Al-Risālah al-Akmalīyah - Ibn Taimiya - (18)

Al-Risālah al-AkmalīyahIbn Taimiya

This shows that one who knows is more perfect than one who does not know.

He, exalted is He, also says:

“The blind and the seeing are not equal, nor are darkness and light, nor shade and scorching heat.”

[Fātir: 19–22]

Thus He made clear that one who sees is more perfect, light is more perfect, and shade is more perfect. Accordingly, whoever possesses any of these qualities has the greater claim to perfection:

“To Allah belongs the highest description.”

[al-Nahl: 60]

He also says:

“After Moses had departed, his people made from their ornaments a calf—a mere body that lowed. Did they not see that it could neither speak to them nor guide them to any way? Yet they adopted it and were wrongdoers.”

[al-A'rāf: 148]

This indicates that inability to speak and guide is a deficiency, and that one who speaks and guides is more perfect than one who neither speaks nor guides. The Lord has the greatest claim to perfection.

He also says:

“Say: Is there any among your partners who guides to the truth? Say: Allah guides to the truth. Is then He who guides to the truth more worthy of being followed, or one who cannot find guidance unless he himself is guided? What is wrong with you? How do you judge?”

[Yūnus: 35]

By appealing to what is firmly embedded in human nature, He, glorified is He, made clear that one who guides to the truth is more worthy of being followed than one who cannot find guidance unless another guides him. It necessarily follows that one who guides by himself is perfect, unlike one who finds guidance only through another.

Since one who cannot find guidance by himself necessarily requires a guide, that guide is more perfect.

He also says in the other verse:

“Do they not see that it could give them no answer and possessed no power either to harm or benefit them?”

[Tā Hā: 89]

This indicates that one who answers when spoken to and possesses the power to harm and benefit is more perfect than it.

وهذا يبين أن العالم أكمل ممن لا يعلم، وقال تعالى: {وَمَا يَسْتَوِي الْأَعْمَى وَالْبَصِيرُ وَلَا الظُّلُمَاتُ وَلَا النُّورُ وَلَا الظِّلُّ وَلَا الْحَرُورُ} [فاطر: ١٩ ٢٢] فبين أن البصير أكمل، والنور أكمل، والظل أكمل، وحينئذ فالمتصف به أولى {وَلِلّهِ الْمَثَلُ الأَعْلَىَ} [النحل: ٦٠] . وقال تعالى: {وَاتَّخَذَ قَوْمُ مُوسَى مِن بَعْدِهِ مِنْ حُلِيِّهِمْ عِجْلاً جَسَدًا لَّهُ خُوَارٌ أَلَمْ يَرَوْاْ أَنَّهُ لاَ يُكَلِّمُهُمْ وَلاَ يَهْدِيهِمْ سَبِيلاً اتَّخَذُوهُ وَكَانُواْ ظَالِمِينَ} [الأعراف: ١٤٨] ، فدل ذلك على أن عدم التكلم والهداية نقص، وأن الذي يتكلم ويهدي أكمل ممن لا يتكلم ولا يهدي، والرب أحق بالكمال. وقال تعالى: {قُلْ هَلْ مِن شُرَكَآئِكُم مَّن يَهْدِي إِلَى الْحَقِّ قُلِ اللهُ يَهْدِي لِلْحَقِّ أَفَمَن يَهْدِي إِلَى الْحَقِّ أَحَقُّ أَن يُتَّبَعَ أَمَّن لاَّ يَهِدِّيَ إِلاَّ أَن يُهْدَى فَمَا لَكُمْ كَيْفَ تَحْكُمُونَ} [يونس: ٣٥] فبين سبحانه بما هو مستقر في الفطر أن الذي يهدي إلى الحق أحق بالاتباع ممن لا يهتدي إلا أن يهديه غيره، فلزم أن يكون الهادي بنفسه هو الكامل، دون الذي لا يهتدي إلا بغيره. وإذا كان لابد من وجود الهادي لغير المهتدي بنفسه فهو الأكمل، وقال تعالى في الآية الأخرى: {أَفَلَا يَرَوْنَ أَلَّا يَرْجِعُ إِلَيْهِمْ قَوْلًا وَلَا يَمْلِكُ لَهُمْ ضَرًّا وَلَا نَفْعًا} [طه: ٨٩] فدل على أن الذي يرجع إليه القول، ويملك الضر والنفع، أكمل منه.