Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/118)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

he acts and his state at the time of acting are the same, with neither state having any advantage (1) over the other (2), then singling out this state as the one in which he acts, rather than the other, would amount to preferring one of two identical things (3) without (4) a determinant.

The same applies if it is said: His act may either occur or not occur, and a possible thing cannot have its existence preferred over its nonexistence except by a complete determinant. If (5) that determinant comes from the servant, the same argument applies to it as to the act. The complete determinant must therefore come from Allah Most High, and its existence must entail the existence of the act; otherwise, it would not be complete.

For this reason, Ahl al-Sunnah, who affirm the divine decree, unanimously hold that Allah favored the believers with a blessing not given to the unbelievers (6), namely, that He guided them to faith. Had His blessing upon the believers been the same as His blessing upon the unbelievers, the believer would not have been a believer.

As Allah Most High said:

“But Allah has endeared faith to you and made it beautiful in your hearts, and He has made disbelief, wickedness, and disobedience hateful to you. It is they who are rightly guided.”

[Surah al-Hujurāt: 7]

And Allah Most High said:

“They regard their acceptance of Islam as a favor to you. Say, ‘Do not regard your Islam as a favor to me. Rather, Allah has favored you by guiding you to faith, if you are truthful.’”

[Surah al-Hujurāt: 17]

And Allah Most High said:

“Then Allah, by His leave, guided those who believed to the truth concerning which they had differed. Allah guides whom He wills to a straight path.”

[Surah al-Baqarah: 212]

And Allah Most High said:

(1) N reads: “and no advantage”; M reads: “or no advantage.” (2) N and M read the feminine form: “over the other [state].” (3) N and M read: “the two equivalents.” (4) M reads: “without.” (5) N, M, and ʿ read: “if.” (6) N, M, and ʿ read: “the unbelievers.”

يَفْعَلُ وَحَالُهُ حِينَ الْفِعْلِ سَوَاءً لَا مَزِيَّةَ (١) لِأَحَدِ الْحَالَيْنِ عَلَى الْآخَرِ (٢) ، وَكَانَ تَخْصِيصُ هَذِهِ الْحَالِ بِكَوْنِهِ فَاعِلًا فِيهَا دُونَ الْأُخْرَى تَرْجِيحًا لِأَحَدِ الْمُتَمَاثِلَيْنِ (٣) بِدُونِ (٤) مُرَجِّحٍ. وَهَكَذَا إِذَا قِيلَ: فِعْلُهُ يُمْكِنُ أَنْ يَكُونَ وَأَنْ لَا يَكُونَ، وَالْمُمْكِنُ لَا يَتَرَجَّحُ وَجُودُهُ عَلَى عَدَمِهِ إِلَّا بِمُرَجِّحٍ تَامٍّ، وَالْمُرَجِّحُ إِذَا (٥) . كَانَ مِنَ الْعَبْدِ فَالْقَوْلُ فِيهِ كَالْقَوْلِ فِي الْفِعْلِ، فَلَا بُدَّ أَنْ يَكُونَ الْمُرَجِّحُ التَّامُّ مِنَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى، وَأَنْ يَسْتَلْزِمَ وُجُودُهُ وُجُودَ الْفِعْلِ، وَإِلَّا لَمْ يَكُنْ تَامًّا. وَلِأَجْلِ هَذَا اتَّفَقَ أَهْلُ السُّنَّةِ الْمُثْبِتُونَ لِلْقَدَرِ عَلَى أَنَّ اللَّهَ خَصَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ بِنِعْمَةٍ دُونَ الْكَافِرِينَ (٦) بِأَنْ هَدَاهُمْ لِلْإِيمَانِ، وَلَوْ كَانَتْ نِعْمَتُهُ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِثْلَ نِعْمَتِهِ عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ لَمْ يَكُنِ الْمُؤْمِنُ مُؤْمِنًا. كَمَا قَالَ تَعَالَى: {وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ حَبَّبَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْإِيمَانَ وَزَيَّنَهُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ وَكَرَّهَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْكُفْرَ وَالْفُسُوقَ وَالْعِصْيَانَ أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الرَّاشِدُونَ} [سُورَةُ الْحُجُرَاتِ: ٧] ، وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: {يَمُنُّونَ عَلَيْكَ أَنْ أَسْلَمُوا قُلْ لَا تَمُنُّوا عَلَيَّ إِسْلَامَكُمْ بَلِ اللَّهُ يَمُنُّ عَلَيْكُمْ أَنْ هَدَاكُمْ لِلْإِيمَانِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ} [سُورَةُ الْحُجُرَاتِ: ١٧] ، وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: {فَهَدَى اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لِمَا اخْتَلَفُوا فِيهِ مِنَ الْحَقِّ بِإِذْنِهِ وَاللَّهُ يَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ} [سُورَةُ الْبَقَرَةِ: ٢١٢] ، وَقَالَ تَعَالَى:

(١) ن: وَلَا مَزِيَّةَ، م: أَوْ لَا مَزِيَّةَ. (٢) ن، م: عَلَى الْأُخْرَى. (٣) ن، م: الْمِثْلَيْنِ. (٤) م: بِلَا. (٥) ن، م، ع: إِنْ (٦) ن، م، ع: الْكُفَّارِ.