Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (5/321)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

faith in their hearts, Allah—glorified is He—compared them to propped-up, dry timber that bears no fruit. A [dry] piece of timber, when it [bears no fruit], is not praised (1), even if it is massive. The same applies to outward form in relation to the heart (2). Indeed, outward form may aid faith and righteous action, [just as strength may], along with wealth (3) and other things. Its possessor is praised if he uses it (4) in obedience to Allah and refrains from disobeying Him. He then possesses the beauty that Allah loves, even if he is black; and if he performs the beautiful deeds Allah loves, he likewise possesses the beauty that Allah loves.

The purpose here is to mention what Allah loves and is pleased with. This is what people are rewarded for and through which they enter Paradise. It is well known that the distinction between willing something and loving it exists among human beings and others. A person wills everything he does voluntarily, even though some of it may be hateful and disagreeable to him. He wills it because it is a means to something he loves—just as a sick person willingly takes (5) medicine that he dislikes and that causes him pain, because it is a means to the well-being he loves and to the removal of pains (6) that are even more hateful to him.

The Jahmiyyah and Qadariyyah failed to distinguish between what Allah wills and what He loves only because they do not affirm that Allah loves some created things rather than others, or that He rejoices at the repentance of one who repents. The first person to deny this was al-Ja‘d ibn Dirham, so he was offered as a sacrifice by Khālid ibn

(1) N: “A piece of timber, if it is not praised.” (2) W: “Outward forms in relation to hearts.” (3) N and M: “righteous action and wealth.” (4) N and M: “if he occupies himself with it.” (5) W: “by taking it.” (6) H and B: “from pain.”

قُلُوبِهِمْ إِيمَانٌ، شَبَّهَهُمُ اللَّهُ - سُبْحَانَهُ - بِالْخُشُبِ الْمُسَنَّدَةِ الْيَابِسَةِ الَّتِي لَا تُثْمِرُ، فَالْخَشَبَةُ [الْيَابِسَةُ] إِذَا كَانَتْ [لَا ثَمَرَ فِيهَا] لَا تُمْدَحُ (١) وَلَوْ كَانَتْ عَظِيمَةً، وَهَكَذَا الصُّورَةُ مَعَ الْقَلْبِ (٢) ، نَعَمْ قَدْ تَكُونُ الصُّورَةُ عَوْنًا عَلَى الْإِيمَانِ وَالْعَمَلِ الصَّالِحِ، [كَمَا تَكُونُ الْقُوَّةُ] وَالْمَالُ (٣) وَغَيْرُ ذَلِكَ، فَيُحْمَدُ صَاحِبُهَا إِذَا اسْتَعَانَ بِهَا (٤) فِي طَاعَةِ اللَّهِ وَعَفَّ عَنْ مَعَاصِيهِ، وَيَكُونُ حِينَئِذٍ فِيهِ الْجَمَالُ الَّذِي يُحِبُّهُ اللَّهُ وَلَوْ كَانَ أَسْوَدَ، وَفَعَلَ مَا يُحِبُّهُ اللَّهُ مِنَ الْجَمَالِ كَانَ أَيْضًا فِيهِ الْجَمَالُ الَّذِي يُحِبُّهُ اللَّهُ. وَالْمَقْصُودُ هُنَا ذِكْرُ مَا يُحِبُّهُ اللَّهُ وَيَرْضَاهُ، وَهُوَ الَّذِي يُثَابُ أَصْحَابُهُ عَلَيْهِ وَيَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّةَ. وَمِنَ الْمَعْلُومِ أَنَّ الْفَرْقَ بَيْن مُطْلَقِ الْإِرَادَةِ وَبَيْنَ الْمَحَبَّةِ مَوْجُودٌ فِي النَّاسِ وَغَيْرِهِمْ، فَالْإِنْسَانُ يُرِيدُ كُلَّ مَا يَفْعَلُهُ بِاخْتِيَارِهِ، وَإِنْ كَانَ فِي ذَلِكَ مَا هُوَ بَغِيضٌ إِلَيْهِ مَكْرُوهٌ لَهُ ; يُرِيدُهُ لِأَنَّهُ وَسِيلَةٌ إِلَى مَا هُوَ مَحْبُوبٌ لَهُ، كَمَا يُرِيدُ الْمَرِيضُ تَنَاوُلَ (٥) الدَّوَاءَ الَّذِي يَكْرَهُهُ وَيَتَأَلَّمُ مِنْهُ ; لِأَنَّهُ وَسِيلَةٌ إِلَى مَا يُحِبُّهُ مِنَ الْعَافِيَةِ، وَإِلَى زَوَالِ مَا هُوَ أَبْغَضُ إِلَيْهِ مِنَ الْآلَامِ (٦) . والْجَهْمِيَّةُ وَالْقَدَرِيَّةُ إِنَّمَا لَمْ تُفَرِّقْ بَيْنَ مَا يَشَاؤُهُ وَمَا يُحِبُّهُ ; لِأَنَّهُمْ لَا يُثْبِتُونَ لِلَّهِ مَحَبَّةً لِبَعْضِ الْأُمُورِ الْمَخْلُوقَةِ دُونَ بَعْضٍ، وَفَرَحًا بِتَوْبَةِ التَّائِبِ. وَكَانَ أَوَّلُ مَنْ أَنْكَرَ هَذَا: الْجَعْدُ بْنُ دِرْهَمٍ، فَضَحَّى بِهِ خَالِدُ بْنُ

(١) ن: فَالْخَشَبَةُ إِذَا كَانَتْ لَا تُمْدَحُ. (٢) وَ: الصُّوَرُ مَعَ الْقُلُوبِ. (٣) ن، م: وَالْعَمَلُ الصَّالِحُ وَالْمَالُ. (٤) ن، م: إِذَا اشْتَغَلَ بِهَا. (٥) و: بِتَنَاوُلِهِ. (٦) ح، ب: مِنَ الْأَلَمِ.