Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (2/498)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

so how can this (1) be compared with those who say, “God (2) is one; He has the Most Beautiful Names, which signify His sublime attributes (3); no one but Him creates, and none is worshipped besides Him”? The difference between the two doctrines is greater than that between (4) the foot and the parting at the top of the head.

Among the lies fabricated by the Jahmiyya against those who affirm the attributes is the following: because Ibn Kullāb affirmed the attributes and wrote books refuting those who denied them, they invented a tale about his sister, alleging that she was (5) a Christian and that when he embraced Islam, she shunned him. He therefore said to her, “My sister, I intend to corrupt the religion of the Muslims,” whereupon she was pleased with him on that account (6).

The fabricator’s purpose in inventing this (7) tale was to make Ibn Kullāb’s affirmation of the attributes appear identical to the Christian doctrine. This tale was then taken up by [some members of the Sālimiyya and] (8) some adherents of hadith and the Sunnah, who used it to disparage Ibn Kullāb because of the doctrine he had introduced (9) concerning the Quran. They did not realize that those who censured him by means of this tale (10) were farther from the truth than he was, both concerning the Quran and in other matters, and that they censured him for a doctrine whose proponents you yourself commend (11). And the fault with Ibn

(1) (B) and (A) read: “where.” (2) (Ayn) reads: “a god.” (3) (Ayn) reads: “and He has names that signify His exalted attributes.” (4) (N) and (M) read: “a difference like that between.” (5) The word “was” is omitted from (B) and (A). (6) (B), (A), (N), and (M) read: “because of that.” Mustajī Zādah wrote the following in the margin of (Ayn): “Ibn Kullāb was among the early scholars. When Imam Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'arī abandoned Mu'tazilism, he followed Ibn Kullāb and adopted his approach in many doctrinal positions. These included affirming attributes additional to the Essence, denying causes and purposes in Allah’s acts, and holding that *kalām nafsī* (inner speech) is eternal, along with other doctrinal positions.” (7) (Ayn) reads: “for this.” (8) The words in square brackets are omitted from (N) and (M). (9) (B) and (A) read: “introduced.” (10) (B), (A), (N), and (M) read: “that the one who censured him by means of it.” (11) (N) and (M) read: “regarding what undermines what you maintain.”

فَأَيْنَ (١) هَذَا مِمَّنْ يَقُولُ: الْإِلَهُ (٢) وَاحِدٌ وَلَهُ الْأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَى الدَّالَّةُ عَلَى صِفَاتِهِ الْعُلَى (٣) وَلَا يَخْلُقُ غَيْرُهُ وَلَا يُعْبَدُ سِوَاهُ؟ ! فَبَيْنَ الْمَذْهَبَيْنِ مِنَ الْفَرْقِ أَعْظَمُ مِمَّا بَيْنَ (٤) الْقَدَمِ وَالْفَرْقِ. وَمِمَّا افْتَرَتْهُ الْجَهْمِيَّةُ عَلَى الْمُثْبِتَةِ أَنَّ ابْنَ كُلَّابٍ لَمَّا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُثْبِتِينَ لِلصِّفَاتِ وَصَنَّفَ الْكُتُبَ فِي الرَّدِّ عَلَى النُّفَاةِ وَضَعُوا عَلَى أُخْتِهِ حِكَايَةً أَنَّهَا كَانَتْ (٥) نَصْرَانِيَّةً وَأَنَّهُ لَمَّا أَسْلَمَ هَجَرَتْهُ، فَقَالَ لَهَا: يَا أُخْتِي إِنِّي أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُفْسِدَ دِينَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، فَرَضِيَتْ عَنْهُ لِذَلِكَ (٦) . وَمَقْصُودُ الْمُفْتَرِي بِهَذِهِ (٧) الْحِكَايَةِ أَنْ يَجْعَلَ قَوْلَهُ بِإِثْبَاتِ الصِّفَاتِ هُوَ قَوْلُ النَّصَارَى، وَأَخَذَ هَذِهِ الْحِكَايَةَ [بَعْضُ السَّالِمِيَّةِ وَ] (٨) بَعْضُ أَهْلِ الْحَدِيثِ وَالسُّنَّةِ يَذُمُّ بِهَا ابْنَ كُلَّابٍ لِمَا أَحْدَثَهُ (٩) مِنَ الْقَوْلِ فِي مَسْأَلَةِ الْقُرْآنِ، وَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ أَنَّ الَّذِينَ عَابُوهُ بِهَا (١٠) هُمْ أَبْعَدُ عَنِ الْحَقِّ فِي مَسْأَلَةِ الْقُرْآنِ وَغَيْرِهَا مِنْهُ، وَأَنَّهُمْ عَابُوهُ بِمَا تَمْدَحُ أَنْتَ قَائِلَهُ (١١) . وَعَيْبُ ابْنِ

(١) ب، ا: أَيْنَ. (٢) ع: إِلَهٌ. (٣) ع: وَلَهُ الْأَسْمَاءُ الدَّالَّةُ عَلَى صِفَاتِهِ الْعُلْيَا. (٤) ن، م: مِنَ الْفَرْقِ كَمَا بَيْنَ. (٥) كَانَتْ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ب) ، (أ) . (٦) ب، ا، ن، م: بِذَلِكَ. وَكَتَبَ مُسْتَجِي زَادَهْ فِي هَامِشِ (ع) مَا يَلِي: " وَكَانَ ابْنُ كُلَّابٍ مِنَ الْقُدَمَاءِ حَتَّى أَنَّ الْإِمَامَ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ الْأَشْعَرِيَّ لَمَّا رَجَعَ عَنِ الِاعْتِزَالِ اتَّبَعَهُ وَحَذَا حَذْوَهُ فِي كَثِيرٍ مِنَ الْمَقَالَاتِ، وَمِنْ جُمْلَتِهَا إِثْبَاتُ الصِّفَاتِ الزَّائِدَةِ عَلَى الذَّاتِ، وَمِنْ جُمْلَتِهَا نَفْيُ الْعِلَلِ وَالْأَغْرَاضِ فِي أَفْعَالِ اللَّهِ، وَمِنْ جُمْلَتِهَا الْقَوْلُ بِقِدَمِ الْكَلَامِ النَّفْسِيِّ، إِلَى غَيْرِ ذَلِكَ مِنَ الْمَقَالَاتِ (٧) ع: لِهَذِهِ. (٨) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٩) ب، ا: أَحْدَثَ. (١٠) ب، ا، ن، م: أَنَّ الَّذِي عَابَهُ بِهَا. (١١) ن، م: فِيمَا يَقْدَحُ فِيمَا أَنْتَ قَائِلُهُ.