Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/344)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

And if the error must lie in one of the two, it does not follow that the error must specifically lie in denying the vision. Rather, it may (1) lie in denying that Allah is above and distinct from His creation. Our agreement with you is no proof (2) for you; thus, our inconsistency does not establish the correctness of your position denying that Allah is above His creation. Rather, the vision is established by widely transmitted texts (3), the consensus of the Salaf, and rational evidence.

At that point, whatever necessarily follows from the truth is itself true. If we affirm this truth while denying some of its necessary implications, this (4) inconsistency is less serious than denying the truth (5) and its necessary implications. You, however, have denied the vision and denied that Allah is above and distinct from His creation. Thus, (6) your position is further removed from both reason and revelation than ours, while ours is closer to both than yours. Even if our position contains an inconsistency, yours contains more; and your opposition (7) to the texts of the Book and the Sunnah and to the consensus of the Salaf of the Muslim community is (8 more evident. This is clear, for what the divine texts and the texts of the Salaf of the Muslim community contain 8) (8) concerning the affirmation of the attributes, the vision (9), and Allah’s being above His creation is mass-transmitted (10) and widely attested.

Those who deny these truths rely neither upon the Book, nor upon the Sunnah, nor upon

(1) Manuscripts (A) and (B): “they suppose,” which is a corruption. (2) Manuscript (A): “our agreement with you there is no proof for you”; manuscript (B): “our agreement with you here is no proof for you.” (3) Manuscripts (N) and (M): “by the widely transmitted text.” (4) The word “this” is omitted from manuscript (N) only. (5) Manuscript (N) only: “creation.” (6) Manuscripts (N) and (M): “was.” (7) Manuscript (B) only: “with your opposition.” (8) The passage between markers (8–8) is omitted from manuscripts (A) and (B). (9) Manuscript (M): “concerning the affirmation of the vision.” (10) Manuscripts (A) and (B): “and Allah’s being above the Throne is mass-transmitted.”

وَإِذَا لَزِمَ الْخَطَأُ فِي إِحْدَاهُمَا، لَمْ يَتَعَيَّنِ الْخَطَأُ فِي نَفْيِ الرُّؤْيَةِ، بَلْ يَجُوزُ (١) أَنْ يَكُونَ الْخَطَأُ فِي نَفْيِ الْعُلُوِّ وَالْمُبَايَنَةِ، وَلَيْسَتْ مُوَافَقَتُنَا لَكَ حُجَّةً (٢) لَكَ، فَلَيْسَ تُنَاقُضُنَا دَلِيلًا عَلَى صَوَابِ قَوْلِكَ فِي نَفْيِ عُلُوِّ اللَّهِ عَلَى خَلْقِهِ، بَلِ الرُّؤْيَةُ ثَابِتَةٌ بِالنُّصُوصِ الْمُسْتَفِيضَةِ (٣) وَإِجِمَاعِ السَّلَفِ، مَعَ دَلَالَةِ الْعَقْلِ عَلَيْهَا. وَحِينَئِذٍ فَلَازَمُ الْحَقِّ حَقٌّ. وَنَحْنُ إِذَا أَثْبَتْنَا هَذَا الْحَقَّ وَنَفَيْنَا بَعْضَ لَوَازِمِهِ، كَانَ هَذَا (٤) التَّنَاقُضُ أَهْوَنَ مِنْ نَفْيِ الْحَقِّ (٥) وَلَوَازِمِهِ. وَأَنْتُمْ نَفَيْتُمُ الرُّؤْيَةَ وَنَفَيْتُمُ الْعُلُوَّ وَالْمُبَايَنَةَ، فَكَانَ (٦) قَوْلُكُمْ أَبْعَدَ عَنِ الْمَعْقُولِ وَالْمَنْقُولِ مِنْ قَوْلِنَا، وَقَوْلُنَا أَقْرَبُ مِنْ قَوْلِكُمْ، وَإِنْ كَانَ فِي قَوْلِنَا تَنَاقُضٌ فَالتَّنَاقُضُ فِي قَوْلِكُمْ أَكْثَرُ وَمُخَالَفَتُكُمْ (٧) لِنُصُوصِ الْكِتَابِ وَالسُّنَّةِ وَإِجْمَاعِ سَلَفِ الْأُمَّةِ (٨ أَظْهَرُ، وَهَذَا بَيِّنٌ؛ فَإِنَّ مَا فِي النُّصُوصِ الْإِلَهِيَّةِ وَنُصُوصِ سَلَفِ الْأُمَّةِ ٨) (٨) مِنْ إِثْبَاتِ الصِّفَاتِ وَالرُّؤْيَةِ (٩) وَعُلُوِّ اللَّهِ مُتَوَاتِرٌ (١٠) مُسْتَفِيضٌ. وَالنُّفَاةُ لَا يَسْتَنِدُونَ لَا إِلَى كِتَابٍ وَلَا إِلَى سُنَّةٍ وَلَا إِلَى

(١) أ، ب: يَحْسَبُونَ، وَهُوَ تَحْرِيفٌ. (٢) أ: لَكَ هُنَاكَ حُجَّةً، ب: لَكَ هُنَا حُجَّةً. (٣) ن، م: بِالنَّصِّ الْمُسْتَفِيضِ. (٤) هَذَا: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) فَقَطْ. (٥) ن فَقَطْ: الْخَلْقِ. (٦) ن، م: كَانَ. (٧) ب فَقَطْ: مَعَ مُخَالَفَتِكُمْ. (٨) (٨ - ٨) : سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) . (٩) م: مِنْ إِثْبَاتِ الرُّؤْيَةِ. (١٠) أ، ب: وَعُلُوِّ اللَّهِ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ مُتَوَاتِرٌ.