Al-Risālah al-Akmalīyah - Ibn Taimiya - (71)

Al-Risālah al-AkmalīyahIbn Taimiya

And His saying:

“Whoever fears Allah, He will make a way out for him and provide for him from where he does not expect. And whoever puts his trust in Allah, He is sufficient for him.”

[al-Talāq: 2, 3]

And similar statements in which the Lord mentions some of His exclusive attributes. His truthfulness in describing Himself with attributes of perfection is itself part of His perfection. His making this clear to His servants and acquainting them with it is likewise part of His perfection. Were anyone else to make comparable claims about himself, he would be a liar and fabricator—and lying is among the gravest faults and deficiencies.

When a created being truthfully describes himself, however, he is not blameworthy in every case. He may even be praised when some benefit is served, as in the Prophet’s statement—may Allah bless him and grant him peace:

“I am the master of the children of Adam, and I say this without boasting.”

But if doing so entails harm that outweighs or equals the benefit, he is blameworthy for causing that harm, not for lying. The Lord, Exalted is He, does nothing for which He could be blamed. Rather, all praise belongs to Him in every circumstance, and everything He does is good, beautiful, and praiseworthy.

According to those who hold that injustice is intrinsically impossible for Him, this is evident. According to the majority of Ahl al-Sunnah and the Qadariyya, He acts only in accordance with wisdom and justice. Thus, everything He reports, says, and does is good and praiseworthy, occurring with the perfection for which He deserves praise. He possesses qualities entitling Him to majesty and greatness that are exclusive to Him, Blessed and Exalted is He.

Majesty and greatness belong to Him just as He is Ever-Living, Self-Sustaining, pre-eternal, and necessarily existent in Himself; as He knows all things and has power over all things; as He is the Invincible, beyond all reach; and as He is the All-Subduer of everything besides Him.

وقوله: {وَمَن يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُ مَخْرَجًا وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُ} [الطلاق: ٢، ٣] ، وأمثال هذا الكلام الذي يذكر الرب فيه عن نفسه بعض خصائصه، وهو في ذلك صادق في إخباره عن نفسه بما هو من نعوت الكمال، هو أيضًا من كماله، فإن بيانه لعباده وتعريفهم ذلك هو أيضًا من كماله. وأما غيره فلو أخبر بمثل ذلك عن نفسه لكان كاذبًا مفتريًا، والكذب من أعظم العيوب والنقائص. وأما إذا أخبر المخلوق عن نفسه بما هو صادق فيه، فهذا لا يذم مطلقًا، بل قد يحمد منه إذا كان في ذلك مصلحة، كقول النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: " أنا سَيِّدُ وَلَدِ آدم ولا فَخْر " . وأما إذا كان فيه مفسدة راجحة أو مساوية، فيذم لفعله ما هو مفسدة، لا لكذبه، والرب تعالى لا يفعل ما هو مذموم عليه، بل له الحمد على كل حال، فكل ما يفعله هو منه حسن جميل محمود. وأما على قول من يقول: الظلم منه ممتنع لذاته فظاهر، وأما على قول الجمهور من أهل السنة والقدرية، فإنه إنما يفعل بمقتضى الحكمة والعدل، فأخباره كلها وأقواله وأفعاله كلها حسنة محمودة، واقعة على وجه الكمال الذي يستحق عليه الحمد، وله من الأمور التي يستحق بها الكبرياء والعظمة ما هو من خصائصه تبارك وتعالى. فالكبرياء والعظمة له بمنزلة كونه حيًا قيومًا قديمًا واجبًا بنفسه، وأنه بكل شىء عليم وعلى كل شىء قدير، وأنه العزيز الذي لا ينال، وأنه قهار لكل ما سواه.