Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/214)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

to his Lord and his seeking refuge in Him may be a means of attaining what is sought and warding off what is feared, just like the righteous deeds they have been commanded to perform. Thus, when they seek refuge in Allah (1) from Satan, their very act of seeking refuge in Him is a means (2) by which He protects them from Satan.

Among some (3) created beings, there may be a powerful (4) wrongdoer who unjustly and aggressively orders another person to be harmed (5). Yet if someone appeals to him for protection and humbles himself before him, he drives away from that person the wrongdoer whom he himself had ordered to oppress him. To Allah belongs the highest example. He is utterly free of injustice, and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy; [He is more merciful to His servants] (6) than a mother is to her child. How, then, could it be objectionable to seek refuge in Him from the evil of the causes of evil that He has decreed in His wisdom?

The fifth point is to say: This objection is invalid according to the approach of both schools. As for those who do not affirm wisdom and causation, they say: Allah created Iblīs, who harms His servants, and made His servants’ (7) seeking refuge in Him from Iblīs a means of warding off his harm—just as He made extinguishing a fire a means of stopping it from burning, and an antidote a means of warding off the harm of poison. He, Glorified be He, created what benefits and what harms (8), and commanded His servants to use what benefits them and thereby ward off what harms them. Then, if He assists them in doing what He commanded them to do, He has conferred favor upon them; otherwise, He has the right to do whatever He wills and to decree

(1) (N), (M), and (ʿ) read: “in Him.” (2) The phrase “in Him is a means” is omitted from (A) and (B). (3) The word “some” is omitted from (A), (B), and (ʿ). (4) Only (B) reads: “the treacherous.” (5) (N) and (M) read: “by striking.” (6) The text between square brackets is omitted from (N) and (M). (7) (A) and (B) read: “the one seeking refuge.” (8) (N) reads: “what harms and what benefits.”

لِرَبِّهِ وَاسْتِعَاذَتُهُ بِهِ سَبَبًا لِنَيْلِ الْمَطْلُوبِ وَدَفْعِ الْمَرْهُوبِ، كَالْأَعْمَالِ الصَّالِحَةِ الَّتِي أُمِرُوا بِهَا، فَهُمْ إِذَا اسْتَعَاذُوا بِاللَّهِ (١) مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ، كَانَ نَفْسُ اسْتِعَاذَتِهِمْ بِهِ سَبَبًا (٢) لِأَنْ يُعِيذَهُمْ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ. وَقَدْ يُوجَدُ فِي بَعْضِ (٣) الْمَخْلُوقِينَ مِنَ الظَّلَمَةِ الْقَادِرِينَ (٤) مَنْ يَأْمُرُ بِضَرَرِ (٥) غَيْرِهِ ظُلْمًا وَعُدْوَانًا، فَإِذَا اسْتَجَارَ بِهِ مُسْتَجِيرٌ وَذَلَّ لَهُ؛ دَفَعَ عَنْهُ ذَلِكَ الظَّالِمُ الَّذِي أَمَرَهُ هُوَ بِظُلْمِهِ. وَلِلَّهِ الْمَثَلُ الْأَعْلَى، وَهُوَ الْمُنَزَّهُ عَنِ الظُّلْمِ، وَهُوَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ، [وَهُوَ أَرْحَمُ بِعِبَادِهِ] (٦) مِنَ الْوَالِدَةِ بِوَلَدِهَا، فَكَيْفَ يَمْتَنِعُ أَنْ يُسْتَعَاذَ بِهِ مِنْ شَرِّ أَسْبَابِ الشَّرِّ الَّتِي قَضَاهَا بِحِكْمَتِهِ؟ الْوَجْهُ الْخَامِسُ: أَنْ يُقَالَ: هَذَا الِاعْتِرَاضُ بَاطِلٌ عَلَى طَرِيقَةِ الطَّائِفَتَيْنِ. أَمَّا مَنْ لَا يَقُولُ بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَالْعِلَّةِ، فَإِنَّهُ يَقُولُ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَلَقَ إِبْلِيسَ الضَّارَّ لِعِبَادِهِ، وَجَعَلَ اسْتِعَاذَةَ الْعِبَادِ (٧) بِهِ مِنْهُ طَرِيقًا إِلَى دَفْعِ ضَرَرِهِ، كَمَا جَعَلَ إِطْفَاءَ النَّارِ طَرِيقًا إِلَى دَفْعِ حَرِيقِهَا، وَكَمَا جَعَلَ التِّرْيَاقَ طَرِيقًا إِلَى دَفْعِ ضَرَرِ السُّمِّ. وَهُوَ سُبْحَانَهُ خَلَقَ النَّافِعَ وَالضَّارَّ (٨) ، وَأَمَرَ الْعِبَادَ أَنْ يَسْتَعْمِلُوا مَا يَنْفَعُهُمْ، وَيَدْفَعُوا بِهِ مَا يَضُرُّهُمْ. ثُمَّ إِنْ أَعَانَهُمْ عَلَى فِعْلِ مَا أَمَرَهُمْ بِهِ كَانَ مُحْسِنًا إِلَيْهِمْ، وَإِلَّا فَلَهُ أَنْ يَفْعَلَ مَا يَشَاءُ، وَيَحْكُمَ

(١) ن، م، ع: بِهِ. (٢) عِبَارَةُ بِهِ سَبَبًا، سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) . (٣) بَعْضِ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) ، (ع) . (٤) ب فَقَطْ: الْغَادِرِينَ. (٥) ن، م: بِضَرْبِ. (٦) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٧) أ، ب: الْعَائِذِ. (٨) ن: الضَّارَّ وَالنَّافِعَ.