Sharh Riyad as-Saliheen by Ibn Uthaymeen — Volume 1 (شرح رياض الصالحين) — Page 902

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

بَابٌ فِي الدَّلَالَةِ عَلَى خَيْرٍ وَالدُّعَاءِ إِلَى هُدًى أَوْ ضَلَالَةٍ

(from previous page) ⟵ The proof of this is that when the Messenger of Allah, may Allah's prayers and peace be upon him, sent Mu'adh to a chapter on guiding to good and inviting to guidance or misguidance.

الْيَمَنِ قَالَ لَهُ: «إِنَّكَ تَأْتِي قَوْمًا أَهْلَ كِتَابٍ»، فَأَعْلَمَهُ بِحَالِهِمْ مِنْ أَجْلِ أَنْ يَسْتَعِدَّ لَهُمْ وَأَنْ يُنْزِلَهُمْ مَنْزِلَتَهُمْ؛ لِأَنَّهُمْ إِذَا كَانُوا أَهْلَ كِتَابٍ صَارَ عِنْدَهُمْ مِنَ الْجَدَلِ بِمَا عِنْدَهُمْ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ مَا لَيْسَ عِنْدَ غَيْرِهِمْ، فَالْمُشْرِكُونَ جُهَّالٌ ضُلَّالٌ، لَكِنْ أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ عِنْدَهُمْ عِلْمٌ، يَحْتَاجُونَ إِلَى اسْتِعْدَادٍ تَامٍّ، وَأَيْضًا يُجَابَهُونَ بِمَا يَلِيقُ بِهِمْ؛ لِأَنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَ أَنْفُسَهُمْ أَهْلَ كِتَابٍ وَأَهْلَ عِلْمٍ، فَيَحْتَاجُ الْأَمْرُ إِلَى أَنْ يُرَاعَوْا فِي كَيْفِيَّةِ الدَّعْوَةِ، وَلِهَذَا قَالَ لَهُ: «إِنَّكَ تَأْتِي قَوْمًا أَهْلَ كِتَابٍ».

He told him, "You are going to a people who are People of the Book." He alerted him to their condition so he could prepare and treat them according to their status. Because they are People of the Book, they possess a capacity for debate based on their knowledge that others lack. While polytheists are ignorant and misguided, the People of the Book have knowledge, requiring thorough preparation. They must be addressed in a manner befitting them, as they view themselves as people of scripture and learning. This requires careful consideration in how the call is presented, which is why he said, "You are going to a people who are People of the Book."

وَلِنَضْرِبْ لِهَذَا مَثَلًا وَاقِعِيًّا: لَوْ أَنَّ رَجُلًا جَاهِلًا تَكَلَّمَ وَهُوَ يُصَلِّي، يَظُنُّ أَنَّ الْكَلَامَ لَا يَضُرُّ، فَهَذَا لَا نُوَبِّخُهُ وَلَا تَنْهَرُهُ وَلَا تُشَدِّدْ عَلَيْهِ، بَلْ نَقُولُ لَهُ إِذَا فَرَغَ مِنْ صَلَاتِهِ: إِنَّ هَذِهِ الصَّلَاةَ لَا يَصْلُحُ فِيهَا شَيْءٌ مِنْ كَلَامِ النَّاسِ، إِنَّمَا هِيَ التَّسْبِيحُ وَالتَّكْبِيرُ وَقِرَاءَةُ الْقُرْآنِ، لَكِنْ لَوْ عَلِمْنَا أَنَّ شَخْصًا يَعْلَمُ أَنَّ الْكَلَامَ فِي الصَّلَاةِ حَرَامٌ وَيُبْطِلُهَا، لَكِنَّهُ إِنْسَانٌ مُسْتَهْتِرٌ وَالْعِيَاذُ بِاللَّهِ؛ يَتَكَلَّمُ وَلَا يُبَالِي، فَهَذَا نُخَاطِبُهُ بِمَا يَلِيقُ بِهِ وَنُشَدِّدُ عَلَيْهِ وَنَنْهَرُهُ، فَلِكُلِّ مَقَامٍ مَقَالٌ.

Consider a practical example: if an ignorant man speaks while praying, thinking it does no harm, we do not rebuke, scold, or treat him harshly. Instead, once he finishes, we tell him that prayer is not the place for human speech; it is for glorification, magnification, and reciting the Quran. However, if a person knows that speaking in prayer is forbidden and invalidates it, yet remains reckless—God protect us—and speaks without care, we address him firmly and scold him. Every situation calls for its own appropriate response.

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Vocabulary · المفردات (29 verbs · 46 nouns)

• أَتَى — to come
• أَعْلَمَ — to inform
• اِسْتَعَدَّ — to prepare
• بَاب — chapter
• دَلَالَة — indication
• خَيْر — good