Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/340)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

[Section: The Rāfidī’s remarks on the Ash'arīs’ affirmation that Allah Most High will be seen, and the response to him]

Section

The Rāfidī (1) said:

“The Ash'arīs held (2) that Allah can be seen (3) with the eye, even though He is in no direction. Yet Allah Most High said (4):

‘Vision perceives Him not.’

[Surah al-An'ām: 103]

They contradicted the self-evident truth that whatever is perceived (5) by the eye must be opposite the observer or effectively so, and on this point they contradicted all rational people. They held it possible that there might stand before us towering mountains stretching from earth to sky, varied in color, yet (6) we could not see them; tremendous sounds (7) that we could not hear; and different armies fighting one another with all manner of weapons, such that our bodies came into contact (8) with their bodies (9), yet we could not (10) see their forms or movements (11), nor hear their tremendous voices—and that we might see

(1) “The Rāfidī” is omitted from manuscript (M). The following passage in manuscript (K) appears on p. [0–9] 2 (M). (2) Manuscripts (N) and (M): “and [the Ash'arīs] held.” (3) Manuscript (K): “Allah Most High is visible.” (4) Manuscript (N): “And He, Most High, has said”; manuscript (M): “And He, Most High, said.” (5) Manuscript (A): “the self-evident necessity, and they said: ‘Indeed, what is perceived…’”; manuscript (B): “the self-evident necessity, because what is perceived…” (6) Manuscript (B) alone: “and not.” (7) Manuscript (N): “and colors and sounds.” (8) Manuscripts (A) and (B): “touch”; manuscript (K): “come into contact with.” (9) Manuscripts (N), (A), and (B): “their ajsād (bodies).” (10) Manuscript (B) alone: “and not.” (11) Manuscripts (A), (M), and (N): “and their movements.”

[فصل كلام الرافضي على إثبات الأشاعرة لرؤية الله تعالى والرد عليه] فَصْلٌ قَالَ الرَّافِضِيُّ (١) : وَذَهَبَتِ (٢) الْأَشَاعِرَةُ إِلَى أَنَّ اللَّهَ يُرَى (٣) بِالْعَيْنِ، مَعَ أَنَّهُ مُجَرَّدٌ مِنَ الْجِهَاتِ. وَقَدْ قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى (٤) : {لَا تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَبْصَارُ} [سُورَةُ الْأَنْعَامِ: ١٠٣] وَخَالَفُوا الضَّرُورَةَ مِنْ أَنَّ الْمُدْرَكَ (٥) بِالْعَيْنِ يَكُونُ مُقَابِلًا أَوْ فِي حُكْمِهِ، وَخَالَفُوا جَمِيعَ الْعُقَلَاءِ فِي ذَلِكَ، وَذَهَبُوا إِلَى تَجْوِيزِ أَنْ يَكُونَ بَيْنَ أَيْدِينَا جِبَالٌ شَاهِقَةٌ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ مُخْتَلِفَةُ الْأَلْوَانِ لَا (٦) نُشَاهِدُهَا، وَأَصْوَاتٌ (٧) هَائِلَةٌ لَا نَسْمَعُهَا، وَعَسَاكِرُ مُخْتَلِفَةٌ مُتَحَارِبَةٌ بِأَنْوَاعِ الْأَسْلِحَةِ، بِحَيْثُ تُمَاسُّ (٨) أَجْسَامُنَا أَجْسَامَهُمْ (٩) ، لَا (١٠) نُشَاهِدُ صُوَرَهُمْ وَلَا حَرَكَاتِهِمْ (١١) ، وَلَا نَسْمَعُ أَصْوَاتَهُمُ الْهَائِلَةَ، وَأَنْ نُشَاهِدَ

(١) الرَّافِضِيُّ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (م) ، وَالْكَلَامُ التَّالِي فِي (ك) ص [٠ - ٩] ٢ (م) . (٢) ن، م: وَذَهَبَ. (٣) ك: اللَّهُ تَعَالَى مَرْئِيٌّ. (٤) ن: وَقَدْ قَالَ تَعَالَى، م: وَقَالَ تَعَالَى. (٥) أ: الضَّرُورَةَ فَقَالُوا: إِنَّ الْمُدْرَكَ، ب: الضَّرُورَةَ لِأَنَّ الْمُدْرَكَ. (٦) ب فَقَطْ: وَلَا. (٧) ن: وَأَلْوَانٌ وَأَصْوَاتٌ. (٨) أ، ب: يَمَسُّ، ك: يُمَاسُّ. (٩) ن، أ، ب: أَجْسَادَهُمْ. (١٠) ب فَقَطْ: وَلَا. (١١) أ، م، ن: وَحَرَكَاتِهِمْ.