Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/99)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

If they are then asked, “Why do you say that lying is impossible for Him?” they reply, “Because it is a deficiency, and deficiency is impossible for Him.”

They are therefore told: “According to you, His being free of deficiency (1) is known only through consensus. Yet it is well known that consensus has been established that He is free of lying. If consensus may validly be cited as proof of this, there is no need for such a lengthy argument.”

Moreover, what is under discussion is an utterance that conveys a meaning. This is like the statement of one of them: “Allah cannot (2) speak words without intending anything by them.” He then added, “Contrary to the Hashwiyya.”

It is well known that no Muslim has ever held this view. The dispute is only whether (3) He may reveal words whose meaning His servants do not know—not whether He Himself intends nothing by them. Even supposing there were a dispute about this, he argued that it would be purposeless, and that purposelessness (4) is impossible for Allah Most High. Yet the one making this argument maintains that Allah may do absolutely anything and does not declare Him transcendent above any act. This (5) and similar contradictions among those who agree with the Jahmiyya’s doctrine of compulsion concerning divine decree are numerous. This, however, is not the position of the leading authorities of the Sunnah or of the majority among them] (6), [and Allah knows best] (7).

(1) A and B read: “According to you, His being free of deficiency…” (2) A and B read: “As one of them said: ‘It is not permissible…’” (3) A and B read: “The dispute is only over whether…” (4) A and B read: “On the grounds that this is a defect, and defect…” etc. This is a scribal corruption. (5) A and B read: “from doing this.” (6) The passage in square brackets is absent from N and M. I previously indicated where the omission begins at the appropriate point. (7) The words “and Allah knows best” are found only in Ayn.

فَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ: لِمَ قُلْتُمْ إِنَّ الْكَذِبَ مُمْتَنِعٌ عَلَيْهِ؟ . قَالُوا: لِأَنَّهُ نَقْصٌ، وَالنَّقْصُ عَلَيْهِ مُحَالٌ. فَيُقَالُ لَهُمْ: إِنَّ تَنْزِيهَهُ عِنْدَكُمْ عَنِ النَّقْصِ (١) لَمْ يُعْلَمْ إِلَّا بِالْإِجْمَاعِ، وَمَعْلُومٌ أَنَّ الْإِجْمَاعَ مُنْعَقِدٌ عَلَى تَنْزِيهِهِ عَنِ الْكَذِبِ، فَإِنْ صَحَّ الِاحْتِجَاجُ عَلَى هَذَا بِالْإِجْمَاعِ فَلَا حَاجَةَ إِلَى هَذَا التَّطْوِيلِ. وَأَيْضًا فَالْكَلَامُ إِنَّمَا هُوَ فِي الْعِبَارَةِ الدَّالَّةِ عَلَى الْمَعْنَى، وَهَذَا كَمَا قَالَهُ بَعْضُهُمْ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَجُوزُ (٢) أَنْ يَتَكَلَّمَ بِكَلَامٍ وَلَا يَعْنِيَ بِهِ شَيْئًا. وَقَالَ: خِلَافًا لِلْحَشْوِيَّةِ. وَمَعْلُومٌ أَنَّ هَذَا الْقَوْلَ لَمْ يَقُلْهُ أَحَدٌ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، وَإِنَّمَا النِّزَاعُ: هَلْ (٣) يَجُوزُ أَنْ يُنْزِلَ كَلَامًا لَا يَعْلَمُ الْعِبَادُ مَعْنَاهُ، لَا أَنَّهُ هُوَ فِي نَفْسِهِ لَا يَعْنِي بِهِ شَيْئًا. ثُمَّ بِتَقْدِيرِ أَنْ يَكُونَ فِي هَذَا نِزَاعٌ، فَإِنَّهُ احْتَجَّ عَلَى ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّ هَذَا عَبَثٌ، وَالْعَبَثُ (٤) عَلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى مُمْتَنِعٌ، وَهَذَا الْمُحْتَجُّ يُجَوِّزُ عَلَى اللَّهِ فِعْلَ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ، لَا يُنَزِّهُهُ عَنْ فِعْلٍ، فَهَذَا (٥) وَأَمْثَالُهُ مِنْ تَنَاقُضِ الْمُوَافِقِينَ لِقَوْلِ الْجَهْمِيَّةِ الْجَبْرِيَّةِ فِي الْقَدَرِ كَثِيرٌ، لَكِنْ لَيْسَ هَذَا قَوْلَ أَئِمَّةِ السُّنَّةِ وَلَا جُمْهُورِهِمْ] (٦) ، [وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ] (٧) .

(١) أ، ب: عِنْدَكُمْ أَنَّ تَنْزِيهَهُ عَنِ النَّقْصِ. (٢) أ، ب: كَمَا قَالَهُ بَعْضُهُمْ إِنَّهُ لَا يَجُوزُ. . . . . . (٣) أ، ب: وَإِنَّمَا النِّزَاعُ فِي هَلْ. (٤) أ، ب: بِأَنَّ هَذَا عَيْبٌ، وَالْعَيْبُ. . . إِلَخْ، وَهُوَ تَصْحِيفٌ. (٥) أ، ب: عَنْ فِعْلِ هَذَا. (٦) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) ، وَأَشَرْتُ إِلَى بِدَايَةِ السَّقْطِ فِي مَوْضِعِهِ مِنْ قَبْلُ. (٧) وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (ع) فَقَطْ.