ضَرَرٌharmعَظِيمٌgreatلَاnotيَصْبُرُcan be patientعَلَيْهِon itالْإِنْسَانُthe humanإِلَّاexceptلِأَمْرٍfor a matterعَظِيمٍgreatمِثْلَlikeلُزُومِهِhis adherenceلِدِينٍto a religionيَعْتَقِدُhe believesأَنَّهُthat heإِنْifفَارَقَهُhe departs from itهَلَكَhe perishes
A great harm that no human can endure except for a great matter, like his adherence to a religion that he believes, if he departs from it, he will perish.
فَيَصْبُرُso he is patientعَلَيْهِon itحَتَّىuntilيُقْتَلَhe is killed,,وَسَعَاءٌand whetherكَانَit isالدِّينُthe religionحَقًّاtrueأَوْorبَاطِلًاfalse,,أَمَّاas forمَعَwithاعْتِقَادِهِhis beliefأَنَّthatالْفِعْلَthe actionيَجِبُis obligatoryعَلَيْهِon himبَاطِنًاinternallyوَظَاهِرًاand externally,,فَلَاthen notيَكُونَit will beفِعْلُthe actالصَّلَاةِof prayerأَصْعَبَmore difficultعَلَيْهِfor himمِنْthanاحْتِمَالِenduringالْقَتْلِdeathقَطُّat all.
So he is patient with it until he is killed, and whether the religion is true or false. As for his belief that the action is obligatory on him internally and externally, then the act of prayer will not be more difficult for him than enduring death at all.
وَنَظِيرٌAnd similarlyهَذَاthisلَوْifقِيلَit is saidإِنَّthatرَجُلًاa manمِنْfromأَهْلِthe peopleالسُّنَّةِof the Sunnahقِيلَit is saidلَهُto him::اِرْضَbe pleasedعَنْwithأَبِيAbuبَكْرٍBakrوَعُمَرَand Umarفَامْتَنَعَand he refrainedعَنْfromذَٰلِكَthatحَتَّىuntilقُتِلَhe was killedمَعَwithمَحَبَّتِهِhis loveلَهُمَاfor themوَاعْتِقَادِهِand his beliefفَضْلِهِمَاin their virtue,,وَمَعَand withعَدَمِthe lackالْأَعْذَارِof excusesالْمَانِعَةِpreventingمِنَfromالِارْضَاءِbeing pleasedعَنْهُمَاwith both of them,,فَهَذَاthisلَاnotيَقَعُoccursقَطُّat all.
Similarly, if it is said that a man from the people of the Sunnah is asked to be pleased with Abu Bakr and Umar, and he refrains from that until he is killed, despite his love for them and his belief in their virtue, and with the lack of excuses preventing him from being pleased with them, this does not occur at all.
وَكَذَٰلِكَAnd likewiseلَوْifقِيلَit is saidإِنَّthatرَجُلًاa manيَشْهَدُwitnessesأَنْthatمُحَمَّدًاMuhammadرَسُولَthe Messengerاللَّهِof Allahبَاطِنًاinternallyوَظَاهِرًاand externally,,وَقَدْand hasطُلِبَbeen askedمِنْهُfrom himذَٰلِكَthat,,وَلَيْسَand there is notهُنَاكَthereرَهْبَةٌfearوَلَاnorرَغْبَةٌdesireيَمْتَنِعُhe refrainsلِأَجْلِهَاfor it,,فَامْتَنَعَand he refrainsمِنْهَاfrom itحَتَّىuntilقُتِلَhe is killed,,فَهَذَاthisيَمْتَنِعُis impossibleأَنْthatيَكُونَit isفِيinالْبَاطِنِthe hiddenيَشْهَدُwitnessesأَنْthatمُحَمَّدًاMuhammadرَسُولَthe Messengerاللَّهِ.of Allah.
Likewise, if it is said that a man testifies that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah internally and externally, and he has been asked from him to do so, and there is no fear or desire that he refrains for, and he refrains from it until he is killed, this is impossible that he is in the hidden (the heart) witnessing that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
وَلِهَذَاAnd for thisكَانَwasالْقَوْلُthe statementالظَّاهِرُthe apparentمِنْofالْإِيمَانِfaithالَّذِيwhichلَاnotنَجَاةٌsalvationلِلْعَبْدِfor the servantإِلَّاexceptبِهِwith itعِندَatعَامَّةِthe generalالسَّلَفِof the predecessorsوَالخَلَفِand those who followمِنْfromالأَوَّلِينَthe earlierوَالآخِرِينَand the laterإِلَّاexceptالْجَهْمِيَّةِthe Jahmiyyah--جَهْمٌJahmوَمَنْand whoeverوَافَقَهُagrees with him--فَإِنَّهُfor if heإِذَاwhenقَدَّرَmeasuredأَنَّهُthat heمُعَذَّرٌis excusedلِكَوْنِهِbecause he isأَخْرَسَmuteأَوْorلِكَوْنِهِbecause he isخَائِفًاafraidمِنْofقَوْمٍpeopleإِنْifأَظْهَرَhe showsالإِسْلَامَIslamآذَوْهُthey harm himوَنَحْوَand similarذَٰلِكَthat,,فَهَذَاthisيُمْكِنُis possibleأَنْthatلَاhe does notيَتَكَلَّمَspeakمَعَwithإِيمَانٍfaithفِيinقَلْبِهِhis heart,,كَالْمُكْرَهِlike the forced oneعَلَىonكَلِمَةِthe wordالْكُفْرِof disbelief.
And for this reason, the apparent statement of faith is what there is no salvation for the servant except with it at the hands of the general predecessors and those who follow from the earlier and the later, except for the Jahmiyyah - Jahm and whoever agrees with him - for if he is measured that he is excused because he is mute, or because he is afraid of people that they will harm him if he shows Islam, and similar matters, then this is possible that he does not speak with faith in his heart, like the one who is forced to utter a word of disbelief.
قَالَsaidاللَّهُAllahتَعَالَىthe Exalted::إِلَّاexceptمَنْwhoeverأُكْرِهَis coercedوَقَلْبُهُand his heartمُطْمَئِنٌّis at peaceبِالإِيمَانِwith faithوَلَكِنbutمَنْwhoeverشَرَحَopensبِالكُفْرِhis breastصَدْرًاhis breastفَعَلَيْهِمْthen on themغَضَبٌis angerمِنَfromاللَّهِAllahوَلَهُمْand for themعَذَابٌis punishmentعَظِيمٌgreat.
Allah the Exalted said: "Except for whoever is coerced while his heart is at peace with faith. But whoever opens his breast to disbelief — on them is anger from Allah, and for them is a great punishment."
وَهَذِهِAnd thisالْآيَةُverseمِمَّاis amongيَدُلُّindicatesعَلَىonفَسَادِthe corruptionقَوْلِof the statementجَهْمٍJahm,,فَإِنَّهُfor heجَعَلَهُmade itكُلَّallمِنَofتَكَلَّمَthose who speakبِالْكُفْرِwith disbeliefمِنَfromأَهْلِthe peopleوَعِيدِthe threatالْكُفَّارِof the disbelieversإِلَّاexceptمَنْfor whomأُكْرِهَis coercedوَقَلْبُهُand his heartمُطْمَئِنٌّis at peaceبِالْإِيْمَانِwith faith.
And this verse is among those that indicates the corruption of the statement of Jahm, for he made all who speak with disbelief from the people under the threat of disbelievers, except for those who are coerced and whose heart is at peace with faith.
فَإِنْIfقِيلَit is said::فَقَدْIndeedقَالَsaidتَعَالَىthe Exalted::وَلَكِنbutمَنْwhoeverشَرَحَhas openedبِالكُفْرِhis breast to disbeliefصَدْرًا—قِيلَit is said::وَهَذَاand thisمُوافِقٌis in agreementلِأُولِهَاwith its first part,,فَإِنَّهُfor itمِنْofكُفْرٍdisbeliefمِنْofغَيْرِwithoutإِكْرَاهٍcoercionفَقَدْhas indeedشَرَحَopenedبِالكُفْرِhis breast to disbelief.
If it is said: Indeed, the Exalted said: "But whoever has opened his breast to disbelief" — it is said: And this is in agreement with its first part, for it concerns disbelief without coercion, then has indeed opened his breast to disbelief.
وَإِلَّاAnd if notتَنَاقَضَthere is a contradictionأَوَّلَthe firstالْآيَةverseوَآخِرَهَاand its end,,وَلَوْifكَانَit wereالْمُرَادُthe intentionبِمَنْwith whomكَفَرَdisbelievedهُوَisالشَّارِحُthe one who opensصَدْرَهُhis breastوَذَٰلِكَand thatيَكُونُwould beبِلاwithoutإكْرَاهٍcoercion,,لَمْthen would notيَسْتَثْنِthe exceptionالْمُكْرَهَthe coercedفَقَطْonlyبَلْbutكَانَit would have beenوَجَبَnecessaryأَنْthatيُسْتَثْنَىthe exception should be madeالْمُكْرَهَthe coercedوَغَيْرِهِمand notالْمُكْرَهَthe coercedإِذَاifلَمْnotيَشْرَحْopenصَدْرَهُhis breast,,وَإِذَاوَإِذَاتَكَلَّمَhe speaksبِكَلِمَةِwith a wordالكُفْرِof disbeliefطَوْعًا, and willingly,,فَقَدْthen hasشَرَحَopenedبِهَاwith itصَدْرًاhis breast.
And if not, there would be a contradiction between the first part of the verse and its end, and if the intention with whom disbelieved is the one who opens his breast, and that would be without coercion, then it would not specify the coerced only; rather, it would have been necessary to exempt both the coerced and the non-coerced if he did not open his breast, and when he speaks with a word of disbelief willingly, then he has opened his breast with it.