Iqtiḍāʾ al-Ṣirāṭ al-Mustaqīm - Ibn Taimiya - (2/365)

Iqtiḍāʾ al-Ṣirāṭ al-MustaqīmIbn Taimiya

The Foundational Principle of Tawḥīd for Which the Messengers Were Sent and the Scriptures Revealed

Allah, exalted is He, alone deserves that we worship Him without associating anything with Him. This is the essence of tawḥīd for which the messengers were raised up and the books were sent down. Allah, Most High, says: “Ask those We sent before you of Our messengers: Did We ever appoint, apart from the All-Merciful, gods to be worshipped?” (al-Zukhruf 43:45) (1).

He also says: “We never sent a messenger before you without revealing to him: ‘There is no deity but I; so worship Me.’” (al-Anbiyāʾ 21:25) (2).

And He says: “We surely raised in every nation a messenger [proclaiming], ‘Worship Allah and shun the false gods.’” (al-Naḥl 16:36) (3).

This includes that we fear none but Him and seek protective piety from none but Him, as He, glorified be He, says: “Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger, and fears Allah and is mindful of Him—such are the successful.” (al-Nūr 24:52) (4). Here He ascribed obedience to Allah and to the Messenger, but confined fear and taqwā to Allah alone.

Likewise He, Most High, says: “If only they had been content with what Allah and His Messenger had given them and had said, ‘Allah is enough for us. Allah will grant us of His bounty, and so will His Messenger. Truly, to Allah do we turn our hopes.’” (al-Tawbah 9:59) (5). Thus He attributed giving to Allah and to the Messenger.

Similarly, He says: “Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it; and whatever he forbids you, abstain from it.” (al-Ḥashr 59:7) (6). Therefore, the lawful is what the Messenger has declared lawful, the unlawful is what the Messenger has declared unlawful, and the religion is what the Messenger has legislated.

Yet He made seeking sufficiency exclusive to Allah, saying: “They said, ‘Allah is enough for us,’” (al-Tawbah 9:59) without adding “and His Messenger.”

As He also says: “Those to whom people said, ‘The people have gathered against you, so fear them,’ but it only increased them in faith, and they replied, ‘Allah is enough for us, and He is the best Guardian.’” (Āl ʿImrān 3:173) (7).

(1) Qurʾān, Sūrat al-Zukhruf 43:45. (2) Qurʾān, Sūrat al-Anbiyaʾ 21:25. (3) Qurʾān, Sūrat al-Nahl 16:36. (4) Qurʾān, Sūrat al-Nur 24:52. (5) Qurʾān, Sūrat al-Tawbah 9:59. (6) Qurʾān, Sūrat al-Hashr 59:7. (7) Qurʾān, Sūrat Al ʿImrān 3:173.

[أصل التوحيد الذي بعثت به الرسل وأنزلت به الكتب] فالله تعالى مستحق أن نعبده لا نشرك به شيئا، وهذا هو أصل التوحيد الذي بعثت به الرسل، وأنزلت به الكتب، قال الله تعالى {وَاسْأَلْ مَنْ أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ مِنْ رُسُلِنَا أَجَعَلْنَا مِنْ دُونِ الرَّحْمَنِ آلِهَةً يُعْبَدُونَ} [الزخرف: ٤٥] (١) . وقال تعالى: {وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ مِنْ رَسُولٍ إِلَّا نُوحِي إِلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنَا فَاعْبُدُونِ} [الأنبياء: ٢٥] (٢) وقال تعالى: {وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِي كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَسُولًا أَنِ اُعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُوا الطَّاغُوتَ} [النحل: ٣٦] (٣) . ويدخل في ذلك أن لا نخاف إلا إياه، ولا نتقي إلا إياه، كما قال تعالى: {وَمَنْ يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَيَخْشَ اللَّهَ وَيَتَّقْهِ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْفَائِزُونَ} [النور: ٥٢] (٤) . فجعل الطاعة لله وللرسول، وجعل الخشية والتقوى لله وحده. وكذلك قال تعالى: {وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ رَضُوا مَا آتَاهُمُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَقَالُوا حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ سَيُؤْتِينَا اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ وَرَسُولُهُ إِنَّا إِلَى اللَّهِ رَاغِبُونَ} [التوبة: ٥٩] (٥) . فجعل الإيتاء لله وللرسول. كما قال تعالى: {وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانْتَهُوا} [الحشر: ٧] (٦) فالحلال ما حلله الرسول، والحرام: ما حرمه الرسول، والدين: ما شرعه الرسول. وجعل التحسب بالله وحده، فقال تعالى: {وَقَالُوا حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ} [التوبة: ٥٩] ولم يقل ورسوله. كما قال تعالى: {الَّذِينَ قَالَ لَهُمُ النَّاسُ إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ جَمَعُوا لَكُمْ فَاخْشَوْهُمْ فَزَادَهُمْ إِيمَانًا وَقَالُوا حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ} [آل عمران: ١٧٣] (٧) .

(١) سورة الزخرف: الآية ٤٥. (٢) سورة الأنبياء: الآية ٢٥. (٣) سورة النحل: من الآية ٣٦. (٤) سورة النور: الآية ٥٢. (٥) سورة التوبة: الآية: ٥٩. (٦) سورة الحشر: من الآية ٧. (٧) سورة آل عمران: الآية ١٧٣.