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[are] the Christians and the extremist Shia (1). Some heresy and extremism may also be found among others, including ascetics and the like, but what is found among the former is [more prevalent and] more abhorrent (2).
Since this is so, anyone who maligns Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘ah by alleging that they uphold corporealism [and divine indwelling] (3), while praising a faction of the Imamiyya, is either among the most ignorant of people concerning the doctrines of his own sect, or among the most egregious in wrongdoing, aggression, and departure (4) from justice and fairness when making comparisons and assessments (5).
Furthermore, Ahl al-Sunnah ask the later Imamiyya (6) to refute their predecessors decisively using rational or revealed proofs, (7) but they are incapable of doing so, as previously noted.
These corporealists [among the Shia include some] (8) of the foremost speculative theologians
(1) (B) reads: “and claiming divinity in the revealed law: the Christians and the extremists among the Shia”; (A), (N), and (M): “and claiming divinity in evil: the Christians and the extremists among the Shia.”
(2) (N) and (M) read: “what is found among them is more abhorrent.”
(3) The words “and divine indwelling” appear only in (ʿA).
(4) The words “and aggression” are omitted from (ʿA); “and departure” is omitted from (B) and (A).
(5) Mustajī Zādah commented in the margin of (ʿA): “I say: Nasīr al-Dīn al-Tūsī and his pupil—the author of this book, known as Ibn Mutahhar al-Hillī—were both among the most ignorant of people concerning transmitted texts and reports, especially the hadiths of the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and the reports from the Companions and Successors. This was due to their excessive commitment to the various kinds and branches of philosophy and their deep immersion in them. They consequently failed to acquaint themselves with their predecessors, whom they emulated in *rafd* (Rafidism) and Shiism and whose doctrine they followed in affirming the imamate of the Twelve Imams and maintaining that no individual Muslim apart from these Twelve Imams can know Allah Most High or the revealed laws of Islam.”
(6) (ʿA) reads: “those who came later.”
(7) (B), (A), (N), and (M) read: “and the revealed proofs.”
(8) (B) and (A) read: “they are.” The phrase “among the Shia, some of them” is omitted from (N) and (M).
[هُمُ]
النَّصَارَى وَالْغَالِيَةُ مِنَ الشِّيعَةِ
(١)
، وَقَدْ يُوجَدُ بَعْضُ الْإِلْحَادِ وَالْغُلُوِّ فِي غَيْرِهِمْ مِنَ النُّسَّاكِ وَغَيْرِهِمْ، لَكِنِ الَّذِي فِيهِمْ
[أَكْثَرُ وَ]
أَقْبَحُ
(٢)
.
وَإِذَا كَانَ الْأَمْرُ كَذَلِكَ، كَانَ الَّذِي يَطْعَنُ عَلَى أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ وَالْجَمَاعَةِ بِأَنَّ فِيهِمْ تَجْسِيمًا
[وَحُلُولًا]
(٣)
وَيُثْنِي عَلَى طَائِفَةِ الْإِمَامِيَّةِ: إِمَّا مِنْ أَجْهَلِ النَّاسِ بِمَقَالَاتِ شِيعَتِهِ، وَإِمَّا مَنْ أَعْظَمِ النَّاسِ ظُلْمًا وَعُدْوَانًا وَعُدُولًا
(٤)
عَنِ الْعَدْلِ وَالْإِنْصَافِ فِي الْمُقَابَلَةِ وَالْمُوَازَنَةِ
(٥)
.
ثُمَّ أَهْلُ السُّنَّةِ يَطْلُبُونَ مِنَ الْإِمَامِيَّةِ الْمُتَأَخِّرِينَ
(٦)
أَنْ يَقْطَعُوا سَلَفَهُمْ بِالْحُجَجِ الْعَقْلِيَّةِ أَوِ الشَّرْعِيَّةِ،
(٧)
وَهُمْ عَاجِزُونَ عَنْ ذَلِكَ، كَمَا تَقَدَّمَ التَّنْبِيهُ عَلَيْهِ.
وَهَؤُلَاءِ الْمُجَسِّمُونَ
[مِنَ الشِّيعَةِ مِنْهُمْ]
(٨)
مِنْ أَكَابِرِ أَهْلِ الْكَلَامِ
(١) ب: وَادِّعَاءِ الْإِلَهِيَّةِ فِي الشَّرْعِ النَّصَارَى وَالْغَالِيَةُ فِي الشِّيعَةِ ; أ، ن، م: وَادِّعَاءِ الْإِلَهِيَّةِ فِي الشَّرِّ النَّصَارَى وَالْغَالِيَةُ فِي الشِّيعَةِ.
(٢) ن، م: الَّذِي فِيهِمْ أَقْبَحُ.
(٣) وَحُلُولًا: فِي (ع) فَقَطْ.
(٤) وَعُدْوَانًا: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ع) ; وَعُدُولًا: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ب) ، (أ) .
(٥) عَلَّقَ مُسْتَجِي زَادَهْ فِي هَامِشِ (ع) بِقَوْلِهِ: " قُلْتُ: وَقَدْ كَانَ نَصِيرُ الدِّينِ الطُّوسِيُّ وَتِلْمِيذُهُ الَّذِي هُوَ مُصَنِّفُ هَذَا الْكِتَابِ - وَيُقَالُ لَهُ ابْنُ مُطَهِّرٍ الْحِلِّيُّ - كِلَاهُمَا أَجْهَلُ الْخَلْقِ فِي الْمَنْقُولَاتِ وَالرِّوَايَاتِ، سِيَّمَا فِي أَحَادِيثِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -، وَآثَارِ الصَّحَابَةِ وَالتَّابِعِينَ، لِغُلُوِّهِمُ التَّامِّ فِي أَنْوَاعِ الْفَلْسَفَةِ وَأَبْوَابِهَا وَتَعَمُّقِهِمْ فِيهَا، فَذُهِلُوا عَنِ الْوُقُوفِ عَلَى أَحْوَالِ قُدَمَائِهِمُ الَّذِينَ بِهِمْ يَقْتَدُونَ فِي الرَّفْضِ وَالتَّشَيُّعِ، وَلَهُمُ اتَّبَعُوا فِي قَوْلِهِمْ بِإِمَامَةِ الْأَئِمَّةِ الِاثْنَيْ عَشْرِيَّةِ، وَأَنَّهُ لَا يُمْكِنُ مَعْرِفَةُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَلَا مَعْرِفَةُ الشَّرَائِعِ الْإِسْلَامِيَّةِ لِأَحَدٍ مِنْ آحَادِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ غَيْرِ هَؤُلَاءِ الْأَئِمَّةِ الِاثْنَيْ عَشَرَ ".
(٦) ع: الْمُسْتَأْخِرِينَ.
(٧) ب، ا، ن، م: وَالشَّرْعِيَّةِ.
(٨) ب، ا: هُمْ. وَسَقَطَتْ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) عِبَارَةُ " مِنَ الشِّيعَةِ مِنْهُمْ ".