Al-Ṣawāʿiq al-Murṣala - Ibn al-Qayyim - (1/140)

Al-Ṣawāʿiq al-MurṣalaIbn al-Qayyim

so as to impose that meaning upon the verses and reports dealing with the divine attributes, diverting their hearts and minds from what those texts actually signify and making them draw from them what they do not signify—indeed, what they signify is the very opposite.

It would be as though the Almighty were saying, “Know, My servants, that what I really wanted you to learn is that I am neither above the universe nor beneath it, not above My Throne; that no hands are to be raised toward Me, nothing ascends to Me, and nothing descends from Me”—despite My words: “The All-Merciful rose over the Throne” (Ṭā Hā 20:4); and My words: “They fear their Lord above them” (An-Naḥl 16:50); and My words: “The angels and the Spirit ascend unto Him” (Al-Maʿārij 70:4); and My words: “Rather, Allah raised him up to Himself” (1) (An-Nisāʾ 4:157); and My words: “Exalted in rank, Lord of the Throne” (Ghāfir 40:15); and My words: “He is the Most High, the All-Great” (Al-Baqarah 2:255); and My words: “Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High” (Al-Aʿlā 87:1); and My words: “Faces on that Day will be radiant (21) looking toward their Lord” (Al-Qiyāmah 75:21-22); and My words: “Do you feel secure that He who is in heaven will not cause the earth to swallow you?” (Al-Mulk 67:17); and My words: “A revelation from One who is Wise, Praiseworthy” (Fuṣṣilat 41:41); and My words: “Say: the Holy Spirit has brought it down from your Lord in truth” (An-Naḥl 16:102).

Likewise, you are to understand that I possess no two hands, despite My words: “whom I created with My two hands” (Ṣād 38:75) and My words: “Rather, both His hands are out-stretched” (Al-Māʾidah 5:64); and that I have no eye, despite My words: “That you might be formed under My eye” (Ṭā Hā 20:39). For if you were to take these ⦗ق 15 ب⦘ words at face value and according to their plain sense, you would understand the very opposite of what I intended by them; indeed, My intent is that you derive from them what points to the opposite of their realities and apparent meanings.

What, then, would be left of facilitation? What complication and hardship would that not entail! It is clear that addressing a person in speech he can grasp only through an interpreter is easier for him than addressing him with words he is obliged to

ليحملوا عليه آيات الصِّفات وأخبارها، فيصرفوا قلوبهم وأفهامهم عمَّا تدل عليه، ويفهموا منها ما لا تدل عليه، بل تدل على خلافه. ويقول: اعلموا يا عبادي أني أردتُ منكم أن تعلموا أني لست فوق العالَم ولا تحته، ولا فوق عرشي، ولا ترفع الأيدي إليَّ، ولا يعرُجُ إليَّ شيءٌ، ولا ينزل من عندي شيءٌ من قولي: ﴿اَلرَّحْمَنُ عَلَى اَلْعَرْشِ اِسْتَوى﴾ [طه: ٤]، ومن قولي: ﴿يَخَافُونَ رَبَّهُم مِّن فَوْقِهِمْ﴾ [النحل: ٥٠]، ومن قولي: ﴿تَعْرُجُ اُلْمَلَائِكَةُ وَاَلرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ﴾ [المعارج: ٤]، ومن قولي: ﴿بَل رَّفَعَهُ اُللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ﴾ (١) [النساء: ١٥٧]، ومن قولي: ﴿رَفِيعُ اُلدَّرَجَاتِ ذُو اُلْعَرْشِ﴾ [غافر: ١٤] ومن قولي: ﴿وَهْوَ اَلْعَلِيُّ اُلْعَظِيمُ﴾ [البقرة: ٢٥٣]، ومن قولي: ﴿سَبِّحِ اِسْمَ رَبِّكَ اَلْأَعْلَى﴾ [الأعلى: ١]، ومن قولي: ﴿وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ نَّاضِرَةٌ (٢١) إِلَى رَبِّهَا نَاظِرَةٌ﴾ [القيامة: ٢١ - ٢٢]، ومن قولي: ﴿* آامِنتُم مَّن فِي اِلسَّمَاءِ اَن يَخْسِفَ بِكُمُ اُلْأَرْضَ﴾ [الملك: ١٧]، ومن قولي: ﴿تَنزِيلٌ مِّنْ حَكِيمٍ حَمِيدٍ﴾ [فصلت: ٤١]، ومن قولي: ﴿قُلْ نَزَّلَهُ رُوحُ اُلْقُدُسِ مِن رَّبِّكَ بِالْحَقِّ﴾ [النحل: ١٠٢]. وأن تفهموا أنه ليس لي يدانِ من قولي: ﴿لِمَا خَلَقْتُ بِيَدَيَّ﴾ [ص: ٧٤]، ومن قولي: ﴿بَلْ يَدَاهُ مَبْسُوطَتَانِ﴾ [المائدة: ٦٦]، ولا عين من قولي: ﴿وَلِتُصْنَعَ عَلَى عَيْنِيَ﴾ [طه: ٣٩]. فإنكم إذا فهمتم من هذه [ق ١٥ ب] الألفاظ حقائقَها وظواهرها فهمتم خلاف مرادي منها، بل مرادي منكم أن تفهموا منها ما يدل على خلاف حقائقها وظواهرها. فأي تيسيرٍ يكون هناك! وأي تعقيدٍ وتعسيرٍ لم يحصل بذلك! ومعلوم أن خطاب الرجل بما لا يفهمه إلَّا بترجمة أيسرُ عليه من خطابه بما كُلِّف أن

(١) «ومن قوله ﴿بَل رَّفَعَهُ اُللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ﴾» ليس في «ب».