Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (6/222)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

their prayers lies a gulf as vast as that between heaven and earth. Nor is everyone who removes a thorny branch from the road forgiven.

Allah Most High says:

“It is neither their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah, but it is piety from you that reaches Him.”

[Surah al-Hajj: 37]

People (1) alike offer pilgrimage offerings and festival sacrifices. Yet neither the blood that is spilled, nor the meat that is eaten, nor its being given in charity (2) reaches Allah; rather, what reaches Him is the piety within their hearts.

It is related in a report:

“Two men may stand in the very same place in the prayer row, yet between their prayers lies a gulf as vast as that between east and west.”

Once it is understood that the worth of outward deeds is magnified [and diminished] (3) by what lies within the hearts, that what lies within hearts varies in degree, and that none but Allah knows the measure of the faith within them, a person realizes that everything the Messenger said is true and does not pit one part of it against another.

He Most High also says:

“And those who give what they give while their hearts are fearful because they will return to their Lord.”

[Surah al-Mu’minūn: 60]

It is narrated in al-Tirmidhi and elsewhere: “Aisha—may Allah be pleased with her—said:

‘O Messenger of Allah, is this (4) the man who commits fornication and steals (5), drinks wine, and fears being punished?’

He replied:

‘No,

(1) N and M read: “For people.” (2) B reads: “and the one who gives it in charity”; this is an error. (3) The phrase “and their worth is diminished” is omitted in N and M. (4) N and M read: “he is.” (5) M and R read: “steals and commits fornication.”

صَلَاتَيْهِمَا كَمَا بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ. وَلَيْسَ كُلُّ مَنْ نَحَّى غُصْنَ شَوْكٍ عَنِ الطَّرِيقِ يُغْفَرُ لَهُ. قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: {لَنْ يَنَالَ اللَّهَ لُحُومُهَا وَلَا دِمَاؤُهَا وَلَكِنْ يَنَالُهُ التَّقْوَى مِنْكُمْ} [سُورَةُ الْحَجِّ: ٣٧] . فَالنَّاسُ (١) يَشْتَرِكُونَ فِي الْهَدَايَا وَالضَّحَايَا، وَاللَّهُ لَا يَنَالُهُ الدَّمُ الْمُهْرَاقُ وَلَا اللَّحْمُ الْمَأْكُولُ، وَالتَّصَدُّقُ (٢) بِهِ، لَكِنْ يَنَالُهُ تَقْوَى الْقُلُوبِ. وَفِي الْأَثَرِ: «إِنَّ الرَّجُلَيْنِ لَيَكُونُ مَقَامُهُمَا فِي الصَّفِّ وَاحِدًا، وَبَيْنَ صَلَاتَيْهِمَا كَمَا بَيْنَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ» . فَإِذَا عُرِفَ أَنَّ الْأَعْمَالَ الظَّاهِرَةَ يَعْظُمُ قَدْرُهَا [وَيَصْغُرُ قَدْرُهَا] (٣) بِمَا فِي الْقُلُوبِ، وَمَا فِي الْقُلُوبِ يَتَفَاضَلُ، لَا يَعْرِفُ مَقَادِيرَ مَا فِي الْقُلُوبِ مِنَ الْإِيمَانِ إِلَّا اللَّهُ - عَرَفَ الْإِنْسَانُ أَنَّ مَا قَالَهُ الرَّسُولُ كُلَّهُ حَقٌّ، وَلَمْ يَضْرِبْ بَعْضَهُ بِبَعْضٍ. وَقَدْ قَالَ تَعَالَى: {وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْتُونَ مَا آتَوْا وَقُلُوبُهُمْ وَجِلَةٌ أَنَّهُمْ إِلَى رَبِّهِمْ رَاجِعُونَ} [سُورَةُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ: ٦٠] . وَفِي التِّرْمِذِيِّ وَغَيْرِهِ «عَنْ عَائِشَةَ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا - قَالَتْ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، أَهُوَ (٤) الرَّجُلُ يَزْنِي وَيَسْرِقُ (٥) وَيَشْرَبُ الْخَمْرَ وَيَخَافُ أَنْ يُعَاقَبَ؟ قَالَ: لَا

(١) ن، م: فَإِنَّ النَّاسَ. (٢) ب: وَالْمُتَصَدِّقُ، وَهُوَ خَطَأٌ. (٣) وَيَصْغُرُ قَدْرُهَا: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٤) ن، م: هُوَ. (٥) م، ر: يَسْرِقُ وَيَزْنِي.