Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/201)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

secure benefit and ward off harm, whereas Allah Most High is [far above] (1) that. The servant is subject to commands and prohibitions, whereas Allah is far above that.

If you construe this (2) proposition as universal, such that it includes the Creator, then we deny the purported consensus (3) of rational people. If, however, you apply it to a created being in order to draw an analogy between him and the Creator, this is a false analogy. Thus, by your own principles, this reasoning is valid neither as a universal syllogism nor as an analogical inference.

Al-Asharī gave them another response (4), saying: “We do not concede that when a person commands what he does not will (5), this is invariably folly (6). Rather, it may be wise if his purpose is to test the person commanded, thereby demonstrating (7) before others that he is justified in punishing him. This is like someone whose slave disobeys him: when he punishes the slave, he is reproached for doing so, and he replies (8), ‘This slave disobeys me.’ He is then asked (9) to substantiate this claim, so he issues a command as a test. [Here] (10), he does not want the slave to carry out what he has been commanded to do; rather, he wants him to disobey so that his justification for punishing him becomes evident.”

Through this, he also established the inward speech that he affirms, and that the demand subsisting within the self

(1) The words “far above” are omitted from (N). (2) (N) reads: “and this.” (3) (N) reads: “the concurrence prevented us”; (A): “it prevented us by consensus”; (B): “we prevented [it] by consensus.” (4) The word “another” is omitted from (A) and (B). (5) (A) and (B) read: “what he does not will.” (6) (A) and (B) read: “folly.” (7) (N) reads: “so that it may become evident.” (8) (N) reads: “then he offers an excuse,” which is a corruption. (9) (N) reads: “and he is asked.” (10) The word “here” is omitted from (N).

جَلْبِ الْمَنْفَعَةِ وَدَفْعِ الْمَضَرَّةِ، وَاللَّهُ تَعَالَى [مُنَزَّهٌ] (١) عَنْ ذَلِكَ، وَالْعَبْدُ مَأْمُورٌ مَنْهِيٌّ، وَاللَّهُ مُنَزَّهٌ عَنْ ذَلِكَ. فَهَذِهِ (٢) الْقَضِيَّةُ إِنْ أَخَذْتُمُوهَا كُلِّيَّةً يَدْخُلُ فِيهَا الْخَالِقُ، مَنَعَنَا الْإِجْمَاعُ (٣) الْمَحْكِيُّ عَنِ الْعُقَلَاءِ. وَإِنْ أَخَذْتُمُوهَا فِي الْمَخْلُوقِ لِتَقِيسُوا بِهِ الْخَالِقَ، كَانَ هَذَا قِيَاسًا فَاسِدًا، فَلَا يَصِحُّ مَعَكُمْ هَذَا الْقِيَاسُ، لَا عَلَى أَنَّهُ قِيَاسُ شُمُولٍ وَلَا عَلَى أَنَّهُ قِيَاسُ تَمْثِيلٍ. وَقَدْ أَجَابَهُمُ الْأَشْعَرِيُّ بِجَوَابٍ آخَرَ (٤) ، فَقَالَ: لَا نُسَلِّمُ أَنَّ أَمْرَ الْإِنْسَانِ بِمَا لَا يُرِيدُهُ (٥) سَفَهٌ (٦) مُطْلَقًا، بَلْ قَدْ يَكُونُ حِكْمَةً، إِذَا كَانَ مَقْصُودُهُ امْتِحَانَ الْمَأْمُورِ لِيُبَيِّنَ (٧) عُذْرَهُ عِنْدَ النَّاسِ فِي عِقَابِهِ، مِثْلَ مَنْ يَكُونُ لَهُ عَبْدٌ يَعْصِيهِ فَيُعَاقِبُهُ، فَيُلَامُ عَلَى عُقُوبَتِهِ، فَيَعْتَذِرُ (٨) بِأَنَّ هَذَا يَعْصِينِي، فَيُطْلَبُ (٩) مِنْهُ تَحْقِيقُ ذَلِكَ، فَيَأْمُرُ أَمْرَ امْتِحَانٍ، وَهُوَ [هُنَا] (١٠) لَا يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَفْعَلَ الْمَأْمُورَ بِهِ، بَلْ يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَعْصِيَهُ لِيَظْهَرَ عُذْرُهُ فِي عِقَابِهِ. وَأَثْبَتَ بِهَذَا أَيْضًا كَلَامَ النَّفْسِ الَّذِي يُثْبِتُهُ، وَأَنَّ الطَّلَبَ الْقَائِمَ بِالنَّفْسِ

(١) مُنَزَّهٌ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) . (٢) ن: وَهَذِهِ. (٣) ن: مَنَعَنَا الِاجْتِمَاعُ، أ: مَنَعَتْنَا بِالْإِجْمَاعِ، ب: مَنَعْنَا بِالْإِجْمَاعِ. (٤) آخَرَ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) . (٥) أ، ب: بِمَا لَا يُرِيدُ. (٦) أ، ب: سَفَهًا. (٧) ن: لِيَتَبَيَّنَ. (٨) ن: فَيَتَعَذَّرُ، وَهُوَ تَحْرِيفٌ. (٩) ن: وَيُطْلَبُ. (١٠) هُنَا: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) .