Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/292)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

al-Kāfirūn]. The [first] form of tawhīd (1) entails affirming Allah’s attributes of perfection by affirming His Most Beautiful Names and the attributes they entail. The [second] entails (2) devoting religion sincerely to Him, as He said:

“They were commanded only to worship Allah, devoting religion sincerely to Him.”

[Surah al-Bayyina: 5]

Thus, the first is a repudiation of the denial of Allah’s attributes, while the second is a repudiation of shirk (3). The root of shirk (4) lies either in denial (5)—such as the denial (6) of Moses’ Pharaoh; the man who disputed with Abraham concerning his Lord, Abraham’s adversary; (7) and the Dajjal, the messiah of misguidance and adversary of the Messiah of guidance, Jesus son of Mary [may Allah bless him and grant him peace] (8)—or in associating partners with Allah. The latter is far more widespread among nations than denial, and its adherents were the adversaries of most (9) of the prophets.

Among the adversaries of Abraham and Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—were both deniers and polytheists. Yet the complete denial [of the Divine Essence] (10) is rare. Far more common is the denial of the attributes of perfection, which necessarily entails denying the Divine Essence itself. For they describe the Necessary Existent in terms that entail (11) His being impossible of existence.

(1) “First” is omitted from manuscripts (N) and (M). (2) Manuscripts (N) and (M): “and entails.” (3) Manuscripts (N) and (M): “associating partners with Allah.” (4) Manuscripts (N) and (M): “unbelief.” (5) Manuscripts (A) and (B): “either denial.” (6) Manuscripts (N) and (M): “like the unbelief of.” (7) “Abraham’s adversary” is added in manuscripts (N) and (M). (8) “May Allah bless him and grant him peace” is added in manuscripts (A) and (B). (9) Manuscripts (N) and (M): “all.” (10) “Of the Divine Essence” is omitted from manuscripts (N) and (M). (11) Manuscripts (A) and (B): “must be”; manuscript (ʿ): “became necessary.”

الْكَافِرُونَ] . فَالتَّوْحِيدُ [الْأَوَّلُ] (١) يَتَضَمَّنُ إِثْبَاتَ نُعُوتِ الْكَمَالِ لِلَّهِ بِإِثْبَاتِ أَسْمَائِهِ الْحُسْنَى وَمَا تَتَضَمَّنُهُ مِنْ صِفَاتِهِ، وَ [الثَّانِي] : يَتَضَمَّنُ (٢) إِخْلَاصَ الدِّينِ لَهُ كَمَا قَالَ: {وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ} [سُورَةُ الْبَيِّنَةِ: ٥] فَالْأَوَّلُ بَرَاءَةٌ مِنَ التَّعْطِيلِ، وَالثَّانِي بَرَاءَةٌ مِنَ الشِّرْكِ (٣) وَأَصْلُ الشِّرْكِ (٤) : إِمَّا التَّعْطِيلُ (٥) مِثْلَ تَعْطِيلِ (٦) فِرْعَوْنِ مُوسَى، وَالَّذِي حَاجَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ فِي رَبِّهِ خَصْمِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، (٧) وَالدَّجَّالِ مَسِيحِ الضَّلَالِ خَصْمِ مَسِيحِ الْهُدَى عِيسَى بْنِ مَرْيَمَ [صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ] (٨) ، وَإِمَّا الْإِشْرَاكُ وَهُوَ كَثِيرٌ فِي الْأُمَمِ أَكْثَرُ مِنَ التَّعْطِيلِ، وَأَهْلُهُ خُصُومُ جُمْهُورِ (٩) الْأَنْبِيَاءِ. وَفِي خُصُومِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَمُحَمَّدٍ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - مُعَطَّلَةٌ وَمُشْرِكَةٌ، لَكِنَّ التَّعْطِيلَ الْمَحْضَ [لِلذَّاتِ] (١٠) قَلِيلٌ، وَأَمَّا الْكَثِيرُ فَهُوَ تَعْطِيلُ صِفَاتِ الْكَمَالِ، وَهُوَ مُسْتَلْزِمٌ لِتَعْطِيلِ الذَّاتِ، فَإِنَّهُمْ يَصِفُونَ وَاجِبَ الْوُجُودِ بِمَا يُوجِبُ (١١) أَنْ يَكُونَ مُمْتَنِعَ الْوُجُودِ.

(١) الْأَوَّلُ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٢) ن، م: وَيَتَضَمَّنُ. (٣) ن، م: الْإِشْرَاكِ. (٤) ن، م: الْكُفْرِ. (٥) أ، ب: إِمَّا تَعْطِيلٌ. (٦) ن، م: مِثْلَ كُفْرِ. (٧) خَصْمِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (ن) ، (م) . (٨) صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (أ) ، (ب) . (٩) ن، م: جَمِيعِ. (١٠) لِلذَّاتِ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (١١) أ، ب: يَجِبُ، ع: وَجَبَ.