Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (7/233)

Majmu' al-FatawaIbn Taimiya

as deficient in intellect and religion.” A woman’s deficiency in intellect was explained by the fact that the testimony of two women equals that of one man, and her deficiency in religion by the fact that she neither fasts nor prays during menstruation. This deficiency is not a failure to fulfill what she has been commanded to do, so she is not punished for it. Yet someone who is commanded to pray and fast and does so has a more complete religion in comparison with her.

Second: the distinction between general and detailed faith as actually attained.

One person believes in general in what the Messenger brought, never rejecting it as false, yet turns away from learning his commands, prohibitions, and reports, and from seeking the knowledge obligatory upon him. He therefore neither knows his obligations nor fulfills them, but instead follows his desires. Another seeks to learn what he has been commanded to do and acts upon it. A third seeks that knowledge, acquires it, and believes in it, but does not act upon it. Although they share the same obligation, the one who seeks detailed knowledge and acts upon it has more complete faith as a result.

Among these are those who know their obligations, commit themselves to them, and acknowledge them, yet do not act upon all of them. Such a person—who acknowledges what the Messenger brought, admits his sin, and fears his Lord’s punishment for failing to act—has more complete faith than someone who neither seeks to learn what the Messenger commanded nor acts upon it, and does not fear being punished. Rather, he remains heedless of the details of what the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, brought, even though he acknowledges his prophethood inwardly and outwardly.

Thus, whenever the heart learns what the Messenger conveyed and affirms its truth, and learns what he commanded and commits itself to it, this increases its faith beyond that of someone who has not attained this, even if the latter has a general commitment and acknowledgment. Likewise, whoever knows Allah’s names and their meanings and believes in them has more complete faith than someone who has not

بِأَنَّهُنَّ نَاقِصَاتُ عَقْلٍ وَدِينٍ} وَجُعِلَ نُقْصَانُ عَقْلِهَا أَنَّ شَهَادَةَ امْرَأَتَيْنِ شَهَادَةُ رَجُلٍ وَاحِدٍ وَنُقْصَانُ دِينِهَا أَنَّهَا إذَا حَاضَتْ لَا تَصُومُ وَلَا تُصَلِّي وَهَذَا النُّقْصَانُ لَيْسَ هُوَ نَقْصٌ مِمَّا أُمِرَتْ بِهِ؛ فَلَا تُعَاقَبُ عَلَى هَذَا النُّقْصَانِ لَكِنْ مَنْ أُمِرَ بِالصَّلَاةِ وَالصَّوْمِ فَفَعَلَهُ كَانَ دِينُهُ كَامِلًا بِالنِّسْبَةِ إلَى هَذِهِ النَّاقِصَةِ الدِّينِ. الْوَجْهُ الثَّانِي: الْإِجْمَالُ وَالتَّفْصِيلُ فِيمَا وَقَعَ مِنْهُمْ فَمَنْ آمَنَ بِمَا جَاءَ بِهِ الرَّسُولُ مُطْلَقًا فَلَمْ يُكَذِّبْهُ قَطُّ لَكِنْ أَعْرَضَ عَنْ مَعْرِفَةِ أَمْرِهِ وَنَهْيِهِ وَخَبَرِهِ وَطَلَبِ الْعِلْمِ الْوَاجِبِ عَلَيْهِ؛ فَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ الْوَاجِبَ عَلَيْهِ وَلَمْ يَعْمَلْهُ؛ بَلْ اتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ وَآخَرُ طَلَبَ عِلْمَ مَا أُمِرَ بِهِ فَعَمِلَ بِهِ وَآخَرُ طَلَبَ عِلْمَهُ فَعَلِمَهُ وَآمَنَ بِهِ وَلَمْ يَعْمَلْ بِهِ وَإِنْ اشْتَرَكُوا فِي الْوُجُوبِ لَكِنْ مَنْ طَلَبَ عِلْمَ التَّفْصِيلِ وَعَمِلَ بِهِ فَإِيمَانُهُ أَكْمَلُ بِهِ؛ فَهَؤُلَاءِ مِمَّنْ عَرَفَ مَا يَجِبُ عَلَيْهِ وَالْتَزَمَهُ وَأَقَرَّ بِهِ لَكِنَّهُ لَمْ يَعْمَلْ بِذَلِكَ كُلِّهِ وَهَذَا الْمُقِرُّ بِمَا جَاءَ بِهِ الرَّسُولُ الْمُعْتَرِفُ بِذَنْبِهِ الْخَائِفُ مِنْ عُقُوبَةِ رَبِّهِ عَلَى تَرْكِ الْعَمَلِ أَكْمَلُ إيمَانًا مِمَّنْ لَمْ يَطْلُبْ مَعْرِفَةَ مَا أَمَرَ بِهِ الرَّسُولُ وَلَا عَمِلَ بِذَلِكَ؛ وَلَا هُوَ خَائِفٌ أَنْ يُعَاقَبَ؛ بَلْ هُوَ فِي غَفْلَةٍ عَنْ تَفْصِيلِ مَا جَاءَ بِهِ الرَّسُولُ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَعَ أَنَّهُ مُقِرٌّ بِنُبُوَّتِهِ بَاطِنًا وَظَاهِرًا. فَكُلَّمَا عَلِمَ الْقَلْبُ مَا أَخْبَرَ بِهِ الرَّسُولُ فَصَدَّقَهُ وَمَا أُمِرَ بِهِ فَالْتَزَمَهُ؛ كَانَ ذَلِكَ زِيَادَةً فِي إيمَانِهِ عَلَى مَنْ لَمْ يَحْصُلْ لَهُ ذَلِكَ؛ وَإِنْ كَانَ مَعَهُ الْتِزَامٌ عَامٌّ وَإِقْرَارٌ عَامٌّ. وَكَذَلِكَ مَنْ عَرَفَ أَسْمَاءَ اللَّهِ وَمَعَانِيَهَا فَآمَنَ بِهَا؛ كَانَ إيمَانُهُ أَكْمَلَ مِمَّنْ لَمْ