Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/92)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

everyone whom Allah attests (1) to be truthful is truthful. Yet neither of these two (2) premises is valid according to their doctrine. For if it is impossible for Him to act for a purpose (3), it is likewise impossible for Him to manifest a miracle (4) in order to attest to someone’s truthfulness. And if He does evil, along with every kind of misguidance, sin (5), lying, and the like, then a liar could be attested to as truthful. Thus, nothing in any revealed law or religion could validly establish the truthfulness of any prophet or warner.”

The response may be given from several angles.

[First, it may be said] (6): It has already (7) been explained that most (8) of those who affirm the caliphate of the first three caliphs say that Allah acts on the basis of wisdom. Indeed, most of Ahl al-Sunnah who affirm divine decree also hold this position.

Accordingly, if (9) this position is correct, it is one of the positions of Ahl al-Sunnah; and if its negation is correct, that too is one of the positions of Ahl al-Sunnah [as well] (10). Thus, under

(1) N and M read: “believed Allah.” (2) *Wa-kiltā* (“and both,” feminine) is the reading in (K), 1/87 (M). All other manuscripts read *wa-kilā* (“and both,” masculine), which is incorrect. (3) Ayn reads: “not for a purpose,” which is incorrect. (4) A and B read: “to manifest the miracle”; M reads: “to perform the miracle.” (5) A, B, and Ayn read: “misguidance and sins”; N and M read: “sins and leading astray.” The adopted reading is from (K). (6) The words in square brackets are absent from N and M. (7) “Indeed” is absent from Ayn, while “already” is absent from A and B. (8) “Most” is absent from Ayn. (9) N and M read: “one of them, for indeed it…,” which is incorrect. (10) A and B read: “it was also one of the positions of Ahl al-Sunnah.” The word “also” is absent from N and M.

كُلَّ مَنْ صَدَّقَهُ (١) اللَّهَ فَهُوَ صَادِقٌ، وَكِلْتَا (٢) الْمُقَدِّمَتَيْنِ لَا تَتِمُّ عَلَى قَوْلِهِمْ، لِأَنَّهُ إِذَا اسْتَحَالَ أَنْ يَفْعَلَ لِغَرَضٍ (٣) اسْتَحَالَ أَنْ يُظْهِرَ الْمُعْجِزَ (٤) لِأَجْلِ التَّصْدِيقِ، وَإِذَا كَانَ فَاعِلًا لِلْقَبِيحِ وَلِأَنْوَاعِ الْإِضْلَالِ وَالْمَعَاصِي (٥) وَالْكَذِبِ وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ جَازَ أَنْ يُصَدَّقَ الْكَذَّابُ، فَلَا يَصِحُّ الِاسْتِدْلَالُ عَلَى صِدْقِ أَحَدٍ مِنَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَلَا الْمُنْذِرِينَ بِشَيْءٍ مِنَ الشَّرَائِعِ وَالْأَدْيَانِ ". الْجَوَابُ مِنْ وُجُوهٍ. [أَحَدُهَا: أَنْ يُقَالَ] (٦) : إِنَّهُ قَدْ (٧) تَقَدَّمَ أَنَّ أَكْثَرَ (٨) الْقَائِلِينَ بِخِلَافَةِ الْخُلَفَاءِ الثَّلَاثَةِ يَقُولُونَ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَفْعَلُ لِحِكْمَةٍ، بَلْ أَكْثَرُ أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ الْمُثْبِتِينَ لِلْقَدَرِ يَقُولُونَ بِذَلِكَ أَيْضًا. وَحِينَئِذٍ فَإِنَّ (٩) كَانَ هَذَا الْقَوْلَ هُوَ الصَّوَابُ فَهُوَ مِنْ أَقْوَالِ أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ، وَإِنْ كَانَ نَفْيُهُ هُوَ الصَّوَابُ فَهُوَ مِنْ أَقْوَالِ أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ [أَيْضًا] (١٠) ، فَعَلَى

(١) ن، م: صَدَّقَ. (٢) وَكِلْتَا: كَذَا فِي (ك) ١/٨٧ (م) ، وَفِي سَائِرِ النُّسَخِ: وَكِلَا وَهُوَ خَطَأٌ. (٣) ع: لَا لِغَرَضٍ، وَهُوَ خَطَأٌ. (٤) أ، ب: أَنْ يُظْهِرَ الْمُعْجِزَةَ ; م: أَنْ يَفْعَلَ الْمُعْجِزَةَ. (٥) أ، ب، ع: الضَّلَالِ وَالْمَعَاصِي ; ن، م: الْمَعَاصِي وَالْإِضْلَالِ. وَالْمُثْبَتُ عَنْ (ك) . (٦) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٧) إِنَّهُ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ع) ، قَدْ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) . (٨) أَكْثَرَ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ع) . (٩) ن، م: أَحَدُهَا فَإِنَّهُ، وَهُوَ خَطَأٌ. (١٠) أ، ب: كَانَ مِنْ أَقْوَالِ أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ أَيْضًا، وَسَقَطَتْ أَيْضًا مِنْ (ن) ، (م) .