Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/179)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

Allah Most High says:

“He enjoins upon them what is right, forbids them what is wrong, makes lawful for them wholesome things, and prohibits for them foul things.”

[Surah al-A‘rāf: 107]

This indicates that an act is in itself right or wrong, and that food is wholesome or foul. If entities and acts had no attributes except by virtue of commands and prohibitions applying to them, the meaning would amount to: “He commands them to do what He commands them to do, forbids them what He forbids them, makes lawful for them what He makes lawful for them, and prohibits for them what He prohibits for them.” Allah is far above such speech.

The same applies to His saying, Most High:

“Do not approach unlawful sexual intercourse. It is truly an obscenity and an evil way.”

[Surah al-Isrā’: 32]

And He says:

“Indeed, Allah does not command obscenity.”

[Surah al-A‘rāf: 28]

There are many similar examples (1).

[A Section from the Rāfidī’s Discussion of the Ahl al-Sunnah’s Doctrine of Divine Decree: It Entails Attributing Foolishness to Allah Most High, Because He Commands the Unbeliever to Believe but Does Not Will It from Him]

(Section).

The [Rāfidī] Imāmī (2) said:

“Another implication is that foolishness (3) must be attributed to Allah Most High, because He commands the unbeliever to believe but does not will it from him, and forbids him to disobey even though He has willed it from him (4). Every rational person attributes foolishness to one who commands (5) what he does not will (6) and forbids what he does will (7). Exalted is Allah above that.”

(1) (A) and (B) read: “many.” (2) “Rāfidī” is omitted from (N) and (M). (ʿ) reads: “The Rāfidī Imāmī said.” The following passage appears at (K), 89 (M). (3) (K) reads: “foolishness and stupidity.” (4) “From him” is omitted from (K). (5) (ʿ) reads: “commands him.” (6) (ʿ), (N), and (M) read: “what he does not will.” (7) (ʿ), (N), and (M) read: “what he does not will.”

قَالَ تَعَالَى: {يَأْمُرُهُمْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَاهُمْ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَيُحِلُّ لَهُمُ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَيُحَرِّمُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْخَبَائِثَ} [سُورَةُ الْأَعْرَافِ: ١٠٧] ، فَدَلَّ ذَلِكَ عَلَى أَنَّ الْفِعْلَ فِي نَفْسِهِ مَعْرُوفٌ وَمُنْكَرٌ، وَالْمَطْعُومُ طَيِّبٌ وَخَبِيثٌ. وَلَوْ كَانَ لَا صِفَةَ لِلْأَعْيَانِ وَالْأَفْعَالِ إِلَّا بِتَعَلُّقِ الْأَمْرِ وَالنَّهْيِ، لَكَانَ التَّقْدِيرُ: يَأْمُرُهُمْ بِمَا يَأْمُرُهُمْ وَيَنْهَاهُمْ عَمَّا يَنْهَاهُمْ، وَيُحِلُّ لَهُمْ مَا يُحِلُّ لَهُمْ وَيُحَرِّمُ عَلَيْهِمْ مَا يُحَرِّمُ عَلَيْهِمْ، وَاللَّهُ مُنَزَّهٌ عَنْ مِثْلِ هَذَا الْكَلَامِ. وَكَذَلِكَ قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: {وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا الزِّنَا إِنَّهُ كَانَ فَاحِشَةً وَسَاءَ سَبِيلًا} [سُورَةُ الْإِسْرَاءِ: ٣٢] وَقَالَ: {إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَأْمُرُ بِالْفَحْشَاءِ} [سُورَةُ الْأَعْرَافِ: ٢٨] وَنَظَائِرُ هَذَا كَثِيرَةٌ (١) . [فصل من كلام الرافضي على مقالة أهل السنة في القدر يَلْزَمُ نِسْبَةُ السَّفَهِ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى لِأَنَّهُ يَأْمُرُ الْكَافِرَ بِالْإِيمَانِ وَلَا يُرِيدُهُ مِنْهُ] (فَصْلٌ) . قَالَ [الرَّافِضِيُّ] الْإِمَامِيُّ (٢) : " وَمِنْهَا أَنَّهُ يَلْزَمُ نِسْبَةُ السَّفَهِ (٣) إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى لِأَنَّهُ يَأْمُرُ الْكَافِرَ بِالْإِيمَانِ وَلَا يُرِيدُهُ مِنْهُ، وَيَنْهَاهُ عَنِ الْمَعْصِيَةِ وَقَدْ أَرَادَهَا مِنْهُ (٤) ، وَكُلُّ عَاقِلٍ يَنْسِبُ مَنْ يَأْمُرُ (٥) بِمَا لَا يُرِيدُ (٦) وَيَنْهَى عَمَّا يُرِيدُ (٧) إِلَى السَّفَهِ، تَعَالَى اللَّهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ " .

(١) أ، ب: كَثِيرٌ. (٢) الرَّافِضِيُّ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) ، وَفِي (ع) : قَالَ الْإِمَامِيُّ الرَّافِضِيُّ، وَالْكَلَامُ التَّالِي فِي (ك) ٨٩ (م) . (٣) ك: السَّفَهِ وَالْحُمْقِ. (٤) مِنْهُ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ك) . (٥) ع: يَأْمُرُهُ. (٦) ع، ن، م: بِمَا لَا يُرِيدُهُ. (٧) ع، ن، م: بِمَا لَا يُرِيدُهُ.