Sharh Muqaddimat al-Tafsir li-Ibn Taymiyyah - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (35)

Sharh Muqaddimat al-Tafsir li-Ibn TaymiyyahIbn al-'Uthaymin

and al-Qadīr (the All-Powerful), because nothing can be created without both knowledge and power. Hence Allah, exalted is He, says: “Allah is the One who created seven heavens and, from the earth, the like of them; His command descends between them so that you may know that Allah has power over all things and that Allah encompasses all things in knowledge” (at-Talāq 65:12). This is self-evident. If someone were to assemble a piece of equipment, he could not do so while ignorant of the method, nor could he do it were he paralysed, for in that case he would lack all power.

The same applies to the Prophet’s ﷺ names—Muḥammad, Aḥmad, al-Māḥī (the Eraser), al-Ḥāshir (the Gatherer), and al-ʿĀqib (the Final One)—and likewise to the names of the Qur’an: al-Qur’an, al-Furqān (the Criterion), al-Hudā (Guidance), al-Shifāʾ (Healing), al-Bayān (Clarification), al-Kitāb (the Book), and so forth.

If the questioner’s purpose is simply to identify the referent, we may employ whatever name will be understood, whether that name is a proper noun or an attribute. Thus, when someone asks about Allah’s words, “and whoever turns away from My remembrance” (Ṭā Hā 20:124)—what is this “remembrance”?—he is told: it is the Qur’an, or more generally whatever scripture He has revealed. The word dhikr (remembrance) is a verbal noun: sometimes it is linked to the agent and sometimes to the recipient. If “the remembrance of Allah” is taken in the latter sense, it denotes what is used to remember Him, such as the servant’s saying, “Subḥān Allāh, al-ḥamdu li-llāh, lā ilāha illā Allāh, and Allāhu akbar.” If it is taken in the former sense, it refers to what He Himself remembers—namely, His own speech—and this is what is meant in His statement, “whoever turns away from My remembrance” (Ṭā Hā 20:124).

He says just before that, “Whenever guidance from Me comes to you, whoever follows My guidance will neither go astray nor suffer” (Ṭā Hā 20:123), and that guidance is precisely what He has sent down of the dhikr. Immediately afterwards He says, “He will say, ‘My Lord, why have You raised me blind when I used to see?’” (Ṭā Hā 20:125).

والقدير؛ لأنه لا يمكن أن يخلق إلا بعلم وقدرة، ولهذا قال الله ﷿: (اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ وَمِنَ الْأَرْضِ مِثْلَهُنَّ يَتَنَزَّلُ الْأَمْرُ بَيْنَهُنَّ لِتَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَحَاَطَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عِلْماً) (الطلاق: ١٢) ، وهذا واضح؛ فلو أن أحداً صنع جهازاً من الأجهزة فلا يمكن أن يصنعه وهو لا يدري كيف يصنعه ولا يمكن أن يصنعه وهو أشل؛ لأنه ليس قدرة. وكذلك أسماء النبي ﷺ مثل: محمد وأحمد والماحي والحاشر والعاقب، وكذلك أسماء القرآن مثل: القرآن والفرقان والهدى والشفاء والبيان والكتاب، وأمثال ذلك. فإن كان مقصود السائل تعيين المسمى عبرنا عنه بأي اسم كان إذا عرف مسمي هذا الاسم، وقد يكون الاسم علماً وقد يكون صفة، كمن يسأل عن قوله: (وَمَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَنْ ذِكْرِي) (طه: ١٢٤) . ما ذكره؛ فيقال له: هو القرآن مثلاً، أو هو ما أنزله من الكتب، فإن الذكر مصدر، والمصدر تارة يضاف إلي الفاعل وتارة إلي المفعول، فإذا قيل: ذكر الله بالمعني الثاني، كان ما يذكر به مثل قول اعبد: سبحان الله، والحمد لله، ولا إله إلا الله والله أكبر. وإذا قيل بالمعني الأول، كان ما يذكره هو، وهو كلامه، وهذا هو المراد في قوله: (وَمَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَنْ ذِكْرِي) (طه: من الآية١٢٤) . لأنه قال قبل ذلك: (فَإِمَّا يَأْتِيَنَّكُمْ مِنِّي هُدىً فَمَنِ اتَّبَعَ هُدَايَ فَلا يَضِلُّ وَلا يَشْقَى) (طه: ١٢٣) ، وهداه هو ما أنزله من الذكر. وقال بعد ذلك (قَالَ رَبِّ لِمَ حَشَرْتَنِي أَعْمَى وَقَدْ كُنْتُ بَصِيراً)