Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/347)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

those who affirm it (1), without a face-to-face encounter, is not ordinary vision. Rather, (2) it is a vision whose nature we do not know, just as you affirm the existence of a being (3) whose nature we do not know. Thus, all the repugnant implications and contradictions with which you charge them apply to you to an even greater degree.

The Third Response:

It may be said: The adherents of hadith and the pure Sunnah unanimously affirm that Allah is above and distinct from His creation, and they affirm the vision. Accordingly, whoever affirms one of the two and denies the other is closer to revelation and reason (* than whoever denies them both (4). Thus, the Asharis, who affirm the vision but deny direction, are closer to revelation and reason *) (5) than the Mu'tazilites and the Shia, who deny both.

As for their being closer to revelation, this is because (6) the Quranic verses, hadiths, and reports transmitted from the Companions that indicate Allah’s being above His creation and the vision (7) are too numerous to enumerate. Those who deny the vision and Allah’s being above His creation have no evidence from revelation worthy of mention; they merely claim that their mainstay (8) is reason.

We therefore say:

The position (9) of the inconsistent Asharis is better than that of these people. This is because

(1) Manuscript (N): “Thus, the vision that is affirmed”; manuscript (M): “Thus, the vision affirmed by the one who affirms it.” (2) Manuscript (N): “like,” which is a corruption. (3) Manuscript (N): “just as you affirmed an existent”; manuscript (M): “just as you are existent.” (4) Manuscript (N): “than those who deny them both.” (5) The passage between the two asterisks is omitted only from manuscript (M). (6) Manuscripts (A) and (B): “for indeed.” (7) Manuscripts (A) and (B): “Allah’s being above creation and the vision.” (8) Manuscripts (A) and (B): “that their cause is [reason],” which is a corruption. (9) Manuscripts (N) and (M): “And the position.”

مُثْبِتَةُ الرُّؤْيَةِ (١) بِلَا مُقَابَلَةٍ لَيْسَتْ هِيَ الرُّؤْيَةُ الْمُعْتَادَةُ، بَلْ (٢) هِيَ رُؤْيَةٌ لَا نَعْلَمُ صِفَتَهَا، كَمَا أَثْبَتُّمْ وُجُودَ مَوْجُودٍ (٣) لَا نَعْلَمُ صِفَتَهُ، فَكُلُّ مَا تُلْزِمُونَهُمْ بِهِ مِنَ الشَّنَاعَاتِ وَالْمُنَاقِضَاتِ يَلْزَمُكُمْ أَكْثَرُ مِنْهُ. الْجَوَابُ الثَّالِثُ: أَنْ يُقَالَ: أَهْلُ الْحَدِيثِ وَالسُّنَّةِ الْمَحْضَةِ مُتَّفِقُونَ عَلَى إِثْبَاتِ الْعُلُوِّ وَالْمُبَايَنَةِ وَإِثْبَاتِ الرُّؤْيَةِ، وَحِينَئِذٍ فَمَنْ أَثْبَتَ أَحَدَهُمَا وَنَفَى الْآخَرَ أَقْرَبُ إِلَى الشَّرْعِ وَالْعَقْلِ (* مِمَّنْ نَفَاهُمَا جَمِيعًا (٤) . فَالْأَشْعَرِيَّةُ الَّذِينَ أَثْبَتُوا الرُّؤْيَةَ وَنَفَوُا الْجِهَةَ أَقْرَبُ إِلَى الشَّرْعِ وَالْعَقْلِ *) (٥) مِنَ الْمُعْتَزِلَةِ وَالشِّيعَةِ الَّذِينَ نَفَوْهُمَا. أَمَّا كَوْنُهُمْ أَقْرَبُ إِلَى الشَّرْعِ فَلِأَنَّ (٦) الْآيَاتِ وَالْأَحَادِيثَ وَالْآثَارَ الْمَنْقُولَةَ عَنِ الصَّحَابَةِ فِي دَلَالَتِهَا عَلَى الْعُلُوِّ وَعَلَى الرُّؤْيَةِ (٧) أَعْظَمُ مِنْ أَنْ تُحْصَرَ، وَلَيْسَ مَعَ نُفَاةِ الرُّؤْيَةِ وَالْعُلُوِّ مَا يَصْلُحُ أَنْ يُذْكَرَ مِنَ الْأَدِلَّةِ الشَّرْعِيَّةِ، وَإِنَّمَا يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّ عُمْدَتَهُمُ (٨) الْعَقْلُ. فَنَقُولُ: قَوْلُ (٩) الْأَشْعَرِيَّةِ الْمُتَنَاقِضِينَ خَيْرٌ مِنْ قَوْلِ هَؤُلَاءِ، وَذَلِكَ

(١) ن: فَالرُّؤْيَةُ الَّتِي مُثْبَتَةٌ، م: فَالرُّؤْيَةُ الَّتِي يُثْبِتُهَا مُثْبِتُهَا. (٢) ن: مِثْلُ، وَهُوَ تَحْرِيفٌ. (٣) ن: كَمَا أَثْبَتُّمْ مَوْجُودًا، م: كَمَا أَنْتُمْ مَوْجُودًا. (٤) ن: مِنْ نُفَاتِهِمَا جَمِيعًا. (٥) مَا بَيْنَ النَّجْمَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (م) فَقَطْ. (٦) أ، ب: فَإِنَّ. (٧) أ، ب: الْعُلُوِّ وَالرُّؤْيَةِ. (٨) أ، ب: أَنَّ عِلَّتَهُمْ، وَهُوَ تَحْرِيفٌ. (٩) ن، م: وَقَوْلُ.