Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (2/622)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

was from Basra and came later than this man; his story is well known (1).

Al-Asharī (2) said: “Among the Muslim community (3) are people who profess ascetic devotion and claim that it is possible for Allah Most High (4) to indwell bodies (5). Whenever they see something they find beautiful, they say, ‘We do not know—perhaps it may be He’ (6).

“Some of them say that a person sees Allah in this world in accordance with his deeds (7): the better his deeds, the more beautiful he sees the One he worships.

“Some deem it possible to embrace, touch, and sit with Allah Most High in this world (8). Others claim that Allah Most High possesses organs, limbs, and bodily parts—flesh and blood—and is in human form, having the same limbs as a human being.

“Among the Sufis was a man known as Abū Shuayb who claimed that Allah is pleased and rejoices when His close servants obey Him, and becomes distressed and grieves when they disobey Him.

(1) (M) reads: “well known.” (2) See *al-Maqālāt*, 1/319; we shall collate the following passage against it. (3) (B) reads: “in *al-Ibāna*,” which is an error; (A): “and in the verse,” which is a textual corruption. (4) *Al-Maqālāt* reads: “Allah—glory be to Him”; (B), (A), and (M): “Allah”; (N): “concerning Allah.” (5) (M) reads: *al-ajsād* (bodies). (6) “Perhaps it may be He”: thus in (Ayn), (A), (N), and (M); (B) reads: “Perhaps He is our Lord”; *al-Maqālāt*: “Perhaps it is our Lord.” (7) (B) reads: “in accordance with deeds”; (A): “according to deeds,” omitting “measure”; (N) and (M): “He is seen in this world according to the measure of one’s deeds.” (8) In *al-Maqālāt*, the following appears after the word “world”: “Along with this, they deemed it possible that we might touch Allah—exalted is He above what they say.”

كَانَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْبَصْرَةِ مُتَأَخِّرًا عَنْ هَذَا، وَقِصَّتُهُ مَعْرُوفَةٌ (١) . قَالَ الْأَشْعَرِيُّ (٢) : " وَفِي الْأُمَّةِ (٣) قَوْمٌ يَنْتَحِلُونَ النُّسُكَ، يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّهُ جَائِزٌ عَلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى (٤) الْحُلُولُ فِي الْأَجْسَامِ (٥) ، وَإِذَا رَأَوْا شَيْئًا يَسْتَحْسِنُونَهُ قَالُوا: لَا نَدْرِي، لَعَلَّهُ، رُبَّمَا هُوَ (٦) . وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَقُولُ: إِنَّهُ يَرَى اللَّهَ فِي الدُّنْيَا عَلَى قَدْرِ الْأَعْمَالِ (٧) ، فَمَنْ كَانَ عَمَلُهُ أَحْسَنَ رَأَى مَعْبُودَهُ أَحْسَنَ. وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يُجَوِّزُ عَلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى الْمُعَانَقَةَ وَالْمُلَامَسَةَ وَالْمُجَالَسَةَ فِي الدُّنْيَا (٨) ، وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَزْعُمُ أَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى ذُو أَعْضَاءٍ وَجَوَارِحَ وَأَبْعَاضٍ: لَحْمٍ وَدَمٍ عَلَى صُورَةِ الْإِنْسَانِ، لَهُ مَا لِلْإِنْسَانِ مِنَ الْجَوَارِحِ. وَكَانَ مِنَ الصُّوفِيَّةِ رَجُلٌ يُعْرَفُ بِأَبِي شُعَيْبٍ يَزْعُمُ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يُسَرُّ وَيَفْرَحُ بِطَاعَةِ أَوْلِيَائِهِ، وَيَغْتَمُّ وَيَحْزَنُ إِذَا عَصَوْهُ.

(١) م: مَشْهُورَةٌ. (٢) فِي الْمَقَالَاتِ ١/٣١٩، وَسَنُقَابِلُ النَّصَّ التَّالِيَ عَلَيْهِ. (٣) ب: فِي الْإِبَانَةِ، وَهُوَ خَطَأٌ ; أ: وَفِي الْآيَةِ، وَهُوَ تَحْرِيفٌ. (٤) الْمَقَالَاتِ: اللَّهِ سُبْحَانَهُ ; ب، أ، م: اللَّهِ ; ن: عَنِ اللَّهِ. (٥) م: الْأَجْسَادِ. (٦) لَعَلَّهُ رُبَّمَا هُوَ: كَذَا فِي (ع) ، (أ) ، (ن) ، (م) ; وَفِي (ب) لَعَلَّهُ رَبَّنَا هُوَ ; وَفِي الْمَقَالَاتِ: لَعَلَّهُ رَبَّنَا. (٧) ب: عَلَى حَسَبِ الْأَعْمَالِ ; أ: عَلَى الْأَعْمَالِ (بِسُقُوطِ: قَدْرِ) ; ن، م: إِنَّهُ يُرَى فِي الدُّنْيَا عَلَى قَدْرِ الْأَعْمَالِ. (٨) فِي " الْمَقَالَاتِ " بَعْدَ كَلِمَةِ " الدُّنْيَا ": وَجَوَّزُوا مَعَ ذَلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ - تَعَالَى عَنْ قَوْلِهِمْ - أَنْ نَلْمِسَهُ.