Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (5/275)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

Were I to recount what I know of this, I would name a great many people, making no exception for anyone among the adherents of religious innovation (1): neither those renowned for major innovations, such as the Mutazilīs, Rāfidīs, and the like, nor those affiliated with the Sunnah and the Muslim community, such as the Karrāmīs, Asharīs, Sālimīs, and the like.

The same applies to those from the four legal schools and others who wrote along their lines. I have seen all of this in their books. It is present in their discussions of the divine attributes, the Quran, predestination, designations and rulings, faith (2) and Islam, the divine promise and threat, and other matters.

We have discussed this at length (3) in several passages of works of ours other than this book (4), including Averting the Conflict between Reason and Revelation and others. Among the most comprehensive books I have seen on the doctrines of those who differ over the foundations of religion (5) is the book of Abu al-Hasan al-Asharī. In it, he records doctrines and their details (6) that no one else has recorded, and he presents the position of the people of hadith and Sunnah according to his understanding of them. No other work of its kind comes closer to their position. Yet even so, the very position set forth in the Book and the Sunnah and upheld by the Companions (7) and those who faithfully followed them—regarding the Quran, seeing Allah (8),

(1) W reads: “from among the practitioners of kalām (speculative theology).” (2) A and B read: “the names and rulings of faith,” which is a textual corruption. (3) W reads: “This matter has been discussed at length.” (4) H and B read: “in more than one place in our other books”; W reads: “in places other than this.” In W, the text from this point through the words “Among the most comprehensive books” is omitted. (5) N reads: “concerning the doctrines of the various people.” (6) H and B read: “and their detailed exposition.” (7) W reads: “The Companions said.” (8) B alone adds: “and concerning the vision.”

وَلَوْ ذَكَرْتُ مَا أَعْرِفُهُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ لَذَكَرْتُ خَلْقًا، وَلَا اسْتَثْنِي أَحَدًا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْبِدَعِ (١) : لَا مِنَ الْمَشْهُورِينَ بِالْبِدَعِ الْكِبَارِ مِنْ مُعْتَزِلِيٍّ وَرَافِضِيٍّ وَنَحْوِ ذَلِكَ، وَلَا مِنَ الْمُنْتَسِبِينَ إِلَى السُّنَّةِ وَالْجَمَاعَةِ مِنْ كَرَّامِيٍّ وَأَشْعَرِيٍّ وَسَالِمِيٍّ وَنَحْوِ ذَلِكَ. وَكَذَلِكَ مَنْ صَنَّفَ عَلَى طَرِيقِهِمْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْمَذَاهِبِ الْأَرْبَعَةِ وَغَيْرِهَا. هَذَا كُلُّهُ رَأَيْتُهُ فِي كُتُبِهِمْ، وَهَذَا مَوْجُودٌ فِي بَحْثِهِمْ فِي مَسَائِلِ الصِّفَاتِ، وَالْقُرْآنِ، وَمَسَائِلِ الْقَدَرِ، وَمَسَائِلِ الْأَسْمَاءِ وَالْأَحْكَامِ، وَالْإِيمَانِ (٢) وَالْإِسْلَامِ، وَمَسَائِلِ الْوَعْدِ وَالْوَعِيدِ، وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ. وَقَدْ بَسَطْنَا الْكَلَامَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ (٣) فِي مَوَاضِعَ مِنْ كُتُبِنَا غَيْرِ هَذَا الْكِتَابِ (٤) " دَرْءِ تَعَارُضِ الْعَقْلِ وَالنَّقْلِ " وَغَيْرِهِ. وَمِنْ أَجْمَعِ الْكُتُبِ الَّتِي رَأَيْتُهَا فِي مَقَالَاتِ النَّاسِ الْمُخْتَلِفِينَ (٥) فِي أُصُولِ الدِّينِ كِتَابُ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الْأَشْعَرِيِّ، وَقَدْ ذَكَرَ فِيهِ مِنَ الْمَقَالَاتِ وَتَفَاصِيلِهَا (٦) مَا لَمْ يَذْكُرْهُ غَيْرُهُ، وَذَكَرَ فِيهِ مَذْهَبَ أَهْلِ الْحَدِيثِ وَالسُّنَّةِ بِحَسْبِ مَا فَهِمَهُ عَنْهُمْ. وَلَيْسَ فِي جِنْسِهِ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِمْ مِنْهُ، وَمَعَ هَذَا نَفْسُ الْقَوْلِ الَّذِي جَاءَ بِهِ الْكِتَابُ وَالسُّنَّةُ، وَقَالَ بِهِ الصَّحَابَةُ (٧) وَالتَّابِعُونَ لَهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ: فِي الْقُرْآنِ، وَالرُّؤْيَةِ (٨) ،

(١) وَ: مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكَلَامِ. (٢) أ، ب: الْأَسْمَاءِ وَأَحْكَامِ الْإِيمَانِ، وَهُوَ تَحْرِيفٌ. (٣) و: وَقَدْ بُسِطَ الْكَلَامُ فِي ذَلِكَ. (٤) ح، ب: فِي غَيْرِ مَوْضِعٍ فِي كُتُبِنَا غَيْرِ هَذَا الْكِتَابِ، و: فِي مَوَاضِعَ غَيْرِ هَذَا، وَسَقَطَ الْكَلَامُ فِي (و) ، بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ: وَمِنْ أَجْمَعِ الْكُتُبِ. (٥) ن: فِي الْمَقَالَاتِ لِلنَّاسِ الْمُخْتَلِفِينَ. (٦) ح، ب: وَتَفْصِيلِهَا. (٧) و: وَقَالَتِ الصَّحَابَةُ. (٨) ب فَقَطْ: وَفِي الرُّؤْيَةِ.