Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/275)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

And it makes no difference whether it is said:

That complete cause is an essence divested of attributes, as maintained by the philosophers who deny the attributes, such as Ibn Sīnā and his like;

or whether it is said:

He is an essence (1) described by attributes, yet one that necessarily entails its effect—for this too is false (2).

If (3) “acting by intrinsic necessity” is interpreted to mean that, by His will and power, He necessarily brings about (4) each one [one] (5) of created things at the time when He brought it into being (6), then this is the religion of the Muslims and of other religious communities, and the position of Ahl al-Sunnah. Thus, when they say, “By His will and power, He necessarily brings about (7) the acts of His servants and other (8) temporal events,” then [this] (9) accords with this meaning, not the meaning espoused by the eternalists.

The Sixth Aspect:

It may be said: (10) The rational argument you mentioned—namely, that our voluntary acts are attributable to us and occur according to our choice—is countered by things that are not among our acts, such as colors. A person, according to his choice, produces the color he wishes to appear in a cloth, and it is attributable to his nature and craftsmanship (11); nevertheless, the color is not his act.

(1) Manuscript (ʿ): “Indeed, His essence.” (2) All manuscripts read: “but this too is false.” I deemed the reading established in the text more likely to be correct, so that the sentence would be coherent. (3) Manuscripts (A) and (B): “Then if.” (4) Manuscripts (A), (B), (N), and (M): “mūjab (necessitated).” (5) The word “one” is added in manuscript (ʿ). (6) The word “therein” is added in manuscripts (N) and (M). (7) Manuscripts (N) and (M): “mūjib (necessitating).” (8) Manuscripts (A) and (B): “or other than them.” (9) The word “this” is added only in manuscript (B). (10) Manuscripts (N) and (M): “the eternalists. The response is to say:” (11) Manuscript (ʿ): “to his nature and his dyeing”; manuscript (N): “to his handiwork”; manuscript (M): “to his craftsmanship.”

وَسَوَاءٌ قِيلَ: إِنَّ تِلْكَ الْعِلَّةَ التَّامَّةَ ذَاتٌ مُجَرَّدَةٌ عَنِ الصِّفَاتِ، كَمَا يَقُولُهُ نُفَاةُ الصِّفَاتِ مِنَ الْمُتَفَلْسِفَةِ كَابْنِ سِينَا وَأَمْثَالِهِ، أَوْ قِيلَ: إِنَّهُ ذَاتٌ (١) مَوْصُوفَةٌ بِالصِّفَاتِ لَكِنَّهَا مُسْتَلْزِمَةٌ لِمَعْلُولِهَا - فَإِنَّهُ بَاطِلٌ أَيْضًا (٢) . وَإِنْ (٣) فُسِّرَ الْمُوجَبَ بِالذَّاتِ بِأَنَّهُ يُوجِبُ (٤) بِمَشِيئَتِهِ وَقُدْرَتِهِ كُلَّ وَاحِدٍ [وَاحِدٌ] (٥) مِنَ الْمَخْلُوقَاتِ فِي الْوَقْتِ الَّذِي أَحْدَثَهُ فِيهِ (٦) ، فَهَذَا دِينُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَغَيْرِهِمْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْمِلَلِ وَمَذْهَبُ أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ. فَإِذَا قَالُوا: إِنَّهُ بِمَشِيئَتِهِ وَقُدْرَتِهِ يُوجِبُ (٧) أَفْعَالَ الْعِبَادِ وَغَيْرَهَا (٨) مِنَ الْحَوَادِثِ [فَهُوَ] (٩) مُوَافِقٌ لِهَذَا الْمَعْنَى لَا لِلْمَعْنَى الَّذِي قَالَتْهُ الدَّهْرِيَّةُ. الْوَجْهُ السَّادِسُ أَنْ يُقَالَ: (١٠) مَا ذَكَرْتَهُ أَنْتَ مِنَ الْحُجَّةِ الْعَقْلِيَّةِ وَهُوَ اسْتِنَادُ أَفْعَالِنَا الِاخْتِيَارِيَّةِ إِلَيْنَا، وَوُقُوعُهَا بِحَسَبِ اخْتِيَارِنَا - مَعَارَضٌ بِمَا لَيْسَ مِنْ أَفْعَالِنَا مِثْلَ الْأَلْوَانِ، فَإِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ يُحَصِّلُ اللَّوْنَ الَّذِي يُرِيدُ حُصُولَهُ فِي الثَّوْبِ بِحَسَبِ اخْتِيَارِهِ، وَهُوَ مُسْتَنِدٌ إِلَى طَبِيعَتِهِ وَصَنْعَتِهِ، (١١) وَمَعَ هَذَا فَلَيْسَ اللَّوْنُ مَفْعُولًا لَهُ.

(١) ع: إِنَّ ذَاتَهُ. (٢) فِي كُلِّ النُّسَخِ: لَكِنَّهُ بَاطِلٌ أَيْضًا، وَرَجَّحْتُ أَنْ يَكُونَ الصَّوَابُ مَا أَثْبَتُّهُ لِتَسْتَقِيمَ الْعِبَارَةُ. (٣) أ، ب: فَإِنْ. (٤) أ، ب، ن، م: مُوجَبٌ. (٥) وَاحِدٌ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (ع) . (٦) فِيهِ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (ن) ، (م) . (٧) ن، م: مُوجِبُ. (٨) أ، ب: أَوْ غَيْرَهَا. (٩) فَهُوَ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (ب) فَقَطْ. (١٠) ن، م: الدَّهْرِيَّةُ فَالْجَوَابُ أَنْ يُقَالَ. (١١) ع: إِلَى طَبِيعَتِهِ وَصِبْغَتِهِ، ن: إِلَى صَنِيعَتِهِ، م: إِلَى صَنْعَتِهِ.