Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (5/369)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

remains in the manner commanded [him] (1), witnessing that the Real is the One who brings everything besides Him into being through the causes He has brought into being and for the wise purposes He intended, then this is true. But if he means (2), “I never witness any created thing at all; I witness only the Eternal,” this is a deficiency in faith, the affirmation of divine oneness, and spiritual realization. It stems from ignorance and misguidance, though the servant is excused if it overwhelms his heart. As for regarding this as something (3) Allah and His Messenger commanded, that is contrary to the Quran, the Sunnah, and scholarly consensus.

Since this is what they mean, he said (4):

“This is the elect’s affirmation of divine oneness, which is made sound through knowledge of annihilation, purified through knowledge of comprehensive unity, and draws one toward the affirmation of divine oneness attained by the masters of comprehensive unity.”

What is meant by comprehensive unity is witnessing (5) all things as collectively encompassed by the Lord’s creation and will, and as proceeding from His will, without preferring (6) one instance over another. One consequently makes no distinction between what is commanded and what is forbidden, between good and evil, or between [Allah’s] allies and His enemies (7).

Confining oneself to this comprehensive unity is precisely what Junayd and other leading authorities on the path of the people devoted to Allah—the people of truth—(8) condemned. They enjoined the second distinction: witnessing (9), alongside this comprehensive unity, that the Lord distinguished between what He commanded and what He prohibited, and therefore loved the former,

(1) The word bihi (in it) is added in (H), (R), (B), and (Y). (2) (W) reads: “and if it is meant.” (3) (H) reads: “what.” (4) That is, al-Ansārī al-Harawī; these are his words cited previously. (5) (H), (R), and (Y) read: “that you witness.” (6) (H), (R), and (Y) read: “through a will that gives preference.” (7) (N), (M), and (W) read: “and allies and enemies.” (8) (B) alone reads: “the people of spiritual realization.” (9) (H), (R), and (Y) read: “that you witness.”

يَبْقَى عَلَى الْوَجْهِ الْمَأْمُورِ [بِهِ] (١) بِحَيْثُ يَشْهَدُ أَنَّ الْحَقَّ هُوَ الْمُحْدِثُ لِكُلِّ مَا سِوَاهُ بِمَا أَحْدَثَهُ مِنَ الْأَسْبَابِ، وَلِمَا أَرَادَهُ مِنَ الْحِكْمَةِ، فَهَذَا حَقٌّ. وَإِنْ أَرَادَ (٢) أَنِّي لَا أَشْهَدُ قَطُّ مَخْلُوقًا، بَلْ لَا أَشْهَدُ إِلَّا الْقَدِيمَ فَقَطْ ; فَهَذَا نَقْصٌ فِي الْإِيمَانِ وَالتَّوْحِيدِ وَالتَّحْقِيقِ، وَهَذَا مِنْ بَابِ الْجَهْلِ وَالضَّلَالِ، وَهَذَا إِذَا غَلَبَ عَلَى قَلْبِ الْعَبْدِ كَانَ مَعْذُورًا. أَمَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ هَذَا مِمَّا (٣) أَمَرَ اللَّهُ بِهِ وَرَسُولُهُ ; فَهَذَا خِلَافُ الْكِتَابِ وَالسُّنَّةِ وَالْإِجْمَاعِ. وَلَمَّا كَانَ هَذَا مُرَادَهُمْ قَالَ (٤) : " هَذَا تَوْحِيدُ الْخَاصَّةِ، الَّذِي يَصِحُّ بِعِلْمِ الْفَنَاءِ، وَيَصْفُو فِي عِلْمِ الْجَمْعِ، وَيَجْذِبُ إِلَى تَوْحِيدِ أَرْبَابِ الْجَمْعِ " ، فَإِنَّ الْمُرَادَ بِالْجَمْعِ أَنْ يَشْهَدَ (٥) الْأَشْيَاءَ كُلَّهَا مُجْتَمِعَةً فِي خَلْقِ الرَّبِّ وَمَشِيئَتِهِ، وَأَنَّهَا صَادِرَةٌ بِإِرَادَتِهِ، لَا يُرَجِّحُ (٦) مَثَلًا عَنْ مَثَلٍ، فَلَا يُفَرِّقُ بَيْن مَأْمُورٍ وَمَحْظُورٍ، وَحَسَنٍ وَقَبِيحٍ، وَأَوْلِيَاءِ [اللَّهِ] وَأَعْدَائِهِ (٧) . وَالْوُقُوفُ عِنْدَ هَذَا الْجَمْعِ هُوَ الَّذِي أَنْكَرَهُ الْجُنَيْدُ وَغَيْرُهُ مِنْ أَئِمَّةِ طَرِيقِ أَهْلِ اللَّهِ أَهْلِ الْحَقِّ (٨) ; فَإِنَّهُمْ أَمَرُوا بِالْفَرْقِ الثَّانِي، وَهُوَ أَنْ يَشْهَدَ (٩) مَعَ هَذَا الْجَمْعِ أَنَّ الرَّبَّ فَرَّقَ بَيْنَ مَا أَمَرَ بِهِ وَبَيْنَ مَا نَهَى عَنْهُ، فَأَحَبَّ هَذَا،

(١) بِهِ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (ح) ، (ر) ، (ب) ، (ي) . (٢) و: وَإِنْ أُرِيدَ. (٣) ح: لِمَا. (٤) أَيِ: الْأَنْصَارِيُّ الْهَرَوِيُّ، وَهُوَ كَلَامُهُ الَّذِي سَبَقَ مِنْ قَبْلُ. (٥) ح، ر، ي: أَنْ تَشْهَدَ. (٦) ح، ر، ي: بِإِرَادَةٍ تُرَجِّحُ. (٧) ن، م، و: وَأَوْلِيَاءَ وَأَعْدَاءٍ. (٨) ب فَقَطْ: أَهْلِ التَّحْقِيقِ. (٩) ح، ر، ي: أَنْ تَشْهَدَ.