Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (5/294)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

Anyone who affirms their existence says:

“It cannot be known (1) that they encompass (2) every individual falling under the general expression (3); thus, anyone who is not punished (4) was never included within the wording.”

Those among them who suspend judgment were told:

“According to your position, it is possible that the threatened punishment will not befall anyone among the people of the qiblah. This would render the texts threatening punishment inoperative, leaving none at all—neither specific nor general.”

Our purpose here is not to discuss the issue exhaustively, but merely to present examples of the arguments advanced by both sides. The adherents of the Sunnah and hadith, and the leaders of Islam who follow the Companions, take a middle position between the two groups. They do not maintain that anyone among the people of the qiblah will remain in the Fire forever, as the Khawārij and the Mu'tazilah do. This is because it is established from the Prophet—peace and blessings of Allah be upon him—in authentic hadiths (5) that whoever has an atom’s weight of faith in his heart will emerge from it (6), and that those major sinners from his community for whom our Prophet—peace and blessings of Allah be upon him—intercedes will be brought out of the Fire through his intercession (7).

(1) N and M read: “We do not know.” (2) M reads: “that it encompasses”; N reads: “by interpreting it,” which is a corruption. (3) H and M read: “the world,” which is a corruption. (4) H and R read: “Thus, whoever was not being punished.” (5) H, R, B, and W read: “from.” (6) This hadith appeared previously in this volume, p. 205. (7) Anas ibn Mālik—may Allah be pleased with him—reported that the Prophet—peace and blessings of Allah be upon him—said: “My intercession is for those among my community who commit major sins.” The hadith is recorded in Sunan Abī Dāwūd, 4/325, Book of the Sunnah, Chapter on Intercession; Sunan al-Tirmidhī, 4/45, Book of the Description of the Resurrection, Chapter 11. Al-Tirmidhī said: “A report from Jābir also appears in this chapter. This is a sound, authentic, and uncommon hadith through this chain.” See also al-Musnad, Aleppo edition, 3/213. A hadith with the same meaning is narrated from Jābir ibn Abd Allāh—may Allah be pleased with him—in Sunan al-Tirmidhī, at the location cited above, and Sunan Ibn Mājah, 2/1441, Book of Renunciation, Chapter on the Account of Intercession. See also Sharh al-Aqīda al-Tahāwiyya, ed. Shu'ayb al-Arna'ūt, 1401/1981, pp. 198–200.

وَمَنْ أَثْبَتَهَا قَالَ: لَا يَعْلَمُ (١) تَنَاوُلَهَا (٢) لِكُلِّ فَرْدٍ مِنْ أَفْرَادِ الْعَامِّ (٣) ، فَمَنْ لَمْ يُعَذَّبْ (٤) لَمْ يَكُنِ اللَّفْظُ قَدْ شَمَلَهُ. فَقِيلَ لِلْوَاقِفَةِ مِنْهُمْ: عِنْدَكُمْ يَجُوزُ أَنْ لَا يَحْصُلَ الْوَعِيدُ بِأَحَدٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْقِبْلَةِ، فَيَلْزَمُ تَعْطِيلُ نُصُوصِ الْوَعِيدِ، وَلَا تَبْقَى لَا خَاصَّةٌ وَلَا عَامَّةٌ. وَلَيْسَ مَقْصُودُنَا هُنَا اسْتِيفَاءُ الْكَلَامِ فِي الْمَسْأَلَةِ، وَإِنَّمَا الْغَرَضُ التَّمْثِيلُ بِالْمُنَاظَرَاتِ مِنَ الطَّرَفَيْنِ. وَأَهْلُ السُّنَّةِ وَالْحَدِيثِ، وَأَئِمَّةُ الْإِسْلَامِ الْمُتَّبِعُونَ لِلصَّحَابَةِ، مُتَوَسِّطُونَ بَيْنَ هَؤُلَاءِ وَهَؤُلَاءِ. لَا يَقُولُونَ بِتَخْلِيدِ أَحَدٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْقِبْلَةِ فِي النَّارِ، كَمَا تَقُولُ الْخَوَارِجُ وَالْمُعْتَزِلَةُ. لِمَا ثَبَتَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - فِي (٥) الْأَحَادِيثِ الصَّحِيحَةِ أَنَّهُ يَخْرُجُ مِنْهَا مَنْ كَانَ فِي قَلْبِهِ مِثْقَالُ ذَرَّةٍ مِنْ إِيمَانٍ (٦) وَإِخْرَاجُهُ مِنَ النَّارِ مَنْ يَخْرُجُ بِشَفَاعَةِ نَبِيِّنَا - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - فِيمَنْ يَشْفَعُ لَهُ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكَبَائِرِ مِنْ أُمَّتِهِ (٧) .

(١) ن، م: لَا نَعْلَمُ. (٢) م: بِتَنَاوُلِهَا، ن: بِتَأْوِيلِهَا، وَهُوَ تَحْرِيفٌ. (٣) ح، م: الْعَالَمِ، وَهُوَ تَحْرِيفٌ (٤) ح، ر: فَمَنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ يُعَذَّبُ. (٥) ح، ر، ب، و: مِنَ. (٦) مَضَى هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ مِنْ قَبْلُ فِي هَذَا الْجُزْءِ ص ٢٠٥ (٧) عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ - عَنِ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - قَالَ: (شَفَاعَتِي لِأَهْلِ الْكَبَائِرِ مِنْ أُمَّتِي) وَالْحَدِيثُ فِي سُنَنِ أَبِي دَاوُدَ ٤/٣٢٥ كِتَابُ السُّنَّةِ، بَابُ فِي الشَّفَاعَةِ، سُنَنِ التِّرْمِذِيِّ ٤/٤٥ كِتَابُ صِفَةِ الْقِيَامَةِ، بَابٌ: رَقْمُ ١١ وَقَالَ التِّرْمِذِيُّ: وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ جَابِرٍ، هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ غَرِيبٌ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ، " الْمُسْنَدِ " (ط. الْحَلَبِيِّ) ٣/٢١٣ وَالْحَدِيثُ بِمَعْنَاهُ عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ - فِي: سُنَنِ التِّرْمِذِيِّ (فِي الْمَوْضِعِ السَّابِقِ) ، سُنَنِ ابْنِ مَاجَهْ ٢/١٤٤١ كِتَابُ الزُّهْدِ، بَابُ ذِكْرِ الشَّفَاعَةِ، وَانْظُرْ شَرْحَ الْعَقِيدَةِ الطَّحَاوِيَّةِ تَحْقِيقُ شُعَيْب الْأَرْنَؤُوط ١٤٠١/١٩٨١ ص ١٩٨ - ٢٠٠