Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/112)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

and fear Allah, act wickedly, speak truthfully, lie, and the like in many passages (1). He also stated in more than one passage that they possess ability and power.

The imams of Ahl al-Sunnah and the majority of them hold that Allah is the Creator (2) of all of this. In their view, the act of creating is not the created thing. Thus, they distinguish between the servants’ actions (3) being created and brought about by the Lord, and those actions being (4) His very act—“act” here being the verbal noun of “to act.” They are the servant’s act in the verbal-noun sense, but they are not the Lord’s [Most High] (5) act in this respect. Rather, they are effects produced by Him, and the Lord Most High is not characterized by the effects He produces.

These objectionable implications, however, necessarily follow for anyone who does not distinguish between the Lord’s act and its effect, yet nevertheless says that the servants’ actions are an act of Allah (6), as held by Jahm [ibn Safwān] (7) and those who agree with him, and by al-Asharī and his followers, as well as those followers of the imams who agree with them (8). This is why these people (9) encountered difficulty when examining this issue, as has been explained at length in its proper place.

The same implications also necessarily follow for anyone who does not affirm within created things (10) any causes, powers, or natural properties, and who says (11), “Allah acts when they are present, not through them.” It consequently follows for him (12) that there is no difference between one who is able

(1) “Many” is omitted in A and B. (2) A and B read: “created.” (3) “Actions” is omitted in ʿ. (4) B alone reads: “they are.” (5) “Most High” is added in A and B. (6) B alone reads: “Allah’s act.” (7) “Ibn Safwān” is added in A and B. (8) ʿ reads: “and those imams who agreed with him”; N and M read: “and those followers of the imams who agreed with him.” (9) A and B read: “for these people.” (10) ʿ alone reads: “for created things.” (11) A and B read: “and they say.” (12) A and B read: “it follows.”

وَيَتَّقُونَ وَيَفْسُقُونَ وَيَصْدُقُونَ وَيَكْذِبُونَ وَنَحْوَ ذَلِكَ فِي مَوَاضِعَ كَثِيرَةٍ (١) ، وَأَخْبَرَ أَنَّ لَهُمُ اسْتِطَاعَةً وَقُوَّةً فِي غَيْرِ مَوْضِعٍ. وَأَئِمَّةُ أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ وَجُمْهُورُهُمْ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَالِقُ (٢) هَذَا كُلِّهِ. وَالْخَلْقُ عِنْدَهُمْ لَيْسَ هُوَ الْمَخْلُوقَ، فَيُفَرِّقُونَ بَيْنَ كَوْنِ أَفْعَالِ (٣) الْعِبَادِ مَخْلُوقَةً مَفْعُولَةً لِلرَّبِّ، وَبَيْنَ أَنْ يَكُونَ (٤) نَفْسُ فِعْلِهِ الَّذِي هُوَ مَصْدَرُ فِعْلٍ يَفْعَلُ فِعْلًا، فَإِنَّهَا فِعْلٌ لِلْعَبْدِ بِمَعْنَى الْمَصْدَرِ، وَلَيْسَتْ فِعْلًا لِلرَّبِّ [تَعَالَى] (٥) بِهَذَا الِاعْتِبَارِ، بَلْ هِيَ مُفَعْوِلَةٌ لَهُ، وَالرَّبُّ تَعَالَى لَا يَتَّصِفُ بِمَفْعُولَاتِهِ. وَلَكِنَّ هَذِهِ الشَّنَاعَاتِ لَزِمَتْ مَنْ لَا يُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ فِعْلِ الرَّبِّ وَمَفْعُولِهِ، وَيَقُولُ مَعَ ذَلِكَ إِنَّ أَفْعَالَ الْعِبَادِ فِعْلٌ لِلَّهِ (٦) ، كَمَا يَقُولُ ذَلِكَ الْجَهْمُ [بْنُ صَفْوَانَ] (٧) وَمُوَافِقُوهُ، وَالْأَشْعَرِيُّ وَأَتْبَاعُهُ وَمَنْ وَافَقَهُمْ مِنْ أَتْبَاعِ الْأَئِمَّةِ (٨) وَلِهَذَا ضَاقَ بِهَؤُلَاءِ (٩) الْبَحْثُ فِي هَذَا الْمَوْضِعِ، كَمَا قَدْ بُسِطَ فِي مَوْضِعِهِ. وَكَذَلِكَ أَيْضًا لَزِمَتْ مَنْ لَا يُثْبِتُ فِي الْمَخْلُوقَاتِ (١٠) أَسْبَابًا وَقُوًى وَطَبَائِعَ، وَيَقُولُ (١١) : إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَفْعَلُ عِنْدَهَا لَا بِهَا، فَلَزِمَهُ (١٢) أَنْ لَا يَكُونَ فَرْقٌ بَيْنَ الْقَادِرِ

(١) كَثِيرَةٍ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) . (٢) أ، ب: خَلَقَ. (٣) أَفْعَالِ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ع) . (٤) ب (فَقَطْ) : تَكُونَ. (٥) تَعَالَى: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (أ) ، (ب) . (٦) ب (فَقَطْ) : فِعْلُ اللَّهِ. (٧) بْنُ صَفْوَانَ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (أ) ، (ب) . (٨) ع: وَمَنْ وَافَقَهُ مِنَ الْأَئِمَّةِ، ن، م: وَمَنْ وَافَقَهُ مِنْ أَتْبَاعِ الْأَئِمَّةِ. (٩) أ، ب: لِهَؤُلَاءِ. (١٠) ع (فَقَطْ) : لِلْمَخْلُوقَاتِ. (١١) أ، ب: وَيَقُولُونَ. (١٢) أ، ب: فَلَزِمَ.