Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/173)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

Thus, if (1) it is said, “Allah commanded His servants to do what would set their affairs aright and desired their welfare, as expressed (2) through His command,” it does not follow that He Himself must assist them in what He commanded them [to do] (3)—especially since, according to the Qadariyya (4), He is incapable of assisting anyone by providing that through which he becomes an agent. For if (5) His actions are not grounded in wisdom, He does whatever He wills without distinguishing one object of His will from another. On this view, His action cannot have a rationale (6), much less can any distinction be sought.

But if His actions are grounded in wisdom, and it is said that the rationale (7) exists in reality even though we do not know it, then the fact that He has a wise purpose in issuing the command does not entail that (8) there must also be wisdom in assisting someone to perform what was commanded [of him] (9). Rather, wisdom may require that He not assist him in doing so. For if it is possible (10), in the case of a created being, that what wisdom (11) and benefit require is that he command another person to do something for that person’s own benefit, while wisdom and the commander’s own interest require that he not assist him in it, then the possibility (12) of this with respect to the Lord is all the more fitting and warranted.

(1) (N) and (M) read: “if”; (ʿ): “and if.” (2) “And desired their welfare” is omitted from (A) and (B). (3) “In it” is omitted from (N) and (M). (4) (N) and (M) read: “especially according to the Qadariyya”; (ʿ): “especially when there is power.” (5) (N), (M), and (ʿ) read: “if.” (6) (N) and (M) read: “quantity,” which is a corruption. The meaning is: “There is a cause for His action,” that is, a reason why He did it. (7) (N) reads: “the quantity”; (M): “the wisdom.” This is a corruption. (8) (N), (M), and (ʿ) read: “by there being.” (9) “In it” is added in (ʿ). (10) (ʿ) reads: “and that, when it is possible”; (M): “then, when it is possible.” (11) (A) and (B) read: “that wisdom should be.” (12) (ʿ) reads: “and if it were,” which is a corruption.

فَإِذَا (١) قِيلَ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ أَمَرَ الْعِبَادَ بِمَا يُصْلِحُهُمْ وَأَرَادَ مَصْلَحَتَهُمْ عِبَارَةُ (٢) بِالْأَمْرِ، لَمْ يَلْزَمْ مِنْ ذَلِكَ أَنْ يُعِينَهُمْ هُوَ عَلَى مَا أَمَرَهُمْ [بِهِ] (٣) ، لَا سِيَّمَا وَعِنْدَ الْقَدَرِيَّةِ (٤) لَا يَقْدِرُ أَنْ يُعِينَ أَحَدًا عَلَى مَا بِهِ يَصِيرُ فَاعِلًا، فَإِنَّهُ إِنْ (٥) لَمْ يُعَلِّلْ أَفْعَالَهُ بِالْحِكْمَةِ، فَإِنَّهُ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَاءُ مِنْ غَيْرِ تَمْيِيزِ مُرَادٍ عَنْ مُرَادٍ، وَيَمْتَنِعُ عَلَى هَذَا أَنْ يَكُونَ لِفِعْلِهِ لِمِيَّةٌ (٦) ، فَضْلًا عَنْ أَنْ يَطْلُبَ الْفَرْقَ. وَإِنْ عُلِّلَتْ أَفْعَالُهُ بِالْحِكْمَةِ، وَقِيلَ إِنَّ اللِّمِيَّةَ (٧) ثَابِتَةٌ فِي نَفْسِ الْأَمْرِ وَإِنْ كُنَّا نَحْنُ لَا نَعْلَمُهَا فَلَا يَلْزَمُ إِذَا كَانَ فِي نَفْسِ الْأَمْرِ لَهُ حِكْمَةٌ فِي الْأَمْرِ، أَنْ (٨) يَكُونَ فِي الْإِعَانَةِ عَلَى الْمَأْمُورِ [بِهِ] (٩) حِكْمَةٌ، بَلْ قَدْ تَكُونُ الْحِكْمَةُ تَقْتَضِي أَنْ لَا يُعِينُهُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ، فَإِنَّهُ إِذَا أَمْكَنَ (١٠) فِي الْمَخْلُوقِ أَنْ يَكُونَ مُقْتَضَى الْحِكْمَةِ (١١) وَالْمَصْلَحَةِ أَنْ يَأْمُرَ غَيْرَهُ بِأَمْرٍ لِمَصْلَحَةِ الْمَأْمُورِ، وَأَنْ تَكُونَ الْحِكْمَةُ وَالْمَصْلَحَةُ لِلْآمِرِ أَنْ لَا يُعِينُهُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ، فَإِمْكَانُ (١٢) ذَلِكَ فِي حَقِّ الرَّبِّ أَوْلَى وَأَحْرَى.

(١) ن، م: إِذَا، ع: وَإِذَا. (٢) وَأَرَادَ مَصْلَحَتَهُمْ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) . (٣) بِهِ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٤) ن، م: لَا سِيَّمَا عِنْدَ الْقَدَرِيَّةِ، ع: لَا سِيَّمَا وَعِنْدَ الْقُدْرَةِ. (٥) ن، م، ع: إِذَا. (٦) ن، م: كَمِّيَّةٌ وَهُوَ تَحْرِيفٌ، وَالْمَعْنَى: لِفِعْلِهِ سَبَبٌ، أَيْ: لِمَ فَعَلَهُ. (٧) ن: الْكَمِّيَّةَ ; م: الْحِكْمَةَ، وَهُوَ تَحْرِيفٌ. (٨) ن، م، ع: بِأَنْ. (٩) بِهِ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (ع) . (١٠) ع: وَأَنَّهُ إِذَا أَمْكَنَ ; م: فَإِذَا أَمْكَنَ. (١١) أ، ب: أَنْ تَكُونَ الْحِكْمَةُ. (١٢) ع: وَإِنْ كَانَ، وَهُوَ تَحْرِيفٌ.