Al-Radd ʿalā al-Manṭiqiyyīn - Ibn Taimiya - (274)

Al-Radd ʿalā al-ManṭiqiyyīnIbn Taimiya

Such people are utterly ignorant of both rational and revealed sciences. Most of what they parade as “rational proofs” are ideas they have merely inherited from others; were they asked to produce a cogent intellectual argument for them, or to refute the objections that confront those ideas, they would be incapable of doing so. What is even more astonishing is that they turn away from following the infallible Messengers—who speak nothing but the truth—and refuse to defer to them; yet, in opposition to what the Messengers brought, they blindly imitate men whom they themselves know to be fallible, sometimes right and sometimes wrong.

They do possess certain well-established calculations—such as the predicted times of solar and lunar eclipses, the spherical nature of the celestial orbs, or the formation of clouds from vapor, and other matters of natural philosophy and mathematics. Armed with these facts, they argue against someone they assume to be versed in the Sacred Law. That self-styled jurist, out of ignorance, hastens to reject their claims; his denial of what is actually true only drives them further from the truth conveyed by the Messenger, all because of their debate with this ignorant man.

Allah the Exalted has commanded us neither to lie nor to deny the truth. He praises only the one who speaks with knowledge and affirms whatever truth reaches him. The Most High says:

“Who is more unjust than one who invents a lie against Allah or denies the truth when it comes to him? Is not Hell a fitting abode for the disbelievers?” (Qur’an 39:32)

“And he who brings the truth and believes in it—such people are the God-fearing.” (Qur’an 39:33)

These two qualities describe a single, praiseworthy person: one who conveys the truth and accepts the truth when it reaches him. Anyone who fabricates a lie or rejects the truth that comes to him is blameworthy in the sight of Allah.

Likewise, He says:

“Do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge.” (Qur’an 17:36)

That is, do not speak about what you do not know, “for the hearing, the sight, and the heart—each of these will be questioned about it.”

أجهل الناس بالعقليات والشرعيات وأكثر ما عندهم من العقليات أمور قلدوا من قالها لو سئلوا عن دليل عقلي يدل عليها لعجزوا عن بيانه والجواب عما يعارضه ثم من العجائب أنهم يتركون اتباع الرسل المعصومين الذين لا يقولون إلا الحق ويعرضون عن تقليدهم ثم يقلدون في مخالفة ما جاءوا به من يعلمون هم أنه ليس بمعصوم وانه قد يخطىء تارة ويصيب أخرى. وهؤلاء عندهم أمور معلومة من الحسابيات مثل وقت الكسوف والخسوف ومثل كرية الأفلاك ووجود السحاب من البخاري ونحو ذلك من الأمور الطبيعية والرياضية فيحتجون بها على من يظن أنه من أهل الشرع فيسرع ذلك المنتسب إلى الشرع برد ما يقولونه بجهله فيكون رد ما قالوه من الحق سببا لتنفيرهم عما جاء به الرسول من الحق بسبب مناظرة هذا الجاهل. والله تعالى أمرنا أن لا نكذب ولا نكذب بحق وإنما مدح سبحانه من يصدق فيتكلم بعلم ويصدق ما يقال له من الحق قال تعالى: {وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَى عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِباً أَوْ كَذَّبَ بِالْحَقِّ لَمَّا جَاءَهُ أَلَيْسَ فِي جَهَنَّمَ مَثْوىً لِلْكَافِرِينَ} : {وَالَّذِي جَاءَ بِالصِّدْقِ وَصَدَّقَ بِهِ أولئِكَ هُمُ الْمُتَّقُونَ} وهاتان صفتان لنوع واحد وهو من يجيء بالصدق ويصدق بالحق إذا جاءه فهذا هو المحمود عند الله وأما من كذب أو كذب بما جاءه من الحق فذلك مذموم عند الله تعالى. وكذلك قال تعالى: {وَلا تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ} أي لا تقل ما ليس لك به علم {إِنَّ السَّمْعَ وَالْبَصَرَ وَالْفُؤَادَ كُلُّ أولئِكَ كَانَ عَنْهُ مَسْؤُولاً} .