In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
[The Sheikh, the Imam, the scholar, the one who acts upon his knowledge, the Sheikh al-Islam, the exemplar of people, the embodiment of virtues, Muwaffaq al-Din Abu Muhammad 'Abd Allah ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Qudama al-Maqdisi—may Allah sanctify his soul and illuminate his grave—said:]
Praise be to Allah, the Originator of all creation, the Forgiver of sins, the Knower of hidden things, and the Witness of inner thoughts and intentions. He has encompassed all things in knowledge, and has expanded over all things in mercy and forbearance. He has subdued every created being by His might and command: {He knows what is before them and what is behind them, but they do not encompass Him in knowledge} [Quran 20:110]. Eyes do not perceive Him, the passage of eras does not change Him, and thoughts cannot imagine Him: {And everything with Him is by measure} [Quran 13:8]. He perfected that which He created and made it precise; He enumerated everything and knew it. He created man and taught him. He raised the rank of knowledge and magnified it, while forbidding and prohibiting it to those who treat it with contempt. He singled out from among His creation those whom He honored with it, and He urged His believing servants to go forth to seek understanding of the religion, for He, the Most High—and He is the most truthful of speakers—said: {So why should there not separate from every division of them a group to obtain understanding in the religion and warn their people when they return to them that they might be cautious?} [Quran 9:122]. He called them to warn His creatures just as He called the people of His message to that, bestowed upon them the inheritance of the people of His prophethood, was pleased with them to uphold His proof and act as His deputies in informing others of His law, and singled them out from among His servants with His fear, for He, the Most High, said: {Only those fear Allah, from among His servants, who have knowledge} [Quran 35:28]. Then He commanded the rest of the people
(1) In [MS] M: "The Imam, the scholar, the unique one, the complete master, the virtuous sayyid, the Sheikh al-Islam, the master of scholars, the imam of the People of the Sunnah, the remnant of the predecessors, the mufti of the nation, Muwaffaq al-Din, Abu Muhammad 'Abd Allah ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Qudama al-Maqdisi—may Allah be pleased with him and grant him satisfaction, just as He chose him to support His religion and was satisfied with him." (2) Surah Taha: 110. (3) Surah al-Ra'd: 8. (4) Surah al-Tawbah: 122. (5) Surah Fatir: 28.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
[قال الشيخُ الإِمامُ العالمُ العاملُ شيخُ الإِسلام، قُدْوةُ الأنام، مَجْمُوعُ الفضائل، مُوَفَّقُ الدين أبو محمد عبد اللَّه بن أحمد بن محمد بن قُدامَةَ المَقْدِسِىُّ، قَدَّس اللهُ رُوحَه، وَنوَّر ضَرِيحَهُ: ] (١)
الحمدُ للَّه بارِئِ الْبَرِيَّات، وغافِر الخَطِيَّات، وعالِمِ الخَفِيَّات، المُطّلِعِ على الضمائِرِ والنِّيَّات، أحاط بكلِّ شَئٍ عِلْما، وَوَسِعَ كُلَّ شَئٍ رحمةً وحِلْما، وَقَهَرَ كُلَّ مخلوقٍ عِزةً وحُكْمًا {يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِهِ عِلْمًا} (٢)، لا تدركُه الأبصار، ولا تُغيِّره الأعْصار، ولا تَتَوهَّمه الأفكار، {وَكُلُّ شَيْءٍ عِنْدَهُ بِمِقْدَارٍ} (٣)، أتْقَن ما صنَع وأحْكَمه، وأحْصَى كُلَّ شَئٍ وعلمَه، وخلق الإِنسانَ وَعَلَّمَهُ، ورفع قَدْرَ العِلْمِ وعظَّمه، وحظَره على من استرْذَله وحَرَّمَه، وخَصَّ به مِن خَلْقِه مَن كرَّمه، وحَضَّ عبادَه المؤمنين على النَّفِيرِ لِلتَّفَقُّهِ في الدين، فقال تعالى وهو أصدق القائلين: {فَلَوْلَا نَفَرَ مِنْ كُلِّ فِرْقَةٍ مِنْهُمْ طَائِفَةٌ لِيَتَفَقَّهُوا فِي الدِّينِ وَلِيُنْذِرُوا قَوْمَهُمْ إِذَا رَجَعُوا إِلَيْهِمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَحْذَرُونَ} (٤)، نَدَبَهم إلى إِنْذَارِ بَرِيَّتِه، كَما نَدَب إلى ذلك أهلَ رسالتِه، ومَنحهم ميراثَ أهلِ نُبُوَّتِه، وَرَضِيَهم للقيامِ بحُجَّتِه، والنِّيابةِ عنه في الإِخبارِ بشريعتِه، واخْتَصَّهم مِن بينِ عبادِه بخَشْيتِه، فقَال تعالى: {إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى اللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَمَاءُ} (٥)، ثم أمَر سائِرَ الناسِ
(١) في م: "قال الإمام العالم الأوحد، الصدر الكامل، السيد الفاضل، شيخ الإِسلام، سيد العلماء، إمام أهل السنة، بقية السلف، مفتى الأمة، موفق الدين، أبو محمد عبد اللَّه بن أحمد بن محمد بن قدامة المقدسى، رضى اللَّه عنه وأرضاه، كما اختاره لنصر دينه وارتضاه".(٢) سورة طه ١١٠.(٣) سورة الرعد ٨.(٤) سورة التوبة ١٢٢.(٥) سورة فاطر ٢٨.
