Al-Tisʿīniyya - Ibn Taimiya - (2/421)

Al-TisʿīniyyaIbn Taimiya

of what He has described of Himself, so likewise deem even graver the presumptuous speculation(1) of those who dare to describe Him with that which He has not described of Himself. By Allah, the Muslims have indeed been honored—those who recognize what is good, and by their recognition it is acknowledged, and who repudiate what is evil, and by their repudiation it is rejected. They listen(2) to what Allah has described of Himself in this regard in His Book, and to whatever of the same reaches them from His Prophet. Never has the heart of a Muslim been afflicted by hearing this and naming the Lord accordingly, nor has the heart of a believer ever burdened itself with probing the measure of His attribute or with calling the Lord by any name other than His own.

His words: In this passage they listen(3) to what the Lord has described of Himself in this regard in His Book. Here he says: what the Lord has described of Himself in this regard, whereas elsewhere he simply says: what He has described of Himself. The reason is that here he preceded it with you listen,(4) which necessitates mention of the speech by which Allah described Himself; and that which is heard(5) already contains the description He has given of Himself. For this reason he said: you listen to what Allah has described of Himself in this regard. In other places, such as his statement: Whatever He has described of Himself, we name exactly as He named, he intends what the wording indicates, clarifies, and depicts—that is, what Allah has described of Himself and named. Such matters are understood, recognized, and recalled, but they are not heard unless they are recited and mentioned. A clarification will follow that these(6) very attributes which Allah has described of Himself may themselves be described as well: they are described(7) in one respect, and the Lord is described by them in another.

(1) In S: nukallif. (2) In the original: yusammuna (“they are called”). In S the word is unclear. The reading confirmed by T. It was mentioned above in the discourse of Abd al-ʿAziz ibn al-Majshun. (3) In the original: yusammuna. The reading confirmed by S and T. (4) In T: yasmaʿuna (“they hear”). (5) In S: al-masmaʿuʿ. This is a scribal error. (6) In the original: hatha (“this”). The correct reading is confirmed by S and T. (7) In S: mawsoof (“described”).

ممَّا وصف من نفسه، فكذلك أعظم تكلف (١) ما وصف الواصفون ممَّا لم يصف منها فقد -والله- عز المسلمون الذي يعرفون المعروف وبمعرفتهم يعرف، وينكرون المنكر وبإنكارهم ينكر يسمعون (٢) ما وصف الله به نفسه من هذا في كتابه، وما يبلغهم مثله عن نبيه فما مرض من ذكر هذا وتسميته من الرَّبّ قلب مسلم، ولا تكلف صفة قدره ولا تسميته غيره من الرَّبّ قلب مؤمن. قوله: في هذا الموضع يسمعون (٣) ما وصف الرب من نفسه من هذا في كتابه، فإنَّه قال هنا: ما وصف الرب به نفسه من هذا، وفي سائر المواضع يقول: ما وصف من نفسه، وذلك لأنَّه هنا قال: تسمعون (٤) فلا بد أن يذكر الكلام الذي وصف الله به نفسه، والمسموع (٥) يتضمن ما وصف من نفسه، فلهذا قال: تسمعون ما وصف الله به نفسه من هذا، وفي غير هذا الموضوع كقوله: فما وصف من نفسه فسماه سميناه كما سماه، أراد ما دل عليه الكلام وبينه ووصفه، وهو الذي وصفه الله من نفسه وسماه، وذلك يعلم ويعرف ويذكر ولا يسمع، إلّا إذا وصف وذكر، وسيأتي بيان أن هذه (٦) الموصوفات التي وصفها الله من نفسه يوصف بها -أيضًا- فهي موصوفة (٧) باعتبار، والرب يوصف بها باعتبار.

(١) في س: نكلف. (٢) في الأصل: يسمون. وفي س: الكلمة غير واضحة. والمثبت من: ط. وتقدمت في كلام عبد العزيز بن الماجشون. (٣) في الأصل: يسمون. والمثبت من: س، ط. (٤) في ط: يسمعون. (٥) في س: المسمعوع. وهو تصحيف. (٦) في الأصل: هذا. وقد أثبت الصواب من: س، ط. (٧) في س: موصوف.