Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (14/412)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

And if he says that there is some created being that deserves to be deified and worshipped, then he is a disbeliever and an apostate.

“Or [whoever denies] one of His attributes; or ascribes to Allah a consort or a child; or denies some of His Books …”

His statement, “or one of His attributes”: if a person denies one of His attributes, the apparent meaning of the author’s words—may Allah have mercy on him—is that he is deemed a disbeliever without qualification, since he stated it unconditionally. Yet his example in the commentary (1) indicates that what is intended is those essential attributes inseparable from Him, such as knowledge and power. Even so, this is open to question. One who rejects the attributes—that is, denies them—must be understood as falling into one of two categories:

The first is to deny them as a rejection of their truth.

The second is to deny them through figurative reinterpretation.

If he denies them as a rejection of their truth, then he is a disbeliever in every case, because he has rejected something established for Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. Whoever rejects anything from the Book of Allah or from the authentically established sunnah of His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, is a disbeliever.

An example is for someone to say: “Allah has no hearing; Allah has no Face; Allah has no Hand; Allah did not rise over the Throne,” and the like. We say: such a person is a disbeliever, because he has rejected the truth. Rejecting the report of Allah and His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, is disbelief. It makes no difference whether the attribute is essential or an attribute of action. Even if he denies that Allah descends to the lowest heaven, we say that he is a disbeliever, because the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “He descends” (2),

(1) That is: al-Rawd al-Murabbi, with Ibn Qasim's marginal commentary, 7:400. (2) Reported by al-Bukhari in Kitab al-Jumu'ah (The Book of Friday Prayer), chapter: “Supplication during prayer in the latter part of the night” (1145); and by Muslim in Kitab Salat al-Musafirin (The Book of the Travelers’ Prayer), chapter: “Encouragement to supplicate and remember Allah in the latter part of the night, when supplications are answered” (758), on the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him.

وإذا قال: إن هناك شيئاً من المخلوقات يستحق أن يُتأله له ويعبد فهو كافر ومرتد. أَوْ صِفَةً مِنْ صِفَاتِهِ، أَوِ اتَّخَذَ لِلَّهِ صَاحِبَةً أَوْ وَلَداً، أَوْ جَحَدَ بَعْضَ كُتُبِهِ .................... قوله: «أَوْ صِفَةً مِنْ صِفَاتِهِ» إذا جحد صفة من صفاته، فظاهر كلام المؤلف ﵀ أنه يكفر مطلقاً؛ لأنه أطلق، لكن تمثيله في الشرح (١) يدل على أن المراد الصفات الذاتية التي لا ينفك عنها، كالعلم، والقدرة، ومع ذلك ففيه نظر، فالجاحد للصفات معناه المنكر لها، والمنكر للصفات يجب أن نقول: إنه ينقسم إلى قسمين: الأول: أن يجحدها تكذيباً. الثاني: أن يجحدها تأويلاً. فإذا جحدها تكذيباً فهو كافر بكل حال؛ لأنه مكذب لما ثبت لله ﷿، والمكذب لشيء من كتاب الله، أو سنة رسوله ﷺ الثابتة عنه، فهذا كافر. مثال ذلك: أن يقول: ليس لله سمع، ليس لله وجه، ليس لله يَدٌ، لم يستوِ الله على العرش، وما أشبه ذلك، نقول: هذا كافر؛ لأنه مكذب، وتكذيب خبر الله ورسوله ﷺ كفر، وسواء كانت الصفة ذاتية، أم فعلية، فلا فرق، حتى لو كذب أن الله ينزل إلى السماء الدنيا قلنا: إنه كافر؛ لأن الرسول ﷺ يقول: «ينزل» (٢)،

(١) أي: الروض المربع مع حاشية ابن قاسم (٧/ ٤٠٠). (٢) أخرجه البخاري في الجمعة باب الدعاء في الصلاة من آخر الليل (١١٤٥)، ومسلم في صلاة المسافرين باب الترغيب في الدعاء والذكر في آخر الليل والإجابة فيه (٧٥٨) عن أبي هريرة ﵁.