Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (12/6)

A Principle Concerning the Quran and the Speech of Allah

The Muslim community fell into great turmoil over this matter, becoming divided and differing through conjecture and desires after the first three generations had passed, when the Jahmiyyah—an offshoot of the Sabians—arose among them. Allah Most High has said:

“Indeed, those who differ over the Scripture are in extreme dissension.”

And He Most High has said:

“Mankind was one community. Then Allah sent the prophets as bearers of glad tidings and warners, and sent down with them the Scripture in truth to judge between people concerning their disagreements. None differed over it except those who had been given it, after clear proofs had come to them, out of jealous animosity among themselves. Then Allah, by His permission, guided those who believed to the truth concerning which they had differed.”

Disagreement is of “two kinds”: disagreement over its revelation and disagreement over its interpretation. Those whom Allah censures for differing are those who differ over the truth: one group denies the truth held by the other, or vice versa. For it is obligatory to believe in all the truth that has been revealed.

But when some believe in it while others disbelieve in it, this is a disagreement in which one of the two groups is blameworthy, as Allah Most High has said:

“Those messengers—We favored some of them over others,”

up to His words:

قَاعِدَةٌ فِي الْقُرْآنِ وَكَلَامِ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّ الْأُمَّةَ اضْطَرَبَتْ فِي هَذَا اضْطِرَابًا عَظِيمًا وَتَفَرَّقُوا وَاخْتَلَفُوا بِالظُّنُونِ وَالْأَهْوَاءِ بَعْدَ مُضِيِّ الْقُرُونِ الثَّلَاثَةِ لَمَّا حَدَثَتْ فِيهِمْ الْجَهْمِيَّة الْمُشْتَقَّةُ مِنْ الصَّابِئَةِ وَقَدْ قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: {وَإِنَّ الَّذِينَ اخْتَلَفُوا فِي الْكِتَابِ لَفِي شِقَاقٍ بَعِيدٍ} وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: {كَانَ النَّاسُ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً فَبَعَثَ اللَّهُ النَّبِيِّينَ مُبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنْذِرِينَ وَأَنْزَلَ مَعَهُمُ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ فِيمَا اخْتَلَفُوا فِيهِ وَمَا اخْتَلَفَ فِيهِ إلَّا الَّذِينَ أُوتُوهُ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَتْهُمُ الْبَيِّنَاتُ بَغْيًا بَيْنَهُمْ فَهَدَى اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لِمَا اخْتَلَفُوا فِيهِ مِنَ الْحَقِّ بِإِذْنِهِ} وَالِاخْتِلَافُ " نَوْعَانِ " : اخْتِلَافٌ فِي تَنْزِيلِهِ وَاخْتِلَافٌ فِي تَأْوِيلِهِ. وَالْمُخْتَلِفُونَ الَّذِينَ ذَمَّهُمْ اللَّهُ هُمْ الْمُخْتَلِفُونَ فِي الْحَقِّ بِأَنْ يُنْكِرَ هَؤُلَاءِ الْحَقَّ الَّذِي مَعَ هَؤُلَاءِ أَوْ بِالْعَكْسِ. فَإِنَّ الْوَاجِبَ الْإِيمَانُ بِجَمِيعِ الْحَقِّ الْمُنَزَّلِ. فَأَمَّا مَنْ آمَنَ بِذَلِكَ وَكَفَرَ بِهِ غَيْرُهُ فَهَذَا اخْتِلَافٌ يُذَمُّ فِيهِ أَحَدُ الصِّنْفَيْنِ كَمَا قَالَ تَعَالَى: {تِلْكَ الرُّسُلُ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ} إلَى قَوْلِهِ: