Sharh Riyad as-Saliheen by Ibn Uthaymeen — Volume 4 (شرح رياض الصالحين) — Page 6

Arabic text · النص

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

شَرْحُ رِيَاضِ الصَّالِحِينَ مِنْ كَلَامِ سَيِّدِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ

Commentary on The Gardens of the Righteous, drawn from the words of the Master of Messengers, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

أَوْ أَنَّ مِنْ شَأْنِهَا وَطَبِيعَتِهَا الْأَمْرَ بِالسُّوءِ، يَعْنِي النِّسْبَةَ، كَمَا تَقُولُ: نَجَّارٌ، وَصَنَّاعٌ، وَمَا أَشْبَهَ ذَلِكَ.

Or it means that commanding evil is in its very nature and disposition—a descriptive attribute, much like calling someone a carpenter or a craftsman.

فَالنَّفْسَانِ دَائِمًا فِي صِرَاعٍ، فَيُجَاهِدُ الْإِنْسَانُ بِنَفْسِهِ الْمُطْمَئِنَّةِ نَفْسَهُ الْأَمَّارَةَ بِالسُّوءِ، وَجَرِّبْ نَفْسَكَ، عِنْدَمَا تَهُمُّ بِفِعْلِ الْخَيْرِ، تَجِدُ هُنَاكَ جَاذِبًا آخَرَ يَجْذِبُكَ إِلَى الشَّرِّ وَيُثَبِّطُكَ عَنِ الْخَيْرِ، وَيَقُولُ: إِنْ فَعَلْتَ كَذَا، صَارَ كَذَا وَكَذَا مِنَ الْأُمُورِ الْمُثَبِّطَةِ عَنِ الْخَيْرِ، فَأَنْتَ دَائِمًا فِي جِهَادٍ، وَأَعْظَمُ مَا يُجَاهِدُ عَلَيْهِ الْإِنْسَانُ نَفْسَهُ الْإِخْلَاصُ لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فِي الْعِبَادَاتِ، وَفِي الْمُعَامَلَاتِ، وَفِي طَلَبِ الْعِلْمِ، وَفِي كُلِّ الْأَحْوَالِ.

The two souls are in constant conflict. One must struggle, using the tranquil soul to restrain the soul that commands evil. Test this yourself: when you intend to do good, you will find an opposing force pulling you toward evil and discouraging you, whispering, 'If you do this, such and such will happen,' listing reasons to hold you back. You are in a perpetual state of struggle. The greatest battle a person faces is to maintain sincerity toward Allah, the Almighty, in worship, in dealings, in seeking knowledge, and in every aspect of life.

قَالَ بَعْضُ السَّلَفِ: مَا جَاهَدْتُ نَفْسِي عَلَى شَيْءٍ مُجَاهَدَتَهَا عَلَى الْإِخْلَاصِ؛ لِأَنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ قَدْ يَمِيلُ إِلَى مُرَاءَاةِ النَّاسِ، أَوْ يَمِيلُ قَلْبُهُ إِلَى أَنْ يُرِيدَ عَرَضًا مِنَ الدُّنْيَا بِعَمَلِ الْآخِرَةِ، أَوْ مَا أَشْبَهَ ذَلِكَ.

Some of the predecessors said, 'I have never struggled against my soul as much as I have struggled to achieve sincerity.' This is because a person may easily lean toward showing off to others, or their heart may crave worldly gain while performing acts meant for the Hereafter.

فَالْإِخْلَاصُ شَدِيدٌ عَظِيمٌ يَحْتَاجُ إِلَى مُعَانَاةٍ عَظِيمَةٍ شَدِيدَةٍ، وَالْكَلِمَةُ الْوَاحِدَةُ مَعَ الْإِخْلَاصِ تُنْجِي صَاحِبَهَا مِنَ النَّارِ، وَتُدْخِلُهُ الْجَنَّةَ، وَلِهَذَا قَالَ النَّبِيُّ: أَسْعَدُ النَّاسِ بِشَفَاعَتِي يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ مَنْ قَالَ: لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ خَالِصًا مِنْ قَلْبِهِ»، وَقَالَ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ: «مَنْ كَانَ آخِرُ كَلَامِهِ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ» (٢).

Sincerity is a heavy and demanding task that requires intense effort. Yet, a single word spoken with sincerity can save a person from the Fire and grant them entry into Paradise. This is why the Prophet said, 'The happiest of people to receive my intercession on the Day of Resurrection is the one who says: There is no god but Allah, sincerely from his heart.' He also said, 'Whoever’s last words are: There is no god but Allah, will enter Paradise' (2).

كَلِمَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ مَعَ الْإِخْلَاصِ تُوصِلُ صَاحِبَهَا إِلَى هَذِهِ الدَّرَجَةِ الْعَظِيمَةِ، النَّجَاةِ مِنَ النَّارِ، وَدُخُولِ الْجَنَّةِ، وَلِهَذَا عَرَفَ السَّلَفُ رَحِمَهُمُ اللَّهُ قَدْرَ الْإِخْلَاصِ، وَجَاهَدُوا (١)

A single word, if sincere, brings its speaker to this exalted status: salvation from the Fire and entry into Paradise. Recognizing this, the predecessors—may Allah have mercy on them—understood the true value of sincerity and strove for it.

أَخْرَجَهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ: كِتَابُ الْعِلْمِ بَابُ الْحِرْصِ عَلَى الْحَدِيثِ رَقَمُ (٩٩)، مِنْ حَدِيثِ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ. (٢)

(1) Recorded by Al-Bukhari: Book of Knowledge, Chapter on Eagerness for Hadith, number (99), from the hadith of Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him.

أَخْرَجَهُ أَحْمَدُ (٢٣٣/٥)، وَأَبُو دَاوُدَ: كِتَابُ الْجَنَائِزِ، بَابٌ فِي التَّلْقِينِ رَقَمُ (٣١١٦)، مِنْ حَدِيثِ مُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ.

(2) Recorded by Ahmad (5/233) and Abu Dawud: Book of Funerals, Chapter on Prompting the Dying, number (3116), from the hadith of Mu'adh ibn Jabal, may Allah be pleased with him.

Vocabulary · المفردات (23 verbs · 56 nouns)

• عَنَى — to mean
• قَالَ — to say
• أَشْبَهَ — to resemble
• جَاهَدَ — to struggle
• جَرَّبَ — to test
• هَمَّ — to intend
• فَعَلَ — to do
• وَجَدَ — to find
• جَذَبَ — to attract
• ثَبَّطَ — to discourage
• صَارَ — to become
• عَزَّ — to be mighty
• جَلَّ — to be majestic
• مَالَ — to incline
• أَرَادَ — to want
• اِحْتَاجَ — to need
• أَنْجَى — to save
• أَدْخَلَ — to enter
• كَانَ — to be
• دَخَلَ — to enter
• أَوْصَلَ — to deliver
• عَرَفَ — to know
• رَحِمَ — to have mercy
• شَأْن — matter
• طَبِيعَة — nature
• أَمْر — command
• سُوء — evil
• نِسْبَة — attribution
• نَجَّار — carpenter
• صَنَّاع — craftsman
• نَفْس — soul
• صِرَاع — conflict
• إِنْسَان — human
• مُطْمَئِنّ — tranquil
• أَمَّار — prone
• فِعْل — action
• خَيْر — good
• جَاذِب — attractor
• آخَر — other
• شَرّ — evil
• مُثَبِّط — discouraging
• جِهَاد — struggle
• إِخْلَاص — sincerity
• عِبَادَة — worship
• مُعَامَلَة — transaction
• طَلَب — seeking
• عِلْم — knowledge
• حَال — state
• بَعْض — some
• سَلَف — predecessor
• شَيْء — thing
• مُجَاهَدَة — struggle
• مُرَاءَاة — hypocrisy
• نَاس — people
• قَلْب — heart
• عَرَض — worldly goods
• دُنْيَا — world
• عَمَل — deed
• آخِرَة — hereafter
• شَدِيد — intense
• عَظِيم — great
• مُعَانَاة — suffering
• كَلِمَة — word
• وَاحِد — one
• صَاحِب — owner
• نَار — fire
• جَنَّة — paradise
• نَبِيّ — prophet
• أَسْعَد — happiest
• شَفَاعَة — intercession
• يَوْم — day
• قِيَامَة — resurrection
• خَالِص — sincere
• صَلَاة — prayer
• سَلَام — peace
• دَرَجَة — degree
• نَجَاة — salvation
• دُخُول — entry
• قَدْر — value