Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/277)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

manifest partnership with Allah (1). [For this reason, these people have been likened to the Magians, who hold that the agent of evil is distinct from the agent of good, thereby assigning another partner to Allah.] (2)

His analogy involving a sovereign confirms this partnership, for a sovereign’s [deputies] (3) are his partners [in his dominion] (4). He needs them; he is neither their creator nor their lord, [nor even the creator of their power] (5). Rather, they assist him in governing his realm by handling matters beyond his power; without them, he would be incapable of ruling.

Thus, whoever places the acts of servants in relation to Allah on the same footing as the acts of a sovereign’s deputies in relation to him—this (6) is manifest shirk of a kind that even the idolaters would not have countenanced, because it (7) is shirk concerning Lordship, not worship. The idolaters acknowledged that their idols (8) were owned by Allah, saying:

“Here I am at Your service! You have no partner—except a partner (9) who belongs to You: You own him and whatever he owns.”

These people likewise regard those acts of his that the servant owns (10) as property belonging to Allah (11).

(1) “with Allah” is absent from manuscript (ʿ). (2) The passage in square brackets is omitted in manuscripts (N) and (M). (3) “deputies” is omitted in manuscripts (N) and (M). (4) “in his dominion” is an addition in manuscript (ʿ). (5) The passage in square brackets is omitted in manuscripts (N) and (M). (6) Manuscripts (A) and (B): “in relation to Allah on the same footing as a sovereign’s deputies in relation to him”; manuscript (N): “with Allah at a place—or he said: the sovereign’s deputies with him”; manuscript (M): “with Allah in the position of his acts through the sovereign’s agency with him.” (7) Manuscripts (N) and (M): “but it.” (8) Manuscripts (A) and (B): “they knew that they were”; manuscript (M): “they believed that they were.” (9) Manuscripts (N) and (M): “Yours—here I am at Your service—except for a partner.” (10) Manuscripts (A) and (B): “what he possessed”; manuscript (ʿ): “what he possesses.” (11) Manuscript (A): “as property belonging to him”; manuscript (B): “as property belonging to Allah Most High, as an act belonging to Allah”; manuscript (M): “as an act proceeding from him.”

مُشَارَكَةٌ لِلَّهِ (١) صَرِيحَةٌ [وَلِهَذَا شُبِّهَ هَؤُلَاءِ بِالْمَجُوسِ الَّذِينَ يَجْعَلُونَ فَاعِلَ الشَّرِّ غَيْرَ فَاعِلِ الْخَيْرِ، فَيَجْعَلُونَ لِلَّهِ شَرِيكًا آخَرَ] (٢) وَمَا ذَكَرَهُ مِنَ التَّمْثِيلِ بِالسُّلْطَانِ يُقَرِّرُ الْمُشَارَكَةَ، فَإِنَّ [نُوَّابَ] (٣) السُّلْطَانِ شُرَكَاءُ لَهُ [فِي مُلْكِهِ] (٤) ، وَهُوَ مُحْتَاجٌ إِلَيْهِمْ، لَيْسَ هُوَ خَالِقَهُمْ وَلَا رَبَّهُمْ، [بَلْ وَلَا خَالِقَ قُدْرَتِهِمْ] (٥) بَلْ هُمْ مُعَاوِنُونَ لَهُ عَلَى تَدْبِيرِ الْمُلْكِ بِأُمُورٍ خَارِجَةٍ عَنْ قُدْرَتِهِ، وَلَوْلَا ذَلِكَ لَكَانَ عَاجِزًا عَنِ الْمُلْكِ. فَمَنْ جَعَلَ أَفْعَالَ الْعِبَادِ مَعَ اللَّهِ بِمَنْزِلَةِ أَفْعَالِ نُوَّابِ السُّلْطَانِ مَعَهُ فَهَذَا (٦) صَرِيحُ الشِّرْكِ الَّذِي لَمْ يَكُنْ يَرْتَضِيهِ عُبَّادُ الْأَصْنَامِ؛ لِأَنَّهُ (٧) شِرْكٌ فِي الرُّبُوبِيَّةِ لَا فِي الْأُلُوهِيَّةِ، فَإِنَّ عُبَّادَ الْأَصْنَامِ كَانُوا يَعْتَرِفُونَ بِأَنَّهَا (٨) مَمْلُوكَةٌ لِلَّهِ، فَيَقُولُونَ: لَبَّيْكَ لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ، إِلَّا شَرِيكًا (٩) هُوَ لَكَ تَمْلِكُهُ وَمَا مَلَكَ. وَهَؤُلَاءِ يَجْعَلُونَ مَا يَمْلِكُهُ (١٠) الْعَبْدُ مِنْ أَفْعَالِهِ مِلْكًا لِلَّهِ (١١)

(١) لِلَّهِ: لَيْسَتْ فِي (ع) . (٢) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٣) نُوَّابَ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٤) فِي مُلْكِهِ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (ع) . (٥) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٦) أ، ب: مَعَ اللَّهِ بِمَنْزِلَةِ نُوَّابِ السُّلْطَانِ مَعَهُ، ن: مَعَ اللَّهِ بِمَنْزِلٍ أَوْ قَالَ: نُوَّابُ السُّلْطَانِ مَعَهُ، م: مَعَ اللَّهِ بِمَنْزِلَةِ أَفْعَالِهِ بِوَاسِطَةِ السُّلْطَانِ مَعَهُ. (٧) ن، م: لَكِنَّهُ. (٨) أ، ب: يَعْرِفُونَ أَنَّهَا، م: يَعْتَقِدُونَ أَنَّهَا. (٩) ن، م: لَكَ لَبَّيْكَ إِلَّا شَرِيكًا. (١٠) أ، ب: مَا مَلَكَهُ، ع: مَا يَمْلِكُ. (١١) أ: مِلْكًا لَهُ، ب: مِلْكًا لِلَّهِ تَعَالَى، فِعْلًا لِلَّهِ، م: فِعْلًا مِنْهُ.