حدثنا أبي - رحمه الله - قال: حدثنا سعد بن عبد الله، عن أحمد بن أبي عبد الله، عن أبيه في حديث مرفوع إلى النبي صلى الله عليه وآله قال: جاء جبرئيل عليه السلام إلى النبي صلى الله عليه وآله فقال: يا رسول الله إن الله تبارك وتعالى أرسلني إليك بهدية لم يعطها أحدا قبلك، قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: قلت: وما هي؟ قال: الصبر وأحسن منه، قلت: وما هو؟ قال: الرضا و أحسن منه، قلت: وما هو؟ قال: الزهد وأحسن منه، قلت: وما هو؟ قال: الاخلاص و أحسن منه، قلت: وما هو؟ قال: اليقين وأحسن منه، قلت: وما هو يا جبرئيل؟ قال: إن مدرجة ذلك التوكل على الله عز وجل، فقلت: وما التوكل على الله عز وجل؟ فقال: العلم بأن المخلوق لا يضر ولا ينفع ولا يعطي ولا يمنع، واستعمال اليأس من الخلق، فإذا كان العبد كذلك لم يعمل لأحد سوى الله ولم يرج ولم يخف سوى الله ولم يطمع في أحد سوى الله فهذا هو التوكل، قال: قلت: يا جبرئيل فما تفسير الصبر؟ قال: تصبر في الضراء كما تصبر في السراء، وفي الفاقة كما تصبر في الغناء،، وفي البلاء كما تصبر في العافية، فلا يشكو حاله عن المخلوق  بما يصيبه من البلاء، قلت: وما تفسير القناعة؟ قال: يقنع بما يصيب من الدنيا، يقنع بالقليل ويشكر اليسير. قلت: فما تفسير الرضا؟ قال: الراضي لا يسخط على سيده أصاب من الدنيا أو لم يصب، ولا يرضى لنفسه باليسير من العمل. قلت: يا جبرئيل فما تفسير الزهد؟ قال: الزاهد يحب من يحب خالقه ويبغض من يبغض خالقه ويتحرج   من حلال الدنيا ولا يلتفت إلى حرامها فإن حلالها حساب وحرامها عقاب   ويرحم جميع المسلمين كما يرحم نفسه، ويتحرج من الكلام كما يتحرج من الميتة التي قد اشتد نتنها، ويتحرج عن حطام الدنيا وزينتها كما يتجنب النار أن تغشاه، وأن يقصر أمله، وكان بين عينيه أجله، قلت: يا جبرئيل فما تفسير الاخلاص؟ قال: المخلص الذي لا يسأل الناس شيئا حتى يجد، وإذا وجد رضي، وإذا بقي عنده شئ أعطاه في الله، فإن من لم يسأل المخلوق فقد أقر لله عز وجل بالعبودية وإذا وجد فرضي فهو عن الله راض والله تبارك وتعالى عنه راض، وإذا أعطى لله عز وجل فهو على حد الثقة بربه عز وجل، قلت: فما تفسير اليقين؟ قال: الموقن يعمل لله كأنه يراه فإن لم يكن يرى الله فإن الله يراه وأن يعلم يقينا أن ما أصابه لم يكن ليخطئه وأن ما أخطأه لم يكن ليصيبه وهذا كله أغصان التوكل ومدرجة الزهد.

1.	We were told by my father, may Allah grant him mercy, that he said: We were told by Sa’d bin Abdullah, from Ahmad bin Abi Abdillah, from his father, in a narration that was ascribed to the Prophet, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, that he said: Jibra’eel, peace be upon him, came to the Prophet, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, and said: O Messenger of Allah, indeed, Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, sent me to you with a gift which I have not given to anyone before you. The Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, said: And what is it? He said: Patience, and better than it. I said: And what is it? He said: Satisfaction, and better than it. I said: And what is it? He said: Abstinence, and better than it. I said: And what is it? He said: Sincerity, and better than it. I said: And what is it? He said: Certainty, and better than it. I said: And what is it, O Jibra’eel? He said: Indeed, the pathway to that is to have trust in Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He. Then I said: And what is it to have trust in Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He? He said: The knowledge (of the fact) that the created does not harm, nor benefit, nor give, nor prevent, and the appliance of despair from the creation. If a servant is as such, he will not act for anyone besides Allah, nor will he seek nor fear other than Allah, nor will he aspire from anyone other than Allah. That is the one who has trust. He said: I said: O Jibra’eel, what is the interpretation of patience? He said: That you are patient during distress like how you are patient during ease, and during destitution like how during wealth, and during tribulation like how during comfort. Hence, he would not complain of his condition to the created due to what afflicts him of tribulation. I said: And what is the interpretation of contentment? He said: That he is content with what he acquires from this world; that he is content with the little and thanks for that of little value. I said: And what is the interpretation of satisfaction? He said: The one who is pleased is not angered at his Master, regardless if he acquires from this world or does not acquire, and he is not pleased for himself with little deeds. I said: O Jibra’eel, and what is the interpretation of abstinence? He said: The abstinent loves the one who loves his Creator, hates the one who hates his Creator, feels discomfort with regards to that which is permissible from this world and does not turn towards its forbidden, for indeed, its permissible is (subject to) reckoning and its forbidden is (a cause for) punishment. Moreover, he is merciful to all Muslims like how he is merciful towards himself, and he feels discomfort from speech like how he feels discomfort from the corpse whose rottenness is intensified, and he feels discomfort from the waste material of this world and its beauties like how he avoids the fire to reach him. Also, (he feels discomfort from) that his deed is shortened, and that a long lifetime is between his eyes. I said: O Jibra’eel, and what is the interpretation of sincerity? He said: The sincere who does not ask the people for anything until he finds, and if he finds he is pleased, and if something remains with him, he gives it for the sake of Allah. Hence, the one who does not ask the created, has certainly declared worship to Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, and if he finds and is pleased then he is pleased with Allah and Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, is pleased with him, and if he gives for the sake of Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, he is at the edge of confidence in his Lord, Exalted and Glorious is He. I said: And what is the interpretation of certainty? He said: The certain acts for Allah as if he sees Him, and since he does not see Allah, then indeed, Allah sees him. Moreover, it is that he knows certainly that what he has acquired, he was not to miss, and that what he missed, he was not to acquire. This, all of it, are branches of having trust and is a pathway of abstinence.

Maʿānī al-ʾAkhbār

Chapter #294