Al-Jawāb as-Sahīh li-man baddala dīn al-Masīh - Ibn Taimiya - (4/126)

from Me.’ He also said:

“I am unable to do anything, nor even to reflect upon it, except in the name of my God.”

And, referring to himself, he said:

“The servant must not be greater than his master, nor the messenger greater than the one who sent him.”

He further said:

“Allah neither begets nor is begotten; He does not eat or drink, nor does He sleep; none of His creation has ever seen Him—and whoever were to see Him would die.”

Yet the Messiah ate and drank and was born; people saw him and did not die from seeing him, nor did anyone among them perish. Indeed, he remained among them for thirty-three years.

I say: The Christians generally acknowledge most of what he has cited from their scriptures, though some of them dispute a few of the expressions; they have therefore contended with him here concerning his words that

مِنِّي) وَقَالَ: (لَا أَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ أَصْنَعَ شَيْئًا وَلَا أَتَفَكَّرَ فِيهِ إِلَّا بِاسْمِ إِلَهِي) . وَقَالَ يَعْنِي نَفْسَهَ: (لَا يَنْبَغِي لِلْعَبْدِ أَنْ يَكُونَ أَعْظَمَ مِنْ سَيِّدِهِ، وَلَا لِلرَّسُولِ أَنْ يَكُونَ أَعْظَمَ مِمَنْ أَرْسَلَهُ) . وَقَالَ: (إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ، وَلَمْ يَأْكُلْ وَلَمْ يَشْرَبْ، وَلَمْ يَنَمْ وَلَمْ يَرَهُ أَحَدٌ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ، وَيَرَاهُ أَحَدٌ إِلَّا مَاتَ) . وَالْمَسِيحُ قَدْ أَكَلَ وَشَرِبَ وَوَلَدَ، وَرَآهُ النَّاسُ فَمَا مَاتُوا مِنْ رُؤْيَتِهِ وَلَا مَاتَ أَحَدٌ مِنْهُمْ، وَقَدْ لَبِثَ فِيهِمْ ثَلَاثًا وَثَلَاثِينَ سَنَةً. قُلْتُ: وَعَامَّةُ مَا ذَكَرَهُ هَذَا عَنِ الْكُتُبِ تَعْتَرِفُ بِهِ النَّصَارَى، وَلَكِنَّ بَعْضَهُمْ يُنَازِعُهُ فِي يَسِيرٍ مِنَ الْأَلْفَاظِ، فَنَازَعَهُ هُنَا فِي قَوْلِهِ: