Al-Tisʿīniyya - Ibn Taimiya - (2/709)

Al-TisʿīniyyaIbn Taimiya

Accordingly, on this view one could imagine the very act that is commanded being prohibited, and vice-versa, without any alteration in the underlying realities.

Thirty-fifth Point 1:
They have indeed set forth their proof for this claim, yet anyone who reflects upon it will recognize its invalidity, its construction upon a faulty premise, and the contradictions it contains.

Al-Ustadh Abu Bakr ibn Furak 2 said: “His—exalted is He—command to the believers 3 to have faith is, in fact, His prohibition of disbelief; and His command to pray toward Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem) at a particular time is His prohibition to pray toward it at any other time.

He 4 also said 5: ‘Likewise, His commendation of the believers for their faith is, by that same speech, His censure of the disbelievers; and we do not permit the assertion that His speech differs in kind or varies. Rather, concerning it we say what we say about His knowledge, power, hearing, and sight.

Thus we state: His knowledge of a thing’s existence is His knowledge of it when it is nonexistent after it has ceased; His power over it before He brings it into being is the very same power He has over it while bringing it into existence, and it is not to be said that He possesses yet another power over it while it remains. Likewise, His seeing Adam while Adam was in Paradise is His seeing him while he was on earth.’”}

(1) In the margin of S: Abu Bakr ibn Furak’s remarks on the issue of kalam (divine discourse) and his refutation. (2) I did not encounter this transmission in al-Mushkil al-Hadith wa Bayanuh; see it in the manuscript al-Asna fi Asma’ Allah al-Husna wa Sifatihi al-Ulya by Abu ‘Abd Allah al-Qurtubi, folio 243. (3) The phrase “lil-mu’minin” (“for the believers”) is omitted in al-Asna. (4) The speaker is Abu Bakr ibn Furak, and in al-Asna the passage continues from the preceding text. (5) In all manuscripts it reads “yaqul” (“he says”); our established reading follows al-Asna. (6) In al-Asna: “lil-mu’minin ‘ala imanihim” (“for the believers according to their faith”). (7) In S: “wa la yukhayyar” (“nor is he given a choice”); in T: “wa la yataghayyar” (“nor does it change”); and in al-Asna it appears as “lil-kafirin ‘ala kufrihim la nujizu” (“for the disbelievers according to their disbelief, we do not permit [it]”).

فيمكن على هذا تقدير المأمور به منهيًا عنه وبالعكس، ولم يتغير شيء من الحقائق. الوجه الخامس والثلاثون (١) : أنهم قد ذكروا حجتهم على ذلك، وإذا تدبرها الإنسان علم فسادها وبناءها على أصل فاسد وتناقضهم فيها. قال الأستاذ أبو بكر بن فورك (٢) : "أمره سبحانه للمؤمنين (٣) بالإيمان، هو نهيه عن الكفر، وأمره بالصلاة إلى بيت المقدس في وقت بعينه، هو نهيه عن الصلاة إليه في وقت غيره. قال (٤) : وكذلك نقول (٥) : إن مدحه للمؤمنين على إيمانه (٦) بكلامه الذي هو ذم للكافرين، ولا نجيز (٧) القول بتغاير كلامه واختلاف أنواعه، بل نقول فيه كما نقول في علمه وقدرته وسمعه وبصره، فنقول: إن علمه بوجود الموجود هو علمه بعدمه إذا عدم، وقدرته عليه قبل أن يوجده هي مقدرته عليه في حال إيجاده، ولا يقال: إنها قدرة عليه في حال بقائه، ورؤيته لآدم وهو في الجنة هي رؤيته له وهو في الدنيا،

(١) في هامش س: كلام ابن فورك في مسألة الكلام ورده. (٢) لم أقف على هذا النقل في مشكل الحديث وبيانه، وانظره في "الأسنى في أسماء الله الحسنى وصفاته العلى" لأبي عبد الله القرطبي -مخطوط- اللوحة ٢٤٣. (٣) للمؤمنين: ساقطة من: الأسنى. (٤) القائل أبو بكر بن فورك، والكلام متصل بما قبله في "الأسنى". (٥) في جميع النسخ: يقول. والمثبت من: الأسنى. (٦) في الأسنى: للمؤمنين على إيمانهم. (٧) في س: ولا يخير. وفي ط: ولا يتغير. وقد ورد في الأسنى: للكافرين على كفرهم لا نجيز.