Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (1/135)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

are the ones who sought to refute them. They say that if He were to punish the obedient and grant bliss to the disobedient, He would not be unjust (1).

They said: Injustice is to exercise authority over what does not belong to one, whereas everything belongs to Allah Most High; or it is to contravene a command, whereas Allah has no one to command Him. This is the position of many theologians who affirm divine decree, as well as those jurists affiliated with the four imams who agreed with them.

Another group said: Rather, injustice is possible and within His power, but Allah Most High is exalted above it (2) and does not commit it because of His justice. It is for this reason that Allah praised Himself (3) when He stated that He does not wrong people in the least. Praise is due only for refraining from something one has the power [to do] (4), not for refraining from the impossible.

They said: Allah Most High has said:

“Whoever performs righteous deeds while being a believer need fear neither injustice nor deprivation.”

[Surah Tā Hā: 112]

They said: Injustice means that another person’s sins are laid upon him, while deprivation means that his good deeds are diminished.

Allah Most High also said:

“These are accounts of the towns that We relate to you. Some are still standing, while others have been mown down. We did not wrong them; rather, they wronged themselves.”

[Surah Hūd: 100–101]

Thus, He stated (5) that He did not wrong them when He destroyed them; rather, He destroyed them because of their sins.

Allah Most High also said:

“The prophets and the witnesses will be brought forth, judgment will be passed between them in truth, and they will not be wronged.”

[Surah al-Zumar: 69]

This demonstrates that judging between them without justice would constitute injustice, and Allah is exalted above it.

Allah Most High also said:

“We shall set up the just scales for the Day of Resurrection, and no soul will be wronged in the least.”

[Surah al-Anbiyā: 47]

(1) A, B: “injustice.” (2) “exalted” is omitted from A and B. (3) A, B: “praised Himself.” (4) “to do” is omitted from N and M. (5) N: “And He stated.” The word is omitted from M.

هُمُ الَّذِينَ قَصَدُوا الرَّدَّ عَلَيْهِمْ، وَهَؤُلَاءِ يَقُولُونَ: إِنَّهُ لَوْ عَذَّبَ الْمُطِيعِينَ، وَنَعَّمَ الْعُصَاةَ لَمْ يَكُنْ ظَالِمًا (١) ، وَقَالُوا: الظُّلْمُ التَّصَرُّفُ فِيمَا لَيْسَ لَهُ، وَاللَّهُ تَعَالَى لَهُ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ، أَوْ هُوَ مُخَالَفَةُ الْأَمْرِ، وَاللَّهُ لَا آمِرَ لَهُ، وَهَذَا قَوْلُ كَثِيرٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكَلَامِ الْمُثْبِتِينَ لِلْقَدَرِ، وَمَنْ وَافَقَهُمْ مِنَ الْفُقَهَاءِ أَصْحَابِ الْأَئِمَّةِ الْأَرْبَعَةِ. وَقَالَتْ طَائِفَةٌ: بَلِ الظُّلْمُ مَقْدُورٌ مُمْكِنٌ، وَاللَّهُ تَعَالَى مُنَزَّهٌ (٢) لَا يَفْعَلُهُ لِعَدْلِهِ، وَلِهَذَا مَدَحَ اللَّهُ نَفْسَهُ (٣) حَيْثُ أَخْبَرَ أَنَّهُ لَا يَظْلِمُ النَّاسَ شَيْئًا، وَالْمَدْحُ إِنَّمَا يَكُونُ بِتَرْكِ الْمَقْدُورِ [عَلَيْهِ] (٤) لَا بِتَرْكِ الْمُمْتَنِعِ. قَالُوا: وَقَدْ قَالَ تَعَالَى: {وَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِنَ الصَّالِحَاتِ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَلَا يَخَافُ ظُلْمًا وَلَا هَضْمًا} [سُورَةُ طه: ١١٢] قَالُوا: الظُّلْمُ أَنْ يُحْمَلَ عَلَيْهِ سَيِّئَاتُ غَيْرِهِ وَالْهَضْمُ أَنْ يُهْضَمَ حَسَنَاتُهُ. وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: {ذَلِكَ مِنْ أَنْبَاءِ الْقُرَى نَقُصُّهُ عَلَيْكَ مِنْهَا قَائِمٌ وَحَصِيدٌ - وَمَا ظَلَمْنَاهُمْ وَلَكِنْ ظَلَمُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ} [سُورَةُ هُودٍ: ١٠٠ - ١٠١] ، فَأَخْبَرَ (٥) أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَظْلِمْهُمْ لَمَّا أَهْلَكَهُمْ، بَلْ أَهْلَكَهُمْ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ. وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: {وَجِيءَ بِالنَّبِيِّينَ وَالشُّهَدَاءِ وَقُضِيَ بَيْنَهُمْ بِالْحَقِّ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ} [سُورَةُ الزُّمَرِ: ٦٩] ، فَدَلَّ عَلَى أَنَّ الْقَضَاءَ بَيْنَهُمْ بِغَيْرِ الْقِسْطِ ظُلْمٌ، وَاللَّهُ مُنَزَّهٌ عَنْهُ. وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: {وَنَضَعُ الْمَوَازِينَ الْقِسْطَ لِيَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ فَلَا تُظْلَمُ نَفْسٌ شَيْئًا} [سُورَةُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ: ٤٧] .

(١) أ، ب: ظُلْمًا. (٢) مُنَزَّهٌ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) . (٣) أ، ب: مَدَحَ نَفْسَهُ. (٤) عَلَيْهِ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٥) ن: وَأَخْبَرَ. وَسَقَطَتِ الْكَلِمَةُ مِنْ (م) .