Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/185)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

either one except by foregoing the other. If Hajj is a specifically incumbent obligation while jihad is voluntary(1), then Hajj is the more beloved of the two to Him(2). If both are voluntary or both obligatory, then jihad is the more beloved of the two to Him. Thus, He [glory be to Him](3) loves this beloved act even though it entails foregoing that other beloved act. The point is [that](4), were this act assumed to occur without foregoing this beloved act(5), it too would be beloved; but were it assumed to occur at the expense of something more beloved to Him than itself, it would be beloved in one respect and hated in another(6), the latter being weightier.

When He, glory be to Him, does not decree the obedience of some people, He has wisdom in doing so, just as He has wisdom when He does not(7) command that person to perform the lesser(8) of the two beloved acts. Allah Most High has power over all things. However, the simultaneous occurrence of opposites is not encompassed by the phrase “all things,” for it is intrinsically impossible.

This is like asking:

“Why did He not enable(9) this servant to travel westward for Hajj and(10) eastward for jihad at this very hour?”

The answer is:

Because(11) it is intrinsically impossible for a single body to be in two places(12), and so

(1) (N), (M), and (ʿA) have the nominative form *tatawwuʿun* (“voluntary”). (2) (A) and (B) read: “more beloved to Him, Most High.” (3) “Glory be to Him” is added in (A) and (B). (4) “That” is added in (B). (5) “Beloved” is omitted from (ʿA). (6) “Another” is omitted from (A) and (B). (7) (N) and (M) read: “if He did not.” (8) (B) reads the masculine *bi-ahad* (“one of”); (A) reads the feminine *bi-ihdā* (“one of”). (9) (A) reads: “Did He enable?” (10) (N) reads: “or to,” which is an error. (11) “Because” is omitted from (A) and (B). (12) After the word *li-dhātihi* (“intrinsically”), several passages occur out of place in (A) and (B); they will recur shortly in their correct location.

أَحَدُهُمَا إِلَّا بِتَفْوِيتِ الْآخَرِ، فَإِنْ كَانَ الْحَجُّ فَرْضًا مُعَيَّنًا، وَالْجِهَادُ تَطَوُّعًا (١) ، كَانَ الْحَجُّ أَحَبَّهُمَا إِلَيْهِ (٢) ، وَإِنْ كَانَ كِلَاهُمَا تَطَوُّعًا أَوْ فَرْضًا، فَالْجِهَادُ أَحَبُّهُمَا إِلَيْهِ، فَهُوَ [سُبْحَانَهُ] (٣) يُحِبُّ هَذَا الْمَحْبُوبَ الْمُتَضَمِّنَ تَفْوِيتَ ذَلِكَ الْمَحْبُوبِ. وَذَلِكَ [أَنَّهُ] (٤) لَوْ قُدِّرَ وُجُودُهُ بِدُونِ تَفْوِيتِ هَذَا الْمَحْبُوبِ (٥) لَكَانَ أَيْضًا مَحْبُوبًا، وَلَوْ قُدِّرَ وُجُودُهُ بِتَفْوِيتِ مَا هُوَ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْهِ مِنْهُ لَكَانَ مَحْبُوبًا مِنْ وَجْهٍ مَكْرُوهًا مِنْ وَجْهٍ آخَرَ (٦) أَعْلَى مِنْهُ. وَهُوَ سُبْحَانَهُ إِذَا لَمْ يُقَدِّرْ طَاعَةَ بَعْضِ النَّاسِ كَانَ لَهُ فِي ذَلِكَ حِكْمَةٌ، كَمَا أَنَّهُ إِذَا لَمْ (٧) يَأْمُرْ هَذَا بِأَدْنَى (٨) الْمَحْبُوبَيْنِ كَانَ لَهُ فِي ذَلِكَ حِكْمَةٌ، وَاللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ. لَكِنَّ اجْتِمَاعَ الضِّدَّيْنِ لَا يَدْخُلُ فِي عُمُومِ الْأَشْيَاءِ، فَإِنَّهُ مُحَالٌ لِذَاتِهِ. وَهَذَا بِمَنْزِلَةِ أَنْ يُقَالَ: هَلَّا أَقْدَرَ (٩) هَذَا الْعَبْدَ أَنْ يُسَافِرَ فِي هَذِهِ السَّاعَةِ إِلَى الْغَرْبِ لِلْحَجِّ وَإِلَى (١٠) الشَّرْقِ لِلْجِهَادِ؟ فَيُقَالُ: لِأَنَّ (١١) كَوْنَ الْجِسْمِ الْوَاحِدِ فِي مَكَانَيْنِ مُحَالٌ لِذَاتِهِ (١٢) ، فَلَا

(١) ن، م، ع: تَطَوُّعٌ. (٢) أ، ب: أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ تَعَالَى. (٣) سُبْحَانَهُ زِيَادَةٌ فِي (أ) ، (ب) . (٤) أَنَّهُ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (ب) . (٥) الْمَحْبُوبِ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ع) . (٦) آخَرَ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) . (٧) ن، م: لَوْ لَمْ. (٨) ب: بِأَحَدِ، أ: بِإِحْدَى. (٩) أ: هَلْ أَقْدَرَ. (١٠) ن: أَوْ إِلَى، وَهُوَ خَطَأٌ. (١١) لِأَنَّ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) . (١٢) بَعْدَ كَلِمَةِ " لِذَاتِهِ " وَرَدَتْ عِبَارَاتٌ فِي غَيْرِ مَكَانِهَا فِي (أ) ، (ب) ، وَسَتَتَكَرَّرُ بَعْدَ قَلِيلٍ فِي مَوْضِعِهَا الصَّحِيحِ.