Al-Jawāb as-Sahīh li-man baddala dīn al-Masīh - Ibn Taimiya - (5/108)

Al-Jawāb as-Sahīh li-man baddala dīn al-MasīhIbn Taimiya

can only be laid down by one who possesses the highest perfection.

We therefore say to them:
Justice and gracious virtue alike are legislated only by God. The Torah was instituted by none but God, and the Gospel, too, was instituted by none but God—majestic is He.

A clear proof of this is that God spoke directly to Moses from the bush, whereas the most the Christians put forward for the alleged divinity of the Messiah is their claim that God spoke to people from the human nature of the Messiah just as He spoke to Moses from the bush. Any rational person knows that, were this claim sound, God’s address to Moses from the bush would still rank as the greatest instance of His speech to any of His servants. How, then, can it be said that the law of justice was not instituted by God, Mighty and Majestic?

Moreover, the law of justice has an even stronger right to be ascribed to God than the law of gracious virtue. Enjoining beneficence and pardon is something anyone can commend, whereas discerning true justice and judging people by it is within the reach of only a select few. For this reason, there are many who can reconcile disputants by appealing to kindness, but very few who can adjudicate between them with strict justice.

How, then, can one claim that the command to institute gracious virtue comes from God while the command to institute justice does not?

God—exalted be He—sent the messengers and revealed the scriptures so that people might uphold equity, as He, the Most High, says:
“Indeed, We sent Our messengers with clear proofs and sent down with them the Book and the balance so that people might uphold justice. And We sent down iron, wherein is great might and benefits for mankind, so that God may know who supports Him and His messengers without having seen Him. Surely God is Strong, Mighty.” [57:25]

لَا يُمْكِنُ أَنْ يَضَعَهُ إِلَّا أَكْمَلُ الْكُمَّالِ " فَيُقَالُ لَهُمْ: الْعَدْلُ وَالْفَضْلُ لَا يُشَرِّعُهُ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، فَشَرِيعَةُ التَّوْرَاةِ لَمْ يُشَرِّعْهَا إِلَّا اللَّهُ، وَشَرِيعَةُ الْإِنْجِيلِ لَمْ يُشَرِّعْهَا إِلَّا اللَّهُ - عَزَّ وَجَلَّ -. يُبَيِّنُ ذَلِكَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ كَلَّمَ مُوسَى مِنَ الشَّجَرَةِ تَكْلِيمًا، وَهُمْ غَايَةُ مَا قَرَّرُوا بِهِ إِلَهِيَّةَ الْمَسِيحِ أَنْ زَعَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ كَلَّمَ النَّاسَ مِنْ نَاسُوتِ الْمَسِيحِ، كَمَا كَلَّمَ مُوسَى مِنَ الشَّجَرَةِ، وَمَعْلُومٌ عِنْدَ كُلِّ عَاقِلٍ، لَوْ كَانَ هَذَا حَقًّا، أَنَّ تَكْلِيمَهُ لِمُوسَى مِنَ الشَّجَرَةِ أَعْظَمُ تَكْلِيمٍ كَلَّمَهُ اللَّهُ لِعِبَادِهِ فَكَيْفَ يُقَالُ: إِنَّ شَرِيعَةَ الْعَدْلِ لَمْ يُشَرِّعْهَا اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ؟ . ثُمَّ يُقَالُ لَهُمْ: بَلْ شَرِيعَةُ الْعَدْلِ أَحَقُّ بِأَنْ تُضَافَ إِلَى اللَّهِ مِنْ شَرِيعَةِ الْفَضْلِ، فَإِنَّ الْأَمْرَ بِالْإِحْسَانِ وَالْعَفْوِ يُحَسِّنُهُ كُلُّ أَحَدٍ، وَأَمَّا مَعْرِفَةُ الْعَدْلِ وَالْحُكْمُ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِهِ، فَلَا يَقْدِرُ عَلَيْهِ إِلَّا آحَادُ النَّاسِ؛ وَلِهَذَا يُوجَدُ الَّذِي يُصْلِحُ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِالْإِحْسَانِ خَلْقٌ كَثِيرٌ، وَأَمَّا الَّذِي يُحْسِنُ أَنْ يَفْصِلَ بَيْنَهُمْ بِالْعَدْلِ فَنَاسٌ قَلِيلٌ، فَكَيْفَ يُقَالُ: إِنَّ الَّذِي يَأْمُرُ بِشَرْعِ الْفَضْلِ هُوَ اللَّهُ، دُونَ الَّذِي يَأْمُرُ بِشَرْعِ الْعَدْلِ؟ . وَاللَّهُ - تَعَالَى - أَرْسَلَ الرُّسُلَ، وَأَنْزَلَ الْكُتُبَ؛ لِيَقُومَ النَّاسُ بِالْقِسْطِ كَمَا قَالَ تَعَالَى: {لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلَنَا بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَأَنْزَلْنَا مَعَهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْمِيزَانَ لِيَقُومَ النَّاسُ بِالْقِسْطِ وَأَنْزَلْنَا الْحَدِيدَ فِيهِ بَأْسٌ شَدِيدٌ وَمَنَافِعُ لِلنَّاسِ وَلِيَعْلَمَ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَنْصُرُهُ وَرُسُلَهُ بِالْغَيْبِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ} [الحديد: ٢٥] .