Iqtiḍāʾ al-Ṣirāṭ al-Mustaqīm - Ibn Taimiya - (1/98)

Iqtiḍāʾ al-Ṣirāṭ al-MustaqīmIbn Taimiya

“Indeed, they will never avail you against Allah in the least; the wrongdoers are allies of one another, whereas Allah is the Guardian of the God-fearing.” (al-Jāthiyah 45:19)

(1) The Exalted One informs us that He bestowed upon the Children of Israel blessings both of religion and of worldly life, yet they fell into dispute after knowledge had come to them, each faction wrongfully transgressing against the other.
(2) He then set Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—upon a law He Himself legislated, commanded him to follow it, and forbade him to follow the whims of those who lack knowledge.
Included among “those who lack knowledge” is everyone who departs from his law.
(4) Their “whims” are whatever they desire, along with the outward customs observed by the polytheists—practices that stem from their false religion and its offshoots. They love those customs, and conforming to them is nothing other than following their desires.
For this reason (7) the unbelievers rejoice when Muslims imitate them in any of these matters; it pleases them, and they would gladly expend a great price to secure such imitation. Even if we were to suppose that a given act does not itself constitute following their whims, there is no doubt that differing from them more decisively cuts off the root of emulating them and better aids in earning Allah’s acceptance by abandoning the act. In contrast, agreeing with them may (9) become a gateway to agreeing with them in other matters, for whoever circles around a forbidden pasture is liable soon to graze within it. Whichever of the two considerations applies, the overall objective is attained—though the first is the more apparent.

(1) Qur’an, Surah al-Jathiyah, verses 16–19. (2) In copies A and B: “min baʿdihim li-baʿdihim” (from some of them to others). (3) The printed edition adds: “ʿala shariʿatin mina al-amri sharʿaha lahu” (“upon a path of command that He has legislated for him”), which is absent from the other copies. (4) In the printed edition: “hiya” (it). (5) In copy B: “fihim” (about them). (6) In copy A: “ittibaʿ ma yahwunah” (following what they desire). (7) In copy B: “al-kuffar” (the unbelievers). (8) The printed edition adds: “mālan ʿaẓīman” (great wealth), which is absent from the other copies. (9) In copy B: “qad yakun” (it may be).

{إِنَّهُمْ لَنْ يُغْنُوا عَنْكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئًا وَإِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ وَاللَّهُ وَلِيُّ الْمُتَّقِينَ} [الجاثية: ١٩] (١) أخبر سبحانه أنه أنعم على بني إسرائيل بنعم الدين والدنيا، وأنهم اختلفوا بعد مجيء العلم بغيا من بعضهم على (٢) بعض. ثم جعل محمدا صلى الله عليه وسلم على شريعة شرعها له (٣) وأمره باتباعها، ونهاه عن اتباع أهواء الذين لا يعلمون، وقد دخل في الذين لا يعلمون: كل من خالف شريعته. وأهواؤهم: هو (٤) ما يهوونه، وما عليه المشركون من هديهم الظاهر، الذي هو من موجبات دينهم الباطل، وتوابع ذلك، فهم (٥) يهوونه، وموافقتهم فيه اتباع لما (٦) يهوونه، ولهذا: يفرح الكافرون (٧) بموافقة المسلمين في بعض أمورهم ويسرون به، ويودون أن لو بذلوا (٨) عظيما ليحصل ذلك، ولو فرض أن ليس الفعل من اتباع أهوائهم فلا ريب أن مخالفتهم في ذلك أحسم لمادة متابعتهم، وأعون على حصول مرضاة الله في تركها، وأن موافقتهم في ذلك قد تكون (٩) ذريعة إلى موافقتهم في غيره، فإن من حام حول الحمى أوشك أن يواقعه، وأي الأمرين كان؛ حصل المقصود في الجملة؛ وإن كان الأول أظهر.

(١) سورة الجاثية: الآيات ١٦ - ١٩. (٢) في (أب) : من بعضهم لبعضهم. (٣) في المطبوعة: على شريعة من الأمر شرعها له، وهو زيادة على ما في النسخ الأخرى. (٤) في المطبوعة: هي. (٥) في (ب) : فيهم. (٦) في (أ) : اتباع ما يهوونه. (٧) في (ب) : الكفار. (٨) في المطبوعة: مالا عظيما، وهو زيادة على ما في النسخ الأخرى. (٩) (ب) : قد يكون.