Staying Firm in Faith

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وَمِنْ أَحْوَالِ الْمُؤْمِنِ أَنْ يَكُونَ الْحَرْبُ سِجَالًا وَدَوْلًا بَيِّنًا دُعَاةَ الدِّينِ وَدُعَاةِ الْهَوَى

One of the believer's states is that the struggle is a fierce, alternating contest between the call of religion and the call of desire.

فَتَارَةً لَهُ وَتَارَةً عَلَيْهِ

Sometimes it is in his favor, and sometimes it is against him.

وَتَكْثُرُ نَوْبَاتِ الاِنْتِصَارُ وَتَقِلُّ

Moments of triumph come and go.

وَهَذِهِ حَالُ أَكْثَرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الَّذِينَ خَلَطُوا عَمَلًا صَالِحًا وَآخَرَ سَيِّئًا

And this is the condition of most believers, who mix a good deed with a bad one.

وَتَكُونُ الْحَالُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ مُوَازَنَةً لِهَذِهِ الْأَحْوَالِ الثَّلاَثِ

And on the Day of Resurrection the state will be a balance for these three conditions.

سَوَاءُ بِسَوَاءٍ فَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ وَلَا يَدْخُلُ النَّارَ

It is all the same: among people are those who enter Paradise and do not enter the Fire.

وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَدْخُلُ النَّارَ وَلَا يَدْخُلُ الْجُنَّةَ

And among them are those who enter the Fire and do not enter Paradise.

وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَدْخُلُ النَّارَ ثُمَّ يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ

And among them are those who enter the Fire and then enter Paradise.

وَهَذِهِ الأَحْوَالُ الثَّلاَثُ هِيَ أَحْوَالُ النَّاسِ فِي الصِّحَّةِ وَالْمَرَضِ

These three states are the conditions of people in health and illness.

فَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ تُقَاوِمُ قُوَّتُهُ دَاءَهُ فَتَقْهَرُهُ وَيَكُونُ السُّلْطَانُ لِلْقُوَّةِ

Among people are those whose strength resists their disease; it overcomes the illness, and power belongs to strength.

وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَقْهَرُ دَاءُهُ قُوَّتَهُ وَيَكُونُ السُّلطانُ لِلْداءِ

And among them are those whose illness overwhelms their strength, and the dominion is for the disease.

وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ الْحَرْبُ بَيْنَ دَاءِهِ وَقُوَّتِهِ نَوْبًا فَهُوَ مُتَرَدِّدٌ بَيْنَ الصِّحَّةِ وَالْمَرَضِ

And among them are those for whom the struggle between his disease and his strength is in bouts, so he is wavering between health and illness.

فَصْلٌ

Section:

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَصْبِرُ بِجَهْدٍ وَمِشْقَةٍ

And among the people are those who endure with effort and hardship.

وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَصْبِرُ بِأَدْنَى حَمْلٍ عَلَى النَّفْسِ

And among them are those who endure even the slightest burden upon the self.

وَمَثَلُ الأَوَّلِ كَرَجُلٍ صَارَعَ رَجُلًا شَدِيدًا فَلَا يُقْهَرُ إِلَّا بِتَعَبٍ وَمِشْقَةٍ

And the example of the first is like a man who wrestled a very strong man; he is not overcome except by fatigue and hardship.

والثانى كَمَنْ صَارَعَ رَجُلًا ضَعِيفًا فَإِنَّهُ يَصْرَعُهُ بِغَيْرِ مِشْقَةٍ

And the second is like someone who wrestles a weak man; he throws him down without difficulty.

فَهَكَذَا تَكُونُ الْمُصَارَعَةُ بَيِّنٌ جنود الرَّحْمَنِ وجنود الشَّيْطَانِ

Thus the struggle is between the forces of the Most Merciful and the forces of Satan.

وَمِنْ صَرْعٍ جُنْدِ الشَّيْطَانِ صَرْعٍ الشَّيْطَانِ

And whoever is struck down by the troops of Satan is struck down by Satan.

قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهُ بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ رضى اللَّهُ عَنْهُ

Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said.

لَقَى رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْإِنْسِ رَجُلًا مِنَ الْجِنِّ فَصَارَعَهُ فَصَرَعَهُ الْأَنْسَى

A man from among the humans met a man from the jinn; they wrestled, and the human felled him.

فَقَالَ مَا لِي أَرَاكَ ضَئِيلًا

He said, "What is the matter with you? You look weak."

فَقَالَ انى مِنْ بَيِّنِهِمْ لَضَلِيعٌ

He said, "I am indeed one of them, an expert."

فَقَالُوا أَهُوَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ

They said, "Is he Umar ibn al-Khattab?"

فَقَالَ مَنْ تَرَوْنَهُ غَيْرٌ عُمَرِ

He said, "Who do you see besides Umar?"

وَقَالَ بَعْضُ الصَّحَابَةِ إِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ يَنْحِي شَيْطَانَهُ كَمَا يَنْحِي أَحَدُكُمْ بَعِيرَهُ فِي السَّفَرِ

And some of the Companions said that the believer drives away his devil as one of you drives off his camel on a journey.

وَذَكَرَ اِبْنُ أبى الدُّنْيَا عَنْ بَعْضِ السَّلَفِ أَنَّ شَيْطَانًا لقى شَيْطَانًا

Ibn Abi al-Dunya reported from some of the predecessors that one devil met another.

فَقَالَ مَا لى أَرَاكَ شَخِيبًا

He said, "Why do I see you so gray?"

فَقَالَ انى مَعَ رِجْلِ ان أُكَلَ ذِكْرَ اِسْمِ اللَّهِ فَلَا آكِلٌ مَعَهُ

He said, "I am with a man; if he eats while mentioning the Name of God, I will not eat with him."

وَانْ شُرْبِ ذَكَرَ اِسْمِ اللَّهِ فَلَا أَشْرَبُ مَعَهُ

If he drinks after saying the name of God, I will not drink with him.

وَإِنْ دَخَلَ بَيْتَهُ ذَكَرَ اسْمَ اللَّهِ فَأَبَيْتُ خَارِجَ الدَّارِ

And if he entered his house and mentioned the Name of God, I would spend the night outside the house.

فَقَالَ الآخَرُ لَكِنِّي مَعَ رَجُلٍ إِنْ أَكَلَ لَمْ يَسْمِ اللَّهَ فَأَكَلْتُ أَنَا وَهُوَ جَمِيعًا

The other said, 'But I am with a man; if he eats without saying the name of God, then I and he eat together.'

وَإِنْ شَرِبَ لَمْ يَقُلْ بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ فَاشْرَبْ مَعَهُ

And if he drinks without saying the name of God, then drink with him.

وان دَخَلَ دَارَهُ لَمْ يُسَمِّ اللَّهُ فأدخل مَعَهُ

And if he entered his house and did not say the name of God, then let him enter with him.

وَإِنْ جَامَعَ إِمْرَأَتَهُ لَمْ يَسْمَعْ اللَّهُ فَأَجَامَعَهَا

And if he had intercourse with his wife and did not say the name of Allah, then he had intercourse with her.

فَمَنْ اِعْتَادَ الصَّبْرَ هَابَهُ عَدُوُّهُ

So whoever becomes accustomed to patience, his enemy fears him.

وَمَنْ عَزَّ عَلَيْهِ الصَّبْرُ طَمَعَ فِيهِ عَدُوُّهُ

And whoever finds patience hard, his enemy will take advantage of him.

وَأَوْشَكَ أَنْ يَنَالَ مِنْهُ غَرْضَهُ

And his enemy was about to achieve his aim against him.