Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/362)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

The philosophers against whom (1) you claimed to be arguing by this method gained the upper hand (2) over you through that very method and concluded that you had contradicted (3) the plain dictates of reason. The philosophers are more ignorant than you of revelation [and of reason in theological matters. Yet, because they assumed that what you had put forward represented revelation, while they saw that it contradicted reason, they became even farther removed than you from both revelation and reason] (4). Yet (5) they countered you with rational proofs—and even revealed ones—which exposed (6) your inability, in this area, to explain what the correct position truly is.

This only increased their own misguidance and strengthened their ascendancy over you. Had you instead followed, in dealing with them, the path (7) of those who understand the true nature of reason and revelation, it would have better enabled you to prevail and would have conformed more closely to what the Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—brought (8). But you were like someone who fights unbelievers by means of a form of lying and aggression and gives them the impression (9) that this forms part of the very essence of faith. What those unbelievers came to know of these people’s lies and aggression therefore gave them grounds to impugn the faith that these people claimed to possess. When those unbelievers then encountered this same kind of deception and scheming in matters of rule (10), leadership, and wealth, they followed

(1) “Against them” is omitted from manuscript (A). (2) Manuscripts (A) and (B): “were given power.” (3) Manuscript (A): “you should contradict”; manuscript (B): “you contradict.” (4) The passage in square brackets is omitted from manuscripts (N) and (M). (5) Manuscripts (A) and (B): “but.” (6) Manuscripts (N) and (M): “and became apparent.” (7) Manuscripts (A) and (B): “the method.” (8) “May Allah bless him and grant him peace” is an addition in manuscripts (A) and (B). (9) Manuscripts (A) and (B): “and it gave them the impression.” (10) Manuscript (N): “When they saw that it was present in matters of rule”; manuscript (M): “When they saw in matters of rule.”

وَالْفَلَاسِفَةُ الَّذِينَ زَعَمْتُمْ أَنَّكُمْ تَحْتَجُّونَ عَلَيْهِمْ (١) بِهَذِهِ الطَّرِيقِ تَسَلَّطُوا (٢) عَلَيْكُمْ بِهَا، وَرَأَوْا أَنَّكُمْ خَالَفْتُمْ (٣) صَرِيحَ الْعَقْلِ. وَالْفَلَاسِفَةُ أَجْهَلُ مِنْكُمْ بِالشَّرْعِ [وَالْعَقْلِ فِي الْإِلَهِيَّاتِ، لَكِنْ لَمَّا ظَنُّوا أَنَّ مَا جِئْتُمْ بِهِ هُوَ الشَّرْعُ، وَقَدْ رَأَوْهُ يُخَالِفُ الْعَقْلَ - صَارُوا أَبْعَدَ عَنِ الشَّرْعِ وَالْعَقْلِ مِنْكُمْ] (٤) لَكِنْ (٥) عَارَضُوكُمْ بِأَدِلَّةٍ عَقْلِيَّةٍ - بَلْ وَشَرْعِيَّةٍ - ظَهَرَ (٦) بِهَا عَجْزُكُمْ فِي هَذَا الْبَابِ عَنْ بَيَانِ حَقِيقَةِ الصَّوَابِ. وَكَانَ ذَلِكَ مِمَّا زَادَهُمْ ضَلَالًا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَتَسَلُّطًا عَلَيْكُمْ، وَلَوْ سَلَكْتُمْ مَعَهُمْ طَرِيقَ (٧) الْعَارِفِينَ بِحَقِيقَةِ الْمَعْقُولِ وَالْمَنْقُولِ، لَكَانَ ذَلِكَ أَنْصَرُ لَكُمْ وَأَتْبَعُ لِمَا جَاءَ بِهِ الرَّسُولُ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - (٨) وَلَكِنَّكُمْ كُنْتُمْ بِمَنْزِلَةِ مَنْ جَاهَدَ الْكُفَّارَ بِنَوْعٍ مِنَ الْكَذِبِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ، وَأَوْهَمَهُمْ (٩) أَنَّ هَذَا يَدْخُلُ فِي حَقِيقَةِ الْإِيمَانِ، فَصَارَ مَا عَرَفَهُ أُولَئِكَ مِنْ كَذِبِ هَؤُلَاءِ وَعُدْوَانِهِمْ مِمَّا يُوجِبُ الْقَدْحَ فِيمَا ادَّعَوْهُ مِنْ إِيمَانِهِمْ، وَلَمَّا رَأَى أُولَئِكَ فِي الْمُلْكِ (١٠) وَالرِّيَاسَةِ وَالْمَالِ، مِنْ جِنْسِ هَذِهِ الْمُخَادَعَةِ وَالْمَحَالِ - سَلَكُوا

(١) عَلَيْهِمْ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) . (٢) أ، ب: سُلِّطُوا. (٣) أ: تُخَالِفُوا، ب: تُخَالِفُونَ. (٤) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٥) أ، ب: وَلَكِنْ. (٦) ن، م: وَظَهَرَ. (٧) أ، ب: طَرِيقَةَ. (٨) صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (أ) ، (ب) . (٩) أ، ب: وَأَوْهَمَتْهُمْ. (١٠) ن: وَلَمَّا رَأَوْا أَنَّهُ فِي الْمُلْكِ، م: وَلَمَّا رَأَوْا فِي الْمُلْكِ.