Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (19/278)

Majmu' al-FatawaIbn Taimiya

this station, as did others like him, he instructed them to observe the second distinction: to distinguish between what is commanded and what is forbidden, between what Allah loves and is pleased with and what incurs His displeasure and hatred.

This is the contemplation of Allah’s sole right to worship, which the messengers brought and the revealed Books taught. It is the true meaning of the declaration: “There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah.”

Some of them objected to al-Junayd, some withheld judgment, and others agreed. The correct position is what al-Junayd expressed in this statement about distinguishing between what is commanded and what is forbidden, and in his other statement about distinguishing between the Lord and the servant: “Affirming divine oneness means distinguishing what comes into being from what is beginningless.” This latter statement refutes those among them who profess union or indwelling, while the former refutes those who stop at the reality of the created order. How many of them have been afflicted with these two errors!

Then there are people who uphold this distinction, but for their own sake and desires, not as worship and obedience to Allah. Such a person resembles someone who wages jihad, enjoins good, and forbids evil to satisfy his own desires—like someone who fights to display courage, out of partisan zeal, or to show off. The other resembles someone who neither enjoins good, nor forbids evil, nor wages jihad. The one who neglects these duties resembles a monk, while the self-serving person resembles someone who seeks nothing but this world. The former is an innovator, and the latter an evildoer.

Religious innovations have become widespread among those who profess asceticism and spiritual poverty, while pursuit of this world has become widespread among those who turn away from such practices. Those who seek this world oppose those who renounce it only to serve their own ends, even when the latter are religious innovators. Those others likewise oppose worldly people only to serve their own ends. Thus their disputes concern worldly interests,

وَأَمْثَالِهِ إلَى هَذَا الْمَقَامِ أَمَرَهُمْ بِالْفَرْقِ الثَّانِي وَهُوَ: أَنْ يُفَرِّقُوا بَيْنَ الْمَأْمُورِ وَالْمَحْظُورِ؛ وَمَحْبُوبِ اللَّهِ وَمُرْضِيهِ؛ وَمَسْخُوطِهِ وَمَكْرُوهِهِ؛ وَهُوَ مَشْهَدُ الْإِلَهِيَّةِ الَّذِي جَاءَتْ بِهِ الرُّسُلُ وَنَزَلَتْ بِهِ الْكُتُبُ وَهُوَ حَقِيقَةُ قَوْلِ: لَا إلَهَ إلَّا اللَّهُ. فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ أَنْكَرَ عَلَى الْجُنَيْد وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ تَوَقَّفَ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ وَافَقَ وَالصَّوَابُ مَا قَالَهُ الْجُنَيْد مِنْ ذِكْرِ هَذِهِ الْكَلِمَةِ فِي الْفَرْقِ بَيْنَ الْمَأْمُورِ وَالْمَحْظُورِ وَالْكَلِمَةِ الْأُخْرَى فِي الْفَرْقِ بَيْنَ الرَّبِّ وَالْعَبْدِ وَهُوَ قَوْلُهُ: التَّوْحِيدُ إفْرَادُ الْحُدُوثِ عَنْ الْقِدَمِ. فَهَذَا رَدٌّ عَلَى الِاتِّحَادِيَّةِ وَالْحُلُولِيَّةِ مِنْهُمْ وَتِلْكَ رَدٌّ عَلَى مَنْ يَقِفُ عِنْدَ الْحَقِيقَةِ الْكَوْنِيَّةِ مِنْهُمْ وَمَا أَكْثَرُ مَنْ اُبْتُلِيَ بِهَذَيْنِ مِنْهُمْ. ثُمَّ مِنْ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَقُومُ بِهَذَا الْفَرْقِ لَكِنْ لِنَفْسِهِ وَهَوَاهُ لَا عِبَادَةً وَطَاعَةً لِلَّهِ فَهَذَا مِثْلُ مَنْ يُجَاهِدُ وَيَأْمُرُ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَى عَنْ الْمُنْكَرِ لِهَوَاهُ كَالْمُقَاتِلِ شَجَاعَةً وَحَمِيَّةً وَرِيَاءً وَذَاكَ بِمَنْزِلَةِ مَنْ لَا يَأْمُرُ بِمَعْرُوفٍ وَلَا يَنْهَى عَنْ مُنْكَرٍ وَلَا يُجَاهِدُ هَذَا شَبِيهٌ بِالرَّاهِبِ وَذَاكَ شَبِيهٌ بِمَنْ لَمْ يَطْلُبْ إلَّا الدُّنْيَا ذَاكَ مُبْتَدِعٌ وَهَذَا فَاجِرٌ. وَقَدْ كَثُرَ فِي الْمُتَزَهِّدَةِ وَالْمُتَفَقِّرَةِ الْبِدَعُ وَفِي الْمُعْرِضِينَ عَنْ ذَلِكَ طَلَبُ الدُّنْيَا وَطُلَّابُ الدُّنْيَا لَا يُعَارِضُونَ تَارِكَهَا إلَّا لِأَغْرَاضِهِمْ وَإِنْ كَانُوا مُبْتَدِعَةً وَأُولَئِكَ لَا يُعَارِضُونَ أَبْنَاءَ الدُّنْيَا إلَّا لِأَغْرَاضِهِمْ فَتَبْقَى الْمُنَازَعَاتُ لِلدُّنْيَا