Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/64)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

volition [and purpose. Thus every human being acts and earns, constantly forming intentions, and moves by volition] (1). This can occur only after sensation and awareness, for volition is preceded by awareness of what is willed. No volition, love, longing, choice, or pursuit can be conceived without prior awareness or something [of] the same kind (2), such as sensation, knowledge, hearing, sight, smell, taste, touch, and similar faculties. This perception and awareness is (3) the prerequisite for volition, love, and pursuit.

A living being is innately disposed to love what suits and benefits it (4), and to hate what it dislikes and what harms it. When it conceives of something as suitable and beneficial, it desires and loves it (5); and when (6) it conceives of something as harmful, it hates and recoils from it. Such a conception, however, may constitute knowledge, or it may be mere supposition and guesswork. If a person knows that what he desires is beneficial, conducive to his welfare, and suitable for him, he is upon guidance and truth. But if he has no knowledge of this (7), he follows supposition and the desires of his own soul. Then, when knowledge and clarification come to him showing that this is not conducive to his welfare, he begins invoking divine decree as a plea of obstinate disputation and a means of turning aside (8) from the truth (9), rather than as an argument grounded in truth and knowledge. Thus no one, inwardly or outwardly, invokes divine decree except because he lacks knowledge that the position he holds is the truth (10).

(1) The text between square brackets is omitted from N and M. (2) N reads: “and whatever belongs to its genus”; M reads: “and whatever is its due.” (3) A and Ayn read: “it is”; N reads: “and it is.” (4) M, Ayn, A, and B read: “what benefits and suits it.” (5) Ayn reads: “desired and loved it.” (6) B and A read: “even if.” (7) N reads: “and if he has no knowledge of that.” (8) B alone reads: “obstinate disputation and relief.” (9) “From the truth” is omitted from B and A. (10) B and A read: “because of ignorance of what the truth actually is”; N and M read: “because he does not know that the position he holds is the truth.”

الْإِرَادَةِ [وَالْقَصْدِ، فَكُلُّ إِنْسَانٍ حَارِثٌ هَمَّامٌ، وَهُوَ الْمُتَحَرِّكُ بِالْإِرَادَةِ] (١) وَذَلِكَ لَا يَكُونُ إِلَّا بَعْدَ الْحِسِّ وَالشُّعُورِ، فَإِنَّ الْإِرَادَةَ مَسْبُوقَةٌ بِالشُّعُورِ بِالْمُرَادِ، فَلَا يُتَصَوَّرُ إِرَادَةٌ وَلَا حُبٌّ وَلَا شَوْقٌ وَلَا اخْتِيَارٌ وَلَا طَلَبٌ إِلَّا بَعْدَ الشُّعُورِ، وَمَا هُوَ [مِنْ] جِنْسِهِ (٢) ، كَالْحِسِّ وَالْعِلْمِ وَالسَّمْعِ وَالْبَصَرِ وَالشَّمِّ وَالذَّوْقِ وَاللَّمْسِ وَنَحْوِ هَذِهِ الْأُمُورِ. فَهَذَا الْإِدْرَاكُ وَالشُّعُورُ هُوَ (٣) مُقَدِّمَةُ الْإِرَادَةِ وَالْحُبِّ وَالطَّلَبِ. وَالْحَيُّ مَفْطُورٌ عَلَى حُبِّ مَا يُلَائِمُهُ وَيَنْفَعُهُ (٤) ، وَبِغَضِّ مَا يَكْرَهُهُ وَيَضُرُّهُ، فَإِذَا تَصَوَّرَ الشَّيْءَ الْمُلَائِمَ النَّافِعَ أَرَادَهُ وَأَحَبَّهُ (٥) وَإِذَا (٦) تَصَوَّرَ الشَّيْءَ الضَّارَّ أَبْغَضَهُ وَنَفَرَ عَنْهُ، لَكِنَّ ذَلِكَ التَّصَوُّرَ قَدْ يَكُونُ عِلْمًا، وَقَدْ يَكُونُ ظَنًّا وَخَرْصًا، فَإِذَا كَانَ عَالِمًا بِأَنَّ مُرَادَهُ هُوَ النَّافِعُ، وَهُوَ الْمَصْلَحَةُ، وَهُوَ الَّذِي يُلَائِمُهُ، كَانَ عَلَى الْهُدَى وَالْحَقِّ، وَإِذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ مَعَهُ عِلْمٌ بِذَلِكَ (٧) ، كَانَ مُتَّبِعًا لِلظَّنِّ وَمَا تَهْوَى نَفْسُهُ، فَإِذَا جَاءَهُ الْعِلْمُ وَالْبَيَانُ بِأَنَّ هَذَا لَيْسَ مَصْلَحَةً، أَخَذَ يَحْتَجُّ بِالْقَدَرِ حُجَّةَ لَدَدٍ وَتَعْرِيجٍ (٨) عَنِ الْحَقِّ (٩) ، لَا حُجَّةَ اعْتِمَادٍ عَلَى الْحَقِّ وَالْعِلْمِ، فَلَا يَحْتَجُّ أَحَدٌ فِي بَاطِنِهِ أَوْ ظَاهِرِهِ بِالْقَدَرِ، إِلَّا لِعَدَمِ الْعِلْمِ بِأَنَّ مَا هُوَ عَلَيْهِ هُوَ الْحَقُّ (١٠) .

(١) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٢) ن: وَمَا هُوَ جِنْسُهُ، م: وَمَا هُوَ حَقُّهُ. (٣) أ، ع: هِيَ، ن: وَهِيَ. (٤) م، ع، أ، ب: مَا يَنْفَعُهُ وَيُلَائِمُهُ. (٥) ع: أَرَادَهُ وَحَبَّهُ. (٦) ب، أ: وَإِنْ. (٧) ن: وَإِذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ مَعَهُ بِذَاكَ عِلْمٌ. (٨) ب (فَقَطْ) : لَدَدٍ وَتَفْرِيجٍ. (٩) عَنِ الْحَقِّ: سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ب) ، (أ) . (١٠) ب، أ: لِعَدَمِ الْعِلْمِ بِمَا هُوَ عَلَيْهِ الْحَقُّ ; ن، م: لِعَدَمِ عِلْمِهِ بِأَنَّ مَا هُوَ عَلَيْهِ هُوَ الْحَقُّ.