Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

“Evil is not attributed to You”—on the assumption that “evil” refers to what is created.

Created evil is [never] (1) attributed to Allah in isolation from good. Rather, it is mentioned in one of three ways: either by attributing it to a created thing, as in His words:

“From the evil of what He created.”

[Surah al-Falaq: 2]

Or by omitting the agent, as in His words, Most High:

“We do not know whether evil is intended for those on earth, or whether their Lord intends guidance for them.”

[Surah al-Jinn: 10]

An example of this occurs in al-Fātiha:

“The path of those You have blessed—not those upon whom wrath has fallen, nor those who have gone astray.”

[Surah al-Fātiha: 7]

Thus, He attributed the bestowal of blessings to Himself, mentioned wrath with its agent omitted, and attributed going astray to the servant.

Likewise are His words:

“And when I fall ill, it is He who heals me.”

[Surah al-Shu'arā’: 80]

Or evil may be included within a general statement, as in His words:

“Creator of all things.”

[Surah al-An'ām: 102]

For this reason, when evil is mentioned by its specific name, it is paired with good, as with these among His Most Beautiful Names: the One Who Causes Harm and the One Who Brings Benefit; the Giver and the Withholder; [the One Who Lowers and the One Who Raises; the One Who Grants Honor and the One Who Brings Humiliation. He therefore combined (2) each pair of names because of the universality (3) and comprehensiveness thereby conveyed, which indicate His oneness and that He alone does all these things. For this reason, He is not invoked by only one of a pair—such as the One Who Causes Harm and the One Who Brings Benefit, or the One Who Lowers and the One Who Raises—but both are mentioned together] (4). Thus, every blessing from Him is grace, and every punishment from Him is justice.

(1) The word “never” is added in W. (2) W and M read: “and thus He combines.” (3) “Because of the universality it contains”: this is the reading in B alone. All the other manuscripts read: “because of what is inherent in universality.” (4) The words in square brackets are absent from N.
لَا يُضَافُ إِلَيْكَ بِنَاءً عَلَى أَنَّهُ الْمَخْلُوقُ. وَالشَّرُّ الْمَخْلُوقُ لَا يُضَافُ إِلَى اللَّهِ مُجَرَّدًا عَنِ الْخَيْرِ [قَطُّ] (١) ، وَإِنَّمَا يُذْكَرُ عَلَى أَحَدِ وُجُوهٍ ثَلَاثَةٍ: إِمَّا مَعَ إِضَافَتِهِ إِلَى الْمَخْلُوقِ، كَقَوْلِهِ: {مِنْ شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ} [سُورَةُ الْفَلَقِ: ٢] ، وَإِمَّا مَعَ حَذْفِ الْفَاعِلِ، كَقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: {وَأَنَّا لَا نَدْرِي أَشَرٌّ أُرِيدَ بِمَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ أَمْ أَرَادَ بِهِمْ رَبُّهُمْ رَشَدًا} [سُورَةُ الْجِنِّ: ١٠] . وَمِنْهُ فِي الْفَاتِحَةِ: {صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ} [سُورَةُ الْفَاتِحَةِ: ٧] ، فَذَكَرَ الْإِنْعَامَ مُضَافًا إِلَيْهِ، وَذَكَرَ الْغَضَبَ مَحْذُوفًا فَاعِلُهُ، وَذَكَرَ الضَّلَالَ مُضَافًا إِلَى الْعَبْدِ. وَكَذَلِكَ قَوْلُهُ: {وَإِذَا مَرِضْتُ فَهُوَ يَشْفِينِ} [سُورَةُ الشُّعَرَاءِ: ٨٠] . وَإِمَّا أَنْ يَدْخُلَ فِي الْعُمُومِ كَقَوْلِهِ: {خَالِقُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ} [سُورَةُ الْأَنْعَامِ: ١٠٢] ; وَلِهَذَا إِذَا ذُكِرَ بِاسْمِهِ الْخَاصِّ قُرِنَ بِالْخَيْرِ، كَقَوْلِهِ فِي أَسْمَائِهِ الْحُسْنَى: الضَّارُّ، النَّافِعُ، الْمُعْطِي، الْمَانِعُ، [الْخَافِضُ، الرَّافِعُ، الْمُعِزُّ، الْمُذِلُّ، فَجَمَعَ (٢) بَيْنَ الِاسْمَيْنِ لِمَا فِيهِ مِنَ الْعُمُومِ (٣) وَالشُّمُولُ الدَّالُّ عَلَى وَحْدَانِيَّتِهِ، وَأَنَّهُ وَحْدَهُ يَفْعَلُ جَمِيعَ هَذِهِ الْأَشْيَاءِ ; وَلِهَذَا لَا يُدْعَى بِأَحَدِ الِاسْمَيْنِ: كَالضَّارِّ، وَالنَّافِعِ، وَالْخَافِضِ، وَالرَّافِعِ، بَلْ يُذْكُرَانِ جَمِيعًا] (٤) . وَلِهَذَا كَانَ كُلُّ نِعْمَةٍ مِنْهُ فَضْلًا، وَكُلُّ نِقْمَةٍ مِنْهُ عَدْلًا.
(١) قَطُّ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (و) . (٢) و، م: فَيَجْمَعُ. (٣) لِمَا فِيهِ مِنَ الْعُمُومِ: كَذَا فِي (ب) فَقَطْ. وَفِي سَائِرِ النُّسَخِ: لِمَا فِي الْعُمُومِ. (٤) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) .

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