Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/301)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

with one another (1), in external reality, any of their particular characteristics—not their necessity, existence, quiddity, or anything else. Rather, one merely resembles the other in that respect.

That which is absolute and common to both is only a universal (2) shared by both in the mind. In external reality, it is not something universal and general that they share.

Rather, to say that if two necessary existents share (3) in necessity (4), each of them must be distinguished (5) from the other by what is particular to it, is (6) like saying that if they share in reality, each must be distinguished from the other (7) by what is particular to it. Reality is found in both a general and a particular form, just as necessity (8) is found in both a general and a particular form. The general is general and shared only in the mind; in external reality it exists only as something particular in which there is no sharing. That in respect of which there is commonality admits of no differentiation, while that in respect of which there is differentiation admits of no commonality. Thus, no single thing remains in external reality in which there is both commonality and differentiation (9). Rather, each has an attribute in which it resembles the other (10), and an attribute in which it does not resemble it.

Their error in these metaphysical matters is of the same kind as their error (11) in logic concerning

(1) Manuscript (N): “the other did not refer to one of them”; manuscript (M): “the other did not participate with one of them.” Both readings are corrupt. (2) Manuscript (A): “It resembled it in that absolute respect which they shared; it is not universal.” Manuscript (B): “It resembled it in that absolute respect which they shared, and it is not universal.” (3) Manuscript (A): *al-wājibāni yashtarikā* (“the two necessary existents share”); manuscript (B): *al-wājibāni yashtarikāni* (“the two necessary existents share”). (4) Manuscript (M): “in existence”—an erroneous reading. (5) Manuscripts (A) and (B): “that one of them be distinguished.” (6) Manuscripts (N) and (M): “and it is.” (7) The words “from the other” are absent from manuscripts (N), (M), and (ʿ). (8) Manuscript (ʿ): “the necessary existent.” (9) Manuscripts (A) and (B): “a single thing that is both shared and distinguished.” (10) Manuscript (N): “an attribute that had a counterpart in the other”; manuscript (M): “an attribute in which the other is similar”; manuscripts (A) and (B): “an attribute that resembles the other.” (11) Manuscript (ʿ): “These people’s error in metaphysics is of the same kind as their error.” Manuscripts (N) and (M): “Among these are metaphysical matters arising from their error.”

أَحَدُهُمَا الْآخَرَ (١) فِي الْخَارِجِ فِي شَيْءٍ مِنْ خَصَائِصِهِ، لَا فِي وُجُوبِهِ، وَلَا فِي وُجُودِهِ، وَلَا فِي مَاهِيَتِهِ، وَلَا غَيْرِ ذَلِكَ، وَإِنَّمَا شَابَهَهُ فِي ذَلِكَ. وَالْمُطْلَقُ الَّذِي اشْتَرَكَا فِيهِ لَا يَكُونُ كُلِّيًّا (٢) مُشْتَرَكًا فِيهِ إِلَّا فِي الذِّهْنِ، وَهُوَ فِي الْخَارِجِ لَيْسَ بِكُلِّيٍّ عَامٍّ مُشْتَرَكٍ فِيهِ، بَلْ إِذَا قِيلَ: الْوَاجِبَانِ إِذَا اشْتَرَكَا (٣) فِي الْوُجُوبِ (٤) فَلَا بُدَّ أَنْ يَمْتَازَ كُلٌّ مِنْهُمَا (٥) عَنِ الْآخَرِ بِمَا يَخُصُّهُ، فَهُوَ (٦) مِثْلَ أَنْ يُقَالَ: إِذَا اشْتَرَكَا فِي الْحَقِيقَةِ فَلَا بُدَّ أَنْ يَمْتَازَ كُلٌّ مِنْهُمَا عَنِ الْآخَرِ (٧) بِمَا يَخُصُّهُ، فَالْحَقِيقَةُ تُوجَدُ عَامَّةً وَخَاصَّةً كَمَا أَنَّ الْوُجُوبَ (٨) يُوجَدُ عَامًّا وَخَاصًّا، فَالْعَامُّ لَا يَكُونُ عَامًّا مُشْتَرَكًا فِيهِ إِلَّا فِي الذِّهْنِ، وَلَا يَكُونُ فِي الْخَارِجِ إِلَّا خَاصًّا لَا اشْتِرَاكَ فِيهِ، فَمَا فِيهِ الِاشْتِرَاكُ لَا امْتِيَازَ فِيهِ، وَمَا فِيهِ الِامْتِيَازُ لَا اشْتِرَاكَ فِيهِ، فَلَمْ يَبْقَ فِي الْخَارِجِ شَيْءٌ وَاحِدٌ فِيهِ مُشْتَرَكٌ وَمُمَيَّزٌ (٩) لَكِنْ فِيهِ وَصْفٌ يُشَابِهُ الْآخَرَ فِيهِ (١٠) وَوَصْفٌ لَا يُشَابِهُهُ فِيهِ. وَغَلَطُ هَؤُلَاءِ فِي هَذِهِ الْإِلَهِيَّاتِ مِنْ جِنْسِ غَلَطِهِمْ (١١) فِي الْمَنْطِقِ فِي

(١) ن: لَمْ يُشِرْ إِلَى أَحَدِهِمَا الْآخَرُ، م: لَمْ يُشَارِكْ إِلَى أَحَدِهِمَا الْآخَرُ، وَكِلَاهُمَا تَحْرِيفٌ. (٢) أ: شَابَهَهُ فِي ذَلِكَ الْمُطْلَقِ الَّذِي اشْتَرَكَا فِيهِ لَا يَكُونُ كُلِّيًّا، ب: شَابَهَهُ فِي ذَلِكَ الْمُطْلَقِ الَّذِي اشْتَرَكَا فِيهِ، وَلَا يَكُونُ كُلِّيًّا. (٣) أ: الْوَاجِبَانِ يَشْتَرِكَا. ب: الْوَاجِبَانِ يَشْتَرِكَانِ. (٤) م: فِي الْوُجُودِ، وَهُوَ خَطَأٌ. (٥) أ، ب: أَنْ يَمْتَازَ أَحَدُهُمَا. (٦) ن، م: وَهُوَ. (٧) عَنِ الْآخَرِ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) ، (ع) . (٨) ع: الْوَاجِبَ. (٩) أ، ب: وَاحِدٌ مُشْتَرَكٌ فِيهِ وَمُمَيَّزٌ. (١٠) ن: وَصْفٌ شَابَهَ فِي الْآخَرِ، م: وَصْفٌ مُشَابِهٌ فِيهِ الْآخَرَ، أ، ب: وَصْفٌ يُشَابِهُ الْآخَرَ. (١١) ع: هَؤُلَاءِ فِي الْإِلَهِيَّاتِ مِنْ جِنْسِ غَلَطِهِمْ، ن، م: فِي هَذِهِ إِلَهِيَّاتٌ مِنْ غَلَطِهِمْ.