Al-Jawāb as-Sahīh li-man baddala dīn al-Masīh - Ibn Taimiya - (6/442)

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

of total eradication—an immediate punishment by which Allah destroyed every denier, just as He annihilated the people of Noah, as He did ʿĀd, Thamūd, the people of Midian, the people of Lot, and the people of Pharaoh. He also displayed many signs when He sent Moses, so that their memory and report would endure on earth, for after the Torah was revealed He never again destroyed an entire nation with a punishment of eradication. Rather, the Exalted said:

“We certainly gave Moses the Scripture after We had destroyed the former generations.” ⦗Surah al-Qaṣaṣ, 43⦘ (43)

Instead, when the Children of Israel committed the unbelief and sins they did, part of them would be punished while others were spared, for they were never unanimous in disbelief. For this reason a community from among the Children of Israel has always remained on earth.

The Exalted said, in reference to the Children of Israel:

“We dispersed them throughout the earth as [separate] nations: some of them are righteous and others less than that. We tested them with good and with evil so that they might return.” ⦗Surah al-Aʿrāf, 168⦘

He, exalted be He, also said:

“Among the People of the Book is an upright community who recite Allah’s revelations during the watches of the night while they prostrate.” ⦗Surah Āl ʿImrān, 113⦘ (113)

“They believe in Allah and the Last Day, enjoin what is right, forbid what is wrong, and hasten to perform good deeds; such are among the righteous.” ⦗Surah Āl ʿImrān, 114⦘

الِاسْتِئْصَالِ عَذَابًا عَاجِلًا يُهْلِكُ اللَّهُ بِهِ جَمِيعَ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ كَمَا أَهْلَكَ قَوْمَ نُوحٍ، وَكَمَا أَهْلَكَ عَادًا، وَثَمُودَ، وَأَهْلَ مَدْيَنَ، وَقَوْمَ لُوطٍ، وَكَمَا أَهْلَكَ قَوْمَ فِرْعَوْنَ، وَأَظْهَرَ آيَاتٍ كَثِيرَةً لَمَّا أَرْسَلَ مُوسَى لِيَبْقَى ذِكْرُهَا وَخَبَرُهَا فِي الْأَرْضِ، إِذْ كَانَ بَعْدَ نُزُولِ التَّوْرَاةِ لَمْ يُهْلِكْ أُمَّةً بِعَذَابِ الِاسْتِئْصَالِ، بَلْ قَالَ تَعَالَى: {وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَابَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا أَهْلَكْنَا الْقُرُونَ الْأُولَى} [القصص: ٤٣] بَلْ كَانَ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ لَمَّا يَفْعَلُونَ مَا يَفْعَلُونَ مِنَ الْكُفْرِ وَالْمَعَاصِي يُعَذَّبُ بَعْضُهُمْ وَيَبْقَى بَعْضُهُمْ، إِذْ كَانُوا لَمْ يَتَّفِقُوا عَلَى الْكُفْرِ، وَلِهَذَا لَمْ يَزَلْ فِي الْأَرْضِ أُمَّةٌ مِنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ بَاقِيَةً. قَالَ تَعَالَى لَمَّا ذَكَرَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ: {وَقَطَّعْنَاهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ أُمَمًا مِنْهُمُ الصَّالِحُونَ وَمِنْهُمْ دُونَ ذَلِكَ وَبَلَوْنَاهُمْ بِالْحَسَنَاتِ وَالسَّيِّئَاتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ} [الأعراف: ١٦٨] وَقَدْ قَالَ - تَعَالَى -: {مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ أُمَّةٌ قَائِمَةٌ يَتْلُونَ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ آنَاءَ اللَّيْلِ وَهُمْ يَسْجُدُونَ} [آل عمران: ١١٣] (١١٣) {يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَيُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ وَأُولَئِكَ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ} [آل عمران: ١١٤]