Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/102)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

it is known that He is characterized by forgiveness and mercy (1). Even if punishment from Him is precluded on the assumption (2) that the person deserves punishment, this does not preclude His being characterized by forgiveness and mercy (3), just as He forgives and shows mercy to those whom, in their view, it would not be right for Him to punish.

Fourth: The servant’s disobedience is his in the sense that he is its agent, according to the majority, and in the sense that he acquires it but is not its agent, according to some of them. On this basis (4), a human being (5) is entitled to punish a wrongdoer (6), and Allah is all the more entitled to do so. As for His creating that disobedience, that is a matter pertaining to Him. According to the majority who affirm divine wisdom, He has wisdom in doing so; whereas, according to those who do not explain His acts in terms of wisdom, it issued (7) solely from sheer will. [And Allah knows best] And Allah knows best (8).

[Section: The Rāfidī’s Claim Concerning Imposing What Is Beyond One’s Capacity According to Ahl al-Sunnah, and the Response to It from Several Angles]

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He [the Rāfidī] (9) said: “Another is that it entails (10) imposing what is beyond one’s capacity, because the disbeliever (11) is required to believe even though he has no power to do so, and this is morally wrong according to reason,

(1) Omitted from Ayn and M. (2) N reads: “then on the assumption.” (3) Omitted from Ayn and M. (4) N and M read: “and according to this view.” (5) N and M read: “the human being.” (6) A and B read: “punishing the wrongdoer”; N and M read: “for punishing the wrongdoer.” Thus, Allah’s entitlement to punish the wrongdoer. A and B read: “punishing the wrongdoer”; N and M read: “for punishing the wrongdoer.” (7) A and B read: “and that does not.” (8) Added only in Ayn. (9) The word “Rāfidī” occurs only in Ayn, and the following passage appears in K, 87 (M). (10) K reads: “it follows from it that…” (11) B reads: “because He required the disbeliever to believe”; another reading has: “because it is the imposition of belief upon the disbeliever”; K reads: “because He requires the disbeliever to believe.”

عُلِمَ أَنَّهُ مَوْصُوفٌ بِالْمَغْفِرَةِ وَالرَّحْمَةِ، (١) وَإِنْ كَانَ الْعِقَابُ مِنْهُ مُمْتَنِعًا بِتَقْدِيرِ (٢) أَنْ يَكُونَ مُسْتَحِقًّا لِلْعِقَابِ، فَلَا يَمْتَنِعُ أَنْ يُوصَفَ بِالْمَغْفِرَةِ وَالرَّحْمَةِ (٣) كَمَا فِي مَغْفِرَتِهِ وَرَحْمَتِهِ لِمَنْ لَا يَحْسُنُ عِقَابُهُ عِنْدَهُمْ. الرَّابِعُ: أَنَّ الْعِصْيَانَ مِنَ الْعَبْدِ بِمَعْنَى أَنَّهُ فَاعِلُهُ عِنْدَ الْجُمْهُورِ، وَبِمَعْنَى أَنَّهُ كَاسِبُهُ لَا فَاعِلُهُ عِنْدَ بَعْضِهِمْ، وَبِهَذَا الْقَدْرِ (٤) يَسْتَحِقُّ الْإِنْسَانُ (٥) أَنْ يُعَاقِبَ الظَّالِمَ (٦) أَوْلَى بِذَلِكَ، وَأَمَّا كَوْنُهُ خَالِقًا لِذَلِكَ فَذَاكَ أَمْرٌ يَعُودُ إِلَيْهِ، وَلَهُ فِي ذَلِكَ حِكْمَةٌ عِنْدَ الْجُمْهُورِ الْقَائِلِينَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ، وَذَلِكَ لَمْ (٧) يَصْدُرْ إِلَّا لِمَحْضِ الْمَشِيئَةِ عِنْدَ مَنْ لَا يُعَلِّلُ بِالْحِكْمَةِ، [وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ] وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ: (٨) . [فصل كلام الرافضي عن تكليف ما لا يطاق عند أهل السنة والرد عليه من وجوه] (فَصْلٌ) قَالَ [الرَّافِضِيُّ] (٩) : " وَمِنْهَا أَنَّهُ يَلْزَمُ (١٠) تَكْلِيفُ مَا لَا يُطَاقُ لِأَنَّهُ تَكْلِيفٌ لِلْكَافِرِ (١١) بِالْإِيمَانِ وَلَا قُدْرَةَ لَهُ عَلَيْهِ، وَهُوَ قَبِيحٌ عَقْلًا،

(١) سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ع) ، (م) . (٢) ن: فَبِتَقْدِيرِ. (٣) سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ع) ، (م) . (٤) ن، م: وَبِهَذَا الْقَوْلِ. (٥) ن، م: الْآدَمِيُّ. (٦) أ، ب: عِقَابُ الظَّالِمِ ; ن، م: لِعِقَابِ الظَّالِمِ.، فَاسْتِحْقَاقُ اللَّهِ أَنْ يُعَاقِبَ الظَّالِمَ أ، ب: عِقَابُ الظَّالِمِ ; ن، م: لِعِقَابِ الظَّالِمِ. (٧) أ، ب: وَذَاكَ لَا. (٨) زِيَادَةٌ فِي (ع) فَقَطْ. (٩) الرَّافِضِيُّ: فِي (ع) فَقَطْ، وَالْكَلَامُ التَّالِي فِي (ك) ٨٧ (م) . (١٠) ك: يَلْزَمُ مِنْهُ. (١١) ب: لِأَنَّهُ كَلَّفَ الْكَافِرَ ; لِأَنَّهُ تَكْلِيفُ الْكَافِرِ ; ك: لِأَنَّهُ يُكَلِّفُ الْكَافِرَ.