Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/349)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

The Fourth Response:

The Asharites say (1): “Allah is capable of creating in our very presence bodies that we do not see and sounds that we do not hear, and of enabling us to see what is far away from us.” They do not say, “This is actually occurring.” Rather, they say, “Allah is capable of it.” Their affirmation that Allah is capable of something does not mean that they are uncertain whether it is actually occurring. Indeed, they know that this is not occurring (2) now. To allow that something could occur is not the same as doubting whether it is occurring.

This narrator’s wording implies that they allow for such things to exist now without our seeing them. No rational person would say this. However, it was put to them by way of forcing them to accept the logical consequence of their position. It was said [to them] (3): “If you deem it possible to see Him without His being in any direction, then you must deem this possible as well.” They replied, “Yes, we deem it possible.”

Likewise, they say, “Seeing Allah is possible in this world,” meaning that He is capable of causing us to see Him. Nevertheless, they know that no human being sees Allah in this world, apart from the disputed question of whether the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—saw his Lord. Whoever among them is uncertain whether the vision occurs in this world is so only because of his ignorance (4) of the evidence negating it.

Al-Asharī mentioned two opinions as to whether anyone other than the Prophet—may Allah Most High bless him and grant him peace—has actually seen Allah with their eyes in this world. However, the position held by all of Ahl al-Sunnah, without exception (5), is that no one has seen Allah with his own eyes (6) in this world.

Imam Ahmad (7) and others reported the Salaf’s consensus on this

(1) Manuscripts (N) and (M): “They say.” (2) Manuscripts (A) and (B): “It does not occur.” (3) The phrase “for them” is omitted from manuscripts (N) and (M). (4) Manuscripts (A) and (B): “Thus, because of their ignorance.” (5) The word “unanimously” is omitted from manuscripts (N) and (M). (6) The phrase “with his own eyes” is omitted from manuscripts (N) and (M). (7) Manuscripts (N) and (M): “And Ahmad mentioned.”

الْجَوَابُ الرَّابِعُ: أَنَّ الْأَشْعَرِيَّةَ تَقُولُ (١) : إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَادِرٌ عَلَى أَنْ يَخْلُقَ بِحَضْرَتِنَا مَا لَا نَرَاهُ وَلَا نَسْمَعُهُ مِنَ الْأَجْسَامِ وَالْأَصْوَاتِ، وَأَنْ يُرِيَنَا مَا بَعُدَ مِنَّا، لَا يَقُولُونَ: إِنَّ هَذَا وَاقِعٌ، بَلْ يَقُولُونَ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَادِرٌ عَلَيْهِ وَلَيْسَ كُلُّ مَا كَانَ قَادِرًا عَلَيْهِ يَشُكُّونَ فِي وُقُوعِهِ، بَلْ يَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ هَذَا لَيْسَ وَاقِعًا (٢) الْآنَ، وَتَجْوِيزُ الْوُقُوعِ غَيْرُ الشَّكِّ فِي الْوُقُوعِ. وَعِبَارَةُ هَذَا النَّاقِلِ تَقْتَضِي أَنَّهُمْ يُجَوِّزُونَ أَنْ يَكُونَ هَذَا الْآنَ مَوْجُودًا وَنَحْنُ لَا نَرَاهُ، وَهَذَا لَا يَقُولُهُ عَاقِلٌ، وَلَكِنَّ هَذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ بِطَرِيقِ الْإِلْزَامِ. قِيلَ [لَهُمْ] (٣) : إِذَا جَوَّزْتُمُ الرُّؤْيَةَ فِي غَيْرِ جِهَةٍ، فَجَوِّزُوا هَذَا. فَقَالُوا: نَعَمْ نُجَوِّزُ. كَمَا أَنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ: رُؤْيَةُ اللَّهِ جَائِزَةٌ فِي الدُّنْيَا، أَيْ: هُوَ قَادِرٌ عَلَى أَنْ يُرِنَا نَفْسَهُ، وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ مَعَ هَذَا أَنَّ أَحَدًا مِنَ النَّاسِ لَا يَرَى اللَّهَ فِي الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَا تُنُوزِعَ فِيهِ مِنْ رُؤْيَةِ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - رَبَّهُ، وَمَنْ شَكَّ مِنْهُمْ فِي وُقُوعِ الرُّؤْيَةِ فِي الدُّنْيَا فَلِجَهْلِهِ (٤) بِالْأَدِلَّةِ النَّافِيَةِ لِذَلِكَ. وَقَدْ ذَكَرَ الْأَشْعَرِيُّ فِي وُقُوعِ الرُّؤْيَةِ بِالْأَبْصَارِ فِي الدُّنْيَا لِغَيْرِ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - قَوْلَيْنِ؛ لَكِنَّ الَّذِي عَلَيْهِ أَهْلُ السُّنَّةِ قَاطِبَةً (٥) أَنَّ اللَّهَ لَمْ يَرَهُ أَحَدٌ بِعَيْنَيْهِ (٦) فِي الدُّنْيَا. وَقَدْ ذَكَرَ الْإِمَامُ أَحْمَدُ (٧) وَغَيْرُهُ اتِّفَاقَ السَّلَفِ عَلَى هَذَا

(١) ن، م: يَقُولُونَ. (٢) أ، ب: لَيْسَ بِوَاقِعٍ. (٣) لَهُمْ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٤) أ، ب: فَلِجَهْلِهِمْ. (٥) قَاطِبَةً: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٦) بِعَيْنَيْهِ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٧) ن، م: وَذَكَرَ أَحْمَدُ.