Sharh Riyad as-Saliheen by Ibn Uthaymeen — Volume 1 (شرح رياض الصالحين) — Page 321

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

عَلَى الْعَزِيزِ الرَّحِيمِ ( الَّذِي يَرَاكَ حِينَ تَقُومُ ) وَتَقَلُّبَكَ فِي السَّاجِدِينَ ( إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ ) [الشُّعَرَاءِ: ٢١٧-٢٢٠].

Upon the Almighty, the Merciful (Who sees you when you stand) and your movements among those who prostrate (Indeed, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing) [Ash-Shu'ara: 217-220].

وَهُوَ الآيَةُ الثَّانِيَةُ الَّتِي سَاقَهَا الْمُؤَلِّفُ - رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى - فِي بَابِ الْمُرَاقَبَةِ: قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿ وَهُوَ مَعَكُمْ أَيْنَ مَا كُنتُمْ ﴾ [الْحَدِيدِ: ٤]، الضَّمِيرُ (هُوَ) يَعُودُ عَلَى اللَّهِ، أَيْ: اللَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ مَعَ عِبَادِهِ أَيْنَمَا كَانُوا فِي بَرٍّ، أَوْ بَحْرٍ، أَوْ جَوٍّ، أَوْ فِي ظُلْمَةٍ، أَوْ فِي ضِيَاءٍ، وَفِي أَيِّ حَالٍ هُوَ مَعَكُمْ أَيْنَمَا كُنتُمْ.

This is the second verse the author—may Allah have mercy on him—cited in the chapter on vigilance: the words of the Exalted, "And He is with you wherever you are" [Al-Hadid: 4]. The pronoun "He" refers to Allah, meaning that Allah, glory be to Him, is with His servants wherever they may be—on land, at sea, in the air, in darkness, or in light. In any state, He is with you wherever you are.

وَهَذَا يَدُلُّ عَلَى كَمَالِ إِحَاطَتِهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ بِنَا عِلْمًا وَقُدْرَةً وَسُلْطَانًا وَتَدْبِيرًا وَغَيْرَ ذَلِكَ، وَلَا نَعْنِي أَنَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى مَعَنَا فِي نَفْسِ الْمَكَانِ الَّذِي نَحْنُ فِيهِ؛ لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ فَوْقَ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ، كَمَا قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿ الرَّحْمَنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَى ﴾ [طَه: ٥] وَقَالَ: ﴿ وَهُوَ الْقَاهِرُ فَوْقَ عِبَادِهِ ﴾ [الْأَنْعَامِ: ١٨]، وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: ﴿ أَأَمِنتُم مَّن فِي السَّمَاءِ ﴾ [الْمُلْكِ: ١٦]، وَقَالَ: ﴿ وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ ﴾ [الْبَقَرَةِ: ٢٥٥]، وَقَالَ: ﴿ وَسَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الْأَعْلَى ﴾ [الْأَعْلَى: ١]، إِلَى غَيْرِ ذَلِكَ مِنَ الْآيَاتِ الْكَثِيرَةِ الدَّالَّةِ عَلَى أَنَّهُ فَوْقَ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ، لَكِنَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ فِي جَمِيعِ نُعُوتِهِ وَصِفَاتِهِ، هُوَ عَلِيٌّ فِي دُنُوِّهِ، قَرِيبٌ فِي عُلُوِّهِ جَلَّ وَعَلَا، كَمَا قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿ وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ ﴾ [الْبَقَرَةِ: ١٨٦]، وَلَكِنْ يَجِبُ أَنْ نَعْلَمَ أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ فِي الْأَرْضِ؛ لِأَنَّنَا لَوْ تَوَهَّمْنَا هَذَا، لَكَانَ فِيهِ إِبْطَالٌ لِعُلُوِّ اللَّهِ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى، وَأَيْضًا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ سُبْحَانَهُ لَا يَسَعُهُ شَيْءٌ مِنْ مَخْلُوقَاتِهِ: ﴿ وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ ﴾ [الْبَقَرَةِ: ٢٥٥].

This demonstrates the perfection of His encompassing presence—Mighty and Majestic is He—through His knowledge, power, authority, and governance. We do not mean that He is physically with us in the same location, for Allah is above all things. As the Exalted says, "The Most Merciful [who is] above the Throne established" [Taha: 5], "And He is the Subjugator over His servants" [Al-An'am: 18], "Do you feel secure that He who is in the heaven" [Al-Mulk: 16], "And He is the Most High, the Most Great" [Al-Baqarah: 255], and "Exalt the name of your Lord, the Most High" [Al-A'la: 1]. These are among the many verses indicating that He is above everything. Yet, Mighty and Majestic is He, there is nothing like Him in all His attributes and qualities. He is High in His nearness and Near in His Highness, Majestic and Exalted is He. As Allah says, "And when My servants ask you concerning Me, indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me" [Al-Baqarah: 186]. We must understand that He is not on the earth; to imagine otherwise would be to negate the Highness of Allah, glory be to Him and the Exalted. Furthermore, Allah cannot be contained by any of His creations, as stated: "His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth" [Al-Baqarah: 255].

…1 more translated lines, 21 more verbs and 60 more nouns on this page — subscribe to study every page.

Vocabulary · المفردات (24 verbs · 63 nouns)

• رَأَى — to see
• قَامَ — to stand
• سَاقَ — to drive
• عَزِيز — mighty
• رَحِيم — merciful
• تَقَلُّب — movement