Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/400)

This resembles the case of many ascetics who require a shaykh to know matters that scarcely any human being knows, thereby ascribing to the shaykh qualities like those the Imāmiyya ascribe to the infallible Imam. Yet the ultimate outcome (1) for the former is to follow (2) an ignorant or unjust shaykh (3), while the latter follow a ruler who is unjust or (4) ignorant. This is like a man who became hungry and said that he would not eat (5) any of the town’s food (6) until he obtained food like that eaten by the people of Paradise (7). He then went out into the wilderness, where he could obtain nothing but animal fodder. Thus, while demanding food like that of Paradise, he ended up with fodder for beasts, such as herbage growing on (8) common land. Likewise, anyone who goes to excess in asceticism and scrupulousness until he departs from the bounds of moderation prescribed by the Sacred Law will ultimately fall into corrupt desires and transgress sacred prohibitions, as has been observed and borne out by experience.

[Chapter: The Rāfidī’s Criticism of Ahl al-Sunna for Upholding Analogical Reasoning and Following Opinion, and the Response to It]

Chapter.

The Rāfidī (9) said: “They all adopted analogical reasoning and followed personal opinion, thereby introducing into Allah’s religion what does not belong to it,

(1) (A): “the ultimate outcome”; (B): “Thus, the ultimate outcome.” (2) (W): “this following.” (3) (A) and (B): “unjust or ignorant.” (4) “Or” is absent from (N), (A), and (B). (5) (A) and (B): “I will not eat.” (6) (N) and (M): “the town.” (7) (N): “the town’s food”; (M) and (W): “the food of Paradise.” (8) (N): “from.” (9) In (K), p. 93: (M).

مِثْلُ كَثِيرٍ مِنَ النُّسَّاكِ الَّذِينَ يَشْتَرِطُونَ فِي الشَّيْخِ أَنْ يَعْلَمَ أُمُورًا لَا يَكَادُ يَعْلَمُهَا أَحَدٌ مِنَ الْبَشَرِ، فَيَصِفُونَ الشَّيْخَ بِصِفَاتٍ مِنْ جِنْسِ صِفَاتِ الْمَعْصُومِ عِنْدَ الْإِمَامِيَّةِ. ثُمَّ مُنْتَهَى (١) هَؤُلَاءِ اتِّبَاعُ (٢) شَيْخٍ جَاهِلٍ أَوْ ظَالِمٍ (٣) ، وَاتِّبَاعُ هَؤُلَاءِ لِمُتَوَلٍّ ظَالِمٍ أَوْ (٤) جَاهِلٍ مِثْلِ الَّذِي جَاعَ وَقَالَ: لَا يَأْكُلُ (٥) مِنْ طَعَامِ الْبَلَدِ (٦) حَتَّى يَحْصُلَ لَهُ مِثْلُ طَعَامِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ (٧) ، فَخَرَجَ إِلَى الْبَرِّيَّةِ فَصَارَ لَا يَحْصُلُ لَهُ إِلَّا عَلَفُ الْبَهَائِمِ، فَبَيْنَا هُوَ يَدْعُو إِلَى مَثَلِ طَعَامِ الْجَنَّةِ، انْتَهَى أَمْرُهُ إِلَى عَلَفِ الدَّوَابِّ كَالْكَلَأِ النَّابِتِ فِي (٨) الْمُبَاحَاتِ. وَهَكَذَا مَنْ غَلَا فِي الزُّهْدِ وَالْوَرَعِ حَتَّى خَرَجَ عَنْ حَدِّ الْعَدْلِ الشَّرْعِيِّ، يَنْتَهِي أَمْرُهُ إِلَى الرَّغْبَةِ الْفَاسِدَةِ وَانْتِهَاكِ الْمَحَارِمِ، كَمَا قَدْ رُؤِيَ ذَلِكَ وَجُرِّبَ. [فصل كلام الرافضي على قول أهل السنة بالقياس وأخذهم بالرأي والرد عليه] فَصْلٌ. قَالَ الرَّافِضِيُّ (٩) : وَذَهَبَ الْجَمِيعُ مِنْهُمْ إِلَى الْقَوْلِ بِالْقِيَاسِ وَالْأَخْذِ بِالرَّأْيِ، فَأَدْخَلُوا فِي دِينِ اللَّهِ مَا لَيْسَ مِنْهُ،

(١) أ: مُنْتَهَى، ب: فَمُنْتَهَى. (٢) و: هَذَا الِاتِّبَاعُ. (٣) أ، ب: ظَالِمٍ أَوْ جَاهِلٍ. (٤) أَوْ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (أ) ، (ب) . (٥) أ، ب: لَا آكُلُ. (٦) ن، م: الْبَلْدَةِ. (٧) ن: طَعَامِ الْبَلْدَةِ، م، و: طَعَامِ الْجَنَّةِ. (٨) ن: مِنَ. (٩) فِي (ك) ص ٩٣ (م) .