Sharh Riyad as-Saliheen by Ibn Uthaymeen — Volume 1 (شرح رياض الصالحين) — Page 772

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

بَابٌ فِي الِاقْتِصَادِ فِي الطَّاعَةِ

14 - Chapter on Moderation in Obedience.

وَمِن ذَلِكَ مَا يَفْعَلُهُ بَعْضُ الطَّلَبَةِ الْمُجْتَهِدِينَ فِي بَابِ التَّوْحِيدِ؛ حَيْثُ تَجِدُهُمْ إِذَا مَرَّتْ بِهِمُ الْآيَاتُ وَالْأَحَادِيثُ فِي صِفَاتِ الرَّبِّ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ جَعَلُوا يُنَقِّبُونَ عَنْهَا، وَيَسْأَلُونَ أَسْئِلَةً مَا كُلِّفُوا بِهَا، وَلَا دَرَجَ عَلَيْهَا سَلَفُ الْأُمَّةِ مِنَ الصَّحَابَةِ وَالتَّابِعِينَ وَأَئِمَّةِ الْهُدَى مِن بَعْدِهِمْ، فَتَجِدُ الْوَاحِدَ يُنَقِّبُ عَنْ أَشْيَاءَ لَيْسَتْ مِنَ الْأُمُورِ الَّتِي كُلِّفَ بِهَا تَنَطُّعًا وَتَشَدُّدًا، فَنَحْنُ نَقُولُ لِهَؤُلَاءِ: إِنْ كَانَ يَسَعُكُمْ مَا وَسِعَ الصَّحَابَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ فَأَمْسِكُوا، وَإِنْ لَمْ يَسَعْكُمْ فَلَا وَسَّعَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمْ، وَثِقُوا بِأَنَّكُمْ سَتَقَعُونَ فِي شِدَّةٍ وَفِي حَرَجٍ وَفِي قَلَقٍ.

Among that is what some diligent students do in the chapter of Tawhid; where you find them, when verses and hadiths regarding the attributes of the Lord, Mighty and Majestic, pass by them, they begin to investigate them and ask questions they were not tasked with, nor did the predecessors of the Ummah—the Companions, the Successors, and the Imams of guidance after them—follow such a path. You find the individual investigating things that are not among the matters he was tasked with, out of affectation and extremism. So we say to these people: If what sufficed the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, suffices you, then refrain; and if it does not suffice you, then may Allah not make things easy for you, and be certain that you will fall into hardship, difficulty, and anxiety.

مِثَالُ ذَلِكَ: يَقُولُ بَعْضُ النَّاسِ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَهُ أَصَابِعُ، كَمَا جَاءَ فِي الْحَدِيثِ الصَّحِيحِ: (إِنَّ قُلُوبَ بَنِي آدَمَ كُلَّهَا بَيْنَ أَصْبَعَيْنِ مِنْ أَصَابِعِ الرَّحْمَنِ كَقَلْبِ وَاحِدٍ يُصَرِّفُهُ حَيْثُ يَشَاءُ)، فَيَأْتِي هَذَا الْمُتَنَطِّعُ فَيَبْحَثُ: هَذِهِ الْأَصَابِعُ كَمْ عَدَدُهَا؟ وَهَلْ لَهَا أَنَامِلُ؟ وَكَمْ أَنَامِلُهَا؟ وَمَا أَشْبَهَ ذَلِكَ.

An example of that: Some people say: 'Allah, Mighty and Majestic, has fingers,' as it came in the authentic hadith: '(Indeed, the hearts of the children of Adam are all between two fingers of the fingers of the Most Merciful, like a single heart, which He turns however He wills).' Then this affected person comes and investigates: 'How many are these fingers? Do they have fingertips? And how many fingertips do they have?' And things similar to that.

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Vocabulary · المفردات (28 verbs · 46 nouns)

• فَعَلَ — to do
• اِجْتَهَدَ — to strive
• وَجَدَ — to find
• بَاب — chapter
• اِقْتِصَاد — moderation
• طَاعَة — obedience