Sharh Riyad as-Saliheen by Ibn Uthaymeen — Volume 3 (شرح رياض الصالحين) — Page 542

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

شَرْحُ رِيَاضِ الصَّالِحِينَ مِنْ كَلَامِ سَيِّدِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ.

(from previous page) ⟵ It is mentioned that Musaylimah the Liar, who appeared in Al-Yamamah in Arid Riyadh and claimed to be a prophet, that a people came to him and said: "Indeed, we have an explanation of Riyad al-Salihin from the words of the Master of Messengers, may God bless him and grant him peace."

غَارَ مَاؤُهَا، وَلَمْ يَبْقَ مِنْهُ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌ، وَطَلَبُوا مِنْهُ أَنْ يَأْتِيَ إِلَيْهَا، لِأَجْلِ أَنْ يُبَرِّكَ عَلَيْهَا، كَمَا كَانَ الرَّسُولُ إِذَا شَكَوْا إِلَيْهِ قِلَّةَ الْمَاءِ يَسَّرَ اللَّهُ عَلَى يَدَيْهِ أَنْ يَنْبُعَ الْمَاءُ مِنْ بَيْنِ أَصَابِعِهِ، فَجَاءُوا إِلَى مُسَيْلِمَةَ الْكَذَّابِ، وَقَالُوا: إِنَّ الْبِئْرَ غَارَ مَاؤُهَا، وَلَمْ يَبْقَ فِيهِ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌ، فَذَهَبَ إِلَى الْبِئْرِ يَقُولُونَ: إِنَّهُ مَعَ فِيهَا عُجَةٌ مِنَ الْمَاءِ فِي هَذَا الْبِئْرِ، وَلَمَّا مَجَّ فِيهَا الْمَاءَ غَارَ الْمَاءُ الْمَوْجُودُ فِيهَا، وَكَانُوا يَتَوَقَّعُونَ أَنَّ الْمَاءَ يَعِيشُ، وَيَكْثُرُ، وَيَرْتَفِعُ، فَأَرَاهُمُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ آيَةً لِتَكْذِيبِ هَذَا الرَّجُلِ، هَذَا لَا شَكَّ أَنَّهُ أَمْرٌ خَارِقٌ لِلْعَادَةِ، يَعْنِي لَيْسَ مِنَ الْعَادَةِ أَنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ يَمُجُّ الْمَاءَ فِي بِئْرٍ لَيْسَ فِيهَا إِلَّا مَاءٌ قَلِيلٌ ثُمَّ يَغَارُ، هَذَا خِلَافُ الْعَادَةِ؛ لَكِنَّ اللَّهَ أَجْرَى ذَلِكَ إِهَانَةً لَهُ.

The water in a well had receded, leaving only a small amount. The people asked a man to come and bless it, hoping for a miracle similar to the time when the Prophet, faced with a water shortage, caused water to flow from between his fingers by the grace of Allah. They approached Musaylimah the Liar and told him the well was nearly dry. He went to the site, reportedly carrying a mouthful of water, and spat it into the well. Instead of reviving or rising, the remaining water vanished entirely. They had expected the well to fill, but Allah the Almighty showed them a sign to expose the man as a liar. While this event was supernatural—for it is not normal for a person to spit into a nearly dry well and have the remaining water disappear—Allah allowed it to happen specifically to humiliate him.

فَعَلَى كُلِّ حَالٍ: إِذَا رَأَيْتَ مِنْ شَخْصٍ مَا يَكُونُ خَارِقًا لِلْعَادَةِ، فَإِنْ كَانَ مُؤْمِنًا تَقِيًّا يُعْرَفُ بِالصَّلَاحِ وَالِاسْتِقَامَةِ، فَهَذِهِ مِنْ كَرَامَاتِ الْأَوْلِيَاءِ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ ذَلِكَ، فَهِيَ أَحْوَالٌ شَيْطَانِيَّةٌ مِنَ الشَّيَاطِينِ، أَوْ سِحْرٌ يَسْحَرُ أَعْيُنَ النَّاسِ؛ لِأَنَّ السِّحْرَ قَدْ يَسْحَرُ الْأَعْيُنَ حَتَّى تَرَى الْمُتَحَرِّكَ سَاكِنًا، وَالسَّاكِنَ مُتَحَرِّكًا، فَهَاهُمْ سَحَرَةُ فِرْعَوْنَ، أَلْقَوْا حِبَالًا عَادِيَّةً، وَعِصِيًّا أَلْقَوْهَا فِي الْأَرْضِ، ثُمَّ سَحَرُوا أَعْيُنَ النَّاسِ حَتَّى جُعِلَ الْوَادِي كُلَّهُ حَيَّاتٍ وَثَعَابِينَ، حَتَّى أَوْجَسَ مُوسَى عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ فِي نَفْسِهِ خِيفَةً، فَأَمَرَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى أَنْ يُلْقِيَ عَصَاهُ: فَأَلْقَى عَصَاهُ فَإِذَا هِيَ ثُعْبَانٌ مُبِينٌ، حَيَّةٌ عَظِيمَةٌ فَجَعَلَتْ تَمْشِي عَلَى هَذِهِ الْحِبَالِ وَالْعِصِيِّ تَلْقَفُهَا، فَعَرَفُوا أَنَّهُ صَادِقٌ؛ لِأَنَّهُ الْتَهَمَ كُلَّ سِحْرٍ، فَإِذَا هِيَ تَلْقَفُ مَا يَأْفِكُونَ.

In any case, if you witness something supernatural, consider the source. If the person is a pious believer known for righteousness, it is a miracle granted to the saints. If not, it is either a satanic deception or a magic trick intended to bewitch the eyes. Magic can make the moving appear still and the still appear to move. Pharaoh’s magicians, for instance, threw ordinary ropes and sticks onto the ground and bewitched the onlookers' eyes until the entire valley seemed to be filled with snakes. Even Moses, peace be upon him, felt a sense of fear. Yet, when Allah commanded him to cast his staff, it transformed into a real, massive serpent that moved across the ground and devoured the ropes and sticks. The people then recognized the truth, as his staff swallowed up everything they had falsely produced.

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Vocabulary · المفردات (28 verbs · 61 nouns)

• غَارَ — to recede
• بَقِيَ — to remain
• طَلَبَ — to request
• شَرْح — explanation
• رِيَاض — gardens
• صَالِح — righteous (male)