Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/293)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

Moreover, [everyone] who was (1) closer to the Messenger [may Allah bless him and grant him peace] (2), his Companions, and those who followed them with excellence was closer to perfection in tawhīd, faith, intellect, and knowledge; and the farther anyone was from them, the farther he was from all of that. (3) Thus, the later theologians of affirmation who (4) mixed speculative theology with philosophy—such as al-Rāzī, al-Āmidī, and their like—are [inferior to Abū al-Ma‘ālī al-Juwaynī and his like in articulating tawhīd and affirming the attributes of perfection; and Abū al-Ma‘ālī and his like are inferior to al-Qādī Abū Bakr ibn al-Tayyib (5) and his like] (6) in that regard. These, in turn, are inferior to Abū al-Hasan al-Ash‘arī in that regard; al-Ash‘arī is inferior to Abū Muhammad (7) ibn Kullāb; and Ibn Kullāb is inferior to the Salaf and the imams in that regard.

The theologians among the affirmers who acknowledge divine decree are superior in tawhīd and in affirming the attributes of [perfection] (8) to the Qadariyya among the Mu‘tazila, the Shia, and others; (9) for the affirmers ascribe to Allah complete power, complete will, and complete creation, and affirm that He is alone

(1) Manuscript (B): “Moreover, everyone who was”; manuscripts (N) and (M): “Moreover, whoever was.” (2) “May Allah bless him and grant him peace” is added in manuscripts (A) and (B). (3) Manuscript (ʿ): “And the farther anyone was from that, the farther he was from that.” Manuscripts (A) and (N): “And the farther anyone was from that”; manuscript (M): “And whoever was farther from that is farther.” (4) Manuscript (B): “who.” (5) Manuscript (ʿ): “Ibn Abī al-Tayyib,” which is an error. (6) The text between square brackets is omitted from manuscripts (N) and (M). (7) Manuscript (ʿ): “inferior to Muhammad,” which is an error. (8) Manuscripts (N) and (M): “and affirming the attributes.” (9) Manuscripts (N) and (M): “and their like.”

ثُمَّ إِنَّهُ [كُلُّ] مَنْ كَانَ (١) إِلَى الرَّسُولِ [صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ] (٢) وَأَصْحَابِهِ وَالتَّابِعِينَ لَهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ أَقْرَبَ، كَانَ أَقْرَبَ إِلَى كَمَالِ التَّوْحِيدِ وَالْإِيمَانِ وَالْعَقْلِ وَالْعِرْفَانِ، وَكُلُّ مَنْ كَانَ عَنْهُمْ أَبْعَدَ كَانَ عَنْ ذَلِكَ أَبْعَدَ، (٣) فَمُتَأَخِرُّو مُتَكَلِّمَةِ الْإِثْبَاتِ الَّذِينَ (٤) خَلَطُوا الْكَلَامَ بِالْفَلْسَفَةِ كَالرَّازِيِّ وَالْآمِدِيِّ وَنَحْوِهِمَا هُمْ [دُونَ أَبِي الْمَعَالِي الْجُوَيْنِيِّ وَأَمْثَالِهِ فِي تَقْرِيرِ التَّوْحِيدِ وَإِثْبَاتِ صِفَاتِ الْكَمَالِ، وَأَبُو الْمَعَالِي وَأَمْثَالُهُ دُونَ الْقَاضِي أَبِي بَكْرِ بْنِ الطَّيِّبِ (٥) وَأَمْثَالِهِ] (٦) فِي ذَلِكَ، وَهَؤُلَاءِ دُونَ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الْأَشْعَرِيِّ فِي ذَلِكَ، وَالْأَشْعَرِيُّ فِي ذَلِكَ دُونَ أَبِي مُحَمَّدِ (٧) بْنِ كُلَّابٍ، وَابْنُ كُلَّابٍ دُونَ السَّلَفِ وَالْأَئِمَّةِ فِي ذَلِكَ. وَمُتَكَلِّمَةُ أَهْلِ الْإِثْبَاتِ الَّذِينَ يُقِرُّونَ بِالْقَدَرِ هُمْ خَيْرٌ فِي التَّوْحِيدِ وَإِثْبَاتِ صِفَاتِ [الْكَمَالِ] (٨) مِنَ الْقَدَرِيَّةِ مِنَ الْمُعْتَزِلَةِ وَالشِّيعَةِ وَغَيْرِهِمْ؛ (٩) لِأَنَّ أَهْلَ الْإِثْبَاتِ يُثْبِتُونَ لِلَّهِ كَمَالَ الْقُدْرَةِ وَكَمَالَ الْمَشِيئَةِ وَكَمَالَ الْخَلْقِ وَأَنَّهُ مُنْفَرِدٌ

(١) ب: ثُمَّ إِنَّ كُلَّ مَنْ كَانَ، ن، م: ثُمَّ إِنَّهُ مَنْ كَانَ. (٢) صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (أ) ، (ب) . (٣) ع: وَكُلُّ مَنْ كَانَ عَنْ ذَلِكَ أَبْعَدَ كَانَ عَنْ ذَلِكَ أَبْعَدَ. أ، ن: وَكُلُّ مَنْ كَانَ عَنْ ذَلِكَ أَبْعَدَ، م: وَمَنْ كَانَ عَنْ ذَلِكَ أَبْعَدَ فَهُوَ أَبْعَدُ. (٤) ب: الَّذِي. (٥) ع: بْنِ أَبِي الطَّيِّبِ، وَهُوَ خَطَأٌ. (٦) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٧) ع: دُونَ مُحَمَّدِ، وَهُوَ خَطَأٌ. (٨) ن، م: وَإِثْبَاتِ الصِّفَاتِ. (٩) ن، م: وَنَحْوِهِمْ.