Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (8/31)

Majmu' al-FatawaIbn Taimiya

, the Eternal Refuge, is incapable of acting and speaking.

Further on, he said:

The point here is that He, glorified be He, is just and commits no injustice. His justice is kindness to His creation, so everything He has created is an act of kindness to His servants. Thus He deserves praise in every circumstance. For this reason, He mentioned in Sūrat al-Najm various things brought about by His power, then said:

“Then which of the favors of your Lord do you doubt?”

This shows that these favors include such things as the destruction of nations that denied the messengers. For this provides evidence of His power and wisdom, His favor toward the believers, His support for the messengers, and the truth of what they brought. It also demonstrates that happiness lies in following them and misery in opposing them. All this is among the greatest blessings.

The same applies to what He mentioned in Sūrat al-Rahmān. Everything created is among His favors in several respects. One is that it serves as evidence of Him, His oneness, His power, and other attributes, and that through it faith, knowledge, and remembrance of the Lord are attained. This blessing is the greatest that Allah bestows upon His servants in this world, and everything created helps one attain it and points toward it. This is in addition to the benefits that created things provide His servants beyond serving as evidence.

For He, glorified be He, says:

“So which of your Lord’s favors do you both deny?”

This He says when mentioning the signs He recounts. He also says:

“Then which of the favors of your Lord do you doubt?”

These favors are blessings, and all blessings are among His signs, pointing to His holy Self, His oneness, His attributes, and the meanings of His names. They are thus favors that are also signs. Everything that is among His favors is among His signs, and this is evident. Likewise, everything that is among His signs is among His favors, for it imparts knowledge and guidance and points to the Lord Most High, His power, His wisdom, His mercy, and His religion. Guidance is the greatest of blessings.

الصَّمَدُ لَيْسَ قَادِرًا عَلَى الْفِعْلِ وَالْكَلَامِ؛ إلَى أَنْ قَالَ: وَالْمَقْصُودُ هُنَا: أَنَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ عَدْلٌ لَا يَظْلِمُ؛ وَعَدْلُهُ إحْسَانٌ إلَى خَلْقِهِ فَكُلُّ مَا خَلَقَهُ فَهُوَ إحْسَانٌ إلَى عِبَادِهِ وَلِهَذَا كَانَ مُسْتَحِقًّا لِلْحَمْدِ عَلَى كُلِّ حَالٍ وَلِهَذَا ذَكَرَ فِي سُورَةِ النَّجْمِ أَنْوَاعًا مِنْ مَقْدُورَاتِهِ؛ ثُمَّ قَالَ: {فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكَ تَتَمَارَى} فَدَلَّ عَلَى أَنَّ هَذِهِ الْأَنْعُمَ مِثْلُ إهْلَاكِ الْأُمَمِ الْمُكَذِّبَةِ لِلرُّسُلِ؛ فَإِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ مِنْ الدَّلَالَةِ عَلَى قُدْرَتِهِ وَحِكْمَتِهِ وَنِعْمَتِهِ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَنَصْرِهِ لِلرُّسُلِ؛ وَتَحْقِيقِ مَا جَاءُوا بِهِ وَإِنَّ السَّعَادَةَ فِي مُتَابَعَتِهِمْ وَالشَّقَاوَةَ فِي مُخَالَفَتِهِمْ مَا هُوَ مِنْ أَعْظَمِ النِّعَمِ. وَكَذَلِكَ مَا ذَكَرَهُ فِي سُورَةِ الرَّحْمَنِ وَكُلُّ مَخْلُوقٍ هُوَ مِنْ آلَائِهِ مِنْ وُجُوهٍ: مِنْهَا أَنَّهُ يَسْتَدِلُّ بِهِ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى تَوْحِيدِهِ وَقُدْرَتِهِ وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ. وَأَنَّهُ يَحْصُلُ بِهِ الْإِيمَانُ وَالْعِلْمُ وَذِكْرُ الرَّبِّ. وَهَذِهِ النِّعْمَةُ أَفْضَلُ مَا أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ بِهِ عَلَى عِبَادِهِ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَكُلُّ مَخْلُوقٍ يُعِينُ عَلَيْهَا وَيَدُلُّ عَلَيْهَا هَذَا مَعَ مَا فِي الْمَخْلُوقَاتِ مِنْ الْمَنَافِعِ لِعِبَادِهِ غَيْرِ الِاسْتِدْلَالِ بِهَا. فَإِنَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ يَقُولُ: {فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ} لِمَا يَذْكُرُ مَا يَذْكُرُهُ مِنْ الْآيَةِ وَقَالَ: {فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكَ تَتَمَارَى} وَالْآلَاءُ: هِيَ النِّعَمُ؛ وَالنِّعَمُ كُلُّهَا مِنْ آيَاتِهِ الدَّالَّةِ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ الْمُقَدَّسَةِ وَوَحْدَانِيِّتِهِ وَنُعُوتِهِ وَمَعَانِي أَسْمَائِهِ فَهِيَ آلَاءُ آيَاتٍ وَكُلُّ مَا كَانَ مِنْ آلَائِهِ فَهُوَ مِنْ آيَاتِهِ وَهَذَا ظَاهِرٌ؛ وَكَذَلِكَ كُلُّ مَا كَانَ مِنْ آيَاتِهِ فَهُوَ مِنْ آلَائِهِ فَإِنَّهُ يَتَضَمَّنُ التَّعْرِيفَ وَالْهِدَايَةَ وَالدَّلَالَةَ عَلَى الرَّبِّ تَعَالَى. وَقُدْرَتُهُ وَحِكْمَتُهُ وَرَحْمَتُهُ وَدِينُهُ. وَالْهُدَى أَفْضَلُ النِّعَمِ.