1743 - تَتابُعُ النِّعَمِ وَالاستِدراجُ‏

1743. CONSECUTIVE SUCCESSION OF BOUNTIES AND GRADUAL BAITING [FOR CHASTISEMENT]

(وَلَا يَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَنَّمَا نُمْلِي لَهُمْ خَيْرٌ لِأَنْفُسِهِمْ إِنَّمَا نُمْلِي لَهُمْ لِيَزْدَادُوا إِثْماً وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُهِينٌ) .¹

"Let the faithless not suppose that the respite that We grant them is good for their souls: We give them respite only that they may increase in sin, and there is a humiliating punishment for them." ²

6178.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : يابنَ آدمَ ، إذا رَأيتَ ربَّكَ سبحانَهُ يُتابِعُ علَيكَ نِعمَهُ وأنتَ تَعصيهِ فاحذَرْهُ .³

6178.Imam Ali (AS) said, 'O son of Adam, if you see your Lord, glory be to Him, bestowing bounties upon you in continuous succession while you are disobeying Him, then be cautious of Him.' ⁴

6179.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : أيُّها النّاسُ، لِيَرَكُمُ اللَّهُ مِن النِّعمَةِ وَجِلِينَ كما يَراكُم مِن النِّقمَةِ فَرِقِينَ ؛ إنّهُ مَن وُسِّعَ علَيهِ في ذاتِ يَدِهِ فلَم يَرَ ذلكَ استِدراجاً فَقد أمِنَ مَخُوفاً ، ومَن ضُيِّقَ علَيهِ في ذاتِ يَدِهِ فلَم يَرَ ذلكَ اختِباراً فَقد ضَيَّعَ مَأمولاً .⁵

6179.Imam Ali (AS) said, 'O people, let Allah see you fearing Him at the time of happiness just as you fear Him in time of distress. Certainly he who is given ease [of life] and does not consider it as a means of gradual baiting towards tribulation [wrongdoing], considers himself safe against what is to be feared, while he who is afflicted with straitened circumstances but does not perceive them to be a trial loses the coveted reward.' ⁶

6180.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : رُبَّ مُنعَمٍ علَيهِ مُستَدرَجٌ بالنُّعمى‏ ، ورُبَّ مُبتَلىً مَصنوعٌ لَهُ بالبَلوى‏ .⁷

6180.Imam Ali (AS) said, 'Very often a favoured person is gradually being driven [towards punishment] through these favours; and very often an afflicted person is being done good through his affliction.' ⁸

6181.الإمامُ الحسينُ عليه السلام : الاستِدراجُ مِن اللَّهِ سبحانَهُ لِعَبدِهِ أن يُسبِغَ علَيهِ النِّعَمَ ويَسلُبَهُ الشُّكرَ .⁹

6181. Imam Husayn (AS) said, 'Allah Almighty's gradual baiting of His servant is that He envelops him with bounties and eradicates thankfulness from him.' ¹⁰

1742 - ما يوجِبُ بَقاءَ النِّعَمِ‏

1742. THAT WHICH CAUSES BOUNTIES TO REMAIN

(وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ القُرَى‏ آمَنُوا وَاتَّقَوا لَفَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ بَرَكَاتٍ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأرْضِ وَلكِنْ كَذَّبُوا فَأَخَذْنَاهُمْ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ) .¹

"If the people of the towns had been faithful and Godwary, We would have opened to them bounties from the Heaven and the earth. But they denied; so we seized them because of what they used to earn." ²

(ذلِكَ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ لَمْ يَكُ مُغَيِّراً نِعْمَةً أَنْعَمَهَا عَلَى‏ قَوْمٍ حَتَّى‏ يُغَيِّرُوا مَا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ) .³

"That is because Allah never changes a blessing that He has bestowed on a people unless they change what is in their own souls, and Allah is all-hearing, all-knowing." ⁴

6171.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : إنّ للَّهِ عِباداً اختَصَّهُم بالنِّعَمِ ، يُقِرُّها فيهِم ما بَذَلوها للنّاسِ ، فإذا مَنَعوها حَوَّلَها مِنهُم إلى‏ غَيرِهِم .⁵

6171.The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'Allah has servants whom He has chosen for bounties. He establishes these in them as long as they distribute them to people, but if they withhold them [the bounties], He transfers them to other people.' ⁶

6172.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : مَن كَثُرَت نِعَمُ اللَّهِ علَيهِ كَثُرَت حَوائجُ النّاسِ إلَيهِ ، فمَن قامَ للَّهِ فيها بما يَجِبُ فيها عَرَّضَها لِلدَّوامِ والبَقاءِ ، ومَن لَم يَقُمْ فيها بما يَجِبُ عَرَّضَها لِلزَّوالِ والفَناءِ .⁷

6172.Imam Ali (AS) said, 'He upon whom the bounties of Allah are plenty, people's needs from him increase accordingly. So, if he uses them for Allah in the way he must do so, He causes them to continue and remain. But if he does not use them in the way that he must, He will make them cease and perish.' ⁸

6173.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : أقلُّ ما يَلزَمُكُم للَّهِ ألّا تَستَعينوا بنِعَمهِ على‏ مَعاصيهِ .⁹

6173.Imam Ali (AS) said, 'The least of what you are obliged to do for Allah is to not use His bounties to commit acts of disobedience to Him.' ¹⁰

6174.الإمامُ الصّادقُ عليه السلام : لا تَدومُ النِّعَمُ إلّا بعدَ ثَلاثٍ (إلّا بثَلاثٍ) : مَعرِفَةٌ بما يَلزَمُ للَّهِ سبحانَهُ فيها ، وأداءُ شُكرِها ، والتَّعَبُ فيها .¹¹

6174.Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, 'Bounties only remain when accompanied by three things: knowledge of the status of Allah in the blessings [being from Him], fulfilment of thanks for them, and striving with them.' ¹²

6175.الإمامُ الصّادقُ عليه السلام : مَن عَظُمَت نِعمَةُ اللَّهِ علَيهِ اشتَدَّت مَؤونَةُ النّاسِ علَيهِ ، فاستَديموا النِّعمَةَ باحتِمالِ المَؤونَةِ ولا تُعَرِّضوها لِلزَّوالِ ، فقَلَّ مَن زالَتَ عَنهُ النِّعمَةُ فكادَت أن تَعودَ إلَيهِ .¹³

6175.Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, 'He upon whom are great bounties from Allah, people's needs from him increase accordingly. So, seek continuity in your bounties through bearing the expenses [of people], and do not let them cease, for it is seldom that one's bounties cease and return to him again.' ¹⁴

6176.الإمامُ الكاظمُ عليه السلام : مَنِ اقتَصَدَ وقَنَعَ بَقِيَت علَيهِ النِّعمَةُ، ومَن‏بَذَّرَ وأسرَفَ زالَت عنهُ‏النِّعمَةُ .¹⁵

6176.Imam al-Kazim (AS) said, 'He who economizes and is content, his bounties will stay, and he who wastes and squanders, his bounties cease to remain with him.' ¹⁶

6177.الإمامُ الرِّضا عليه السلام : اِستِعمالُ العَدلِ والإحسانِ مُؤْذِنٌ بِدَوامِ النِّعمَةِ .¹⁷

6177.Imam al-Rida (AS) said, 'Observing justice and benevolence invites the continuation of bounties.' ¹⁸

(اُنظر) الذنب : باب 777 .

(See also: SINNING: section 777)