Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (4/37)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

This is the assertion of a man steeped in the utmost ignorance, for several reasons:

First: The miracles of the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—were far greater, yet none of his Companions (1) claimed divinity for him.

Second: The miracles of Abraham and Moses were far greater (2), yet no one claimed divinity for either of them (3).

Third: The miracles of our Prophet and [the miracles] of Moses (4) were greater than the Messiah’s miracles, yet divinity was not claimed for either of them as it was claimed (5) for the Messiah.

Fourth: Claims of divinity were made about the Messiah to a much greater extent than about Muhammad, Abraham, and Moses. Yet this indicated neither that he was superior to them (6) nor that his miracles were more astounding.

Fifth: The claim of divinity concerning both of them is a false claim, countered by (7) another false claim: the Jews’ allegation concerning the Messiah and the [claim] of the Kharijites (8) concerning Ali. The Kharijites declared Ali an unbeliever. Thus, if it may be said that divinity was claimed for him only because the apparent grounds for doing so were strong, it may likewise be said that he was accused of unbelief only because the apparent grounds for that accusation were strong. It may also be said that he committed sins which led the Kharijites to declare him an unbeliever on their account.

(1) A and B read: “from the Companions.” (2) “Far greater”: thus in A and B. All other manuscripts read: “greater than him.” (3) A, B, N, W, and H read: “concerning them.” (4) N and M read: “our Prophet and Moses.” (5) B alone reads: “divinity, and it was not claimed…” (6) A and B read: “…this indicated that he was superior…” (7) A and B read: “countered it.” (8) N and M read: “and the Kharijites.”

فَهَذِهِ مَقَالَةُ جَاهِلٍ فِي غَايَةِ الْجَهْلِ لِوُجُوهٍ: أَحَدُهَا: أَنَّ مُعْجِزَاتِ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - أَعْظَمُ بِكَثِيرٍ، وَمَا ادَّعَى فِيهِ أَحَدٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ (١) الْإِلَهِيَّةَ. وَالثَّانِي: أَنَّ مُعْجِزَاتِ الْخَلِيلِ وَمُوسَى أَعْظَمُ بِكَثِيرٍ (٢) وَمَا ادَّعَى أَحَدٌ فِيهِمَا (٣) الْإِلَهِيَّةَ. الثَّالِثُ: أَنَّ مُعْجِزَاتِ نَبِيِّنَا وَ [مُعْجِزَاتِ] مُوسَى (٤) أَعْظَمُ مِنْهُ مُعْجِزَاتُ الْمَسِيحِ، وَمَا ادُّعِيَتْ فِيهِمَا الْإِلَهِيَّةُ كَمَا ادُّعِيَتْ (٥) فِي الْمَسِيحِ. الرَّابِعُ: أَنَّ الْمَسِيحَ ادُّعِيَتْ فِيهِ الْإِلَهِيَّةُ أَعْظَمَ مِمَّا ادُّعِيَتْ فِي مُحَمَّدٍ وَإِبْرَاهِيمَ وَمُوسَى، وَلَمْ يَدُلَّ ذَلِكَ لَا عَلَى أَنَّهُ أَفْضَلُ مِنْهُمْ (٦) وَلَا عَلَى أَنَّ مُعْجِزَاتِهِ أَبْهَرُ. الْخَامِسُ: أَنَّ دَعْوَى الْإِلَهِيَّةِ فِيهِمَا دَعْوَى بَاطِلَةٌ تُقَابِلُهَا (٧) دَعْوَى بَاطِلَةٌ، وَهِيَ دَعْوَى الْيَهُودِ فِي الْمَسِيحِ، وَ [دَعْوَى] الْخَوَارِجِ (٨) فِي عَلِيٍّ، فَإِنَّ الْخَوَارِجَ كَفَّرُوا عَلِيًّا، فَإِنْ جَازَ أَنْ يُقَالَ: إِنَّمَا ادُّعِيَتْ فِيهِ الْإِلَهَيَّةُ لِقُوَّةِ الشُّبْهَةِ. جَازَ أَنْ يُقَالَ: إِنَّمَا ادُّعِيَ فِيهِ الْكُفْرُ لِقُوَّةِ الشُّبْهَةِ. وَجَازَ أَنْ يُقَالَ: صَدَرَتْ مِنْهُ ذُنُوبٌ اقْتَضَتْ أَنْ يُكَفِّرَهُ بِهَا الْخَوَارِجُ.

(١) أ، ب: مِنَ الصَّحَابَةِ. (٢) أَعْظَمُ بِكَثِيرٍ: كَذَا فِي (أ) ، (ب) . وَفِي سَائِرِ النُّسَخِ: أَعْظَمُ مِنْهُ. (٣) أ، ب، ن، و، هـ: فِيهِمُ. (٤) ن، م: نَبِيِّنَا وَمُوسَى. (٥) ب (فَقَطْ) : الْإِلَهِيَّةُ وَمَا ادُّعِيَتْ. . . (٦) أ، ب،:. . . ذَلِكَ عَلَى أَنَّهُ أَفْضَلُ. . (٧) أ، ب: قَابَلَهَا. (٨) ن، م: وَالْخَوَارِجُ.