Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/342)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

Given this, even if some Sunnis who affirm the vision (1) were to have erred regarding some of its details, that would not impugn the position of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamāʿah. We do not claim that every group among them is infallible; we claim only that they will not unanimously agree upon misguidance. In every issue over which Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamāʿah and the Rāfidis (2) differ, the correct position rests with Ahl al-Sunnah. Whenever the Rāfidis are correct, some Sunnis must necessarily agree with them regarding that truth. The Rāfidis also hold errors (3) with which no Sunni agrees. There is not a single issue on which the Rāfidis stand alone, with no member of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamāʿah (4) agreeing with them, except that they are mistaken in it (5), such as the Imamate of the Twelve (6) and their infallibility.

The second response is that those who said, “Allah will be seen (7) without facing the beholder,” are the same ones who said, “Allah is not above the world.” Since they affirmed the vision while denying that He is above the world, they needed to reconcile these two positions. This is the view of a group among the Kullābīs and Ashʿarīs; it is not the view of all of them (8), nor even the view of their leading authorities. Rather, their leading authorities say that Allah, in His Essence, is above the Throne, and whoever among them denied this only denied it

(1) “The vision” is omitted from manuscripts (A) and (B). (2) Manuscripts (N) and (M): “Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamāʿah and the Rāfidis differed.” (3) Manuscript (A): “The Rāfidis hold an error”; manuscript (B): “The Rāfidis hold no error.” (4) This passage is omitted from manuscripts (A) and (B). (5) Manuscript (B) alone reads: “In it.” (6) Manuscripts (A) and (B): “Twelve.” (7) Manuscripts (N) and (M): “Indeed, He is seen.” (8) Manuscripts (A) and (B): “The view held by all of them.”

وَإِذَا كَانَ كَذَلِكَ فَتَقْدِيرُ أَنْ يَكُونَ بَعْضُ أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ الْمُثْبِتِينَ لِلرُّؤْيَةِ (١) أَخْطَأُوا فِي بَعْضِ أَحْكَامِهَا، لَمْ يَكُنْ ذَلِكَ قَدْحًا فِي مَذْهَبِ أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ وَالْجَمَاعَةِ، فَإِنَّا لَا نَدَّعِي الْعِصْمَةَ لِكُلِّ صِنْفٍ مِنْهُمْ، وَإِنَّمَا نَدَّعِي أَنَّهُمْ لَا يَتَّفِقُونَ عَلَى ضَلَالَةٍ، وَأَنَّ كُلَّ مَسْأَلَةٍ اخْتَلَفَ فِيهَا أَهْلُ السُّنَّةِ وَالْجَمَاعَةِ وَالرَّافِضَةُ (٢) فَالصَّوَابُ فِيهَا مَعَ أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ، وَحَيْثُ تُصِيبُ الرَّافِضَةُ فَلَا بُدَّ أَنْ يُوَافِقَهُمْ عَلَى الصَّوَابِ بَعْضُ أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ، وَلِلرَّوَافِضِ خَطَأٌ (٣) لَا يُوَافِقُهُمْ أَحَدٌ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ، وَلَيْسَ لِلرَّافِضَةِ مَسْأَلَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ لَا يُوَافِقُهُمْ فِيهَا أَحَدٌ انْفَرَدُوا بِهَا عَنْ جَمِيعِ أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ وَالْجَمَاعَةِ (٤) إِلَّا وَهُمْ مُخْطِئُونَ فِيهَا (٥) كَإِمَامَةِ الْإِثْنَيْ عَشَرَ (٦) وَعِصْمَتِهِمْ. وَالْجَوَابُ الثَّانِي أَنَّ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا: إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُرَى (٧) بِلَا مُقَابَلَةٍ هُمُ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا: إِنِ اللَّهَ لَيْسَ فَوْقَ الْعَالَمِ، فَلَمَّا كَانُوا مُثْبِتِينَ لِلرُّؤْيَةِ نَافِينَ لِلْعُلُوِّ احْتَاجُوا إِلَى الْجَمْعِ بَيْنَ هَاتَيْنِ الْمَسْأَلَتَيْنِ. وَهَذَا قَوْلُ طَائِفَةٍ مِنَ الْكُلَّابِيَّةِ وَالْأَشْعَرِيَّةِ، وَلَيْسَ هُوَ قَوْلَهُمْ كُلِّهِمْ (٨) بَلْ وَلَا قَوْلَ أَئِمَّتِهِمْ، بَلْ أَئِمَّةُ الْقَوْمِ يَقُولُونَ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِذَاتِهِ فَوْقَ الْعَرْشِ، وَمَنْ نَفَى ذَلِكَ مِنْهُمْ فَإِنَّمَا نَفَاهُ

(١) لِلرُّؤْيَةِ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) . (٢) ن، م: اخْتَلَفَ أَهْلُ السُّنَّةِ وَالْجَمَاعَةِ وَالرَّافِضَةُ. (٣) أ: وَلِلرَّافِضَةِ خَطَأٌ، ب: وَلَيْسَ لِلرَّافِضَةِ خَطَأٌ. (٤) سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) . (٥) ب فَقَطْ: فِيهِ. (٦) أ، ب: اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ. (٧) ن، م: إِنَّهُ يُرَى. (٨) أ، ب: قَوْلَ كُلِّهِمْ.