a knowledgeable believer; as Allāh said: "Only those fear Allāh, from among His servants, who have knowledge" (Sūrah Fāṭir, verse 28). They said: Whoever fears Allāh has indeed believed in Him and known Him, and it is impossible for someone who does not believe in Him to fear Him. This is clear to those who understand and are guided to righteousness. As for his statement: "If Allāh has power over me," scholars have differed regarding its meaning. Some said: This man was ignorant of some of the attributes of Allāh, namely His power, and did not know that Allāh is capable of whatever He wills. They said: Whoever is ignorant of one of Allāh's attributes, but believes in and knows the rest of His attributes, is not considered a disbeliever due to his ignorance of some of Allāh's attributes. They said: The disbeliever is the one who opposes the truth, not the one who is ignorant of it. This is the view of the early scholars and those who followed their path among the later scholars. Others said: By his statement, "If Allāh has power over me," he meant the decree, which is the judgment, and not the power and ability in any way. They said: It is like Allāh's statement regarding Dhū al-Nūn: "When he went off in anger and thought that We would not decree anything against him" (Sūrah al-Anbiyāʾ, verse 87). Scholars have two interpretations for this phrase: one is that it refers to decree and judgment, and the other is that it refers to constriction and restriction. Everything the scholars have said in interpreting this verse is permissible in interpreting this ḥadīth in his statement: "If Allāh has power over me." One interpretation is: It is as if the man said: If it has been decreed and judged by Allāh that He will punish every sinner for his sin, then may Allāh punish me for my crimes and sins with a punishment that He does not inflict on anyone else in the world. The other interpretation is: By Allāh! If Allāh constricts me and is thorough in accounting and recompensing me for my sins, then so be it. Then he ordered that he be burned after his death out of excessive fear
لمؤمن عالم؛ كما قال الله ﷿: (إنما يخشى الله من عباده العلماء) ، قالوا: كل من خاف الله فقد آمن به وعرفه، ومستحيل أن يخافه من لا يؤمن به. وهذا واضح لمن فهم وألهم رشده. وأما قوله: "لئن قدر الله علي "؛ فقد اختلف العلماء في معناه؛ فقال منهم قائلون: هذا رجل جهل بعض صفات الله ﷿، وهي القدرة، فلم يعلم أن الله على كل ما يشاء قدير، قالوا: ومن جهل صفة من صفات الله عزوجل، وآمن بسائر صفاته وعرفها؛ لم يكن بجهله بعض صفات الله كافراً. قالوا: وإنما الكافر من عاند الحق لا من جهله. وهذا قول المتقدمين من العلماء ومن سلك سبيلهم من المتأخرين. وقال آخرون: أراد بقوله: "لئن قدر الله علي " من القدر الذي هو القضاء، وليس من باب القدرة والاستطاعة في شيء. قالوا: وهو مثل قول الله ﷿ في ذي النون: (إذ ذهب مغاضباً فظن أن لن نقدر عليه) . وللعلماء في تأويل هذه اللفظة قولان: أحدهما: أنها من التقدير والقضاء. والآخر: أنها من التقتير والتضييق. وكل ما قاله العلماء في تأويل هذه الآية فهو جائز في تأويل هذا الحديث في قوله: "لئن قدر الله علي "، فأحد الوجهين تقديره: كأن الرجل قال: لئن كان سبق في قدر الله وقضائه أن يعذب كل ذي جرم على جرمه؛ ليعذبني الله على إجرامي وذنوبي عذاباً لا يعذبه أحداً من العالمين غيري. والوجه الآخر: تقديره: والله! لئن ضيق الله علي وبالغ في محاسبتي وجزائي على ذنوبي ليكونن ذلك. ثم أمر بأن يحرق بعد موته من إفراط خوفه.