Al-Muqaddimāt al-Mumahhidāt - Ibn Rush al-Jadd - (1/19)

Al-Muqaddimāt al-MumahhidātIbn Rush al-Jadd

to this proof with His words:

“Does He who created not know, while He is the Subtle, the All-Aware?” [al-Mulk: 14]

Were He not possessed of will, there would be no basis for earlier events and created things to precede later ones, or for later ones to follow earlier ones. For the earlier has no greater claim to precedence than the later, nor the later to coming afterward than the earlier. Nor would there be any basis for each kind to have its particular attribute rather than that of another, since it could bear the other’s attribute. We thus know that the earlier precedes the later, the later follows the earlier, and each kind has its particular attribute rather than another’s only because the Maker intends and wills this. Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, has also drawn attention to this proof with His words:

“Our word to a thing when We intend it is only that We say to it, ‘Be,’ and it is.” [al-Nahl: 40]

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Once we know that He is knowing, powerful, and possessed of will, we know that He is living, for knowledge, power, and will cannot exist in something lifeless. Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, has drawn attention to this and made it known through His words:

“He is the Ever-Living; there is no deity except Him, so call upon Him, devoting your worship sincerely to Him. All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds.” [Ghāfir: 65]

And His words, Exalted is He:

“Allah—there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all existence. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep.” [al-Baqarah: 255]

And His words:

“Alif, Lām, Mīm.” [Āl ‘Imrān: 1]

“Allah—there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all existence. He has sent down upon you the Book in truth, confirming what came before it.” [Āl ‘Imrān: 2–3]

He, Mighty and Majestic, means the scriptures revealed to the prophets before him. There are many similar passages in the Quran.

Once we know that He is living, knowing, powerful, and possessed of will, we know that He hears, sees, speaks, and perceives all objects of perception, including things smelled, tasted, and touched. For He cannot be devoid of these attributes: were He devoid of them, He would be characterized by their opposites, and their opposites are deficiencies whose existence in Him is impossible

على هذا الدليل بقوله: ﴿أَلا يَعْلَمُ مَنْ خَلَقَ وَهُوَ اللَّطِيفُ الْخَبِيرُ﴾ [الملك: ١٤]، ولو لم يكن مريدا لما صح تقدم المتقدم من الحوادث والمخلوقات على المتأخر منها ولا تأخر المتأخر منها على المتقدم، إذ ليس المتقدم بأولى بالتقدم من المتأخر ولا المتأخر بأولى بالتأخر من المتقدم، ولما صح اختصاص كل جنس منها بصفته دون صفة صاحبه لاحتماله صفة صاحبه. فعلمنا بهذا أن المتقدم إنما تقدم على المتأخر وأن المتأخر إنما تأخر عن المتقدم وأن كل جنس من الأجناس إنما اختص بصفته دون صفة صاحبه بقصد الفاعل إلى ذلك وإرادته له. وقد نبه الله ﵎ أيضا على هذا الدليل بقوله: ﴿إِنَّمَا قَوْلُنَا لِشَيْءٍ إِذَا أَرَدْنَاهُ أَنْ نَقُولَ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ﴾ [النحل: ٤٠]. فصل وإذا علمنا أنه عالم قادر مريد علمنا أنه حي لاستحالة وجود العلم والقدرة والإرادة من الموات. وقد نبه الله ﵎ على هذا وأعلم به بقوله: ﴿هُوَ الْحَيُّ لا إِلَهَ إِلا هُوَ فَادْعُوهُ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ﴾ [غافر: ٦٥]، وقَوْله تَعَالَى: ﴿اللَّهُ لا إِلَهَ إِلا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ لا تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلا نَوْمٌ﴾ [البقرة: ٢٥٥]، وقوله: ﴿الم﴾ [آل عمران: ١] ﴿اللَّهُ لا إِلَهَ إِلا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ - نَزَّلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ مُصَدِّقًا لِمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ﴾ [آل عمران: ٢ - ٣] يريد ﷿ من الكتب المنزلة على من قبله من الأنبياء، ومثل هذا في القرآن كثير. وإذا علمنا أنه حي عالم قادر مريد علمنا أنه سميع بصير متكلم مدرك لجميع المدركات من المشمومات والمذوقات والملموسات، لاستحالة خلوه منها، إذ لو خلا منها لكان موصوفا بضدها، وأضدادها نقائص يستحيل وجودها به