al-Risala al-Tabukiyya Zad al-Muhajir ila Rabbihi

al-Risala al-Tabukiyya: Zad al-Muhajir ila Rabbihi (The Tabuk Epistle: Provision of the Emigrant to His Lord) is an ethical and spiritual treatise written by the Hanbali theologian and jurist Ibn al-Qayyim (691–751 AH / 1292–1350 CE) on the religious obligations of mutual assistance and inner spiritual migration to God and His Messenger al-Risala al-Tabukiyya Za…+1.

Composition and Context

The author composed the work on 8 Muharram 733 AH while staying in Tabuk and dispatched it as an epistle and gift of counsel to his companions and fellow students of religious knowledge in Bilad al-Sham (the Levant) Durus li al-Shaykh Muhamm…+1. The treatise is also known under alternate titles, including Zad al-Muhajir ila Rabbihi (Provision of the Emigrant to His Lord) and Tuhfat al-Ahbab fi Tafsir Qawlihi Ta‘ala: Wa-Ta‘awanu ‘ala al-Birri wa-l-Taqwa (The Gift to Loved Ones in the Exegesis of God's Saying: "And Cooperate in Righteousness and Piety") Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya wa…+1.

Contents and Key Themes

The treatise is structured around the exegesis of Surah al-Ma'idah: وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَى وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ ("And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression" [Quran 5:2]) al-Risala al-Tabukiyya Za…+1. Ibn al-Qayyim establishes that this verse encompasses the entirety of a believer's obligations, which fall into two realms: the duty owed directly to God, and the duties governing social interaction and cooperation with creation al-Risala al-Tabukiyya Za…+1.

The text elaborates on several central concepts:

• Righteousness and Piety (al-Birr wa-l-Taqwa): Ibn al-Qayyim analyzes the semantic relationship between righteousness (birr) and piety (taqwa), noting that when mentioned separately, either term encompasses the other, but when paired, birr refers to the intended goal of comprehensive goodness, while taqwa denotes the necessary means of avoiding prohibited acts to achieve it, comparing this pairing to similar Quranic pairs such as iman (faith) and islam (submission) al-Risala al-Tabukiyya Za…+1.
• The Dual Spiritual Migration (al-Hijratan): The work identifies mutual cooperation in the spiritual journey (safar al-hijra) as the highest form of mutual aid al-Risala al-Tabukiyya Za…+1. This journey requires two simultaneous, enduring inward migrations that are obligatory at all times:
  1. Migration to God: Undertaken through sincere devotion (ikhlas), exclusive worship, reliance, love, fear, hope, and absolute inward neediness (iftiqar) before Him al-Faharis al-Ilmiyya li-…+1.
  2. Migration to the Prophet: Undertaken by adhering strictly to the Sunnah in outer actions and inner states, seeking guidance exclusively from prophetic teachings, and submitting all disputes and matters of belief to his authority al-Faharis al-Ilmiyya li-…+1.
• The Provisions and Pathway of the Spiritual Journey: Ibn al-Qayyim outlines the spiritual equipment needed for this voyage: its provision (zad) is knowledge inherited from the Prophet; its pathway (tariq) is relentless effort and exertion; its mount (markab) is total refuge and sincere dependence on God; and its foundational pillar is persistent contemplation (tadabbur) of the Quran so that its meanings govern the heart al-Risala al-Tabukiyya Za…+1.
• Quranic Reflection and Social Ethics: As a practical demonstration of textual reflection, Ibn al-Qayyim includes an exegesis of verses 24–30 of Surah al-Dhariyat, deducing theological and ethical lessons as a model for Quranic contemplation al-Risala al-Tabukiyya Za…. He also advises spiritual seekers to seek fellowship with the righteous of the past who remain "alive" through their legacy, to avoid the spiritually dead among the living, and to observe the balance of social conduct summarized in Surah al-A'raf: خُذِ الْعَفْوَ وَأْمُرْ بِالْعُرْفِ وَأَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْجَاهِلِينَ ("Take what is given freely, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the ignorant" [Quran 7:199]) al-Risala al-Tabukiyya Za….

Publication History

Al-Risala al-Tabukiyya was first printed in 1347 AH at al-Matba'a al-Salafiyya in Mecca, prepared and revised under the supervision of Abd al-Zahir Abu al-Samh, the imam and preacher of the Grand Mosque al-Risala al-Tabukiyya Za…. Subsequent editions appeared under titles such as Zad al-Muhajir ila Rabbihi, though several early printings reproduced the initial Meccan edition without manuscript cross-checking, perpetuating omissions and textual errors until later scholarly editions were produced al-Risala al-Tabukiyya Za…. Notable modern releases include the edition prepared with an introduction by Muhammad Jamil Ghazi, published by Dar al-Madani in Jeddah Maalim Usul al-Fiqh inda …+1.