Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (7/519)

Majmu' al-FatawaIbn Taimiya

Allah Most High said in the year of the Farewell Pilgrimage:

“Today I have perfected your religion for you and completed My favor upon you.”

Furthermore, even after the Quran had been revealed and the religion perfected, if only part of the religion reached a person, he was required to believe in everything the Messenger brought in general, and in whatever had reached him from the Messenger in detail. As for what had not reached him and which he had no means of knowing, he was required to know it in detail only when it reached him.

Likewise, if a person believed firmly in the Messenger and died before the time for prayer began, or before any deeds became obligatory upon him, he died with complete faith in all that was required of him. Once the time for prayer begins, however, he must pray: something has now become obligatory upon him that was not obligatory before. Similarly, someone capable of performing the pilgrimage and engaging in jihad is required to have detailed belief and act accordingly in ways not required of someone else.

Thus, the requirements of faith vary according to the stage reached in the descent of revelation from heaven and according to whether or not its message has reached the legally accountable individual. These are among the factors that cause assent itself to vary. Its character also differs according to ability, inability, and other factors that give rise to obligation; these likewise cause the deeds required to differ. Clearly, what is obligatory upon each of these individuals is not identical to what is obligatory upon another.

If, then, the very content of faith required under a single revealed law varies and admits of degrees—even though all these forms share a common core, such as acknowledging the Creator, devoting religion sincerely to Him alone, and acknowledging His messengers and the Last Day in general—it is clear that when someone fulfills some of what is obligatory upon him but not the rest, his fulfillment of faith is partial, just as other obligations may be partially fulfilled.

قَالَ تَعَالَى عَامَ حَجَّةِ الْوَدَاعِ: {الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي} . وَ " أَيْضًا " فَبَعْدَ نُزُولِ الْقُرْآنِ وَإِكْمَالِ الدِّينِ إذَا بَلَغَ الرَّجُلَ بَعْضُ الدِّينِ دُونَ بَعْضٍ كَانَ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يُصَدِّقَ مَا جَاءَ بِهِ الرَّسُولُ جُمْلَةً وَمَا بَلَغَهُ عَنْهُ مُفَصَّلًا وَأَمَّا مَا لَمْ يَبْلُغْهُ وَلَمْ يُمْكِنْهُ مَعْرِفَتُهُ فَذَاكَ إنَّمَا عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَعْرِفَهُ مُفَصَّلًا إذَا بَلَغَهُ وَ " أَيْضًا " فَالرَّجُلُ إذَا آمَنَ بِالرَّسُولِ إيمَانًا جَازِمًا وَمَاتَ قَبْلَ دُخُولِ وَقْتِ الصَّلَاةِ أَوْ وُجُوبِ شَيْءٍ مِنْ الْأَعْمَالِ مَاتَ كَامِلَ الْإِيمَانِ الَّذِي وَجَبَ عَلَيْهِ فَإِذَا دَخَلَ وَقْتُ الصَّلَاةِ فَعَلَيْهِ أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ وَصَارَ يَجِبُ عَلَيْهِ مَا لَمْ يَجِبْ عَلَيْهِ قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ. وَكَذَلِكَ الْقَادِرُ عَلَى الْحَجِّ وَالْجِهَادِ يَجِبُ عَلَيْهِ مَا لَمْ يَجِبْ عَلَى غَيْرِهِ مِنْ التَّصْدِيقِ الْمُفَصَّلِ وَالْعَمَلِ بِذَلِكَ. فَصَارَ مَا يَجِبُ مِنْ الْإِيمَانِ يَخْتَلِفُ بِاخْتِلَافِ حَالِ نُزُولِ الْوَحْيِ مِنْ السَّمَاءِ وَبِحَالِ الْمُكَلَّفِ فِي الْبَلَاغِ وَعَدَمِهِ وَهَذَا مِمَّا يَتَنَوَّعُ بِهِ نَفْسُ التَّصْدِيقِ وَيَخْتَلِفُ حَالُهُ بِاخْتِلَافِ الْقُدْرَةِ وَالْعَجْزِ وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ مِنْ أَسْبَابِ الْوُجُوبِ وَهَذِهِ يَخْتَلِفُ بِهَا الْعَمَلُ أَيْضًا. وَمَعْلُومٌ أَنَّ الْوَاجِبَ عَلَى كُلٍّ مِنْ هَؤُلَاءِ لَا يُمَاثِلُ الْوَاجِبَ عَلَى الْآخَرِ. فَإِذَا كَانَ نَفْسُ مَا وَجَبَ مِنْ الْإِيمَانِ فِي الشَّرِيعَةِ الْوَاحِدَةِ يَخْتَلِفُ وَيَتَفَاضَلُ - وَإِنْ كَانَ بَيْنَ جَمِيعِ هَذِهِ الْأَنْوَاعِ قَدْرٌ مُشْتَرَكٌ مَوْجُودٌ فِي الْجَمِيعِ: كَالْإِقْرَارِ بِالْخَالِقِ وَإِخْلَاصِ الدِّينِ لَهُ وَالْإِقْرَارِ بِرُسُلِهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ عَلَى وَجْهِ الْإِجْمَالِ - فَمِنْ الْمَعْلُومِ أَنَّ بَعْضَ النَّاسِ إذَا أَتَى بِبَعْضِ مَا يَجِبُ عَلَيْهِ دُونَ بَعْضٍ كَانَ قَدْ تَبَعَّضَ مَا أَتَى فِيهِ مِنْ الْإِيمَانِ كَتَبَعُّضِ سَائِرِ الْوَاجِبَاتِ.