Sharh Thalathat al-Usul by Ibn Uthaymeen (شرح ثلاثة الأصول) — Page 15

Arabic text · النص

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ

(1) In the name of Allah (2).

ابْتَدَأَ الْمُؤَلِّفُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ كِتَابَهُ بِالْبَسْمَلَةِ اقْتِدَاءً بِكِتَابِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَإِنَّهُ مَبْدُوءٌ بِالْبَسْمَلَةِ، وَاتِّبَاعًا لِحَدِيثِ «كُلُّ أَمْرٍ ذِي بَالٍ لَا يُبْدَأُ فِيهِ بِبِسْمِ اللَّهِ فَهُوَ أَبْتَرُ»

(1) The author, may Allah have mercy on him, began his book with the Basmala, following the example of the Book of Allah, the Almighty and Majestic, for it begins with the Basmala, and following the Hadith: 'Every matter of importance that does not begin with the name of Allah is severed.'

وَاقْتِدَاءً بِالرَّسُولِ ﷺ، فَإِنَّهُ يَبْدَأُ كُتُبَهُ بِالْبَسْمَلَةِ

(1) And following the example of the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, for he would begin his letters with the Basmala.

الْجَارُّ وَالْمَجْرُورُ مُتَعَلِّقٌ بِمَحْذُوفٍ فِعْلٍ مُؤَخَّرٍ مُنَاسِبٍ لِلْمَقَامِ تَقْدِيرُهُ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ أَكْتُبُ أَوْ أُصَنِّفُ

The preposition and the noun following it are connected to an omitted, delayed verb appropriate for the context, the estimation of which is 'In the name of Allah I write' or 'I compile'.

وَقَدَّرْنَاهُ فِعْلًا لِأَنَّ الْأَصْلَ فِي الْعَمَلِ الْأَفْعَالُ

We estimated it as a verb because the basis of action is verbs.

وَقَدَّرْنَاهُ مُؤَخَّرًا لِفَائِدَتَيْنِ

We estimated it as delayed for two benefits:

الْأُولَى : التَّبَرُّكُ بِالْبَدَاءَةِ بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى

The first: Seeking blessing by beginning with the name of Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He.

الثَّانِيَةُ : إِفَادَةُ الْحَصْرِ لِأَنَّ تَقْدِيمَ الْمُتَعَلِّقِ يُفِيدُ الْحَصْرَ

The second: Indicating exclusivity, because placing the connected element first implies exclusivity.

وَقَدَّرْنَاهُ مُنَاسِبًا لِأَنَّهُ أَدَلُّ عَلَى الْمُرَادِ فَلَوْ قُلْنَا مَثَلًا عِنْدَمَا نُرِيدُ أَنْ نَقْرَأَ كِتَابًا بِسْمِ اللَّهِ نَبْتَدِئُ مَا يُدْرِي بِمَاذَا نَبْتَدِئُ، لَكِنْ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ أَقْرَأُ يَكُونُ أَدَلَّ عَلَى الْمُرَادِ الَّذِي أَبْتَدِئُ بِهِ

We estimated it as appropriate because it is more indicative of the intended meaning; for if we said, for example, when we want to read a book, 'In the name of Allah we begin,' who would know what we are beginning? But 'In the name of Allah I read' is more indicative of the intended action I am beginning with.

اللَّهُ عَلَمٌ عَلَى الْبَارِي جَلَّ وَعَلَا وَهُوَ الِاسْمُ الَّذِي تَتْبَعُهُ جَمِيعُ الْأَسْمَاءِ حَتَّى إِنَّهُ فِي قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى : كِتَابٌ أَنزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ لِتُخْرِجَ النَّاسَ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِمْ إِلَى صِرَاطِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَمِيدِ * اللَّهِ الَّذِي لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَوَاتِ

(2) 'Allah' is a proper name for the Creator, Majestic and Exalted, and it is the name that all other names follow, to the extent that in His saying, the Almighty: 'A Book We have revealed to you, that you might bring mankind out of darkness into light by the permission of their Lord, to the path of the Exalted in Might, the Praiseworthy - Allah, to whom belongs whatever is in the heavens...'

عَزَاهُ السُّيُوطِيُّ فِي «الْجَامِعِ الصَّغِيرِ» لِلرُّهَاوِيِّ (١٤٧/٤)، وَأَخْرَجَهُ الْخَطِيبُ فِي «الْجَامِعِ»

(1) Al-Suyuti attributed it in 'Al-Jami' al-Saghir' to Al-Ruhawi (4/147), and Al-Khatib recorded it in 'Al-Jami'' (2/69).

وَقَدْ أُخْرِجَ الْحَدِيثُ بِطُرُقٍ كَثِيرَةٍ وَأَلْفَاظٍ مُتَعَدِّدَةٍ، وَقَدْ سُئِلَ شَيْخُنَا الْعَلَّامَةُ مُحَمَّدٌ الْعُثَيْمِينُ - حَفِظَهُ اللَّهُ وَرَعَاهُ - عَنْ هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ فَقَالَ : هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ اخْتَلَفَ الْعُلَمَاءُ فِي صِحَّتِهِ فَمِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ مَنْ صَحَّحَهُ وَاعْتَمَدَهُ كَالنَّوَوِيِّ، وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ ضَعَّفَهُ.

The Hadith has been recorded through many chains of narration and with various wordings. Our Sheikh, the scholar Muhammad al-Uthaymeen - may Allah protect and care for him - was asked about this Hadith and said: 'Scholars have differed regarding the authenticity of this Hadith; among the people of knowledge are those who authenticated it and relied upon it, such as Al-Nawawi, and among them are those who declared it weak.'

وَلَكِنْ تَلَقِّي الْعُلَمَاءِ هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ بِالْقَبُولِ وَوَضْعَهُمْ ذَلِكَ الْحَدِيثَ فِي كُتُبِهِمْ يَدُلُّ عَلَى أَنَّ لَهُ أَصْلًا . . . انْتَهَى مِنْ «كِتَابِ الْعِلْمِ» لِفَضِيلَةِ شَيْخِنَا - يَسَّرَ اللَّهُ نَشْرَهُ

However, the scholars' reception of this Hadith with acceptance and their inclusion of that Hadith in their books indicates that it has a basis...' End quote from 'Kitab al-Ilm' by our honorable Sheikh - may Allah facilitate its publication.

Vocabulary · المفردات (18 verbs · 38 nouns)

• اِبْتَدَأَ — to begin
• رَحِمَ — to have mercy
• عَزَّ — to be mighty
• جَلَّ — to be majestic
• بَدَأَ — to start
• كَتَبَ — to write
• صَنَّفَ — to classify
• قَدَّرَ — to assume/suppose
• تَبَرَّكَ — to seek blessing
• أَفَادَ — to benefit
• قَالَ — to say
• أَرَادَ — to want
• قَرَأَ — to read
• دَرَى — to know
• عَلَا — to be exalted
• تَبِعَ — to follow
• أَنْزَلَ — to send down
• خَرَجَ — to exit
• مُؤَلِّفٌ — author
• كِتَابٌ — book
• بَسْمَلَةٌ — basmala
• اِقْتِدَاءٌ — following
• حَدِيثٌ — hadith
• أَمْرٌ — matter
• بَالٌ — concern
• أَبْتَرُ — cut off
• رَسُولٌ — messenger
• جَارٌّ — preposition
• مَجْرُورٌ — genitive
• مُتَعَلِّقٌ — related
• مَحْذُوفٌ — omitted
• مُنَاسِبٌ — appropriate
• مَقَامٌ — context
• تَقْدِيرٌ — assumption/supposition
• عَمَلٌ — work
• فِعْلٌ — verb
• فَائِدَةٌ — benefit
• بَدَاءَةٌ — beginning
• اِسْمٌ — name
• سُبْحَانٌ — glory
• حَصْرٌ — restriction
• تَقْدِيمٌ — fronting
• مُرَادٌ — intended meaning
• عَلَمٌ — proper noun
• بَارِي — creator
• جَمِيعٌ — all
• قَوْلٌ — saying
• نَاسٌ — people
• ظُلْمَةٌ — darkness
• نُورٌ — light
• إِذْنٌ — permission
• رَبٌّ — lord
• صِرَاطٌ — path
• عَزِيزٌ — mighty
• حَمِيدٌ — praiseworthy
• سَمَاءٌ — heaven