Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/225)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

[The Seventh Argument] (1): According to Ahl al-Sunnah, His speech, which subsists in His essence, is uncreated. Speech is an attribute of perfection, so He must be characterized (2) by it—whether they say (3) that it is not subject to His will and power and is an internal meaning subsisting in Him, or that it consists of eternal letters and sounds; or whether they say (4) that it is subject to His will [and power], that He spoke after not having been speaking, or that He has always spoken whenever He wills.

According to all these views, His speech subsists in His essence. Falsehood is an imperfection, like deafness, muteness, and blindness (5), and Allah is far above (6) having imperfections subsist in Him, even though He creates His creatures possessing imperfections. Thus, He creates blindness, deafness, and muteness, yet none of these subsists in Him. Likewise (7), He creates falsehood in the liar, but falsehood does not subsist in Him (8).

[The Eighth Argument] (9): [It may be said] (10) that this objection applies equally to them, for they say that Allah creates speech in another being and that this speech is His speech, even though it subsists in another and is originated and created. As for the speech uttered by His servants, it is, according to them,

(1) The word “argument” is omitted from (N) and (M). (2) (N) and (M) read: “be described.” (3) (A) and (B) read: “said.” (4) (N) and (M) read: “that it is subject to His will and that He speaks”; (‘A) reads: “that it is subject to His will and power, or that He speaks.” (5) The words “and blindness” are omitted from (A) and (B). (6) (N) and (M) read: “and that He is far above.” (7) (A) and (B) read: “For that reason”; (N) and (M) read: “Likewise.” (8) (N), (M), and (‘A) read: “any falsehood.” (9) The word “argument” is omitted from (N) and (M). (10) The words “It may be said” are omitted from (N) and (M).

[الْوَجْهُ] (١) السَّابِعُ: أَنَّ كَلَامَهُ الْقَائِمَ بِذَاتِهِ غَيْرُ مَخْلُوقٍ عِنْدَ أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ، فَإِنَّ الْكَلَامَ صِفَةُ كَمَالٍ، فَلَا بُدَّ أَنْ يَتَّصِفَ (٢) بِهَا، سَوَاءٌ قَالُوا (٣) : إِنَّهُ لَا يَتَعَلَّقُ بِمَشِيئَتِهِ وَقُدْرَتِهِ، وَهُوَ مَعْنًى قَائِمٌ بِالنَّفْسِ، أَوْ هُوَ حُرُوفٌ وَأَصْوَاتٌ قَدِيمَةٌ. أَوْ قَالُوا: (٤) إِنَّهُ يَتَعَلَّقُ بِمَشِيئَتِهِ [وَقُدْرَتِهِ] ، أَوْ إِنَّهُ تَكَلَّمَ بَعْدَ أَنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ مُتَكَلِّمًا، أَوْ إِنَّهُ لَمْ يَزَلْ مُتَكَلِّمًا إِذَا شَاءَ. فَعَلَى الْأَقْوَالِ كُلِّهَا هُوَ قَائِمٌ بِذَاتِهِ، وَالْكَذِبُ صِفَةُ نَقْصٍ كَالصَّمَمِ وَالْبَكَمِ وَالْعَمَى (٥) ، وَاللَّهُ مُنَزَّهٌ (٦) عَنْ قِيَامِ النَّقَائِصِ بِهِ، مَعَ أَنَّهُ يَخْلُقُ خَلْقَهُ مُتَّصِفِينَ بِالنَّقَائِصِ، فَيَخْلُقُ الْعَمَى وَالصَّمَمَ وَالْبَكَمَ وَلَا يَقُومُ بِهِ ذَلِكَ، فَكَذَلِكَ (٧) يَخْلُقُ الْكَذِبَ فِي الْكَاذِبِ وَلَا يَقُومُ بِهِ الْكَذِبُ (٨) . [الْوَجْهُ] (٩) الثَّامِنُ أَنْ [يُقَالَ] (١٠) : هَذَا السُّؤَالُ وَارِدٌ عَلَيْهِمْ، فَإِنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَخْلُقُ فِي غَيْرِهِ كَلَامًا يَكُونُ هُوَ كَلَامَهُ، مَعَ كَوْنِهِ قَائِمًا بِغَيْرِهِ، وَهُوَ مُحْدَثٌ مَخْلُوقٌ. وَالْكَلَامُ الَّذِي يَتَكَلَّمُ بِهِ الْعِبَادُ هُوَ عِنْدَهُمْ

(١) الْوَجْهُ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٢) ن، م: يُوصَفَ. (٣) أ، ب: قَالَ. (٤) ن، م: بِمَشِيئَتِهِ وَأَنَّهُ يَتَكَلَّمُ، ع: بِمَشِيئَتِهِ وَقُدْرَتِهِ أَوْ أَنَّهُ يَتَكَلَّمُ. (٥) وَالْعَمَى: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) . (٦) ن، م: وَأَنَّهُ مُنَزَّهٌ. (٧) أ، ب: فَلِذَلِكَ، ن، م: وَكَذَلِكَ. (٨) ن، م، ع: كَذِبٌ. (٩) الْوَجْهُ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (١٠) يُقَالُ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) .