Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/194)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

were alike in holding that none of those things subsists in His Essence, but then disagreed over explaining His acts and rulings in terms of purposes(1), each of the two positions entailed consequences demonstrating its corruption and inconsistency.

Those who affirm that His acts have purposes say: Whoever acts without wisdom is foolish. Yet this is known only of one(2) who acts without a wisdom that accrues to him. They claim that the Creator acts without any wisdom accruing to Him. Thus, if whoever(3) acts without wisdom is foolish(4), they are compelled(5) to ascribe foolishness to Him; and if He is not foolish, they contradict themselves. For their claim that He acts for a wisdom that does not accrue to Him is unintelligible, much less does it establish that He is wise.

This parallels their position concerning His attributes and speech. They said: He speaks only by His will(6) and power, and the Quran cannot be eternal because it contains matters incompatible with its eternity. They also said: A speaker can only be conceived(7) as one who speaks by his will and power, not as one whose speech is inseparable from his essence and does not come about through his power and will(8).

They are therefore told: Likewise, no speaker can be conceived except one in whom speech subsists. As for a speaker in whom speech does not subsist, one who wills in whom will does not subsist, or one who knows in whom knowledge does not subsist, this is inconceivable; indeed, it is contrary to reason.

(1) (A) reads: “and His sanctuaries”; (B) reads: “and the final outcome of His affair.” (2) (A) and (B) read: “from one who.” (3) (B) alone reads: “from Him,” which is an error. (4) “Foolish” is omitted from (A) and (B). (5) (A) and (B) read: “it would follow.” (6) (A) alone reads: “They said: only by His will.” (7) (B) reads: “No speaker can be conceived”; “cannot be conceived” is omitted from (A). (8) (ʿA) reads: “by His will and power.”

قَدِ اشْتَرَكُوا فِي أَنَّهُ لَا يَقُومُ بِذَاتِهِ شَيْءٌ مِنْ ذَلِكَ، ثُمَّ تَنَازَعُوا بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فِي تَعْلِيلِ أَفْعَالِهِ وَأَحْكَامِهِ (١) ، كَانَ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنَ الْقَوْلَيْنِ يَسْتَلْزِمُ مَا يُبَيِّنُ فَسَادَهُ وَتَنَاقُضَهُ. فَمُثْبِتَةُ التَّعْلِيلِ تَقُولُ: مَنْ فَعَلَ لِغَيْرِ حِكْمَةٍ كَانَ سَفِيهًا. وَهَذَا إِنَّمَا يُعْلَمُ فِيمَنْ (٢) فَعَلَ لِغَيْرِ حِكْمَةٍ تَعُودُ إِلَيْهِ، وَهُمْ يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّ الْبَارِئَ فَعَلَ لَا لِحِكْمَةٍ تَعُودُ إِلَيْهِ، فَإِنْ كَانَ مَنْ (٣) فَعَلَ لَا لِحِكْمَةٍ سَفِيهًا (٤) لَزِمَهُ (٥) إِثْبَاتُ السَّفَهِ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ سَفِيهًا تَنَاقَضُوا، فَإِنَّ مَا أَثْبَتُوهُ مِنْ فِعْلِهِ لِحِكْمَةٍ لَا تَعُودُ إِلَيْهِ لَا يُعْقَلُ، فَضْلًا عَنْ أَنْ يَكُونَ حَكِيمًا. وَهَذَا نَظِيرُ قَوْلِهِمْ فِي صِفَاتِهِ وَكَلَامِهِ، فَإِنَّهُمْ قَالُوا: لَا يَتَكَلَّمُ إِلَّا بِمَشِيئَتِهِ (٦) وَقُدْرَتِهِ، وَيَمْتَنِعُ أَنْ يَكُونَ الْقُرْآنُ قَدِيمًا، لِمَا فِيهِ مِنَ الْأُمُورِ الْمُنَافِيَةِ لِقَدَمِهِ. وَقَالُوا: الْمُتَكَلِّمُ لَا يَعْقِلُ (٧) إِلَّا مَنْ تَكَلَّمَ بِمَشِيئَتِهِ وَقُدْرَتِهِ، دُونَ مَنْ يَكُونُ الْكَلَامُ لَازِمًا لِذَاتِهِ لَا يَحْصُلُ بِقُدْرَتِهِ وَمَشِيئَتِهِ (٨) . فَيُقَالُ لَهُمْ: وَكَذَلِكَ لَا يُعْقَلُ مُتَكَلِّمٌ إِلَّا مَنْ يَقُومُ بِهِ الْكَلَامُ. أَمَّا مُتَكَلِّمٌ لَا يَقُومُ بِهِ الْكَلَامُ، أَوْ مُرِيدٌ لَا تَقُومُ بِهِ الْإِرَادَةُ، أَوْ عَالِمٌ لَا يَقُومُ بِهِ الْعِلْمُ فَهَذَا لَا يُعْقَلُ، بَلْ هُوَ خِلَافُ الْمَعْقُولِ.

(١) أ: وَأَحْرَامِهِ، ب: وَآخِرِ أَمْرِهِ. (٢) أ، ب: مِمَّنْ. (٣) ب فَقَطْ: مِنْهُ، وَهُوَ خَطَأٌ. (٤) سَفِيهًا سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) . (٥) أ، ب: لَزِمَ. (٦) أفَقَطْ: قَالُوا إِلَّا بِمَشِيئَتِهِ. (٧) ب: لَا يَعْقِلُ الْمُتَكَلِّمُ ; وَسَقَطَتْ " لَا يَعْقِلُ " مِنْ (أ) . (٨) ع: بِمَشِيئَتِهِ وَقُدْرَتِهِ.