Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/57)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

as an excuse for anyone (1), since all people are equally subject to divine decree (2). If this were a valid argument and basis, there would be no distinction between the just and the unjust, the truthful and the liar, the knowledgeable and the ignorant, or the righteous and the wicked. Nor would there be any distinction between deeds that set people’s affairs right and those that corrupt them, or between what benefits them and what harms them.

These polytheists, who invoke (3) divine decree to justify abandoning that with which [Allah] sent His messengers (4)—namely, affirming His oneness and believing in Him—would not accept it if (5) one of them invoked it against another to deny (6) his rights and disobey his command. Rather, these polytheists would reproach one another, show hostility toward one another, [and fight one another] (7) over conduct they regarded (8) as a violation of their rights or as injustice. Yet when the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—came to them, calling them to fulfill Allah’s right over His servants and to obey His command, they invoked divine decree. Thus, they invoked divine decree to justify neglecting their Lord’s right and disobeying His command—an argument they would never accept from anyone who neglected their rights (9) and disobeyed their commands.

In the two Sahīh collections, it is narrated from Muādh [ibn Jabal, may Allah be pleased with him] (10) that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said to him: (11) “O Muādh, do you know (12) what right Allah has over His servants? His right over

(1) M alone reads: “nor [is it] a basis for anyone.” (2) ʿ reads: “if all people were equally subject to divine decree.” (3) N and M read: “They merely invoke [divine decree] as an argument.” (4) N reads: “that with which He sends His messengers”; M reads: “that with which Allah sent His messengers.” (5) N and M read: “even if.” (6) B and A read: “the loss of [his rights].” (7) The words in brackets are absent from N and M. (8) B reads: “whoever wishes”; A reads: “whatever he wishes.” (9) M alone reads: “from someone who abandoned some of them.” (10) The words in brackets are absent from N and M. (11) “To him” is absent from B and A. (12) B and A read: “He said: ‘O Muādh ibn Jabal, do you know…?’”; N reads: “He said to him: ‘Do you know…?’”

عُذْرًا لِأَحَدٍ (١) ، إِذِ النَّاسُ كُلُّهُمْ مُشْتَرِكُونَ فِي الْقَدَرِ (٢) ، فَلَوْ كَانَ هَذَا حُجَّةً وَعُمْدَةً، لَمْ يَحْصُلْ فَرْقٌ بَيْنَ الْعَادِلِ وَالظَّالِمِ، وَالصَّادِقِ وَالْكَاذِبِ، وَالْعَالِمِ وَالْجَاهِلِ، وَالْبَرِّ وَالْفَاجِرِ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ فَرْقٌ بَيْنَ مَا يُصْلِحُ النَّاسَ مِنَ الْأَعْمَالِ وَمَا يُفْسِدُهُمْ، وَمَا يَنْفَعُهُمْ وَمَا يَضُرُّهُمْ. وَهَؤُلَاءِ الْمُشْرِكُونَ الْمُحْتَجُّونَ (٣) بِالْقَدَرِ عَلَى تَرْكِ مَا أَرْسَلَ [اللَّهُ] بِهِ رُسُلَهُ (٤) مِنْ تَوْحِيدِهِ وَالْإِيمَانِ بِهِ، لَوْ (٥) احْتَجَّ بِهِ بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ فِي إِسْقَاطِ (٦) حُقُوقِهِ وَمُخَالَفَةِ أَمْرِهِ لَمْ يَقْبَلْهُ مِنْهُ، بَلْ كَانَ هَؤُلَاءِ الْمُشْرِكُونَ يَذُمُّ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضًا، وَيُعَادِي بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضًا، [وَيُقَاتِلُ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضًا] (٧) عَلَى فِعْلِ مَا يَرَوْنَهُ (٨) تَرْكًا لِحَقِّهِمْ أَوْ ظُلْمًا، فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَى حَقِّ اللَّهِ عَلَى عِبَادِهِ وَطَاعَةِ أَمْرِهِ احْتَجُّوا بِالْقَدَرِ، فَصَارُوا يَحْتَجُّونَ بِالْقَدَرِ عَلَى تَرْكِ حَقِّ رَبِّهِمْ وَمُخَالَفَةِ أَمْرِهِ بِمَا لَا يَقْبَلُونَهُ مِمَّنْ تَرَكَ حَقَّهُمْ (٩) وَخَالَفَ أَمْرَهُمْ. وَفِي الصَّحِيحَيْنِ عَنْ مُعَاذِ [بْنِ جَبَلٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ] (١٠) أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ لَهُ: (١١) «يَا مُعَاذُ " أَتُدْرِي (١٢) مَا حَقُّ اللَّهِ عَلَى عِبَادِهِ؟ حَقُّهُ عَلَى

(١) م (فَقَطْ) : وَلَا عُمْدَةً لِأَحَدٍ. (٢) ع: إِذَا كَانَ النَّاسُ كُلُّهُمْ مُشْتَرِكِينَ فِي الْقَدَرِ. (٣) ن، م: إِنَّمَا يَحْتَجُّونَ. (٤) ن: مَا يُرْسِلُ بِهِ رُسُلَهُ ; م: مَا أَرْسَلَ اللَّهُ رُسُلَهُ. (٥) ن، م: وَلَوْ. (٦) ب، أ: سُقُوطِ. (٧) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٨) ب: مَنْ يُرِيدُ ; أ: مَا يُرِيدُ. (٩) م (فَقَطْ) : مِمَّنْ تَرَكَ بَعْضَهُمْ. (١٠) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (١١) لَهُ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ب) ، (أ) . (١٢) ب، أ: قَالَ: يَا مُعَاذُ بْنُ جَبَلٍ أَتُدْرِي ; ن: قَالَ لَهُ: أَتُدْرِي.