Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/198)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

among the Kharijites and Nawasib, much less of establishing proof against the people of uprightness and moderation who follow the Book and the Sunnah] (1).

For this reason, we have pointed out [some] (2) of the inconsistency and unsoundness (3) in their doctrines, which can scarcely be catalogued (4). Al-Asharī and other theologians who affirm the divine attributes (5) undertook to expose the contradictions in their foundational principles (6), and dealt exhaustively (7) with the contradictions in their statements (8).

The well-known account of al-Asharī and al-Jubbāī concerns three brothers. They hold that Allah is obligated to do for every servant whatever is most beneficial to him (9) in his religion. As for his worldly life, the Baghdadi Mu'tazilites likewise deem this obligatory, whereas the Basran Mu'tazilites do not.

Al-Asharī said to him:

“Suppose Allah created three brothers. One died as a child, while the other two reached maturity: one believed and the other disbelieved. Allah admitted the believer to Paradise and raised his rank; He also admitted the child to Paradise but assigned him a station below that of his brother.

“The child said to Him, ‘My Lord, raise me to my brother’s rank.’

“He replied, ‘You are not like him; he believed and performed righteous deeds (10),

(1) “And the Sunnah” is omitted from (ʿA). The long lacuna in manuscript (N) ends here. (2) “Some” is omitted from (N). (3) (A), (B), and (ʿA) read: “of unsoundness.” (4) (A) and (B) read: “is catalogued.” (5) “People” is an addition in (N). (6) (A) and (B) read: “their foundational principles.” (7) (A) reads: “and they acquiesced,” which is a corruption. Lisān al-ʿArab states: “To waʿaba something—waʿban—or to awʿabahu or istawʿabahu means to take it in its entirety.” (8) (A) and (B) read: “the statements.” (9) “For him” is omitted from (A) and (B). (10) (A) and (B) read: “and performed a righteous deed.”

مِنَ الْخَوَارِجِ وَالنَّوَاصِبِ، فَضْلًا عَنْ أَنْ يُقِيمُوا الْحُجَّةَ عَلَى أَهْلِ الِاسْتِقَامَةِ وَالِاعْتِدَالِ الْمُتَّبِعِينَ لِلْكِتَابِ وَالسُّنَّةِ] (١) . وَلِهَذَا نَبَّهْنَا عَلَى [بَعْضِ] (٢) مَا فِي أَقْوَالِهِمْ مِنَ التَّنَاقُضِ وَالْفَسَادِ (٣) الَّذِي لَا يَكَادُ يَنْضَبِطُ (٤) . وَالْأَشْعَرِيُّ وَغَيْرُهُ مِنْ مُتَكَلِّمَةِ أَهْلِ (٥) الْإِثْبَاتِ انْتَدَبُوا لِبَيَانِ تُنَاقِضِهِمْ فِي أُصُولِهِمْ (٦) وَأَوْعَبُوا (٧) فِي بَيَانِ تَنَاقُضِ أَقْوَالِهِمْ (٨) . وَحِكَايَةُ الْأَشْعَرِيِّ مَعَ الْجُبَّائِيِّ فِي الْإِخْوَةِ الثَّلَاثَةِ مَشْهُورَةٌ، فَإِنَّهُمْ يُوجِبُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ أَنْ يَفْعَلَ بِكُلِّ عَبْدٍ مَا هُوَ الْأَصْلَحُ لَهُ (٩) فِي دِينِهِ. وَأَمَّا فِي الدُّنْيَا فَالْبَغْدَادِيُّونَ مِنَ الْمُعْتَزِلَةِ يُوجِبُونَهُ أَيْضًا، وَالْبَصْرِيُّونَ لَا يُوجِبُونَهُ. فَقَالَ لَهُ: إِذَا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ ثَلَاثَةَ إِخْوَةٍ، فَمَاتَ أَحَدُهُمْ صَغِيرًا، وَبَلَغَ الْآخَرَانِ: أَحَدُهُمَا آمَنَ، وَالْآخَرُ كَفَرَ، فَأَدْخَلَ الْمُؤْمِنَ الْجَنَّةَ وَرَفَعَ دَرَجَتَهُ، وَأَدْخَلَ الصَّغِيرَ الْجَنَّةَ وَجَعَلَ مَنْزِلَتَهُ تَحْتَهُ. قَالَ لَهُ الصَّغِيرُ: يَا رَبِّ ارْفَعْنِي إِلَى دَرَجَةِ أَخِي. قَالَ: إِنَّكَ لَسْتَ مِثْلَهُ ; إِنَّهُ آمَنَ وَعَمِلَ الصَّالِحَاتِ (١٠) ،

(١) وَالسُّنَّةِ، سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ع) ، وَهُنَا يَنْتَهِي السَّقْطُ الطَّوِيلُ فِي نُسْخَةٍ (ن) . (٢) بَعْضِ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) . (٣) أ، ب، ع: مِنَ الْفَسَادِ. (٤) أ، ب: يُضْبَطُ. (٥) أَهْلِ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (ن) . (٦) أ، ب: أَصْلِهِمْ. (٧) أ: وَأَذْعَنُوا، وَهُوَ تَحْرِيفٌ، وَفِي لِسَانِ الْعَرَبِ: وَعَبَ الشَّيْءَ وَعْبًا وَأَوْعَبَهُ وَاسْتَوْعَبَهُ، أَخَذَهُ أَجْمَعَ. (٨) أ، ب: الْأَقْوَالِ. (٩) لَهُ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) . (١٠) أ، ب: وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا.