Al-Risālah al-ʿArshiyyah - Ibn Taimiya - (28)

Al-Risālah al-ʿArshiyyahIbn Taimiya

—namely, heavy bodies. A heavy body rises only through something that lifts it, counteracting its tendency to descend. Likewise, whatever descends from the earth’s highest part to its lowest—the centre—cannot rise from there towards the other side except through something that lifts it, counteracting its tendency to descend towards the centre. If the propelling force is assumed to be stronger, it would carry the body upwards towards the celestial sphere on that side and raise it towards Allah. This is called a descent only because those being addressed conceive of movement in the direction of their feet as downward movement. It is called a descent, and causing it to descend is called lowering it. Yet it is truly a lowering only as far as the centre; beyond that, it is merely an extension of the rope and bucket, not a lowering. Both the condition and its consequence, however, are hypothetical, not actual.

For he said:

“If something were lowered, it would descend.”

That is, if a lowering were supposed to occur, a descent would likewise be supposed to occur. It would constitute a lowering and a descent if the heavens were assumed to be beneath the earth. This supposition is not true, but its purpose is to explain encompassment and elevation on every side. This hypothetical act is impossible for us; we have no power to accomplish it. Thus, no such lowering is conceivable, nor is it conceivable that anything should descend upon Allah. Allah, however, is able to pierce through from here to there with a rope. Yet, in relation to Him, this would not constitute lowering, and so it would not constitute a descent upon Him.

It is like His passing a rope through from one pole to the other, or from where the sun rises to where it sets, with us supposing that the rope passes through the middle of the earth. Allah is able to do all of this. In relation to Him, under this supposition, there is no difference between piercing through from our right side to our left, from in front of us to behind us, or from the direction of our heads towards our feet, if the rope passes through the earth. Under every supposition, He has passed the rope through from one side of

مِنْ الثَّقِيلِ، فَلَا يَصْعَدُ الثَّقِيلُ إلَّا بِرَافِعِ يَرْفَعُهُ يُدَافِعُ بِهِ مَا فِي قُوَّتِهِ مِنْ الْهُبُوطِ، فَكَذَلِكَ مَا يَهْبِطُ مِنْ أَعْلَى الْأَرْضِ إلَى أَسْفَلِهَا وَهُوَ الْمَرْكَزُ لَا يَصْعَدُ مِنْ هُنَاكَ إلَى ذَلِكَ الْوَجْهِ إلَّا بِرَافِعِ يَرْفَعُهُ، يُدَافِعُ بِهِ مَا فِي قُوَّتِهِ مِنْ الْهُبُوطِ إلَى الْمَرْكَزِ، فَإِنْ قُدِّرَ أَنَّ الدَّافِعَ أَقْوَى كَانَ صَاعِدًا بِهِ إلَى الْفَلَكِ مِنْ تِلْكَ النَّاحِيَةِ، وَصَعِدَ بِهِ إلَى اللَّهِ، وَإِنَّمَا يُسَمَّى هبوطًا باعتبار مافي أَذْهَانِ الْمُخَاطَبِينَ أَنَّ مَا يُحَاذِي أَرْجُلَهُمْ يَكُونُ هَابِطًا، وَيُسَمَّى هُبُوطًا مَعَ تَسْمِيَةِ إهْبَاطِهِ إدْلَاءً، وَهُوَ إنَّمَا يَكُونُ إدْلَاءً حَقِيقِيًّا إلَى الْمَرْكَزِ، وَمِنْ هُنَاكَ إنَّمَا يَكُونُ مَدًّا لِلْحَبْلِ، وَالدَّلْوِ، لَا إدْلَاءَ لَهُ، لَكِنَّ الْجَزَاءَ وَالشَّرْطَ مُقَدَّرَانِ لَا مُحَقَّقَانِ. فَإِنَّهُ قَالَ: لَوْ أَدْلَى لَهَبَطَ؛ أَيْ لَوْ فُرِضَ أَنَّ هُنَاكَ إدْلَاءً لَفُرِضَ أَنَّ هُنَاكَ هُبُوطًا، وَهُوَ يَكُونُ إدْلَاءً وَهُبُوطًا إذَا قُدِّرَ أَنَّ السَّمَوَاتِ تَحْتَ الْأَرْضِ وَهَذَا التَّقْدِيرُ مُنْتَفٍ، وَلَكِنَّ فَائِدَتَهُ بَيَانُ الْإِحَاطَةِ وَالْعُلُوِّ مِنْ كُلِّ جَانِبٍ، وَهَذَا الْمَفْرُوضُ مُمْتَنِعٌ فِي حَقِّنَا لَا نَقْدِرُ عَلَيْهِ، فَلَا يُتَصَوَّرُ أَنْ يُدْلِيَ وَلَا يُتَصَوَّرُ أَنْ يَهْبِطَ عَلَى اللَّهِ شَيْءٌ لَكِنَّ اللَّهَ قَادِرٌ عَلَى أَنْ يَخْرُقَ مِنْ هُنَا إلَى هُنَاكَ بِحَبْلِ، وَلَكِنْ لَا يَكُونُ فِي حَقِّهِ إدْلَاءً، فَلَا يَكُونُ فِي حَقِّهِ هُبُوطًا عَلَيْهِ. كَمَا لَوْ خَرَقَ بِحَبْلِ مِنْ الْقُطْبِ إلَى الْقُطْبِ، أَوْ مِنْ مَشْرِقِ الشَّمْسِ إلَى مَغْرِبِهَا، وَقَدَّرْنَا أَنَّ الْحَبْلَ مَرَّ فِي وَسَطِ الْأَرْضِ، فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ قَادِرٌ عَلَى ذَلِكَ كُلِّهِ، وَلَا فَرْقَ بِالنِّسْبَةِ إلَيْهِ عَلَى هَذَا التَّقْدِيرِ مِنْ أَنْ يَخْرُقَ مِنْ جَانِبِ الْيَمِينِ مِنَّا إلَى جَانِبِ الْيَسَارِ، أَوْ مِنْ جِهَةِ أَمَامِنَا إلَى جِهَةِ خَلْفِنَا، أَوْ من جهة رؤوسنا إلَى جِهَةِ أَرْجُلِنَا إذَا مَرَّ الْحَبْلُ بِالْأَرْضِ، فَعَلَى كُلِّ تَقْدِيرٍ قَدْ خَرَقَ بِالْحَبْلِ مِنْ جَانِبِ