Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/60)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

He said in Surah al-Anʿām:

“Say, the conclusive proof belongs to Allah.”

[Surah al-Anʿām: 149]

[That is] (1) through sending messengers and revealing scriptures, as Allah Most High says:

“So that mankind would have no argument against Allah after the messengers.”

[Surah al-Nisā: 165]

Then He affirmed divine decree in His words:

“Had He willed, He would have guided you all.”

[Surah al-Anʿām: 149]

Thus, He affirmed the revealed proof and clarified the decretive will, and both are true.

He said in Surah al-Nahl:

“Those who associated partners with Allah said, ‘Had Allah willed, neither we nor our forefathers would have worshiped anything besides Him, nor would we have forbidden anything without His command.’ Those before them did likewise. Are the messengers responsible for anything but clear proclamation?”

[Surah al-Nahl: 35]

He explained (2)—glorified is He—that this statement amounted to denying the messengers regarding what they had brought them; it was no proof for them. For if it were a valid proof (3), it could be invoked to deny every truth and perpetrate every injustice. It is ingrained in the innate nature (4) of the children of Adam that it is no valid proof. Rather, whoever invokes it does so because they lack knowledge and follow conjecture (5), just as those who denied the messengers did through this evasive argument. Rather, the conclusive proof belongs to Allah, through sending messengers and revealing scriptures.

As authentically reported from the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, he said:

“No one loves to accept excuses more than Allah. For that reason, He praised Himself; and no one has greater protective jealousy

(1) The words “That is” are omitted from N and M. (2) B and A read: “Thus He explained.” (3) B and A read: “regarding what they brought to them, it was no proof for them; had it been a proof…” M and N read: “regarding what they brought, it was no proof for them; for had this been a proof…” (4) M and N read: “innate dispositions.” (5) M and N read: “Rather, whoever invokes it as proof does so for want of both knowledge and adherence to the truth.” ʿ reads: “Rather, whoever invokes it as proof does so because he lacks knowledge and follows conjecture.”

وَقَالَ فِي سُورَةِ الْأَنْعَامِ: {قُلْ فَلِلَّهِ الْحُجَّةُ الْبَالِغَةُ} [سُورَةُ الْأَنْعَامِ: ١٤٩] [أَيْ] (١) بِإِرْسَالِ الرُّسُلِ وَإِنْزَالِ الْكُتُبِ، كَمَا قَالَ تَعَالَى: {لِئَلَّا يَكُونَ لِلنَّاسِ عَلَى اللَّهِ حُجَّةٌ بَعْدَ الرُّسُلِ} [سُورَةُ النِّسَاءِ: ١٦٥] ، ثُمَّ أَثْبَتَ الْقَدَرَ بِقَوْلِهِ: {فَلَوْ شَاءَ لَهَدَاكُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ} [سُورَةُ الْأَنْعَامِ: ١٤٩] ، فَأَثْبَتَ الْحُجَّةَ الشَّرْعِيَّةَ، وَبَيَّنَ الْمَشِيئَةَ الْقَدَرِيَّةَ، وَكِلَاهُمَا حَقٌّ. وَقَالَ فِي النَّحْلِ: {وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا لَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مَا عَبَدْنَا مِنْ دُونِهِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ نَحْنُ وَلَا آبَاؤُنَا وَلَا حَرَّمْنَا مِنْ دُونِهِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ كَذَلِكَ فَعَلَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ فَهَلْ عَلَى الرُّسُلِ إِلَّا الْبَلَاغُ الْمُبِينُ} [سُورَةُ النَّحْلِ: ٣٥] ، بَيَّنَ (٢) سُبْحَانَهُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْكَلَامَ تَكْذِيبٌ لِلرُّسُلِ فِيمَا جَاءُوهُمْ بِهِ لَيْسَ حُجَّةً لَهُمْ، فَإِنَّ هَذَا لَوْ كَانَ حُجَّةً (٣) لَاحْتُجَّ بِهِ عَلَى تَكْذِيبِ كُلِّ صِدْقٍ وَفِعْلِ كُلِّ ظُلْمٍ، فَفِي فِطْرَةِ (٤) بَنِي آدَمَ أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ حُجَّةً صَحِيحَةً، بَلْ مَنِ احْتَجَّ بِهِ احْتَجَّ لِعَدَمِ الْعِلْمِ وَاتِّبَاعِ الظَّنِّ (٥) ، كَفِعْلِ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا الرُّسُلَ بِهَذِهِ الْمُدَافَعَةِ، بَلِ الْحُجَّةُ الْبَالِغَةُ لِلَّهِ بِإِرْسَالِ الرُّسُلِ وَإِنْزَالِ الْكُتُبِ. كَمَا ثَبَتَ فِي الْحَدِيثِ الصَّحِيحِ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: " «لَا أَحَدَ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْهِ الْعُذْرُ مِنَ اللَّهِ، مِنْ أَجْلِ ذَلِكَ مَدَحَ نَفْسَهُ، وَلَا أَحَدَ أَغْيَرُ

(١) أَيْ سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٢) ب، أ: فَبَيَّنَ. (٣) ب، أ: فِيمَا جَاءُوهُمْ بِهِ لَيْسَ حُجَّةً لَهُمْ فَلَوْ كَانَ حُجَّةً، م، ن: فِيمَا جَاءُوا بِهِ لَيْسَ حُجَّةً لَهُمْ فَإِنَّ هَذَا لَوْ كَانَ حُجَّةً. (٤) م، ن: فِطَرِ. (٥) م، ن: بَلْ مَنِ احْتَجَّ بِهِ يَحْتَجُّ بِهِ لِعَدَمِ الْعِلْمِ وَاتِّبَاعِ الْحَقِّ، ع: بَلْ مَنِ احْتَجَّ بِهِ لِعَدَمِ الْعِلْمِ وَاتِّبَاعِ الظَّنِّ.