فَقَالَAnd he saidفِيinكِتَابِهِhis bookمَدَارِجِThe Stagesالسَّالِكِينَof the wayfarers::وَمِنْAnd amongالجُودِthe generosityبِالعِلْمِwith knowledgeأَنْthatالسَّائِلَthe askerإِذَاifسَأَلَكَhe asks youمَسْأَلَةًa questionاستقصَيْتَyou thoroughly addressلَهُfor himجَوَابَهَاits answerجَوَابًاanswerشَافِيًاsufficientلَاnotيَكُونَbeجَوَابُكَyour answerلَهُto himبِقَدْرِby the measureمَاwhatتَدْفَعُyou pushبِهِwith itالضَّرُورَةَnecessity..
And he said in his book 'The Stages of the Wayfarers': And among the generosity with knowledge is that if the asker asks you a question, you thoroughly address its answer sufficiently; your answer should not be by the measure of what you push with it necessity.
وَلَقَدْAnd indeedشَاهَدْتُI witnessedمِنْfromشَيْخِSheikhالإِسْلَامِof IslamابْنِIbnتَيْمِيَّةَTaimiyyahقَدَّسَmay Allah sanctifyاللَّهُGodرُوحَهُhis soulفِيinذَلِكَthatأَمْرًاmatterعَجِيبًاstrange::كَانَhe wasإِذَاifسُئِلَaskedعَنْaboutمَسْأَلَةٍa questionحُكْمِيَّةٍjuridical،,ذَكَرَhe mentionedفِيinجَوَابِهَاits answerمَذَاهِبَthe doctrinesالأَئِمَّةِof the imamsالأَرْبَعَةِthe fourإِذَاifقَدَرَpossibleوَمَأْخَذَand the sourcesالْخِلَافِof disagreementوَتَرْجِيحَand the preferenceالْقَوْلِthe sayingالرَّاجِحِthe stronger،,وَذَكَرَand he mentionedمَتَعَلِّقَاتِthe related mattersالْمَسْأَلَةَthe issueالَّتِيthatرُبَّمَاperhapsتَكُونُwould beأَنْفَعَmore beneficialلِلسَّائِلِto the askerمِنْthanمَسْأَلَتِهِhis question،,فَيَكُونُthen his joyفَرَحُهُhis joyبِتِلْكَwith thoseالمَتَعَلِّقَاتِassociated mattersوَالْلَّوَازِمِand the necessitiesأَعْظَمُgreaterمِنْthanفَرَحِهِhis joyبِمَسْأَلَتِهِwith his question..
And indeed, I witnessed something strange from Sheikh of Islam Ibn Taimiyyah - may Allah sanctify his soul - in that matter: if he was asked about a legal question, he mentioned in its answer the doctrines of the four imams if possible, the sources of disagreement, and the preference for the stronger saying, and he mentioned the related matters of the issue that perhaps would be more beneficial to the asker than his question; then his joy with those related and necessary matters would be greater than his joy with his question.
وَفِيAnd inمَوْضِعٍanother placeآخَرَanotherجَعَلَhe madeذَلِكَthatدَلِيلًاevidenceعَلَىonكَمَالِthe completenessنَصْحِof advisingالْمُفْتِيthe muftiلِلْسَّائِلِto the askerوَكَمَالِand the completenessعِلْمِهِof his knowledgeوَإِرْشادِهِand his guidance..
And in another place, he made that evidence of the completeness of the mufti’s advising to the asker and the completeness of his knowledge and guidance.
وَلَاAnd there is noشَكٌّdoubtأَنَّthatالْجَوَابَthe answerعَنْtoبَعْضِsomeالْمَسَائِلِissuesالْفَرْعِيَّةِsubsidiaryقَدmayيَكُونُbeمَحَلًّاa subjectاِنْتِقَادٍof criticismإِذَاifخَرَجَit goes outعَنْfromالْمَأْلُوفِthe normفِيinالاِسْتِطَالَةِlengthinessوَالتَّشَعُّبِand ramificationوَكَثْرَةِand the abundanceالِاسْتِطْرَادِof digressions،,مِمَّاwhichيُضَطَرُّforcesالْمُجِيبَthe responderكُلَّمَاevery timeبَعَدَdepartsعَنْfromالْغَرَضِthe aimأَنْtoيَعُودَreturnإِلَىtoمَاwhatبَدَأَhe startedفَيَتَضَجَّرَso he becomes annoyedالسَّائِلُthe askerوَيَمَلَّand he tiresالْقَارِئَthe reader؛;وَلَكِنَbutإِذَاifكَانَit wasالسُّؤَالُthe questionعَنْaboutمَرَضٍa diseaseخَطِيرٍseriousمِنْofأَمْرَاضِthe diseasesالْقُلُوبِof the heartsكَمَرَضِlike a diseaseالْعِشْقِof passionالْمُخَالِفِcontraryلِسَائِرِto otherالأَمْرَاضِdiseasesفِيinذَاتِهِitselfوَأَسْبَابِهِand its causesوَعِلَاجِهِand its treatmentكَمَاasقَالَsaidالْمُؤَلِّفُthe author،,وَهُوَand it isمَرَضٌa diseaseلَاnotيَخْلُوfree fromمِنْهُitزَمَانٌtimeوَلَاnorمَكَانٌplaceوَلَكِنَّهُbut itقَدmayيَبْلُغُreachفِيinبَعْضِsomeالْمُجْتَمَعَاتِsocietiesلِكَثْرَةِdue to the abundanceدَوَاعِيَةِof its causesمِنْofالْفَشْوِspreadفِيinالْخَاصَّةِthe specificبَعْدَafterالْعَامَّةِthe generalمَبْلَغًاamountيُنْذِرُwarnsبِسُقُوطِof the fallالْمُجْتَمَعِsocietyفِيinالْهَاوِيَةِthe abyss==إِذَاifكَانَthere isالسُّؤَالُthe questionعَنْaboutمِثْلِsuchهَذَاthisالْمَرَضِdiseaseالَّذِيthatيَكَادُalmostيَكُونَbeوَبَاءًan epidemicفَتَاكًاdeadlyفَلَاthen noرَيْبَdoubtأَنَّthatمِنْfromكَمَالِthe completenessنَصْحِof advisingالْمُفْتِيthe muftiوَأَمَانَتِهِand his trustworthinessوَعِلْمِهِand his knowledgeوَفِقْهِهِand his jurisprudenceأَنْto beيَكُونَbeجَوَابُهُhis answerمُفَصَّلًاdetailedمُسْتَوْعِبًاencompassingلِجَوَانِبِthe aspectsالْمَوْضُوعِof the topic..
And there is no doubt that answering some subsidiary issues may be subject to criticism if it deviates from the norm in lengthiness, ramification, and the abundance of digressions, which forces the responder to return to what he started whenever he departs from the aim, annoying the asker and tiring the reader; but if the question is about a serious disease of the hearts, like the disease of passion, which is contrary to other diseases in its essence, causes, and treatment as the author said, and it is a disease that is not free from any time or place, but it may reach in some societies, due to its numerous causes, the level of spread among the specific after the general, to the extent that warns of the society's fall into the abyss = if the question is about such a disease that is almost an epidemic, there is no doubt that from the completeness of the mufti's advising, trustworthiness, knowledge, and jurisprudence is that his answer should be detailed and encompassing the aspects of the topic.
فَلَاSo it is notيَصِحُّcorrectلَهُfor himأَنْtoيَقْتَضِبَbe conciseالْكَلَامَthe speechأَوْor(١)(1)مَدَارِجِThe Stagesالسَّالِكِينَof the Wayfarers(٢/(2/٢٩٣293--٢٩٤)294)..
So it is not correct for him to be concise in speech or (1) 'The Stages of the Wayfarers' (2/293 - 294).