Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (2/563)

Even if it were assumed that this denial is true (1), the messengers did not convey it or require people to believe it. As for (one who believes it and makes it obligatory) (2), it is known by necessity (from the religion of Islam) that his religion (3) is contrary to the religion of the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—(*) (4)

[A Digression Discussing Those Who Deny the Attributes]

(Section)

Further clarification of this matter (5) is that Muslims agree that Allah, exalted is He, is free of faults and imperfections and that He possesses the attributes of perfection. They may, however, disagree concerning certain matters: whether affirming or denying them entails imperfection, and how this is to be known.

This Imami author adopts the approach of the Mu‘tazila and their followers: that declaring the Lord free of imperfections rests upon denying that He is a body. It is well known that

(1) MSS (B) and (A): “Even if it were assumed that the denial is true.” (2) The words in parentheses occur only in MS (ʿ). MSS (B) and (A) instead read: “and what is obligatory upon him.” (3) MS (B): “It is known by necessity that their religion”; MS (A): “It is known by necessity that his religion.” (4) All the text following the phrase “contrary to the religion of the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and appearing after the parenthesis is absent from MSS (B) and (A). It is likewise absent from MSS (N) and (M). This is in addition to the omission previously noted on p. 526, which continues through p. 562. (5) The original MS (ʿ) reads: “Another indication that the matter is so is that…”

وَلَوْ قُدِّرَ بِأَنَّ النَّفْيَ حَقٌّ (١) ، فَالرُّسُلُ لَمْ تُخْبِرْ بِهِ وَلَمْ تُوجِبْ عَلَى النَّاسِ اعْتِقَادَهُ، (فَمَنِ اعْتَقَدَهُ وَأَوْجَبَهُ) (٢) فَقَدْ عُلِمَ بِالِاضْطِرَارِ (مِنْ دِينِ الْإِسْلَامِ) أَنَّ دِينَهُ (٣) مُخَالِفٌ لِدِينِ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - (*) (٤) [استطراد في مناقشة نفاة الصفات] (فَصْلٌ) وَمِمَّا يُبَيِّنُ الْأَمْرَ فِي ذَلِكَ (٥) أَنَّ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مُتَّفِقُونَ عَلَى تَنْزِيهِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى عَنِ الْعُيُوبِ وَالنَّقَائِصِ وَأَنَّهُ مُتَّصِفٌ بِصِفَاتِ الْكَمَالِ، لَكِنْ قَدْ يُنَازِعُونَ فِي بَعْضِ الْأُمُورِ: هَلِ النَّقْصُ إِثْبَاتُهَا أَوْ نَفْيُهَا؟ وَفِي طَرِيقِ الْعِلْمِ بِذَلِكَ. فَهَذَا الْمُصَنِّفُ الْإِمَامِيُّ اعْتَمَدَ عَلَى طَرِيقِ الْمُعْتَزِلَةِ وَمَنْ تَابَعَهُمْ مِنْ أَنَّ الِاعْتِمَادَ فِي تَنْزِيهِ الرَّبِّ عَنِ النَّقَائِصِ عَلَى نَفْيِ كَوْنِهِ جِسْمًا، وَمَعْلُومٌ أَنَّ

(١) ب، أ: فَلَوْ قُدِّرَ أَنَّ النَّفْيَ حَقٌّ. (٢) مَا بَيْنَ الْقَوْسَيْنِ فِي (ع) فَقَطْ، وَفِي (ب) ، (أ) بَدَلًا مِنْهُ: وَوَاجِبُهُ. (٣) ب: فَقَدْ عُلِمَ بِالِاضْطِرَارِ أَنَّ دِينَهُمْ ; أ: فَقَدْ عُلِمَ بِالِاضْطِرَارِ أَنَّ دِينَهُ. (٤) الْكَلَامُ الَّذِي يَلِي عِبَارَةَ: مُخَالِفٌ لِدِينِ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - وَالَّذِي يُوجَدُ بَعْدَ الْقَوْسِ كُلُّهُ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ب) ، (أ) . وَهُوَ كَذَلِكَ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . مَعَ مَا سَبَقَ الْإِشَارَةُ إِلَيْهِ ص ٥٢٦. وَيَسْتَمِرُّ السَّقْطُ حَتَّى ص ٥٦٢. (٥) فِي الْأَصْلِ (ع) : وَمِمَّا يُبَيِّنُ أَنَّ الْأَمْرَ فِي ذَلِكَ.