Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (5/199)

his knowledge, hearing, and sight are like Allah’s knowledge, hearing, and sight. Allah truly speaks, and the servant truly speaks; yet the Creator’s speech is not like the speech of created beings. Allah Most High truly rose over His Throne, and the servant truly settles aboard a ship; yet the Creator’s rising is not like the settling of created beings. For Allah depends on nothing and needs nothing; rather, He is entirely free of need for anything. Allah Most High sustains the Throne and its bearers by His power, and He holds the heavens and the earth lest they cease to be.

Whoever supposes that the imams’ statement, “Allah is truly established over His Throne,” entails that His being established is like the servant’s settling upon ships and livestock must likewise hold that their statement, “Allah truly has knowledge, hearing, sight, and speech,” entails that His knowledge, hearing, sight, and speech are like those of created beings.

عِلْمُهُ وَسَمْعُهُ وَبَصَرُهُ مِثْلَ عِلْمِ اللَّهِ وَسَمْعِهِ وَبَصَرِهِ وَلِلَّهِ كَلَامٌ حَقِيقَةً وَلِلْعَبْدِ كَلَامٌ حَقِيقَةً؛ وَلَيْسَ كَلَامُ الْخَالِقِ مِثْلَ كَلَامِ الْمَخْلُوقِينَ. وَلِلَّهِ تَعَالَى اسْتِوَاءٌ عَلَى عَرْشِهِ حَقِيقَةً وَلِلْعَبْدِ اسْتِوَاءٌ عَلَى الْفُلْكِ حَقِيقَةً؛ وَلَيْسَ اسْتِوَاءُ الْخَالِقِ كَاسْتِوَاءِ الْمَخْلُوقِينَ؛ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَفْتَقِرُ إلَى شَيْءٍ وَلَا يَحْتَاجُ إلَى شَيْءٍ بَلْ هُوَ الْغَنِيُّ عَنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ. وَاَللَّهُ تَعَالَى يَحْمِلُ الْعَرْشَ وَحَمَلَتَهُ بِقُدْرَتِهِ وَيُمْسِكُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ أَنْ تَزُولَا. فَمَنْ ظَنَّ أَنَّ قَوْلَ الْأَئِمَّةِ: إنَّ اللَّهَ مُسْتَوٍ عَلَى عَرْشِهِ حَقِيقَةً يَقْتَضِي أَنْ يَكُونَ اسْتِوَاؤُهُ مِثْلَ اسْتِوَاءِ الْعَبْدِ عَلَى الْفُلْكِ وَالْأَنْعَامِ لَزِمَهُ أَنْ يَكُونَ قَوْلُهُمْ: إنَّ اللَّهَ لَهُ عِلْمٌ حَقِيقَةً وَسَمْعٌ حَقِيقَةً وَبَصَرٌ حَقِيقَةً وَكَلَامٌ حَقِيقَةً يَقْتَضِي أَنْ يَكُونَ عِلْمُهُ وَسَمْعُهُ وَبَصَرُهُ وَكَلَامُهُ مِثْلَ الْمَخْلُوقِينَ وَسَمْعِهِمْ وَبَصَرِهِمْ وَكَلَامِهِمْ.