Al-Ṣafadiyyah - Ibn Taimiya - (2/27)

while the first would be nothing more than an effect—a created product. Yet our discussion concerns the One who is eternal without beginning, pre-existent, necessarily existent in Himself, the Self-Subsisting who brings into being everything other than Himself.

From these two premises it follows that every perfection free of deficiency whose existence is conceivable is likewise conceivable for Him; moreover, the realization of such perfection in Him does not depend on anything outside of Him. Consequently, that perfection must of necessity belong to Him and remain inseparable from Him. Whenever a complete cause whose efficacy is contingent upon nothing else is present, the effect it entails must follow; a fully sufficient cause necessitates its effect. Therefore, since the Perfectly Necessary Being entails what follows from Him, He—glorified be He—is, by Himself alone, the guarantor of His own perfection and the bestower of it upon Himself. It follows, then, that every possible perfection devoid of defect is firmly, perpetually, and necessarily affirmed for Him—that is the intended conclusion.

Affirming His essential attributes by way of intrinsic necessity is the truth, rather than attempting to establish them through His created effects. Thus, the proof of necessary existence and all other rational demonstrations jointly confirm the affirmation of the divine attributes of perfection and the negation of any imperfection. This, together with other points we have clarified, shows that all sound rational methods affirm the attributes of perfection for Allah, and that anyone who uses proofs of His necessary being, His pre-eternity, or the like to deny His attributes is mistaken and astray. It has become clear that these rational approaches can all be employed to affirm both His attributes and His acts, and to establish the originated nature of everything besides Him.

We have highlighted these weighty benefits because a group of theologians—such as the author of al-Irshād and those who follow him—claim that declaring Him transcendent from

مفعولا له مخلوقا ونحن تكلمنا في الأزلي القديم الواجب بنفسه القيوم الفاعل لكل ما سواه. فثبت بهاتين المقدمتين أن كل كمال لا نقص فيه ممكن للوجود فهو ممكن له وثبت أنه لا يتوقف ثبوت ذلك له على غيره فحينئذ يلزم ثبوت ذلك الكمال له ولزومه إياه لأنه إذا حصل المقتضى التام الذي لا يتوقف اقتضاؤه على شيء لزم ثبوت مقتضاه والعلة التامة يلزمها معلولها فإذا كان الواجب التام يلزمه موجبه فهو سبحانه وحده الموجب لكمال نفسه المقتضي لذلك فيلزم أن يكون الكمال الممكن الوجود الذي لا نقص فيه ثابتا له لازما دائما وهو المقصود. وإثبات صفاته اللازمة له بطريق الإيجاب الذاتي هو الحق دون إثبات مخلوقاته وحينئذ فيكون طريقة الوجوب وغيرها من الطرق العقلية دلت على إثبات صفات الكمال له ونفى النقائص عنه وهذا وغيره مما بين دل على أن الطرق العقلية كلها مثبتة لصفات الكمال لله وأن من استدل بوجوبه أو قدمه أو غير ذلك على نفي صفاته كان مخطئا ضالا وتبين أن هذه الطرق العقلية كلها يمكن إثبات الصفات والأفعال بها وإثبات حدوث كل ما سواه. ونحن نبهنا على هذه الفوائد الجليلة منها أن طائفة من أهل الكلام كصاحب الإرشاد ومن اتبعه يزعمون أن تنزيهه عن