Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/174)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

Thus, Allah Most High (1) commanded the disbelievers to do what would have served their welfare had they done it, yet He did not assist them in doing so, nor did He create it—just as He did not create other things whose non-creation is integral to perfect wisdom and benefit.

If a created being sees that the welfare of one of his subjects lies in learning (2) archery and the means of kingship so that he may attain (3) kingship, while also seeing that his own son’s welfare lies in that person not growing strong (4), lest he take [that] (5) kingdom from his son or attack (6) him, then he may command that (7) [person] (8) to do what serves his own welfare (9), while himself doing what serves the welfare of his son (10) and his subjects.

What constitutes benefit or harm depends on what accords with people’s interests or conflicts with them. Thus, what suits the person commanded is what (11) his well-wisher has commanded him to do, whereas what suits the commander is that this person not attain his objective, since that would thwart the commander’s interests and aims.

This is a profound line of reasoning, grasped fully only by one who understands the workings of Allah’s wisdom in His creation

(1) (N), (M), and (ʿ) read: “and Allah Most High.” (2) (N) reads: “that he learn.” (3) (N) reads: “lisāna”; (M): “lasāra,” which is a corruption. (4) (N) reads: “that the welfare of that person not grow stronger”; (M) and (ʿ): “that that person not grow stronger.” (5) “That” is an addition in (ʿ). (6) (M) reads: “or attack.” (7) (A) and (B) read: “against him; he commanded that.” (8) “Person” is omitted from (N), (M), and (ʿ). (9) (A) reads: “to do what is beneficial”; (B): “to do what serves his welfare.” (10) (ʿ) reads: “something rectifying for him in accordance with his son’s welfare.” (11) (N) reads: “and what,” which is an error.

فَاللَّهُ تَعَالَى (١) أَمَرَ الْكُفَّارَ بِمَا هُوَ مَصْلَحَةٌ لَهُمْ لَوْ فَعَلُوهُ، وَهُوَ لَمْ يُعِنْهُمْ عَلَى ذَلِكَ، وَلَمْ يَخْلُقْ ذَلِكَ، كَمَا لَمْ يَخْلُقْ غَيْرَهُ مِنَ الْأُمُورِ الَّتِي يَكُونُ مِنْ تَمَامِ الْحِكْمَةِ وَالْمَصْلَحَةِ أَنْ لَا يَخْلُقُهَا. وَالْمَخْلُوقُ إِذَا رَأَى أَنَّ مَصْلَحَةَ بَعْضِ رَعِيَّتِهِ أَنْ يَتَعَلَّمَ (٢) الرَّمْيَ وَأَسْبَابَ الْمُلْكِ لِيَنَالَ (٣) الْمُلْكَ، وَرَأَى هُوَ أَنَّ مَصْلَحَةَ وَلَدِهِ أَنْ لَا يَتَقَوَّى ذَلِكَ الشَّخْصُ (٤) لِئَلَّا يَأْخُذَ [ذَلِكَ] (٥) الْمُلْكَ مِنْ وَلَدِهِ، أَوْ يَعْدُوَ (٦) عَلَيْهِ، أَمْكَنَ أَنْ يَأْمُرَ ذَلِكَ (٧) [الشَّخْصَ] (٨) بِمَا هُوَ مَصْلَحَةٌ لَهُ (٩) وَيَفْعَلُ هُوَ مَا هُوَ مَصْلَحَةُ وَلَدِهِ (١٠) وَرَعِيَّتِهِ. وَالْمَصَالِحُ وَالْمَفَاسِدُ بِحَسَبِ مَا يُلَائِمُ النُّفُوسَ وَيُنَافِيهَا، فَالْمُلَائِمُ لِلْمَأْمُورِ مَا (١١) أَمَرَهُ بِهِ النَّاصِحُ لَهُ، وَالْمُلَائِمُ لِلْآمِرِ أَنْ لَا يَحْصُلَ لِذَلِكَ مُرَادُهُ، لِمَا فِي ذَلِكَ مِنْ تَفْوِيتِ مَصَالِحِ الْآمِرِ وَمُرَادَاتِهِ. وَهَذَا نَظَرٌ شَرِيفٌ، وَإِنَّمَا يُحَقِّقُهُ مَنْ عَلِمَ جِهَةَ حِكْمَةِ اللَّهِ فِي خَلْقِهِ

(١) ن، م، ع: وَاللَّهُ تَعَالَى. (٢) ن: أَنْ يَعْلَمَ. (٣) ن: لِسَانَ، م: لَسَارَ، وَهُوَ تَحْرِيفٌ. (٤) ن: أَنْ لَا تَقْوَى مَصْلَحَةُ ذَلِكَ الشَّخْصِ، م، ع: أَنْ لَا يَقْوَى ذَلِكَ الشَّخْصُ. (٥) ذَلِكَ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (ع) . (٦) م: أَوْ يَعْدُ. (٧) أ، ب: عَلَيْهِ أَمَرَ ذَلِكَ. (٨) الشَّخْصَ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) ، (ع) . (٩) أ: بِمَا هُوَ مَصْلَحَةٌ، ب: بِمَا هُوَ مَصْلَحَتُهُ. (١٠) ع: مُصْلِحَةٌ لَهُ بِحَسَبِ مَصْلَحَةِ وَلَدِهِ. (١١) ن: وَمَا، وَهُوَ خَطَأٌ.