14:24 Ibrahim (Abraham)

يقول تعالى: { أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ ضَرَبَ اللَّهُ مَثَلًا كَلِمَةً طَيِّبَة } \" وهي شهادة أن لا إله إلا الله، وفروعها { كَشَجَرَةٍ طَيِّبَةٍ } وهي النخلة { أَصْلُهَا ثَابِتٌ } في الأرض { وَفَرْعُهَا } منتشر { فِي السَّمَاءِ }

قال علي بن أبي طلحة عن ابن عباس في قوله " مثلا كلمة طيبة " شهادة أن لا إله إلا الله " كشجرة طيبة " وهو المؤمن " أصلها ثابت " يقول لا إله إلا الله في قلب المؤمن " وفرعها في السماء " يقول يرفع بها عمل المؤمن إلى السماء وهكذا قال الضحاك وسعيد بن جبير وعكرمة ومجاهد وغير واحد إن ذلك عبارة عن عمل المؤمن وقوله الطيب وعمله الصالح وإن المؤمن كشجرة من النخل لا يزال يرفع له عمل صالح في كل حين ووقت وصباح ومساء وهكذا رواه السدي عن مرة عن ابن مسعود قال هي النخلة وشعبة عن معاوية بن قرة عن أنس هي النخلة.وحماد بن سلمة عن شعيب بن الحبحاب عن أنس أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أتي بقناع بسر فقرأ " مثلا كلمة طيبة كشجرة طيبة " قال هي النخلة وروي من هذا الوجه ومن غيره عن أنس موقوفا وكذا نص عليه مسروق ومجاهد وعكرمة وسعيد بن جبير والضحاك وقتادة وغيرهم وقال البخاري: حدثنا عبيد بن إسماعيل عن أبي أسامة عن عبيد الله عن نافع عن ابن عمر قال: كنا عند رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال "أخبروني عن شجرة تشبه -أو- كالرجل المسلم لا يتحات ورقها صيفا ولا شتاء وتؤتي أكلها كل حين بإذن ربها " قال ابن عمر: فوقع في نفسي أنها النخلة ورأيت أبا بكر وعمر لا يتكلمان فكرهت أن أتكلم فلما لم يقولوا شيئا قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم " هي النخلة " فلما قمنا قلت لعمر: يا أبتاه والله لقد كان وقع في نفسي أنها النخلة قال ما منعك أن تتكلم ؟ قلت لم أركم تتكلمون فكرهت أن أتكلم أو أقول شيئا قال عمر: لأن تكون قلتها أحب إلي من كذا وكذا وقال أحمد: حدثنا سفيان عن ابن أبي نجيح عن مجاهد صحبت ابن عمر إلى المدينة فلم أسمعه يحدث عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إلا حديثا واحدا قال: كنا عند رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فأتى بجمار فقال " من الشجر شجرة مثلها مثل الرجل المسلم " فأردت أن أقول هي النخلة فنظرت فإذا أنا أصغر القوم فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم " هي النخلة " أخرجاه وقال مالك وعبد العزيز عن عبد الله بن دينار عن ابن عمر قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يوما لأصحابه " إن من الشجر شجرة لا يطرح ورقها مثل المؤمن " قال فوقع الناس في شجر الوادي ووقع في قلبي أنها النخلة فاستحييت حتى قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم " وهي النخلة " أخرجاه أيضا وقال ابن أبي حاتم حدثنا أبي حدثنا موسى بن إسماعيل حدثنا أبان يعني ابن زيد العطار حدثنا قتادة أن رجلا قال يا رسول الله ذهب أهل الدثور بالأجور فقال " أرأيت لو عمد إلى متاع الدنيا فركب بعضه على بعض أكان يبلغ السماء ؟ أفلا أخبرك بعمل أصله في الأرض وفرعه في السماء ؟ قال ما هو يا رسول الله ؟ قال " تقول لا إله إلا الله والله أكبر وسبحان الله والحمد لله عشر مرات في دبر كل صلاة فذاك أصله في الأرض وفرعه في السماء " وعن ابن عباس كشجرة طيبة قال هي شجرة في الجنة.

The Parable of the Word of Islam and the Word of Kufr

`Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that `Abdullah bin `Abbas commented that Allah's statement,

مَثَلاً كَلِمَةً طَيِّبَةً

(a parable: a goodly word), refers to testifying to La ilaha illallah, (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah) while,

كَشَجَرةٍ طَيِّبَةٍ

(as a goodly tree), refers to the believer, and that,

أَصْلُهَا ثَابِتٌ

(whose root is firmly fixed), indicates that La ilaha illallah, (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah) is firm in the believers' heart,

وَفَرْعُهَا فِى السَّمَآءِ

(and its branches (reach) to the sky.) with which the believer's works are ascended to heaven. Similar is said by Ad-Dahhak, Sa'id bin Jubayr, `Ikrimah, Mujahid and several others. They stated that this parable describes the believer's deeds, good statements and good actions. The believer is just like the beneficial date tree, always having good actions ascending at all times, by day and by night. Al-Bukhari recorded that `Abdullah bin `Umar said, "We were with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when he asked,

«أَخْبِرُونِي عَنْ شَجَرَةٍ تُشْبِهُ أَوْ كَالرَّجُلِ الْمُسْلِمِ لَا يَتَحَاتُّ وَرَقُهَا صَيْفًا وَلَا شِتَاءً، وَتُؤْتِي أُكُلَهَا كُلَّ حِينٍ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهَا»

(Tell me about a tree that resembles the Muslim, the leaves of which do not fall in summer or winter and gives its fruit at all times by the leave of its Lord.)" Ibn `Umar said, "I thought of the date palm tree, but felt shy to answer when I saw that Abu Bakr and `Umar did not talk. When they did not give an answer, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«هِيَ النَّخْلَة»

(It is the date palm tree.) When we departed, I said to `Umar, `My father, by Allah! I thought that it was the date tree.' He said, `Why did you not speak then' I said, `I saw you were silent and I felt shy to say anything.' `Umar said, `Had you said it, it would have been more precious to me than such things (i.e., would have been very precious to me)."' `Abdullah bin `Abbas said that,

كَشَجَرةٍ طَيِّبَةٍ

(as a goodly tree), is a tree in Paradise. Allah said next,

تُؤْتِى أُكُلَهَا كُلَّ حِينٍ

(Giving its fruit at all times,) It is said that it means by day and by night. And they say that describes the believer as a tree that always has fruits during summer and winter, by night and by day. This is the parable of the believer whose good works ascend to heaven by day and by night and at all times,

بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهَا

(by the leave of its Lord, ) thus earning perfection and becoming beneficial, plentiful, pure and blessed,

وَيَضْرِبُ اللَّهُ الأَمْثَالَ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ

(and Allah sets forth parables for mankind in order that they may remember.) Allah said next,

وَمَثلُ كَلِمَةٍ خَبِيثَةٍ كَشَجَرَةٍ خَبِيثَةٍ

(And the parable of an evil word is that of an evil tree) describing the disbelief of the disbeliever, for it has no basis or stability. It is similar to the colocynth tree (a very bitter, unscented plant) which is also called, `Ash-Shiryan'. Shu`bah narrated that Mu`awiyah bin Abi Qurrah narrated that Anas bin Malik said that it is the colocynth tree. Allah said,

اجْتُثَّتْ

(uprooted), meaning, was cutoff from the root,

مِن فَوْقِ الاٌّرْضِ مَا لَهَا مِن قَرَارٍ

(from the surface of earth, having no stability.) therefore, existing without basis or stabililty, just like Kufr (disbelief), for it does not have a basis or roots. Surely, the works of the disbelievers will never ascend nor will any of them be accepted.

Have you not seen observed how God has struck a similitude? mathalan is substituted by the following words kalimatan tayyibatan a goodly saying which is ‘there is no god but God’ is as a goodly tree a palm tree its root set firm in the ground and its shoots its branches are in heaven;

In the last verse here (8), it was said: قَالَ مُوسَىٰ إِن تَكْفُرُ‌وا أَنتُمْ وَمَن فِي الْأَرْ‌ضِ جَمِيعًا (And Musa said, "If you are ungrateful, you and all those on earth, then, Allah is free of all needs, worthy of every praise.) " This was said by Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) to his people. He is telling them that should they or, for that matter, all inhabitants of the earth become ungrateful to Allah Ta’ ala, it is not going to cause any loss to Allah Ta’ ala. As for Him, He needs no praise or gratitude for Himself. He is Independent. He is beyond that. He is intrinsically Praised and deserving of praise. If you do not praise Him, the angels do, all of them, and so does every particle of this universe.

So, whatever good there is in gratitude, that is for you alone. There-fore, when you are asked to be grateful by Allah Ta’ ala, there is no gain for Him in doing so. In fact, it is His infinite mercy reaching out to you in your interest.

Hast thou not seen how God has struck a similitude? A goodly word is like a goodly tree. The pure words and true speech of a person of faith are like a pure tree that gives forth good fruit. A pure tree in fine soil and pleasing water gives forth only sweet fruit. This is why He says, “And the goodly land, its plants come forth by the leave of its Lord” [7:58]. The pure soil is the soul of the person of faith, the pure tree is the tree of recognition, the pleas- ing water is the water of regret, and the sweet fruit is the formula of tawḤīd. Just as a tree sends down roots into the earth, so also recognition and faith send down roots into the heart of the person of faith. Just as the branches bring forth fruit in the air, so also the tree of recognizing tawḤīd brings speech to the tongue and deeds to the limbs, and both rise up. This is why the Exalted Lord said, “To Him ascend the goodly words, and He uplifts the wholesome deed” [35:10]. A tree is sustained by three things: roots sent down into the earth, a trunk standing in place, and branches lifted in the air. The tree of recognition has three things perfectly: attesting in the heart, acting with the limbs, and speaking with the tongue. The Prophet said, “Faith is recognizing with the heart, assenting with the tongue, and acting with the body.” The Pir of the Tariqah said, “O God, the water of Your solicitude reached stone and the stone bore fruit. The stone grew a tree, and the tree gave fruit and produce-a tree whose fruit is all happiness, whose flavor is all intimacy, whose scent is all freedom; a tree whose roots are in the earth of loyalty, its branches in the air of approval, its fruit recognition and limpidness, its outcome vision and encounter.”