مَوْضُوعٌThe subjectالْكِتَابِof the book
The subject of the book.
الْكِتَابُThe bookجَوَابٌis an answerعَنْtoاسْتِفْتَاءِan inquiryوَرَدَthat was receivedعَلَىbyالْمُؤَلِّفِthe authorرَحِمَهُmay God have mercy on him,,وَنَصُّهُand its text is:«مَا"Whatتَقُولُdo [you] sayالسَّادَةُthe mastersالعُلَمَاءُthe scholarsأَئِمَّةُthe leadersالدِّينِof religion––رَضِيَmay [God] be pleasedاللَّهُwith Godعَنْهُمْwith themأَجْمَعِينَall togetherـ–فِيregardingرَجُلٍa manابْتُلِيَwho was afflictedبِبَلِيَّةٍwith a calamity,,وَعَلِمَand he knowsأَنَّهَاthat ifإِنit remainsاسْتَمَرَّتْperpetuatedبِهِwith himأَفْسَدَتْit will ruinعَلَيْهِupon himدُنْيَاهُhis worldly lifeوَآخِرَتَهُand his hereafter,,وَقَدْand he hasاجْتَهَدَstrivedفِيtoدَفْعِهَاpush it awayعَنْfromنَفْسِهِhimselfبِكُلِّby everyطَرِيقٍway,,فَمَاbut itتَزْدَادُonly increasesإِلَّاin intensityتَوَقُّدًاof burningوَشِدَّةًand hardship;;فَمَاso what isالْحِيَلَةُthe trickفِيtoدَفْعِهَاpush it away?؟?وَمَاAnd what isالطَّرِيقُthe wayإِلَىtoكَشْفِهَاuncover it?
The book is an answer to an inquiry that was received by the author, may God have mercy on him, and its text is: "What do the masters, the scholars, the leaders of religion - may God be pleased with them all - say regarding a man who was afflicted with a calamity, and he knows that if it remains with him it will ruin his worldly life and his hereafter, and he has strived to push it away from himself by every way, but it only increases in intensity and hardship; so what is the trick to push it away? What is the way to uncover it?".
لَمْThe inquirerيَفْصَحْdid not discloseالسَّائِلُthe questionerعَنْthe type ofنَوْعِcalamityالْبَلِيَّةِas you seeكَمَاand the author,تَرَىmay God have mercy on him,,أَيْضًاhas alsoقَدْbegunشَرَعَto answerفِيwithoutالإِجَابَةِincluding its name,دُونَand wroteأَنْchapters on supplicationيُسَمِّيَهَاand the effects,,وَكَتَبَof sinsفُصُولًاin and their
The inquirer did not disclose the type of calamity, as you see, and the author, may God have mercy on him, has also begun to answer without including its name, and he wrote chapters on supplication and the effects of sins.
وَذَكَرَHe mentionedكَبَائِرَthe majorالذُّنُوبَsins,,وَمِنْهَاand among themالشِّرْكُis polytheismوَقَتْلُ النَّفْسِand killing a soul,,ثُمَّthenبَيَّنَhe clarifiedعَظْمَthe enormityمَفْسَدَةِof the corruptionالزِّنَاof adulteryوَاللِّوَاطِand sodomy.فَلَمَّاWhenوَصَلَhe reachedإِلَىtoهَذَاthisالْمَوْضِعِpoint,قَالَhe said:
He mentioned the major sins, among them polytheism and killing a soul, and then he clarified the enormity of the corruption of adultery and sodomy. When he reached this point, he said:
فَإِنْIf it is said:قِيلَIt is said:::وَهَلْIs thereمَعَwith allذَلِكَthat?كُلُّAllمِنْofدَوَاءِa remedyلِهَذَاfor thisالْدَّاءِsevere disease,الْعُضَالِand a cure,,وَرَقِيَّةٍfor thisلِهَذَاfighting magic?,,وَمَاAnd what isالْاحْتِيَالُthe trickلِدَفْعِto pushهَذَاthisالْخَبَالِmadness?؟?هَلْIs it possibleيَمْلِكُthat he possessesالْعَاشِقُthe lover'sقَلْبَهُheartوَالْعِشْقُand loveقَدْhasوَصَلَreachedإِلَىtoسُوَيْدَائِهِhis innermost being?؟?
If it is said: Is there a remedy for this severe disease and a cure for this fighting magic? And what is the trick to push this madness? Is it possible that the lover possesses his heart while love has reached his innermost being?
وَلَعَلَّAnd perhapsهَذَاthis isهُوَwhatالْمَقْصُودُis intendedبِالسُّؤَالِby questionالَّذِيthatوَقَعَwas placedعَلَيْهِon itالِاسْتِفْتَاءُthe inquiry,,,وَالْدَّاءُand the diseaseالَّذِيthatطُلِبَwas requestedلَهُfor itالدَّوَاءُthe remedy.»"
And perhaps this is what is intended by the question that was posed in the inquiry, and the disease that was requested for it the remedy.
ثُمَّThenرَدَّhe respondedعَلَىtoالسُّؤَالِthe questionقَائِلًاsaying:::قِيلَ:It is said: نَعَمYes, الْجَوَابُthe answerمِنْis fromرَأْسٍthe head.(وَمَا(And nothingأَنْزَلَwas sent downاللَّهُby Godسُبْحَانَهُthe Almightyمِنْofدَاءٍan illnessإِلَّاexcept thatأَنْزَلَHe sentلَهُdown for itدَوَاءًa remedy.عَلِمَهُHe knows itمَنْwho knows it address.عَلَّمَهُand he ignores it who does not.مَنْfrom.جَهِلَهُ. »"
Then he responded to the question, saying: "It is said: Yes, the answer is from the head. (And nothing by God the Almighty was sent down in the form of an illness except that he sent down for it a remedy; He knows it who knows it, and he ignores it who does not.)".
ثُمَّThenتَكَلَّمَhe spokeعَلَىaboutعِلَاجِthe treatmentهَذَاof thisالدَّاءِdiseaseمِنْfromطَرِيقَيْنِtwo paths;أَحَدُهُمَاthe first is toحَسْمِcut offمَادَّتِهِthe materialقَبْلَbeforeحُصُولِهَاit occurs,وَالثَّانِيand the second is toقَلْعِهَاremove itبَعْدَafterنُزُولِهَاit descends.
Then he spoke about the treatment of this disease from two paths; the first is to cut off its material before it occurs, and the second is to remove it after it descends.
وَخَتَمَAnd he concludedالْجَوَابَthe answerبِبَيَانٍby explainingمَاwhatفِيis inعِشْقِthe loveالصُّورِof imagesمِنْofالْمَفَاسِدِthe corruptionsالْعَاجِلَةِthat are immediate.۱۷17
And he concluded the answer by explaining what is in the love of images of the immediate corruptions.