Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (2/631)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

that a group [did] (1) say it and some people transmitted it. Whatever is (2) false is rejected by the majority of Ahl al-Sunnah, just as they reject other falsehoods. Many Muslims say many false things, yet this does not harm the religion of the Muslims. The teachings of the Imāmiyya contain reprehensible claims comparable to this—assuming that [some] (3) of Ahl al-Sunnah did in fact say it.

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The Imāmī (4) said: “Some of them maintain that Allah descends every Friday night in the form of a beardless youth (5), riding a donkey. Indeed, one of them in Baghdad placed a feeding trough on the roof of his house, into which he would put barley and straw every (6) Friday night, because he deemed it possible that Allah Most High might descend on His donkey onto that roof. The donkey would then occupy itself with eating while the Lord occupied Himself with calling out:

‘Is there anyone who will repent? Is there anyone who will seek forgiveness?’ (7)

Exalted is Allah far above such vile beliefs concerning Him—exalted is He. (8)

It is related of one of the blessed recluses (9) among the shaykhs of the Hashwiyya that, one day, a naphtha seller (10) passed by him accompanied by a handsome, beardless youth with tightly curled

(1) The word “did” appears only in (Ayn). (2) (N) and (M) read: “And if it is.” (3) The word “some” is absent from (N). (4) (Ayn) reads: “the Rāfidī.” The passage that follows appeared earlier in (K), 1/84 (M)–85 (M). (5) (K), 1/84 (M), reads: “that Allah Most High descends every Friday night in the form of a handsome, beardless youth.” (6) (N) and (M) read: “would place, on every…” (7) (K) reads: “…calling out, and He said: ‘Is there anyone repentant and seeking forgiveness who will ask forgiveness, so that I may accept his repentance and forgive him?’” (8) (B) reads: “reprehensible concerning Him—exalted is He”; (K) reads: “vile concerning Allah Most High.” (9) (B) reads: “those who renounce this world”; (A) reads: “those who have taken up residence”; (K) reads: “those who renounce.” (10) (Ayn) reads: “One day, he passed by a naphtha seller.”

أَنَّهُ [قَدْ] (١) قَالَتْهُ طَائِفَةٌ وَرَوَاهُ بَعْضُ النَّاسِ، وَمَا كَانَ (٢) بَاطِلًا رَدَّهُ جُمْهُورُ أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ كَمَا يَرُدُّونَ غَيْرَ ذَلِكَ، فَإِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ يَقُولُ كَثِيرًا مِنَ الْبَاطِلِ، فَمَا يَكُونُ هَذَا ضَارٌّ لِدِينِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، وَفِي أَقْوَالِ الْإِمَامِيَّةِ مِنَ الْمُنْكَرَاتِ مَا يُعْرَفُ مِثْلُ هَذَا فِيهِ، لَوْ كَانَ قَدْ قَالَهُ [بَعْضُ] (٣) أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ. (فَصْلٌ) قَالَ الْإِمَامِيُّ (٤) : " وَذَهَبَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَنْزِلُ كُلَّ لَيْلَةِ جُمُعَةٍ بِشَكْلِ أَمْرَدَ (٥) رَاكِبًا عَلَى حِمَارٍ، حَتَّى أَنَّ بَعْضَهُمْ بِبَغْدَادَ وَضَعَ عَلَى سَطْحِ دَارِهِ مَعْلَفًا يَضَعُ كُلَّ (٦) لَيْلَةِ جُمُعَةٍ فِيهِ شَعِيرًا وَتِبْنًا، لِتَجْوِيزِ أَنْ يَنْزِلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَى حِمَارِهِ عَلَى ذَلِكَ السَّطْحِ، فَيَشْتَغِلَ الْحِمَارُ بِالْأَكْلِ وَيَشْتَغِلَ الرَّبُّ بِالنِّدَاءِ: هَلْ مِنْ تَائِبٍ؟ هَلْ مِنْ مُسْتَغْفِرٍ؟ (٧) تَعَالَى اللَّهُ عَنْ مِثْلِ هَذِهِ الْعَقَائِدِ الرَّدِيَّةِ فِي حَقِّهِ تَعَالَى (٨) . وَحُكِيَ عَنْ بَعْضِ الْمُنْقَطِعِينَ الْمُبَارَكِينَ (٩) مِنْ شُيُوخِ الْحَشْوِيَّةِ أَنَّهُ اجْتَازَ عَلَيْهِ فِي بَعْضِ الْأَيَّامِ نَفَّاطٌ (١٠) وَمَعَهُ أَمْرَدُ حَسَنُ الصُّورَةِ قَطَطُ

(١) قَدْ: فِي (ع) فَقَطْ. (٢) ن، م: وَإِذَا كَانَ. (٣) بَعْضُ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) . (٤) ع: الرَّافِضِيُّ. وَالْكَلَامُ التَّالِي وَرَدَ مِنْ قَبْلُ فِي (ك) ١/٨٤ (م) - ٨٥ (م) . (٥) ك ١/٨٤ (م) : إِلَى أَنَّهُ تَعَالَى يَنْزِلُ فِي كُلِّ لَيْلَةِ جُمُعَةٍ عَلَى شَكْلِ أَمْرَدَ حَسَنِ الْوَجْهِ. (٦) ن، م: يَضَعُ فِي كُلِّ. . (٧) ك:. . بِالنِّدَاءِ وَقَالَ هَلْ مِنْ تَائِبٍ مُسْتَغْفِرٍ يَسْتَغْفِرُ وَأَنَا أَتُوبُ عَلَيْهِ وَأَغْفِرُ لَهُ؟ . (٨) ب: الرَّدِيئَةِ فِي حَقِّهِ تَعَالَى ; ك: الرَّدِيَّةِ فِي حَقِّ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى. (٩) ب: التَّارِكِينَ لِلدُّنْيَا ; أ: النَّازِلِينَ ; ك: التَّارِكِينَ. (١٠) ع: اجْتَازَ بَعْضَ الْأَيَّامِ بِنَفَّاطٍ.