AND MAKE US LEADERS FOR THE PIOUS
(16) When it is known that guiding people, teaching them and
advising them opens up a door of guidance for an individual -since
the reward for an action is its like – every time he guides someone
and teaches him, then Allaah will (further) guide him and teach him.
Therefore, he will become a guide and guided, as occurs in the
supplication of the Messenger of Allaah (ρ) which has been reported
by at-Tirmidhee5 and others, “O Allaah, beautify us with the
adornment of eemaan, make us guides (for others), guided, not
astray, leading others astray, peaceful to Your close friends
(awliyaa), warring with Your enemies. With Your love do we love
those who love You and with Your enmity do we show enmity to
those who oppose You.”
(17) Allaah, free from all imperfections, praised his believing
servants who ask Him to make them leaders who are sought as
examples upon guidance. Allaah, the Exalted, said regarding their
description:
And those who say, “Our Lord! Bestow on us wives and
offspring who will be the comfort of our eyes6, and make us
Its wording in Tuhfatul Ahwadhee (9/370) is” ,O Allaah! Make us guides (for
others), guided, not astray leading others astray, peaceful to Your close friends
(awliyaa), warring with Your enemies. With Your love do we love those who love
You and with Your enmity do we show enmity to those who oppose You.” AtTirmidhee said, “This is a ghareeb hadeeth, we do not know the likes of this from the
hadeeth of Ibn Abee Laylaa except from this route.” Al-Mubaarakfooree said (9/367)
about Ibn Abee Laylaa, “He is Muhammad ibn ‘Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn Abee Laylaa alAnsaaree, al-Koofee, al-Qaadee. He is truthful, but has very poor memory.” Shaikh alAlbaanee declared it Da’eeful-Isnaad,’ (weak) Da’eef Sunanit-Tirmidhee (678/3659).
At-Tabaree said, ‘Upon that which is a comfort to our eyes in that You cause us to
see them performing actions of obedience to You.
an Imaam (leader/guide) for the pious (Muttaqoon).”
[Soorah al-Furqaan (25):74].
(18) Ibn Abbaas said (in explanation of this aayah), “Following our
example upon goodness.” Aboo Saalih said, “Being guided by our
example.” Makhool said, “Scholars in (delivering) verdict, the pious
guide themselves by our example.” Mujaahid said, “Make us follow
the example of the pious, guiding ourselves by them.”
(19) This explanation (of Mujaahid) has caused difficulty for the one
who does not know the greatness of the understanding of the Salaf
and the depth of their knowledge and who says, “It is necessary for
this aayah with this saying to be turned around, in agreement with
the meaning, ‘Make the pious (muttaqoon) our leaders.’
(20) Refuge is from Allaah that something should be turned on its
face. But this is from the perfect understanding of Mujaahid, for no
man can be an Imaam (leader) for the pious until he (himself)
follows the example of the pious (in their taqwaa). So Mujaahid
made an indication to this aspect (of the meaning) by which they
obtain this desired goal (of being leaders) – and that is by seeking
the pious (muttaqoon) of the Salaf before them as (models of)
guidance so that Allaah (in turn) will make them leaders (of
guidance) for the pious after them. This is the most excellent and
most delicate of meanings in the Qur’aan, and it has nothing to do
with turning (the meaning) around whatsoever.
(21) So the one who follows the example of the Ahlus-Sunnah who
were before him, will be one whose example is followed after him,
or by those who are with him.
(22) Allaah, free from all imperfections, made the word ‘Imaam’
singlular (in the aayah) and did not say, “And make us leaders
(A‘immah) for the pious.” Then it is said, ‘Imaam in this aayah is
the plural of ‘aam,’ similar to ‘sihaab’ the plural of ‘saahib,’ and this
is the saying of al-Akhfash, and it is far (from what is correct) and is
not from (what is) well-known and famous from the language, such
that it should be used to interpret the Qur’aan.
(23) Others have said, ‘Imaam’ here is a verbal noun, not a proper
noun. It is said, ‘He led with a leadership,’ (amma imaaman),
similar to, ‘He fasted a fast,’ (saama siyaaman) and ‘He stood a
standing,’ (qaama qiyaaman) and so the meaning would be, ‘Make
us possessors of leadership,’-but this saying is weaker than the
previous one.
(24) Al-Farraa‘ said, “He said, ‘As a leader (Imaaman)’ and did not
say, ‘As leaders (A’immatan),’ just like in His saying:
Verily, we are a messenger of the Lord of the Worlds. [Soorah
Shu’araa (26):16].
He did not say, ‘... two messengers of the Lord of the Worlds.’
And this is in the singular by which the plural form is meant, such as
in the saying of the poet:
O my (female) rebukers! Do not increase in censuring me
Verily, the rebukers are not my leader
meaning, ‘they are not my leaders’ and this is the best of the
sayings save that it is in need of further clarification. That is, the
muttaqoon, all of them, are upon a single way, their deity is one,
they are followers of one Book, one Prophet and they are the
servants of one Lord. Therefore, their religion is one religion, their
Prophet is one prophet, their Book is one book and their deity is one
deity.
(25) So it is as if they were all a single leader (Imaam) for whoever
comes after them. They are not like the opposing leaders (at
variance with one another), those whose ways, schools of thought
and beliefs are at variance. Therefore, following their example
occurs by following what they (the Allaah-fearing from the Salaf)
were upon, and that is but a single thing, and that is the leader
(Imaam) in reality.7
7
i.e., they were all upon one and the same way. So even though they were numerous
in number, they are leaders upon one and the same thing and so are like a single
(unified) leader upon that way.