الرَّشَادُGuidanceوَضِدُAnd the oppositeالأَوَّلُof the firstهُوَisالضَّلاَلُmisguidanceوَضِدُAnd the oppositeالثَّانِيُof the secondهُوَisالْغَيُّdeviation.وَالضَّلاَلُand misguidanceالْعَمَلُactingبِغَيْرِwithoutعِلْمٍknowledgeوَالْغَيُّand deviationاتِّبَاعٌfollowingالْهَوَىٰdesire.
Guidance; and the opposite of the first is misguidance, and the opposite of the second is deviation. Acting without knowledge and deviation is following desire.
قَالَHe saidتَعَالَىٰExaltedوَالنَّجْمُAnd the starإِذَاwhenهَوَىit falls.مَاNotضَلَّmisguidedصَاحِبُكُمْyour companionوَمَاand notغَوَىٰdeviated.
He said, Exalted: "And the star when it falls, your companion has not gone astray, nor has he deviated."
فَلَاSo, notيَنَالُachievesالْهُدَىguidanceإِلَّاexceptبِالْعِلْمِby knowledge.
So guidance cannot be achieved except through knowledge.
وَلَاAnd notيَنَالُachievesالرَّشَادَguidanceإِلَّاexceptبِالصَّبْرِby patience.
And guidance cannot be achieved except through patience.
وَلِهَذَاAnd for this reasonقَالَhe saidعَلِيٌّAli:أَلاIndeed,إِنَّtheالصَّبْرَpatienceمِنَis ofالْإِيمَانِfaithبِمَنْزِلَةِlike the status ofالرَّأْسِthe headمِنَofالْجَسَدِthe body.
And for this reason, he said Ali: "Indeed, patience is of faith like the status of the head is to the body."
فَإِذَاSo, whenانْقَطَعَthe head is cutالرَّأْسُthe headبَانَthe body appears.
So when the head is cut, the body appears.
ثُمَّThenرَفَعَhe raisedصَوْتَهُhis voiceفَقَالَand saidأَلاIndeed,لَاthere is noإِيمَانٌfaithلِمَنْfor whoeverلَاdoes notصَبَرَhave patienceلَهُfor him.
Then he raised his voice and said: "Indeed, there is no faith for whoever does not have patience."
وَأَمَّاAnd as forالرِّضَاsatisfactionفَقَدْit hasتَنَازَعَbeen disputedالْعُلَمَاءُby the scholarsوَالْمَشَايِخُand the sheikhsمِنْofأَصْحَابِthe companionsالإِمَامِof ImamأَحْمَدَAhmad.
And as for satisfaction, it has been disputed by the scholars and the sheikhs of the companions of Imam Ahmad.
وَغَيْرِهِمand others.فِيInالرِّضَاbeing contentبِالْقَضَاءِwith the decree.هَلIs itهُوَmandatoryوَاجِبٌor obligatory?أَوْOrمُسْتَحَبٌّrecommended?
And others dispute whether being satisfied with the decree is mandatory or recommended.
عَلَىAccording toقَوْلَيْنِtwo sayings.فَعَلَىOn the firstالأَوَّلِis that it isيَكُونُone ofمِنْthe acts ofأَعمالِthe moderate.الْمُقْتَصِدِينَthe moderate.
According to the two sayings, on the first the first is that it is one of the acts of the moderate.
وَعَلَىAnd onالثَّانِيthe secondيَكُونُit isمِنْone ofأَعمالِthe acts ofالْمُقَرَّبِينَthe close.
And on the second it is one of the acts of the close.
قَالَعُمَرُ بِنْ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِالرِّضَاsatisfactionعَزِيزٌis precious.وَلَكِنَّهُYet it isمَعُولٌa relying uponالْمُؤْمِنُthe believer.
Umar ibn Abdul Aziz said: "Satisfaction is precious, yet it is relied upon by the believer."
وَقَدAnd it hasرُوِيَbeen narratedعَنْfromالنَّبِيِthe Prophet(صَلَّى(peaceاللَّهُbe upon him)
And it has been narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said.
أَنَّهُthat heقَالَsaidلِابْنِto IbnعَبَّاسٍAbbas:إِنْIndeed,اسْتَطَعْتَif you canأَنْtoتَعْمَلَactلِلَّهِfor Godبِالرِّضَاwith satisfactionمَعَalong withالْيَقِينِcertainty,فَافْعَلْthen do.
And he said to Ibn Abbas: "Indeed, if you can act for God with satisfaction along with certainty, then do."
فَإِنْIfلَمْyou cannot,تَسْتَطِعْthen that should be sufficient.فَإنَّهُBecauseفِيinالصَّبْرِpatienceعَلَىforمَاwhat youتَكْرَهُdislikeخَيْرٌthere is much good.
If you cannot, then there is much good in patience over what you dislike.
وَلِهَذَاAnd for this reasonلَمْit has notيَجِئْcomeفِيinالْقُرْآنِthe Qur'anإِلَّاexceptمَدْحٌpraiseالرَّاضِينَfor the satisfied.
And for this reason, it has not come in the Qur'an except for praise for those who are satisfied.
لَاNotإِيجَابٌobligationذَلِكَin that.وَهَذَاAnd thisفِيin theالرِّضَاcontentmentفِيمَاin whatيَفْعَلُهُhe doesالرَّبُّthe Lordبِعَبْدِهِwith His servant.
There is not an obligation in that, and this is regarding the contentment in what the Lord does with His servant.
مِنَofالْمَصَائِبِtrialsكَالْمَرَضِlike illness,وَالْفَقْرِand poverty,وَالزَّلَازِلِand earthquakes.
Regarding the trials, like illness, poverty, and earthquakes.
كَمَاAsقَالَHe saidتَعَالَىٰExaltedالْبَقَرَةِthe Cow,وَالصَّابِرِينَand those who are patientفِيinالْبَأْسَاءِpovertyوَالضَّرَّاءِand afflictionوَحِينِand at the timeالْبَأْسِof hardship.
As He said, Exalted, in the Cow: "And those who are patient in poverty and affliction, and at the time of hardship.
وَقَالَAnd He saidالْبَقَرَةُthe Cow:أَمْDoesحَسِبْتُمْyou thinkأَنْthatتَدْخُلُواyou will enterالْجَنَّةَParadiseوَلَمَّاand has notيَأْتِكُمْcome to youمَثَلُthe like of
And He said, "Does you think that you will enter Paradise and has not come to you the like of.
الَّذِينَthose whoخَلَوْاprecededمِنْfromقَبْلِكُمْbefore you.مَسَّهُمْHad befallen themالْبَأْسَاءُthe hardshipوَالضَّرَّاءُand the affliction,وَزُلْزِلُواand they were shaken.فَالْبَأْسَاءُSo, the hardshipفِيin theالْأَمْوَالِwealth.وَالضَّرَّاءُAnd the afflictionفِيin theالْأَبْدَانِbodies.وَالزَّلَازِلُand the quakingفِيof hearts.
Those who preceded you were afflicted with hardship and an affliction; so the hardship was in wealth, and the affliction was in bodies, and quaking in hearts.
وَأَمَّاAs forالرِّضَاthe satisfactionبِمَاwith whatأَمَرَHe ordersاللَّهُGodبِهِwith Him,فَأَصْلُهُits foundationوَاجِبٌis obligatory,وَهُوَand it isمِنَofالْإِيمَانِfaith.
As for the satisfaction with that which God has commanded, its foundation is obligatory and it is of faith.
كَمَاAsقَالَHe saidالنَّبِيُّthe Prophet(صَلَّى(peaceاللَّهُbe upon him),ذَاقَwho tastedطَعْمَthe tasteالْإِيمَانِof faithمَنwhoeverرَضِيَis contentبِاللَّهِwith Godرَبًّاas the Lord,وَبِالْإِسْلَامِand with Islamدِينًاas the religion,وَبِمُحَمَّدٍand with Muhammadنَبِيًّاas a Prophet.
As the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever tasted the taste of faith is content with Allah as the Lord, with Islam as the religion, and with Muhammad as a Prophet."
وَهُوَAnd it isمِنَofتَوَابِعِthe actionsالْمَحَبَّةِof love.كَمَاAsسَنَذْكُرُهُwe will mentionإِنْifشَاءَGod wills.اللَّهُAllahتَعَالَىٰExalted.
And it is of the actions of love, as we will mention if Allah Exalted wills.
وَقَالَAnd He saidالنِّسَاءُthe Women:فَلَاSo, notوَرَبِّكَby your Lordلَاthey will notيُؤْمِنُونَbelieveحَتَّىuntilيُحَكِّمُوكَthey make you judgeفِيمَاin whatشَجَرَdisputesبَيْنَهُمْamong them.
And He said, "By your Lord, they will not believe until they make you judge in what disputes among them.
ثُمَّThenلَاnotيَجِدُواthey findفِيinأَنفُسِهِمthemselvesحَرَجًاany discomfortمِمَّاfrom whatقَضَيْتَyou have judged.وَيُسَلِّمُواand they submit.تَسْلِيمًاcompletely.
Then they will not find in themselves any discomfort from what you have judged and they submit completely.
وَقَالَAnd He saidتَعَالَىٰExaltedالتَّوْبَةُthe Repentance:وَلَوْAnd ifأَنَّهُمْthey had beenرَضُواcontentedمَاwith whatآتَاهُمُHe has given themاللَّهُGodوَرَسُولُهُand His Messenger,وَقَالُواand they saidحَسْبُنَاsufficient for usاللَّهُGod.الْآيَةُis the verse.
And He said, Exalted: "And if they had been content with what Allah had given them..." [The Repentance].
وَقَالَAnd He saidتَعَالَىٰExaltedمُحَمَّدٌMuhammadذَلِكَis becauseبِأَنَّهُمْthey followedاتَّبَعُواwhat displeasedمَاAllahأَسْخَطَand dislikedاللَّهُGod.وَكَرِهُواAnd they hatedرِضْوَانَهُHis pleasure.فَأَحْبَطَSo their actions were void.أَعْمَالَهُمْtheir actions.
And He said, Exalted: "That is because they followed what displeased Allah and hated His pleasure, so their actions were void."
وَقَالَAnd He saidالتَّوْبَةُthe Repentance:وَمَاAnd notمَنَعَهُمْprevented themأَنْfrom acceptingتَقْبُلَtheir expendituresمِنْهُمْfrom themنَفَقَاتِهِمexpenditures exceptإِلَّاthatأَنَّهُمْthey wereكَفَرُواdisbelievedبِاللَّهِin Allahوَرَسُولِهِand His Messenger.
And He said, Exalted: "And not prevented them from accepting their expenditures except that they disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger."
وَلَاAnd notيَأْتُونَcome toالصَّلَاةِthe prayerإِلَّاexceptوَهُمْand they areكُسَالَىlazy.وَلَاAnd notيُنْفِقُونَspendإِلَّاexceptوَهُمْand they areكَارِهُونَdiscontented.
And they do not come to the prayer except while they are lazy; and they do not spend except while they are discontented.
وَمِنَAnd fromالنَّوْعِthe typeالأَوَّلِthe firstمَاthat whichرَوَاهُwas narrated byأَحْمَدُAhmadوَالتِّرْمِذِيُّand Al-Tirmidhiوَغَيْرُهُمَاand others.عَنْfromسَعْدٍSa'd.عَنْfromالنَّبِيِّthe Prophet(صَلَّى(peaceاللَّهُbe upon him),أَنَّهُthat he saidقَالَfrom the happinessمِنَofسَعَادَةِthe son of Adam.
And from the first type, what was narrated by Ahmad, Al-Tirmidhi, and others from Sa'd from the Prophet (peace be upon him): "From the happiness of the son of Adam.
استخارَتُهُis his seeking guidanceلِلَّهِfrom Allahوَرِضَاهُand being satisfiedبِمَاwith whatقَسَمَHe has decreed for him.اللَّهُAllah.وَمِنَAnd fromشَقَاوَتِهِthe unhappinessابْنِof the sonآدَمَof Adam.
And from the unhappiness of the son of Adam is neglecting to seek guidance from Allah and being dissatisfied with what Allah has decreed for him.
وَأَمَّاAs forالرِّضَاthe satisfactionبِالْمَنْهِيَّاتِwith the prohibitionsمِنَofالْكُفْرِdisbeliefوَالْفُسُوقِand immorality,وَالْعِصْيَانِand disobedience.
As for the satisfaction with the prohibitions of disbelief, immorality, and disobedience.
فَأَكْثَرُMostالْعُلَمَاءِof the scholarsيَقُولُونَsay
Most of the scholars say.
لَاNoيَشْرَعُit is lawfulالرِّضَاto be satisfiedبِهَاwith them.إِذْSinceهِيَthey areكَمَاasلَاnot.يَشْرَعُlawful to love.مَحَبَّتَهَاto love them.
It is not lawful to be satisfied with them, as it is not lawful to love them.
فَإِنَّFor indeedاللَّهُAllahسُبْحَانَهُExalted.
For indeed, Allah, Exalted.