Al-Qawl al-Mufid ala Kitab al-Tawhid — Volume 2 (القول المفيد على كتاب التوحيد) — Page 19

Arabic text · النص

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

وَأَمَّا الْمِلْحُ فَقَالَ شَيْخُ الْإِسْلَامِ إِنَّهُ يَصْلُحُ بِهِ الطَّعَامُ، فَالْعِلَّةُ لَيْسَ أَنَّهُ قُوتٌ، وَهُوَ مِنْ ضَرُورِيَّاتِهِ،

Regarding salt, Sheikh al-Islam noted that it makes food palatable; the reason is not that it serves as sustenance, but that it is a necessity for it.

وَلِهَذَا لَوْ طَحَنْتَ بِرّاً وَلَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهِ مِلْحٌ لَمْ يَبْقَ إِلَّا أَيَّاماً يَسِيرَةً، فَيَفْسُدُ

If you were to grind wheat without adding salt, it would last only a few days before spoiling.

فَإِذَا كَانَ فِيهِ الْمِلْحُ مَنَعَهُ مِنَ الْفَسَادِ، فَيَقُولُ لَمَّا كَانَ يَصْلُحُ بِهِ الْقُوتُ جُعِلَ لَهُ حُكْمُهُ.

Salt prevents this decay. Thus, the ruling applied to the food is extended to the salt because it preserves that sustenance.

وَقَوْلُهُ: وَأَكْلُ الرِّبَا: ذَكَرَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ الْأَكْلَ؛ لِأَنَّهُ أَعَمُّ وُجُوهِ الِانْتِفَاعِ هَكَذَا قَالَ أَهْلُ الْعِلْمِ،

As for the phrase 'consuming usury,' the Prophet (peace be upon him) specified consumption because it is the most common way to benefit from something, as scholars have noted.

وَلِهَذَا قَالَ تَعَالَى فِي بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ: وَأَخْذُهُمُ الرِّبَا وَقَدْ نُهُوا عَنْهُ وَلَمْ يَقُلْ أَكْلَهُمْ، وَالْأَخْذُ أَعَمُّ مِنَ الْأَكْلِ، فَأَكْلُ الرِّبَا مَعْنَاهُ أَخْذُهُ، سَوَاءٌ اسْتَعْمَلَهُ فِي الْأَكْلِ أَوِ الْفَرْشِ أَوِ الْبِنَاءِ أَوِ الْمَسْكَنِ أَوْ غَيْرِ ذَلِكَ.

Allah the Exalted says regarding the Children of Israel, 'And for their taking of usury while they had been forbidden from it.' He did not say 'their consuming it,' as taking is a broader term. Therefore, consuming usury actually means acquiring it, whether one uses the proceeds for food, furnishings, construction, housing, or any other purpose.

الْيَتِيمِ: الْيَتِيمُ: هُوَ الَّذِي مَاتَ أَبُوهُ قَبْلَ بُلُوغِهِ سَوَاءٌ كَانَ ذَكَراً أَمْ أُنْثَى، أَمَّا مَنْ مَاتَتْ أُمُّهُ قَبْلَ بُلُوغِهِ فَلَيْسَ يَتِيماً لَا شَرْعاً وَلَا لُغَةً.

An orphan is a child whose father has died before they reach puberty, regardless of gender. One whose mother dies before they reach puberty is not considered an orphan, neither in religious law nor in language.

لِأَنَّ الْيَتِيمَ مَأْخُوذٌ مِنَ الْيُتْمِ، وَهُوَ الِانْفِرَادُ أَيِ انْفَرَدَ عَنِ الْكَاسِبِ لَهُ؛ لِأَنَّ أَبَاهُ هُوَ الَّذِي يَكْسِبُ لَهُ.

The term is derived from the root meaning isolation, signifying that the child has been separated from their provider, as the father is the one who earns for them.

وَخُصَّ الْيَتِيمُ لِأَنَّهُ لَا أَحَدَ يُدَافِعُ عَنْهُ، وَلِأَنَّهُ أَوْلَى أَنْ يُرْحَمَ، وَلِهَذَا جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لَهُ حَقّاً فِي الْفَيْءِ، وَإِذَا كَانَ أَحَقَّ أَنْ يُرْحَمَ؛ فَكَيْفَ يَسْطُو هَذَا الرَّجُلُ الظَّالِمُ عَلَى مَالِهِ فَيَأْكُلُهُ.

The orphan is singled out because they lack a protector and are most deserving of mercy. For this reason, Allah granted them a share in the spoils. Given their need for compassion, how can an oppressor dare to seize and consume their wealth?

وَيُقَالُ فِي أَكْلِ مَالِ الْيَتِيمِ مَا قِيلَ فِي أَكْلِ الرِّبَا فَلَيْسَ خَاصّاً فِي الْأَكْلِ، بَلْ حَتَّى لَوْ اسْتَعْمَلَهُ فِي السَّكَنِ أَوِ الْفَرْشِ أَوِ الْكُتُبِ وَغَيْرِهَا فَهُوَ دَاخِلٌ فِي ذَلِكَ.

The same logic applies to consuming an orphan's wealth as to usury; it is not limited to literal eating. Using such wealth for housing, furniture, books, or other items falls under the same prohibition.

وَأَكْلُ مَالِ غَيْرِ الْيَتِيمِ لَيْسَ مِنَ الْكَبَائِرِ؛ لِأَنَّ الْيَتِيمَ لَهُ شَأْنٌ خَاصٌّ وَلِهَذَا مَنْ يَأْكُلُ أَمْوَالَ الْيَتَامَى قَالَ تَعَالَى: إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ أَمْوَالَ الْيَتَامَى تَوَعَّدَ اللَّهُ.

Consuming the wealth of someone who is not an orphan is not classified as a major sin, as the orphan holds a special status. Regarding those who consume orphans' assets, Allah the Exalted issued a stern warning: 'Indeed, those who consume the wealth of orphans...'

Vocabulary · المفردات (21 verbs · 46 nouns)

• صَلَحَ — to improve/preserve
• طَحَنَ — to grind
• بَقِيَ — to remain
• أَفْسَدَ — to spoil
• مَنَعَ — to prevent
• قَالَ — to say
• جَعَلَ — to make
• ذَكَرَ — to mention
• نَهَى — to forbid
• اِسْتَعْمَلَ — to use
• مَاتَ — to die
• بَلَغَ — to reach
• أَخَذَ — to take
• اِنْفَرَدَ — to be alone
• كَسَبَ — to earn
• خَصَّ — to specify
• دَافَعَ — to defend
• رَحِمَ — to have mercy
• سَطَا — to assault
• أَكَلَ — to eat
• تَوَعَّدَ — to threaten
• مِلْحٌ — salt
• شَيْخٌ — sheikh
• إِسْلَامٌ — Islam
• طَعَامٌ — food
• عِلَّةٌ — reason
• قُوتٌ — sustenance
• ضَرُورِيَّةٌ — necessity
• بُرٌّ — wheat
• يَوْمٌ — day
• يَسِيرٌ — small
• فَسَادٌ — corruption
• حُكْمٌ — ruling
• نَبِيٌّ — prophet
• أَكْلٌ — eating
• وَجْهٌ — aspect
• انْتِفَاعٌ — benefit
• أَهْلٌ — people
• عِلْمٌ — knowledge
• رِبَا — usury
• أَخْذٌ — taking
• مَعْنًى — meaning
• فَرْشٌ — furnishing
• بِنَاءٌ — a building
• مَسْكَنٌ — dwelling
• غَيْرٌ — other
• مَالٌ — wealth
• يَتِيمٌ — orphan
• أَبٌ — father
• بُلُوغٌ — puberty
• ذَكَرٌ — male
• أُنْثَى — female
• أُمٌّ — mother
• شَرْعٌ — law
• لُغَةٌ — language
• يُتْمٌ — orphanhood
• انْفِرَادٌ — isolation
• كَاسِبٌ — earner
• حَقٌّ — right
• فَيْءٌ — spoils
• رَجُلٌ — man
• ظَالِمٌ — oppressor
• سَكَنٌ — housing
• كِتَابٌ — book
• كَبِيرَةٌ — major sin
• شَأْنٌ — status
• خَاصٌّ — special