Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/222)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

[Aspect]

(1) Fourth: We say that we know Allah is described (2) by attributes of perfection; that every perfection established (3) for any existent being belongs even more fittingly to Him; and that every imperfection from which any existent being is free (4) is something from which He is even more worthy of being declared free. We also know (5) that life, knowledge, and power are attributes of perfection, and thus the Lord Most High is more worthy of possessing them than His servants. Truthfulness is likewise an attribute of perfection, and He is more worthy of being characterized by it than anyone else who possesses it. Allah Most High says:

“Allah—there is no deity except Him. He will surely gather you together on the Day of Resurrection, about which there is no doubt. And who is more truthful than Allah in speech?”

[Surah al-Nisā’: 87]

The Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—would say in his sermon:

“The truest speech is the speech of Allah.” (6)

[Aspect]

(7) Fifth: It may be said: [Indeed] (8) the Salaf and their followers agreed that the speech of Allah is uncreated and subsists in Him. They then differed over this question: Does He speak according to His will and power?

(1) The word “aspect” is omitted from (N) and (M). (2) (A) and (B) read: “is described.” (3) (N) reads: “is established.” (4) (A) and (B) read: “is declared free.” (5) (N) and (M) read: “and we know.” (6) In *Sunan al-Nasā’ī*, vol. 3, p. 53, Book of the Two Eid Prayers, chapter “How the Sermon Is Delivered,” Jābir ibn Abd Allāh—may Allah be pleased with him—reported that, in his sermon, the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—would praise Allah and extol Him as He deserves, then say: “Whomever Allah guides, none can lead astray; and whomever He leads astray, none can guide. The truest speech is the Book of Allah…”—to the end of the hadith. Abd Allāh ibn Masūd—may Allah be pleased with him—also reported, as narrated by Ibn Mājah in his *Sunan*, vol. 1, p. 18, Introduction, chapter “Avoiding Religious Innovations and Disputation,” that the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said: “There are only two things: speech and guidance, and the best speech is the speech of Allah.” (7) The word “aspect” is omitted from (N) and (M). (8) The word “indeed” is omitted from (N) and (M).

[الْوَجْهُ] (١) الرَّابِعُ: أَنَّا نَقُولُ: نَحْنُ نَعْلَمُ أَنَّ اللَّهَ مَوْصُوفٌ (٢) بِصِفَاتِ الْكَمَالِ، وَأَنَّ كُلَّ كَمَالٍ ثَبَتَ (٣) لِمَوْجُودٍ فَهُوَ أَحَقُّ بِهِ، وَكُلَّ نَقْصٍ تَنَزَّهَ (٤) عَنْهُ مَوْجُودٌ فَهُوَ أَحَقُّ بِالتَّنْزِيهِ عَنْهُ. وَنَحْنُ نَعْلَمُ (٥) أَنَّ الْحَيَاةَ وَالْعِلْمَ وَالْقُدْرَةَ صِفَاتُ كَمَالٍ، فَالرَّبُّ تَعَالَى أَحَقُّ أَنْ يَتَّصِفَ بِهَا مِنَ الْعِبَادِ. وَكَذَلِكَ الصِّدْقُ هُوَ صِفَةُ كَمَالٍ، فَهُوَ أَحَقُّ بِالِاتِّصَافِ بِهِ مِنْ كُلِّ مَنِ اتَّصَفَ بِهِ، كَمَا قَالَ تَعَالَى: {اللَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ لَيَجْمَعَنَّكُمْ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ وَمَنْ أَصْدَقُ مِنَ اللَّهِ حَدِيثًا} [سُورَةُ النِّسَاءِ: ٨٧] . وَكَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ فِي خُطْبَتِهِ: " «إِنَّ أَصْدَقَ الْكَلَامِ كَلَامُ اللَّهِ» " (٦) . [الْوَجْهُ] (٧) الْخَامِسُ: أَنْ يُقَالَ: [قَدِ] (٨) اتَّفَقَ السَّلَفُ وَأَتْبَاعُهُمْ عَلَى أَنَّ كَلَامَ اللَّهِ غَيْرُ مَخْلُوقٍ بَلْ قَائِمٌ بِهِ. ثُمَّ تَنَازَعُوا: هَلْ يَتَكَلَّمُ بِمَشِيئَتِهِ وَقُدْرَتِهِ؟

(١) الْوَجْهُ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٢) أ، ب: يُوصَفُ. (٣) ن: يَثْبُتُ. (٤) أ، ب: يُنَزَّهُ. (٥) ن، م: وَنَعْلَمُ. (٦) فِي سُنَنِ النَّسَائِيِّ ٣ ٥٣ كِتَابِ صَلَاةِ الْعِيدَيْنِ، بَابِ كَيْفَ الْخُطْبَةُ. عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ فِي خُطْبَتِهِ: يَحْمَدُ اللَّهَ وَيُثْنِي عَلَيْهِ بِمَا هُوَ أَهْلُهُ، ثُمَّ يَقُولُ: مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ، وَمَنْ يُضِلُّهُ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ، إِنَّ أَصْدَقَ الْحَدِيثِ كِتَابُ اللَّهِ. . . الْحَدِيثَ. وَعَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ فِيمَا رَوَاهُ ابْنُ مَاجَهْ فِي سُنَنِهِ ١ ١٨ الْمُقَدِّمَةِ، بَابِ اجْتِنَابِ الْبِدَعِ وَالْجَدَلِ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: إِنَّمَا هُمَا ثِنْتَانِ: الْكَلَامُ وَالْهُدَى، فَأَحْسَنُ الْكَلَامِ كَلَامُ اللَّهِ. (٧) الْوَجْهُ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٨) قَدْ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) .