بِهِ الْجَنَّةَ، وَيَفْعَلُ الْحَسَنَةَ (* فَيَدْخُلُ بِهَا النَّارَ. يَفْعَلُ الذَّنْبَ فَلَا يَزَالُ نُصْبَ عَيْنَيْهِ (١) ، إِذَا ذَكَرَهُ تَابَ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَدَعَاهُ وَخَشَعَ لَهُ فَيَدْخُلُ بِهِ الْجَنَّةَ، وَيَفْعَلُ الْحَسَنَةَ *) (٢) فَيُعْجَبُ بِهَا فَيَدْخُلُ النَّارَ. وَفِي الْأَثَرِ: «لَوْ لَمْ تُذْنِبُوا لَخِفْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ مَا هُوَ أَعْظَمُ مِنَ الذَّنْبِ، وَهُوَ الْعُجْبُ» . وَفِي أَثَرٍ آخَرَ: «لَوْ لَمْ تَكُنِ التَّوْبَةُ أَحَبَّ الْأَشْيَاءِ إِلَيْهِ لَمَا ابْتَلَى بِالذَّنْبِ أَكْرَمَ الْخَلْقِ عَلَيْهِ» . وَفِي أَثَرٍ آخَرَ: " «يَقُولُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: أَهْلُ ذِكْرِي أَهْلُ مُجَالَسَتِي، وَأَهْلُ شُكْرِي أَهْلُ زِيَادَتِي، وَأَهْلُ طَاعَتِي أَهْلُ كَرَامَتِي، وَأَهْلُ مَعْصِيَتِي لَا أُقَنِّطُهُمْ (٣) مِنْ رَحْمَتِي، إِنْ تَابُوا فَأَنَا حَبِيبُهُمْ، فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ التَّوَّابِينَ [وَيُحِبُّ الْمُتَطَهِّرِينَ] (٤) ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يَتُوبُوا فَأَنَا طَبِيبُهُمْ، أَبْتَلِيهِمْ بِالْمَصَائِبِ لِأُطَهِّرَهُمْ مِنَ الْمَعَايِبِ» " (٥) . وَالتَّائِبُ حَبِيبُ اللَّهِ سَوَاءٌ كَانَ شَابًّا أَوْ شَيْخًا. [السبب الثاني الاستغفار] ُ؛ فَإِنَّ الِاسْتِغْفَارَ [هُوَ] (٦) طَلَبُ الْمَغْفِرَةِ، وَهُوَ مِنْ جِنْسِ الدُّعَاءِ وَالسُّؤَالِ، وَهُوَ مَقْرُونٌ بِالتَّوْبَةِ فِي الْغَالِبِ [وَمَأْمُورٌ

(١) ن: فَلَا يَزَالُ بَيْنَ عَيْنَيْهِ. (٢) مَا بَيْنَ النَّجْمَتَيْنِ سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (م) . (٣) ن: لَا أُوَيِّسُهُمْ. (٤) وَيُحِبُّ الْمُتَطَهِّرِينَ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٥) ن، م: لِأُكَفِّرَ عَنْهُمْ مِنَ الْمَعَايِبِ. (٦) هُوَ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) .