Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/192)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

they are left without an answer. This is because(1), when they say, “He acts for a purpose,” they are told:

“Are the existence of the purpose(2) and its nonexistence equally related to Him, or is the existence of the purpose(3) preferable to Him?”

If they say, “They are equal,” it would then be impossible for Him to act for the sake of something whose existence or nonexistence makes no difference to Him. Among us, one who acts in this way is counted among the foolish; this is precisely what constitutes purposeless action in our case.

If they say, “He acted for the benefit of the servants,” it is said:

“An individual human being benefits another only because he has some religious or worldly interest of his own in doing so. This may be the pleasure he takes in showing kindness to him(4), as is found in noble souls(5), which find pleasure(6) and joy in showing kindness to others. This is to their advantage and benefit.

“Or it may be to relieve himself of the pain of compassion(7). When a person sees someone hungry and cold, he feels pain for him and therefore gives him something, thereby relieving himself of that pain. The removal of pain is a benefit [to him](8) and serves his interest. This is quite apart from other motives, such as hoping for praise, commendation, and reciprocation, or for reward from Allah [Most High](9). Those are external ends(10), whereas the former two matters are present within the agent himself. Thus, whoever benefits another while(11) the existence or nonexistence of that benefit is the same to him in

(1) (N) reads: “because they”; (A) and (B) read: “they.” (2) (A) reads: “the accident,” which is a scribal error. (3) (A) reads: “the accident,” which is a scribal error. (4) “To him” is omitted from (A) and (B). (5) “Noble” is omitted from (A) and (B). (6) (A) reads: “O Allah, he only takes pleasure”; (ʿA) reads: “for him, it takes pleasure”; (N) reads: “that it takes pleasure.” (7) (N) reads: “the neck,” which is a textual corruption. (8) “To him” is omitted from (N). (9) “Most High” is absent from (N). (10) (A) reads: “connected,” which is an error. (11) (N) reads: “even if it were.”

انْقَطَعُوا، وَذَلِكَ ; لِأَنَّهُمْ (١) إِذَا قَالُوا: يَفْعَلُ لِغَرَضٍ. قِيلَ لَهُمْ: نِسْبَةُ وُجُودِ الْغَرَضِ (٢) وَعَدَمُهُ إِلَيْهِ عَلَى السَّوَاءِ، أَوْ وُجُودُ الْغَرَضِ (٣) أَوْلَى بِهِ. فَإِنْ قَالُوا: هُمَا عَلَى السَّوَاءِ، امْتَنَعَ مَعَ هَذَا أَنْ يَفْعَلَ لِمَا وُجُودُهُ وَعَدَمُهُ بِالنِّسْبَةِ إِلَيْهِ سَوَاءٌ. وَهَذَا مَعْدُودٌ مِنَ السُّفَهَاءِ فِينَا، وَهَذَا هُوَ الْعَبَثُ فِينَا. فَإِنْ قَالُوا: فَعَلَ لِنَفْعِ الْعِبَادِ. قِيلَ: الْوَاحِدُ مِنَ النَّاسِ إِنَّمَا يَنْفَعُ غَيْرَهُ لِمَا لَهُ فِي ذَلِكَ مِنَ الْمَصْلَحَةِ فِي الدِّينِ أَوِ الدُّنْيَا. أَمَّا الْتِذَاذُهُ بِالْإِحْسَانِ إِلَيْهِ (٤) ، كَمَا يُوجَدُ فِي النُّفُوسِ الْكَرِيمَةِ (٥) الَّتِي إِنَّمَا تَلْتَذُّ (٦) وَتَبْتَهِجُ بِالْإِحْسَانِ إِلَى غَيْرِهَا، وَهَذَا مَصْلَحَةٌ وَمَنْفَعَةٌ لَهَا. وَأَمَّا دَفْعُ أَلَمِ الرِّقَّةِ (٧) عَنْ نَفْسِهِ، فَإِنَّ الْوَاحِدَ إِذَا رَأَى جَائِعًا بَرْدَانَ تَأَلَّمَ لَهُ فَيُعْطِيهِ، فَيَزُولُ الْأَلَمُ عَنْ نَفْسِهِ. وَزَوَالُ الْأَلَمِ مَنْفَعَةٌ [لَهُ] (٨) وَمَصْلَحَةٌ، دَعْ مَا سِوَى هَذَا مِنْ رَجَاءِ الْمَدْحِ وَالثَّنَاءِ وَالْمُكَافَأَةِ، أَوِ الْأَجْرِ مِنَ اللَّهِ [تَعَالَى] (٩) فَتِلْكَ مَطَالِبُ مُنْفَصِلَةٌ (١٠) ، وَلَكِنْ هَذَانِ أَمْرَانِ مَوْجُودَانِ فِي نَفْسِ الْفَاعِلِ، فَمَنْ نَفَعَ غَيْرَهُ، وَكَانَ (١١) وُجُودُ النَّفْعِ وَعَدَمُهُ بِالنِّسْبَةِ إِلَيْهِ سَوَاءً مِنْ

(١) ن: بِأَنَّهُمْ أ، ب: أَنَّهُمْ. (٢) أ: الْعَرَضِ، وَهُوَ تَصْحِيفٌ. (٣) أ: الْعَرَضِ، وَهُوَ تَصْحِيفٌ. (٤) إِلَيْهِ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) . (٥) الْكَرِيمَةِ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) . (٦) أ: اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّمَا يَلْتَذُّ، ع: لَهُ تَلْتَذُّ، ن: أَنَّهَا تَلْتَذُّ. (٧) ن: الرَّقَبَةِ، وَهُوَ تَحْرِيفٌ. (٨) لَهُ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) . (٩) تَعَالَى: لَيْسَتْ فِي (ن) . (١٠) أ: مُتَّصِلَةٌ، وَهُوَ خَطَأٌ. (١١) ن: وَلَوْ كَانَ.