الْإِسْلَامُIslamوَمِفْتَاحُis the keyدَارِto the abodeالسَّلَامِof peace
Islam is the key to the abode of peace,
وَبِهَاand by itتَنْقَسِمُare dividedالنَّاسُpeopleإِلَىintoشَقِيٍّwretchedوَسَعِيدٍand happyوَمَقْبُولٍand acceptedوَطَرِيدٍand expelled
and by it people are divided into wretched and happy, accepted and expelled;
وَبِهَاand by itانْفَصَلَتْwas separatedدَارُthe abodeالْكُفْرِof disbeliefمِنْfromدَارِthe abodeالْإِسْلَامِof Islam
by it the abode of disbelief is separated from the abode of Islam,
وَتَمَيَّزَتْand was distinguishedدَارُthe abodeالنَّعِيمِof blissمِنْfromدَارِthe abodeالشَّقَاءِof miseryوَالْهَوَانِand degradation
and the abode of bliss is distinguished from the abode of misery and degradation.
وَهِيَAnd it isالْعَمُودُthe pillarالْحَامِلُthat carriesلِلْفَرْضِthe obligatoryوَالسُّنَّةِand the Sunnah
It is the pillar that carries the obligatory and the Sunnah,
وَمَنْand whoeverكَانَisآخِرُthe lastكَلَامِهِof his speechلَاthere is noإِلَهَgodإِلَّاexceptاللَّهُAllahدَخَلَhe enteredالْجَنَّةَParadise
and whoever's last speech is 'There is no god but Allah' will enter Paradise.
فَأَفْضَلُSo the bestمَاof whatشُغِلَتْwere occupiedبِهِwith itالْأَوْقَاتُthe times
So the best of what times are occupied with
وَانْقَضَتْand passedفِيهِin itالسَّاعَاتُthe hoursتَوْحِيدُis the monotheismرَبِّof the Lordالْعَالَمِينَof the worlds
and hours are spent in is the monotheism of the Lord of the worlds,
الَّذِيwhichاخْتَارَهُchose itاللَّهُAllahلِأَنْبِيَائِهِfor His prophetsوَاصْطَفَىand selectedلِتَحْقِيقِهِfor its realizationسَادَةَthe mastersرُسُلِهِof His messengersوَصَفْوَةَand the eliteخَلْقِهِof His creation
which Allah chose for His prophets and selected for its realization the masters of His messengers and the elite of His creation.
قَالَSaidابْنُIbnعُيَيْنَةَUyaynahرَحِمَهُmay Allah have mercyاللَّهُon himتَعَالَىthe Most High
Ibn Uyaynah (may Allah have mercy on him the Most High) said:
مَاnotأَنْعَمَbestowedاللَّهُAllahعَلَىuponعَبْدٍa servantمِنَfromالْعِبَادِthe servantsنِعْمَةًa blessingأَعْظَمَgreaterمِنْthanأَنْthatعَرَّفَهُمْHe made them knowلَاthere is noإِلَهَgodإِلَّاexceptاللَّهُAllah
"Allah has not bestowed upon any of His servants a blessing greater than making them know 'There is no god but Allah.'
وَإِنَّAnd indeedلَاthere is noإِلَهَgodإِلَّاexceptاللَّهُAllahلِأَهْلِfor the peopleالْجَنَّةِof Paradiseكَالْمَاءِis like the waterالْبَارِدِcoldلِأَهْلِfor the peopleالدُّنْيَاof this world
And verily, 'There is no god but Allah' for the people of Paradise is like cold water for the people of this world."
وَقَالَAnd saidالْإِمَامُthe ImamالْمَقْدِسِيُّAl-Maqdisiرَحِمَهُmay Allah have mercyاللَّهُon himتَعَالَىthe Most High
And Imam Al-Maqdisi (may Allah have mercy on him the Most High) said:
فَلَوْFor ifأَنَّthatالْإِنْسَانَa humanعَرَفَknewكُلَّeveryشَيْءٍthing
"If a person knew everything
وَلَمْand did notيَعْرِفِknowاللَّهَAllahسُبْحَانَهُGlorified is Heكَأَنَّهُit would be as ifلَمْnotيَعْرِفْhe knewشَيْئًاanything
yet did not know Allah, Glorified is He, it would be as if he knew nothing."
وَقَالَAnd saidالشَّيْخُthe SheikhمُحَمَّدُMuhammadبْنُson ofإِبْرَاهِيمَIbrahimرَحِمَهُmay Allah have mercyاللَّهُon himتَعَالَىthe Most High
And Sheikh Muhammad bin Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him the Most High) said:
فَلَاSo do notيُزْهَدُbe indifferentفِيtowardsالتَّوْحِيدِTawhidفَإِنَّfor indeedبِالزُّهْدِthrough indifferenceفِيهِtowards itيَقَعُone fallsفِيintoضِدِّهِits opposite
"So do not be indifferent towards Tawhid, for indeed indifference towards it leads to falling into its opposite.
وَمَاand noneهَلَكَperishedمَنْwhoهَلَكَperishedمِمَّنْfrom those whoيَدَّعِيclaimالْإِسْلَامَIslamإِلَّاexceptبَعْدَafterعَدَمِfailingإِعْطَائِهِto give itحَقَّهُits due right
None of those who claimed Islam perished except after failing to give it its due right
وَمَعْرِفَتِهِand knowing itحَقَّwith trueالْمَعْرِفَةِknowledgeوَظَنُّواand they thoughtأَنَّهُthatيَكْفِيsufficesالْاسْمُthe nameوَالشَّهَادَتَانِand the two testimonies
and knowing it with true knowledge, thinking that the mere name and the two testimonies were sufficient,
وَلَمْand they did notيَنْظُرُواlook intoمَاwhatيُنَافِيهِcontradicts itوَمَاand whatيُنَافِيcontradictsكَمَالَهُits perfectionهَلْwhetherهُوَitمَوْجُودٌis presentأَوْorمَفْقُودٌabsent
without considering what contradicts it or what contradicts its perfection—whether it is present or absent.
وَهَذَاAnd thisكُلُّهُall of itمِنْis due toعَدَمِthe lack ofالتَّحَرُّزِcautionوَمَعْرِفَةِand knowingأَلْفَاظِthe wordsالتَّوْحِيدِof Tawhidلَفْظَةًwordلَفْظَةًby word
All of this stems from a lack of caution and failure to understand the words of Tawhid, word by word."
فَيَاSo Oغَافِلًاheedless oneعَنْofحَقِيقَةِthe realityالسَّعَادَةِof happiness
So O heedless one to the reality of happiness,
دُونَكَhere is for youمَاwhatتَسَابَقَracedالْأَخْيَارُthe righteousفِيinتَحْصِيلِهِobtaining it
here is what the righteous raced to obtain
وَمَاand whatتَنَافَسَcompetedالْأَتْقِيَاءُthe piousفِيinتَحْقِيقِهِrealizing it
and what the pious competed to realize,
حَتَّىuntilقَالَsaidقَائِلُهُمْone of themمَسَاكِينُWretchedأَهْلُare the peopleالدُّنْيَاof this worldمَضَوْاthey passed awayعَنْهَاfrom itوَمَاand did notحَصَّلُواobtain
until one of them said: "Wretched are the people of this world; they passed away from it and attained nothing."