Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (6/114)

Section

The term “affinity” has several possible meanings. It may refer to descent and kinship: one says, “This man is so-and-so’s relative,” or “He is related to him,” when they share a kinship based on birth and human descent. Allah, glorified and exalted is He, is far above that.

It may also mean likeness: one says, “This corresponds to that,” meaning that it is like it. Yet Allah, glorified and exalted is He, is One, the Self-Sufficient. He neither begets nor is born, and there is none comparable to Him.

It may also mean agreement in some respect, the opposite of which is disagreement. “Affinity” in this sense is indeed established. For the allies of Allah Most High agree with Him concerning what He commands, so they do it; concerning what He loves, so they love it; concerning what He forbids, so they refrain from it; and concerning what He gives, so they receive it.

Allah is One and loves what is odd-numbered; He is Beautiful and loves beauty; All-Knowing and loves knowledge; Pure and loves cleanliness; Good to His creation and loves those who do good; Just and loves those who act justly—and likewise with other such qualities.

Indeed, glorified is He, He rejoices at the repentance of the repentant person more than a man rejoices upon finding his lost mount, carrying his food and drink, in a deadly wilderness after he has despaired of finding it. Allah rejoices more at His servant’s repentance than this man rejoices at recovering his mount, as is established in the authentic hadith collections from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

فَصْلٌ: وَقَوْلُ الْقَائِلِ: " الْمُنَاسَبَةُ " لَفْظٌ مُجْمَلٌ؛ فَإِنَّهُ قَدْ يُرَادُ بِهَا التَّوَلُّدُ وَالْقَرَابَةُ فَيُقَالُ: هَذَا نَسِيبُ فُلَانٍ وَيُنَاسِبُهُ؛ إذَا كَانَ بَيْنَهُمْ قَرَابَةٌ مُسْتَنِدَةٌ إلَى الْوِلَادَةِ وَالْآدَمِيَّةِ وَاَللَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى مُنَزَّهٌ عَنْ ذَلِكَ وَيُرَادُ بِهَا الْمُمَاثَلَةُ فَيُقَالُ: هَذَا يُنَاسِبُ هَذَا: أَيْ يُمَاثِلُهُ. وَاَللَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى أَحَدٌ صَمَدٌ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ. وَيُرَادُ بِهَا الْمُوَافَقَةُ فِي مَعْنًى مِنْ الْمَعَانِي وَضِدُّهَا الْمُخَالَفَةُ. وَ " الْمُنَاسَبَةُ " بِهَذَا الِاعْتِبَارِ ثَابِتَةٌ فَإِنَّ أَوْلِيَاءَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى يُوَافِقُونَهُ فِيمَا يَأْمُرُ بِهِ فَيَفْعَلُونَهُ وَفِيمَا يُحِبُّهُ فَيُحِبُّونَهُ وَفِيمَا نَهَى عَنْهُ فَيَتْرُكُونَهُ وَفِيمَا يُعْطِيهِ فَيُصِيبُونَهُ. وَاَللَّهُ وِتْرٌ يُحِبُّ الْوِتْرَ جَمِيلٌ يُحِبُّ الْجَمَالَ عَلِيمٌ يُحِبُّ الْعِلْمَ نَظِيفٌ يُحِبُّ النَّظَافَةَ مُحْسِنٌ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ مُقْسِطٌ يُحِبُّ الْمُقْسِطِينَ إلَى غَيْرِ ذَلِكَ مِنْ الْمَعَانِي؛ بَلْ هُوَ سُبْحَانَهُ يَفْرَحُ بِتَوْبَةِ التَّائِبِ أَعْظَمَ مِنْ فَرَحِ الْفَاقِدِ لِرَاحِلَتِهِ عَلَيْهَا طَعَامُهُ وَشَرَابُهُ فِي الْأَرْضِ الْمُهْلِكَةِ إذَا وَجَدَهَا بَعْدَ الْيَأْسِ فَاَللَّهُ أَشَدُّ فَرَحًا بِتَوْبَةِ عَبْدِهِ مِنْ هَذَا بِرَاحِلَتِهِ كَمَا ثَبَتَ ذَلِكَ فِي الصِّحَاحِ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ.