Al-Jawāb as-Sahīh li-man baddala dīn al-Masīh - Ibn Taimiya - (2/140)

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

And whoever classifies an ascetic, outwardly devout man who shows a kind of extraordinary phenomenon—some unveiling or ability to influence events that in truth issues from the devils, although the ignorant imagine it to be one of the miracles granted to Allah’s friends—as belonging to the ranks of the believers or the allies of Allah while that man does not perform the five daily prayers, refuses to make ablution, and will not bathe after major ritual impurity, such a person is, by the unanimous agreement of the Muslims, an unbeliever.

Likewise, anyone who fails to forbid the filthy things that Allah and His Messenger have forbidden—such as urine, feces, blood, carrion, pork, and wine—is, by consensus of the Muslims, an unbeliever.

Whoever, while fully aware that this contradicts the religion brought by the Messenger, nevertheless regards as a friend of Allah someone who legalizes those impurities is, by unanimous agreement of the Muslims, an unbeliever.

Likewise, among those who profess Islam and revile the People of the Book are some who are hypocrites in the lowest depth of the Fire, and many Jews and Christians will face a lighter punishment in the Hereafter than he. Allah the Exalted says:

“Indeed, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of the Fire, and you will never find for them any helper” [al-Nisāʾ 4:145]

(145)

“except for those who repent, reform, hold fast to Allah, and devote their religion sincerely to Him—those will be with the believers, and Allah will soon grant the believers a mighty reward” [al-Nisāʾ 4:146]

(146)

So too must the Muslims—and, within them, the people of the Sunnah—draw distinctions among themselves, and the same principle applies in matters of monotheism. The Jews likened the Creator to the creation in qualities that belong solely to the creation, namely the attributes of deficiency from which the Lord must be declared utterly transcendent, whereas the Christians likened the creation to the Creator in qualities that belong solely to the Creator, namely the attributes of perfection that none deserves but Allah, blessed and exalted. Thus some of the Jews said

وَمَنْ جَعَلَ الزَّاهِدَ الْعَابِدَ الَّذِي لَهُ نَوْعٌ مِنَ الْخَوَارِقِ مِثْلَ نَوْعٍ مِنَ الْكَشْفِ وَالتَّصَرُّفِ الَّذِي يَكُونُ مِنَ الشَّيَاطِينِ وَالْجُهَّالُ يَظُنُّونَ أَنَّهُ مِنْ كَرَامَاتِ أَوْلِيَاءِ اللَّهِ إِذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ يُصَلِّي الصَّلَوَاتِ الْخَمْسَ وَيَتَوَضَّأُ وَيَغْتَسِلُ مِنَ الْجَنَابَةِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَوْ مِنْ أَوْلِيَاءِ اللَّهِ فَهُوَ كَافِرٌ بِاتِّفَاقِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَمَنْ لَمْ يُحَرِّمِ الْخَبَائِثَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَهَا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ كَالْبَوْلِ وَالْعُذْرَةِ وَالدَّمِ وَالْمَيْتَةِ وَلَحْمِ الْخِنْزِيرِ وَالْخَمْرِ فَهُوَ كَافِرٌ بِاتِّفَاقِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَمَنْ جَعَلَ مُسْتَحِلَّ ذَلِكَ مَعَ الْعِلْمِ بِمُخَالَفَتِهِ لِدِينِ الرَّسُولِ وَلِيًّا لِلَّهِ فَهُوَ كَافِرٌ بِاتِّفَاقِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَكَذَلِكَ فِيمَنْ يَنْتَحِلُ الْإِسْلَامَ وَيَذُمُّ أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ مَنْ يَكُونُ مُنَافِقًا فِي الدَّرْكِ الْأَسْفَلِ مِنَ النَّارِ وَيَكُونُ كَثِيرٌ مِنَ الْيَهُودِ وَالنَّصَارَى أَخَفَّ عَذَابًا فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنْهُ قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى {إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ فِي الدَّرْكِ الْأَسْفَلِ مِنَ النَّارِ وَلَنْ تَجِدَ لَهُمْ نَصِيرًا} [النساء: ١٤٥] (١٤٥) {إِلَّا الَّذِينَ تَابُوا وَأَصْلَحُوا وَاعْتَصَمُوا بِاللَّهِ وَأَخْلَصُوا دِينَهُمْ لِلَّهِ فَأُولَئِكَ مَعَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَسَوْفَ يُؤْتِ اللَّهُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًا} [النساء: ١٤٦] وَكَذَلِكَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ وَأَهْلُ السُّنَّةِ فِي الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَكَذَلِكَ فِي التَّوْحِيدِ، فَإِنَّ الْيَهُودَ شَبَّهُوا الْخَالِقَ بِالْمَخْلُوقِ فِيمَا يَخْتَصُّ بِالْمَخْلُوقِ وَهُوَ صِفَاتُ النَّقْصِ الَّذِي يَجِبُ تَنْزِيهُ الرَّبِّ عَنْهَا وَالنَّصَارَى شَبَّهُوا الْمَخْلُوقَ بِالْخَالِقِ فِيمَا يَخْتَصُّ بِالْخَالِقِ وَهُوَ صِفَاتُ الْكَمَالِ الَّتِي لَا يَسْتَحِقُّهَا إِلَّا اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى فَقَالَ مَنْ قَالَ مِنَ الْيَهُودِ