Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/25)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

al-Hasan (1) of the Qadarī doctrine, since he vehemently condemned sins and forbade them. Accordingly, one finds such people objecting to anyone who condemns wrongdoing and saying, “What these people did (2) had been decreed for them.” Such a person (3) is told: “This denouncer’s condemnation is also by Allah’s decree, so you have contradicted your own claim by your own words.”

One of their shaykhs says, “I disbelieve in a Lord who is disobeyed.” He also says, “Even if I killed seventy prophets, I would not be at fault.” (4) One of their poets says:

“I am but a passive instrument of what He chooses to bring forth from me;
Thus all my deeds are acts of obedience.” (5)

Some people suppose that Adam’s invocation of predestination in his argument with Moses falls into this category. This (6) is profound ignorance. The prophets were among the foremost in enjoining what Allah commanded, forbidding what Allah prohibited, and censuring those whom Allah censured. They were sent solely to command obedience to Allah (7) and forbid disobedience to Him. How, then, could any one of them (8) permit someone to disobey Allah while invoking predestination as an excuse? Moreover, Adam—peace be upon him—had already repented of the sin, and one who repents of a sin is like one who has no sin. Were predestination a valid excuse, it would also have been an excuse for Iblīs, Pharaoh, and all other disbelievers. Rather, Moses blamed Adam [peace be upon them both] (9) because of the calamity (10)

(1) He is al-Hasan al-Basrī. (2) The words “what they did” are added in B and A. (3) A reads: “Then this denouncer is told”; B: “Then it is said to this denouncer.” (4) N, M, and ʿ read: “I would not have been at fault.” (5) ʿ alone reads: “my acts of obedience.” (6) B reads: “and it is”; this is absent from A. (7) N, M, and ʿ read: “through obedience to Allah.” (8) B and A read: “one of them.” (9) The phrase “peace be upon them both” is added only in ʿ. (10) B and A read: “because of the sin”; M: “because of the calamity.”

الْحَسَنِ (١) الْقَدَرُ، لِكَوْنِهِ كَانَ شَدِيدَ الْإِنْكَارِ لِلْمَعَاصِي نَاهِيًا عَنْهَا، وَلِذَلِكَ نَجِدُ الْوَاحِدَ مِنْ هَؤُلَاءِ يُنْكِرُ عَلَى مَنْ يُنْكِرُ الْمُنْكَرَ، وَيَقُولُ: هَؤُلَاءِ قُدِّرَ عَلَيْهِمْ مَا فَعَلُوهُ (٢) . فَيُقَالُ لِهَذَا (٣) : وَإِنْكَارُ هَذَا الْمُنْكِرِ أَيْضًا بِقَدَرِ اللَّهِ، فَنَقَضْتَ قَوْلَكَ بِقَوْلِكَ. وَهَؤُلَاءِ يَقُولُ بَعْضُ مَشَايِخِهِمْ: أَنَا كَافِرٌ بِرَبٍّ يُعْصَى، وَيَقُولُ: لَوْ قَتَلْتُ سَبْعِينَ نَبِيًّا لَمْ أَكُنْ مُخْطِئًا (٤) وَيَقُولُ بَعْضُ شُعَرَائِهِمْ: أَصْبَحْتُ مُنْفَعِلًا لِمَا يَخْتَارُهُ مِنِّي فَفِعْلِي كُلُّهُ طَاعَاتُ (٥) . وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَظُنُّ أَنَّ احْتِجَاجَ آدَمَ عَلَى مُوسَى بِالْقَدَرِ كَانَ مِنْ هَذَا الْبَابِ، وَهَذَا (٦) جَهْلٌ عَظِيمٌ، فَإِنَّ الْأَنْبِيَاءَ مِنْ أَعْظَمِ النَّاسِ أَمْرًا بِمَا أَمَرَ اللَّهُ بِهِ، وَنَهْيًا عَمَّا نَهَى اللَّهُ عَنْهُ، وَذَمًّا لِمَنْ ذَمَّهُ اللَّهُ، وَإِنَّمَا بُعِثُوا بِالْأَمْرِ بِالطَّاعَةِ لِلَّهِ (٧) ، وَالنَّهْيِ عَنْ مَعْصِيَةِ اللَّهِ، فَكَيْفَ يُسَوِّغُ أَحَدٌ مِنْهُمْ (٨) أَنْ يَعْصِيَ عَاصٍ لِلَّهِ مُحْتَجًّا بِالْقَدَرِ؟ وَلِأَنَّ آدَمَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ كَانَ قَدْ تَابَ مِنَ الذَّنْبِ، وَالتَّائِبُ مِنَ الذَّنْبِ كَمَنْ لَا ذَنْبَ لَهُ، وَلِأَنَّهُ لَوْ كَانَ الْقَدَرُ حُجَّةً لَكَانَ حُجَّةً لِإِبْلِيسَ وَفِرْعَوْنَ وَسَائِرِ الْكُفَّارِ، وَلَكِنْ كَانَ مَلَامُ مُوسَى لِآدَمَ [عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلَامُ] (٩) لِأَجْلِ الْمُصِيبَةِ (١٠)

(١) وَهُوَ الْحَسَنُ الْبَصْرِيُّ. (٢) مَا فَعَلُوهُ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (ب) ، (أ) . (٣) أ: فَيُقَالُ هَذَا الْمُنْكَرَ، ب: فَيُقَالُ لِهَذَا الْمُنْكَرِ. (٤) ن، م، ع: مَا كُنْتُ مُخْطِئًا. (٥) ع فَقَطْ: طَاعَاتِي. (٦) ب: وَهُوَ. وَسَقَطَتْ مِنْ (أ) . (٧) ن، م، ع: بِطَاعَةِ اللَّهِ. (٨) ب، أ: وَاحِدٌ مِنْهُمْ. (٩) عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلَامُ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (ع) فَقَطْ. (١٠) ب، أ: لِأَجْلِ الْمَعْصِيَةِ، م: بِسَبَبِ الْمُصِيبَةِ.