Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (5/327)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

For such a response is [only] (1) made among those engaged in debate (2). As for the Lord of the worlds, there is no one except [one who] (3) acknowledges His bounty and beneficence.

It may then be said: The pursuit of what is more pleasurable has resulted in such misery for most people that it would have been better for them to have been created in Paradise from the outset without this greater pleasure. Moreover, He is capable of creating immense pleasures—and other answers of this kind may be given.

If he belongs to the Murji’ah, whose faith in the threat of punishment is weak, his soul plunges unchecked into forbidden acts and the neglect of obligations until he becomes one of the worst of creation. This is in contrast to one who has tasted the sweetness of faith through loving Allah and knowing that He loves acts of worship; that He loves some deeds and people while hating other deeds and people; that He is pleased with some and angry with others; and that He rejoices at the repentance of those who repent, along with the other things reported by the Messenger (4). For this is the Islam through which the servant testifies, “There is no god but Allah.”

Whoever does not affirm this distinction has not taken Allah as the One whom he worships and loves. Rather, he merely testifies (5), “There is no Lord but Him.” The polytheists acknowledged this testimony; they did not testify, “There is no god but Allah” (6). The messengers—peace and blessings be upon them—were sent to affirm Allah’s exclusive right to worship, which entails affirming His exclusive lordship.

[As for affirming His exclusive lordship] (7) in isolation, the polytheists acknowledged (8) that Allah (9) alone (10) is the Creator of the heavens and the earth, as Allah has stated concerning them [in

(1) “Only”: added in B alone. (2) B alone: “among those debating one another.” (3) “And he is”: omitted from N. (4) N: “among that which he brought.” (5) “He merely testifies”: thus in H and B; all other manuscripts read: “he merely testified.” (6) W: “except Him.” (7) The text within square brackets is omitted from N. (8) H and R: “believed.” (9) N: “in Allah.” (10) “Alone”: omitted from W.

فَإِنَّ هَذَا [إِنَّمَا] (١) يُقَالُ فِي الْمُنَاظِرِينَ (٢) ، وَأَمَّا رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ فَلَا أَحَدَ إِلَّا [وَهُوَ] (٣) مُقِرٌّ بِفَضْلِهِ وَإِحْسَانِهِ، ثُمَّ يُقَالُ: قَدْ حَصَلَ بِطَلَبِ الْأَلَذِّ مِنْ شَقَاوَةِ الْأَكْثَرِينَ، مَا كَانَ خَلْقُهُمْ فِي الْجَنَّةِ ابْتِدَاءً بِلَا هَذَا الْأَلَذِّ أَجْوَدَ لَهُمْ، وَهُوَ قَادِرٌ عَلَى خَلْقِ لَذَّاتٍ عَظِيمَةٍ، إِلَى أَمْثَالِ هَذِهِ الْأَجْوِبَةِ. وَإِنْ كَانَ مِنَ الْمُرْجِئَةِ، الَّذِينَ إِيمَانُهُمْ بِالْوَعِيدِ ضَعِيفٌ، اسْتَرْسَلَتْ نَفْسُهُ فِي الْمُحَرَّمَاتِ وَتَرْكِ الْوَاجِبَاتِ، حَتَّى يَكُونَ مِنْ شَرِّ الْخَلْقِ. بِخِلَافِ مَنْ وَجَدَ حَلَاوَةَ الْإِيمَانِ بِمَحَبَّةِ اللَّهِ، وَعِلْمِهِ بِأَنَّهُ يُحِبُّ الْعِبَادَاتِ، وَأَنَّهُ يُحِبُّ أَفْعَالًا وَأَشْخَاصًا، وَيُبْغِضُ أَفْعَالًا وَأَشْخَاصًا، وَيَرْضَى عَنْ هَؤُلَاءِ، وَيَغْضَبُ عَلَى هَؤُلَاءِ، وَيَفْرَحُ بِتَوْبَةِ التَّائِبِينَ، إِلَى غَيْرِ ذَلِكَ مِمَّا أَخْبَرَ بِهِ (٤) الرَّسُولُ، فَإِنَّ هَذَا هُوَ الْإِسْلَامُ الَّذِي بِهِ يَشْهَدُ الْعَبْدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ. وَمَنْ لَمْ يَقُلْ بِالْفَرْقِ، فَلَمْ يَجْعَلِ اللَّهَ مَعْبُودًا مَحْبُوبًا، فَإِنَّمَا يَشْهَدُ (٥) أَنْ لَا رَبَّ إِلَّا هُوَ، وَالْمُشْرِكُونَ كَانُوا يُقِرُّونَ بِهَذِهِ الشَّهَادَةِ، لَمْ يَشْهَدُوا أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ (٦) ، وَالرُّسُلُ - عَلَيْهِمُ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ - بُعِثُوا بِتَوْحِيدِ الْأُلُوهِيَّةِ، الْمُتَضَمِّنُ تَوْحِيدَ الرُّبُوبِيَّةِ. [وَأَمَّا تَوْحِيدُ الرُّبُوبِيَّةِ] (٧) مُجَرَّدًا، فَقَدْ كَانَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ يُقِرُّونَ (٨) بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ (٩) وَحْدَهُ (١٠) خَالِقُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ، كَمَا أَخْبَرَ اللَّهُ بِذَلِكَ عَنْهُمْ [فِي

(١) إِنَّمَا: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (ب) فَقَطْ. (٢) ب فَقَطْ: فِي الْمُتَنَاظِرِينِ. (٣) وَهُوَ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) . (٤) ن: مِمَّا جَاءَ بِهِ. (٥) فَإِنَّمَا يَشْهَدُ: كَذَا فِي (ح) ، (ب) ، وَفِي سَائِرِ النُّسَخِ: فَإِنَّمَا شَهِدَ. (٦) و: إِلَّا هُوَ. (٧) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) . (٨) ح، ر: يُؤْمِنُونَ. (٩) ن: بِاللَّهِ. (١٠) وَحْدَهُ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (و) .