Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/68)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

And since that is so, the servant has no right to say to Him (1) anything of the sort. This is why Allah Most High says:

“He is not questioned about what He does, but they will be questioned.”

[Surah al-Anbiyā’: 23]

Fifth: He should say, “His assisting you to perform the deed is itself one of His acts. Whatever He does, He does for a wise purpose, and whatever He does not do, He leaves undone because there is no wisdom in doing it. As for obedience itself, it is one of your own acts, whose benefit accrues to you (2). If He assists you, that is a favor [to you] from Him (3); and if He leaves you without aid, that is justice from Him. His charging you with duties is not due to any need (4) He has for this, such that He would need to assist you—as when a master commands his servant to do something for the master’s own benefit. If the servant is unable, the master assists him so that his desired end, whose benefit returns to him, may be achieved. Rather, charging people with religious duties serves to direct and guide them and to acquaint His servants with what (5) benefits them in this life and the Hereafter. Whoever knows that one action benefits him and another harms him, and that he needs (6) what benefits him, cannot say, ‘I will not do what I need and what benefits me (7) until the act is created in me.’ Rather, such a person submits and humbles himself before Allah until He helps him do what benefits him. It is as if he were told, ‘This enemy is advancing upon you (8), or this wild beast, or this onrushing flood (9).’ He would not say, ‘I will not flee and save myself

(1) “To Him” is omitted in B and A. (2) B, A, and N read: “to you.” (3) N reads: “that was a favor from Him.” “To you” occurs only in Ayn. (4) N and M read: “out of need.” (5) “By what” occurs only in M. All other manuscripts read: “what.” (6) “He needs” occurs only in Ayn. All other manuscripts read: “is in need.” (7) B and A read: “benefits him.” (8) Ayn reads: “This is an enemy, and he has set out against you.” (9) N and M read: “and this wild beast, or the flood.”

وَإِذَا كَانَ كَذَلِكَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لِلْعَبْدِ أَنْ يَقُولَ لَهُ (١) مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ. وَلِهَذَا قَالَ تَعَالَى: {لَا يُسْأَلُ عَمَّا يَفْعَلُ وَهُمْ يُسْأَلُونَ} [سُورَةُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ: ٢٣] . الْوَجْهُ الْخَامِسُ: أَنْ يَقُولَ: إِعَانَتُكَ عَلَى الْفِعْلِ هُوَ مِنْ أَفْعَالِهِ هُوَ، فَمَا فَعَلَهُ فَلِحِكْمَةٍ، وَمَا لَمْ يَفْعَلْهُ فَلِانْتِفَاءِ الْحِكْمَةِ، وَأَمَّا نَفْسُ الطَّاعَةِ فَمِنْ أَفْعَالِكَ الَّتِي تَعُودُ مَصْلَحَتُهَا عَلَيْكَ (٢) ، فَإِنْ أَعَانَكَ كَانَ فَضْلًا [عَلَيْكَ] مِنْهُ (٣) وَإِنْ خَذَلَكَ كَانَ عَدْلًا مِنْهُ، فَتَكْلِيفُكَ لَيْسَ لِحَاجَةٍ (٤) لَهُ إِلَى ذَلِكَ لِيَحْتَاجَ إِلَى إِعَانَتِكَ، كَمَا يَأْمُرُ السَّيِّدُ عَبْدَهُ بِمَصْلَحَتِهِ. فَإِذَا كَانَ الْعَبْدُ غَيْرَ قَادِرٍ أَعَانَهُ حَتَّى يَحْصُلَ مُرَادُ الْآمِرِ الَّذِي يَعُودُ إِلَيْهِ نَفْعُهُ، بَلِ التَّكْلِيفُ إِرْشَادٌ وَهُدًى وَتَعْرِيفٌ لِلْعِبَادِ بِمَا (٥) يَنْفَعُهُمْ فِي الْمَعَاشِ وَالْمَعَادِ وَمَنْ عَرَفَ أَنَّ هَذَا الْفِعْلَ يَنْفَعُهُ وَهَذَا الْفِعْلَ يَضُرُّهُ، وَأَنَّهُ يَحْتَاجُ (٦) إِلَى ذَلِكَ الَّذِي يَنْفَعُهُ، لَمْ يُمْكِنْهُ أَنْ يَقُولَ: لَا أَفْعَلُ الَّذِي أَنَا مُحْتَاجٌ إِلَيْهِ، وَهُوَ يَنْفَعُنِي (٧) حَتَّى يُخْلُقَ فِيَّ الْفِعْلُ، بَلْ مِثْلُ هَذَا يَخْضَعُ وَيُذَلُّ لِلَّهِ حَتَّى يُعِينَهُ عَلَى فِعْلِ مَا يَنْفَعُهُ، كَمَا لَوْ قِيلَ: هَذَا الْعَدُوُّ قَدْ قَصَدَكَ (٨) ، أَوْ هَذَا السَّبْعُ، أَوْ هَذَا السَّيْلُ (٩) الْمُنْحَدِرُ، فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَقُولُ: لَا أَهْرُبُ وَأَتَخَلَّصُ

(١) لَهُ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ب) ، (أ) . (٢) ب، أ، ن: إِلَيْكَ. (٣) ن: كَانَ ذَلِكَ فَضْلًا مِنْهُ. وَعَلَيْكَ فِي (ع) فَقَطْ. (٤) ن، م: بِحَاجَةٍ. (٥) بِمَا فِي (م) فَقَطْ. وَفِي سَائِرِ النُّسَخِ: مَا. (٦) يَحْتَاجُ فِي (ع) فَقَطْ، وَفِي سَائِرِ النُّسَخِ: مُحْتَاجٌ. (٧) ب، أ: يَنْفَعُهُ. (٨) ع: هَذَا عَدُوٌّ وَقَدْ قَصَدَكَ. (٩) ن، م: وَهَذَا السَّبْعُ، أَوِ السَّيْلُ.