Sharh Riyad as-Saliheen by Ibn Uthaymeen — Volume 4 (شرح رياض الصالحين) — Page 229

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

بَابُ الْأَمْرِ بِالدُّعَاءِ وَفَضْلِهِ وَبَيَانِ جُمَلٍ مِنْ أَدْعِيَتِهِ

(from previous page) ⟵ The distressed person whom necessity compels to supplicate God, even if he were an infidel, God answers his prayer. So what about if he were a believer? It is even more fitting. No one answers the distressed person when he calls upon Him except God. As for others besides God, the Almighty and Majestic, they may answer and they may not answer. Perhaps you seek help.

بِإِنْسَانٍ وَأَنْتَ غَرِيقٌ أَوْ حَرِيقٌ، تَسْتَغِيثُ بِهِ وَلَا يُجِيبُكَ، وَلَا يُنْقِذُكَ، لَكِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِذَا اضْطُرِرْتَ إِلَيْهِ وَدَعَوْتَهُ أَجَابَكَ أَمَّن يُجِيبُ الْمُضْطَرَّ إِذَا دَعَاهُ وَيَكْشِفُ السُّوءَ وَيَجْعَلُكُمْ خُلَفَاءَ الْأَرْضِ ) [النَّمْلِ: ٦٢].

You might call out to a human for help while drowning or burning, yet they cannot answer or save you. However, when you are desperate and call upon Allah, the Almighty and Majestic, He answers you: 'Is He not the One who responds to the desperate when they call upon Him, removes their distress, and makes you successors on the earth?' [An-Naml: 62].

﴿وَيَكْشِفُ السُّوءَ ) أَيْ: يُزِيلُهُ أَوِلَهُ مَّعَ اللَّهِ ﴾ [النَّمْلِ: ٦٢] أَيْ: لَا إِلَهَ مَعَ اللَّهِ يُجِيبُ الْمُضْطَرَّ إِذَا دَعَاهُ وَيَكْشِفُ السُّوءَ، وَفِي هَذَا رَدٌّ وَإِبْطَالٌ لِمَا يَدَّعِيهِ عُبَّادُ الْأَصْنَامِ مِنْ أَنَّهَا تُجِيبُهُمْ وَتُغِيثُهُمْ، فَإِنَّ هَذَا لَا حَقِيقَةَ لَهُ، أَيَّ أَحَدٍ تَدْعُوهُ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّهُ لَا يُجِيبُكَ، حَتَّى الرَّسُولُ ﷺ لَوْ دَعَوْتَهُ وَقُلْتَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، أَنْقِذْنِي مِنَ الشِّدَّةِ، فَإِنَّكَ مُشْرِكٌ كَافِرٌ، وَالرَّسُولُ مُتَبَرِّئٌ مِنْكَ وَيُقَاتِلُكَ لَوْ كَانَ حَيًّا؛ لِأَنَّهُ لَا أَحَدَ يُدْعَى إِلَّا اللَّهُ، كُلُّ مَنْ يُدْعَى مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَسْتَجِيبُ ﴿

'Removes distress' means He takes it away. 'Is there any god with Allah?' [An-Naml: 62] implies that no god exists alongside Allah who can answer the desperate or remove their suffering. This refutes the claims of idolaters who believe their idols answer them or provide aid; such claims are entirely baseless. Anyone you call upon besides Allah will not answer you. Even if you were to call upon the Messenger (peace be upon him) saying, 'O Messenger of Allah, save me from this hardship,' you would be a polytheist and a disbeliever. The Messenger would disavow you and, were he alive, would even fight you. Only Allah may be called upon, as everyone else invoked besides Him is incapable of responding.

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Vocabulary · المفردات (24 verbs · 40 nouns)

• اِسْتَغَاثَ — to seek help
• أَجَابَ — to answer
• أَنْقَذَ — to save
• بَاب — chapter
• أَمْر — command
• دُعَاء — supplication