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inquisition, this was not because he alone held some doctrine or introduced a new one. Rather, he had learned the Sunnah that had existed and been well known before him, called others to it, and patiently endured those who subjected him to the inquisition in order to make him abandon it (1). The imams before him (2) had died before the inquisition. Thus, when the Jahmiyya—the negators of the divine attributes—launched their inquisition in the early third century (3)—during the reigns of al-Ma'mūn, his brother al-Mu'tasim, and then al-Wāthiq—and called the people to Jahmism and the negation of Allah’s attributes
(1) (ب): “what he was subjected to in order to make him abandon it”; (أ): “what tested him in order to make him abandon it.”
(2) (ب), (أ): “before.”
(3) (ع): “at the beginning of the third century AH.” In (ع), a mark above the phrase “at the beginning of the third century AH” points to the margin, where the following comment is written: “I say: It is astonishing that the commentator Ibn Taymiyya, despite his profound learning, extensive research, and comprehensive knowledge of the reports of earlier generations, erred on this point, for Jahmism arose much earlier than this date. Our imam Abū Hanīfa was born in 80 AH and died in 150 AH. The doctrine of Jahm ibn Safwān al-Tirmidhī had become well known during Abū Hanīfa’s lifetime, and some of Jahm’s followers even met the Imam in debate—may Allah Most High be pleased with him. I believe that this doctrine became widespread near the end of the first century. The Kharijite and Mu‘tazilite doctrines had appeared while some Companions were still alive, including our masters ‘Alī, Ibn ‘Abbās, and Ibn ‘Umar. ‘Alī—may Allah honor his countenance—and Ibn ‘Abbās undertook to refute the Kharijites, while ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Umar—may Allah Most High be pleased with them both—undertook to refute Mu‘tazilism. A short time thereafter, this doctrine became widespread, perhaps around 60 AH, when it acquired supporters and followers, some of whom met the Imam in debate. It is even related in al-Tabaqāt that a woman from among Jahm’s adherents pressed the Imam with the claim that Jahm’s doctrine was sound and that the doctrine of the people of truth was corrupt. She hurled vile invective in the Imam’s face and accused him—may Allah be pleased with him—of heinous offenses. The thrust of the commentator’s statement is that the Mu‘tazila agree with them in denying the attributes, although they differ sharply from them regarding human voluntary acts. They also differ from them in holding that His acts—Most High—have causes and purposes, whereas the Jahmiyya uphold absolute compulsion and deny causes and purposes in His acts—Most High.” I say: Ibn Taymiyya states that the Jahmiyya arose near the end of the era of the Followers, that the first of the Jahmiyya was al-Ja‘d ibn Dirham—who was killed around 118 AH—and that the Jahmiyya gained prominence and power only in the opening years of the third century AH. See his discussion in *Dar’ Ta‘ārud al-‘Aql wa-l-Naql* (*Averting the Conflict between Reason and Revelation*), 5:244–45.
الْمِحْنَةِ، فَلَيْسَ ذَلِكَ لِأَنَّهُ انْفَرَدَ بِقَوْلٍ أَوِ ابْتَدَعَ قَوْلًا، بَلْ لِأَنَّ السُّنَّةَ الَّتِي كَانَتْ مَوْجُودَةً مَعْرُوفَةً قَبْلَهُ عَلِمَهَا وَدَعَا إِلَيْهَا وَصَبَرَ عَلَى مَنِ امْتَحَنَهُ لِيُفَارِقَهَا
(١)
، وَكَانَ الْأَئِمَّةُ قَبْلَهُ
(٢)
قَدْ مَاتُوا قَبْلَ الْمِحْنَةِ، فَلَمَّا وَقَعَتْ مِحْنَةُ الْجَهْمِيَّةِ نُفَاةِ الصِّفَاتِ فِي أَوَائِلِ الْمِائَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ
(٣)
- عَلَى عَهْدِ الْمَأْمُونِ وَأَخِيهِ الْمُعْتَصِمِ ثُمَّ الْوَاثِقِ - وَدَعَوُا النَّاسَ إِلَى التَّجَهُّمِ وَإِبْطَالِ صِفَاتِ اللَّهِ
(١) ب: عَلَى مَا امْتُحِنَ بِهِ لِيُفَارِقَهَا ; أ: عَلَى مَا امْتَحَنَهُ لِيُفَارِقَهَا.
(٢) ب، أ: قَبْلَ.
(٣) ع: فِي أَوَّلِ الْمِائَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ. وَفِي (ع) فَوْقَ عِبَارَةِ " فِي أَوَّلِ الْمِائَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ " إِشَارَةٌ إِلَى الْهَامِشِ حَيْثُ كُتِبَ التَّعْلِيقُ التَّالِي: " قُلْتُ: وَالْعَجَبُ أَنَّ الشَّارِحَ ابْنَ تَيْمِيَّةَ مَعَ تَبَحُّرِهِ وَتَتَبُّعِهِ وَإِحَاطَتِهِ بِأَخْبَارِ الْأَوَّلِينَ أَخْطَأَ بِهَذَا، إِذِ التَّجَهُّمُ كَانَ أَقْدَمَ مِنْ هَذَا التَّارِيخِ بِكَثِيرٍ. وَكَانَ مِنْ وِلَادَةِ إِمَامِنَا أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ سَنَةَ ثَمَانِينَ وَوَفَاتِهِ سَنَةَ خَمْسِينَ وَمِائَةٍ، وَقَدِ اشْتُهِرَ مَذْهَبُ جَهْمِ بْنِ صَفْوَانَ التِّرْمِذِيِّ فِي عَهْدِ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ، وَتَصَدَّى الْمُنَاظَرَةَ مَعَ الْإِمَامِ بَعْضُ مُتَّبِعِي جَهْمٍ وَالْمُوَافِقَةُ مَعَهُ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَنْهُ - وَظَنِّي أَنَّهُ فَشَا هَذَا الْمَذْهَبُ فِي أَوَاخِرِ الْمِائَةِ الْأُولَى، فَمَذْهَبُ الْخَوَارِجِ وَالِاعْتِزَالِ ظَهَرَا وَبَعْضُ الصَّحَابَةِ فِي الْحَيَاةِ، مِثْلُ سَيِّدِنَا عَلِيٍّ وَابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ وَابْنِ عُمَرَ، حَتَّى تَصَدَّى لِرَدِّ الْخَوَارِجِ عَلِيٌّ كَرَّمَ اللَّهُ وَجْهَهُ وَابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ، وَتَصَدَّى لِرَدِّ الِاعْتِزَالِ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَنْهُمَا. فَبَعْدَ مُدَّةٍ قَلِيلَةٍ فَشَا هَذَا الْمَذْهَبُ، لَعَلَّ ذَلِكَ سَنَةَ سِتِّينَ، إِذْ ظَهَرَ لَهُ أَشْيَاعٌ وَأَتْبَاعٌ حَتَّى تَصَدَّى الْمُنَاظَرَةَ وَالْمُوَافَقَةُ مَعَ الْإِمَامِ بَعْضُ مُتَّبِعِيهِ، حَتَّى ذُكِرَ فِي الطَّبَقَاتِ أَنَّ وَاحِدَةً مِنَ النِّسْوَةِ مِنْ شِيعَتِهِ تَصَدَّتْ لِإِلْزَامِ الْإِمَامِ ادِّعَاءَ الِاسْتِقَامَةِ لِمَذْهَبِ جَهْمٍ وَفَسَادَ مَذْهَبِ أَهْلِ الْحَقِّ، فَأَظْهَرَتْ تَشْنِيعَاتٍ قَبِيحَةً عَلَى وَجْهِ الْإِمَامِ، وَنُسِبَتْ إِيَّاهُ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ - إِلَى الْعَظَائِمِ. وَغَايَةُ الْكَلَامِ مِنْ طَرَفِ الشَّارِحِ أَنَّ الْمُعْتَزِلَةَ مُوَافِقَةٌ فِي نَفْيِ الصِّفَاتِ لَهُمْ، مَعَ مَا يُخَالِفُهُمْ مُخَالَفَةً بَيِّنَةً فِي الْأَفْعَالِ الِاخْتِيَارِيَّةِ، وَكَذَا يُخَالِفُهُمْ فِي أَنَّ أَفْعَالَهُ تَعَالَى مُعَلَّلَةٌ بِالْأَغْرَاضِ، إِذِ الْجَهْمِيَّةُ عَلَى الْجَبْرِ الْمَحْضِ وَعَلَى نَفْيِ الْعِلَلِ وَالْأَغْرَاضِ فِي أَفْعَالِهِ تَعَالَى ". قُلْتُ: وَابْنُ تَيْمِيَّةَ يَقُولُ إِنَّ الْجَهْمِيَّةَ حَدَثَتْ فِي أَوَاخِرِ عَصْرِ التَّابِعِينَ وَإِنَّ أَوَّلَ الْجَهْمِيَّةِ الْجَعْدُ بْنُ دِرْهَمٍ (الْمَقْتُولُ نَحْوَ سَنَةِ ١١٨) وَإِنَّمَا صَارَ لِلْجَهْمِيَّةِ ظُهُورٌ وَشَوْكَةٌ فِي أَوَائِلِ الْمِائَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ. وَانْظُرْ كَلَامَهُ فِي " دَرْءِ تَعَارُضِ الْعَقْلِ وَالنَّقْلِ " ٥/٢٤٤ - ٢٤٥.