Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/264)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

in the form of his voluntary act, then He may, from the outset, bestow upon him the blessing of choosing obedience. If, however, in their view reward and punishment cannot apply to anything that the servant is made to do, then it is untenable for Him to will(1) guidance or misguidance for which the servant is rewarded or punished. Likewise, it would be impossible for what He has reported Himself as having done—placing shackles around their necks, placing a barrier before them and a barrier behind them, and the like—to be among the things for which they are punished(2).

The Most High has said:

“However eager you may be for their guidance, Allah does not guide those whom He causes to stray.”

[Surah al-Nahl: 37]

He thus stated that whoever Allah causes to stray(3) will not be guided.

Overall, the Quran contains more verses demonstrating that Allah is the Creator of His servants’ deeds; that it is He who turns the hearts of His servants(4), guiding whomever He wills and causing whomever He wills to stray; and that it is He who graciously bestows guidance upon those whom He favors, than can be exhaustively surveyed in these discussions(5).

It likewise contains passages demonstrating the all-encompassing scope(6) of His creation, as in His statement:

“Allah is the Creator of all things.”

[Surah al-Rad: 16]

It also contains passages demonstrating that He does whatever He wills and that, had He willed, He would have guided all people, along with similar matters whose full exposition would be lengthy.

If it is said:

“According to(7) the Qadariyya, these passages are to be interpreted figuratively because they regard them as ambiguous,”

(1) Manuscript (‘A): “to increase.” (2) Manuscripts (A) and (B): “and similar things for which they are punished”; manuscript (‘A): “and the like is among the things for which they are punished on account of that.” The correct reading is likely the one I have adopted. (3) Manuscript (‘A): “that whoever He causes to stray”; manuscript (B): “that whoever He has caused to stray.” (4) Manuscripts (A) and (B): “turns the hearts and the eyes.” (5) Manuscript (‘A): “in this passage.” (6) Manuscript (‘A): “what demonstrates that the all-encompassing scope of.” (7) Manuscript (A): “from.”

مِنْ فِعْلِهِ الِاخْتِيَارِيِّ جَازَ أَنْ يُنْعِمَ عَلَيْهِ ابْتِدَاءً بِاخْتِيَارِهِ الطَّاعَةَ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يَجُزْ عِنْدَهُمُ الثَّوَابُ وَالْعِقَابُ عَلَى مَا يُجْعَلُ الْعَبْدُ فَاعِلًا لَهُ بَطَلَ أَنْ يُرِيدَ (١) هُدًى أَوْ ضَلَالَةً يُثَابُ عَلَيْهَا أَوْ يُعَاقَبُ عَلَيْهَا، وَامْتَنَعَ أَنْ يَكُونَ مَا أَخْبَرَ أَنَّهُ فَعَلَهُ مِنْ جَعْلِ الْأَغْلَالِ فِي أَعْنَاقِهِمْ وَجَعْلِهِ مِنْ بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ سَدًّا وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ سَدًّا وَنَحْوِ ذَلِكَ هُوَ مِمَّا يُعَاقَبُونَ عَلَيْهِ. (٢) وَقَدْ قَالَ تَعَالَى: {إِنْ تَحْرِصْ عَلَى هُدَاهُمْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي مَنْ يُضِلُّ} [سُورَةُ النَّحْلِ: ٣٧] فَأَخْبَرَ أَنَّهُ مَنْ أَضَلَّهُ (٣) اللَّهُ لَا يَهْتَدِي. وَفِي الْجُمْلَةِ فَفِي الْقُرْآنِ مِنَ الْآيَاتِ الْمُبَيِّنَةِ أَنَّ اللَّهَ خَالِقُ أَفْعَالِ الْعِبَادِ، وَأَنَّهُ هُوَ الَّذِي يُقَلِّبُ قُلُوبَ الْعِبَادِ (٤) فَيَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيُضِلُّ مَنْ يَشَاءُ، وَأَنَّهُ هُوَ الْمُنْعِمُ بِالْهُدَى عَلَى مَنْ أَنْعَمَ عَلَيْهِ، مَا يَتَعَذَّرُ اسْتِقْصَاؤُهُ فِي هَذِهِ الْمَوَاضِعِ (٥) . وَكَذَلِكَ فِيهِ مَا يُبَيِّنُ عُمُومَ (٦) خَلْقِهِ لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ كَقَوْلِهِ: {اللَّهُ خَالِقُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ} [سُورَةُ الرَّعْدِ: ١٦] وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ، وَفِيهِ مَا يُبَيِّنُ أَنَّهُ فَعَّالٌ لِمَا يُرِيدُ، وَفِيهِ مَا يُبَيِّنُ أَنَّهُ لَوْ شَاءَ لَهَدَى النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا، وَأَمْثَالَ ذَلِكَ مِمَّا يَطُولُ وَصْفُهُ. وَإِذَا قِيلَ: هَذِهِ مُتَأَوَّلَةٌ عِنْدَ (٧) الْقَدَرِيَّةِ لِأَنَّهَا مِنَ الْمُتَشَابِهِ عِنْدَهُمْ.

(١) ع: أَنْ يَزِيدَ. (٢) أ، ب: وَنَحْوِ ذَلِكَ مِمَّا يُعَاقَبُونَ عَلَيْهِ، ع: وَنَحْوِ ذَلِكَ هُوَ مِمَّا يُعَاقَبُونَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ، وَلَعَلَّ الصَّوَابَ مَا أَثْبَتُّهُ. (٣) ع: أَنَّهُ مَنْ يُضِلُّهُ، ب: أَنَّ مَنْ أَضَلَّهُ. (٤) أ، ب: يُقَلِّبُ الْقُلُوبَ وَالْأَبْصَارَ. (٥) ع: فِي هَذَا الْمَوْضِعِ. (٦) ع: مَا يُبَيِّنُ أَنَّ عُمُومَ. (٧) أ: عَنْ.