Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (1/312)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

The Jahmites used to say:

“Our statement that He speaks is (1) metaphorical.”

The Muʿtazilites said:

“He (2) is a speaker in the literal sense.” But the meaning is the same.

Thus, the foundational principle held by these people was (3) the source from which these innovations branched out. Then Ibn Kullāb came after them, when the well-known Inquisition arose and Imam Ahmad [ibn Hanbal] (4), along with other imams of the Sunnah, was put to the test. Allah kept Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal steadfast, many [well-known] (5) events occurred, and dispute over these issues spread throughout the Muslim community. Abū Muhammad Abd Allāh ibn Saʿīd ibn Kullāb al-Basrī then rose to the occasion and authored works refuting the Jahmites and the Muʿtazilites. He demonstrated their contradictions [in those works] (6) and laid bare many of their flaws. Nevertheless, he conceded to them that foundational principle which is the wellspring of innovations.

Consequently, he was compelled to maintain that no voluntary acts subsist in the Lord; that He does not speak by His will and power; that He did not call Moses when Moses came to Mount Sinai; indeed, that no true call subsists in Him; that the servants’ [faith] (7) and righteous deeds are not the cause of His pleasure and love; and that their disbelief is not the cause of His wrath and anger. Accordingly, no love, pleasure, wrath, joy, or any of the other things reported in the texts of the Book and the Sunnah occurs after their deeds.

The Exalted said:

{Say, “If you love Allah, then follow me, and Allah will love you.”}

[Surah Āl Imrān: 31]

(1) “Huwa” (referring to “our statement”) is omitted from A and B. (2) N and M read: “They said: He.” (3) “Was” is omitted from A and B. (4) “Ibn Hanbal” is added in A and B. (5) “Well-known” is omitted from N and M. (6) “In those works” is added in A and B. (7) “Faith” is omitted from N and M.

وَالْجَهْمِيَّةُ كَانُوا يَقُولُونَ: قَوْلُنَا: إِنَّهُ يَتَكَلَّمُ هُوَ (١) مَجَازٌ. وَالْمُعْتَزِلَةُ قَالُوا: إِنَّهُ (٢) مُتَكَلِّمٌ حَقِيقَةً، لَكِنَّ الْمَعْنَى وَاحِدٌ. فَكَانَ أَصْلُ هَؤُلَاءِ هُوَ (٣) الْمَادَّةُ الَّتِي تَشَعَّبَتْ عَنْهَا هَذِهِ الْبِدَعُ، فَجَاءَ ابْنُ كُلَّابٍ بَعْدَ هَؤُلَاءِ لَمَّا ظَهَرَتِ الْمِحْنَةُ الْمَشْهُورَةُ، وَامْتُحِنَ الْإِمَامُ أَحْمَدُ [بْنُ حَنْبَلٍ] (٤) وَغَيْرُهُ مِنْ أَئِمَّةِ السُّنَّةِ، وَثَبَّتَ اللَّهُ الْإِمَامَ أَحْمَدَ بْنَ حَنْبَلٍ، وَجَرَتْ أُمُورٌ كَثِيرَةٌ [مَعْرُوفَةٌ] (٥) ، وَانْتَشَرَ بَيْنَ الْأُمَّةِ النِّزَاعُ فِي هَذِهِ الْمَسَائِلِ، قَامَ أَبُو مُحَمَّدٍ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سَعِيدِ بْنِ كُلَّابٍ الْبَصْرِيُّ، وَصَنَّفَ فِي الرَّدِّ عَلَى الْجَهْمِيَّةِ وَالْمُعْتَزِلَةِ مُصَنَّفَاتٍ، وَبَيَّنَ تَنَاقُضَهُمْ [فِيهَا] (٦) ، وَكَشَفَ كَثِيرًا مِنْ عَوْرَاتِهِمْ، لَكِنْ سَلَّمَ لَهُمْ ذَلِكَ الْأَصْلَ الَّذِي هُوَ يَنْبُوعُ الْبِدَعِ، فَاحْتَاجَ لِذَلِكَ أَنْ يَقُولَ: إِنَّ الرَّبَّ لَا تَقُومُ بِهِ الْأُمُورُ الِاخْتِيَارِيَّةُ، وَلَا يَتَكَلَّمُ بِمَشِيئَتِهِ وَقُدْرَتِهِ، وَلَا نَادَى مُوسَى حِينَ جَاءَ الطُّورَ، بَلْ وَلَا يَقُومُ بِهِ نِدَاءٌ حَقِيقِيٌّ، وَلَا يَكُونُ [إِيمَانُ] (٧) الْعِبَادِ وَعَمَلُهُمُ الصَّالِحُ هُوَ السَّبَبُ فِي رِضَاهُ وَمَحَبَّتِهِ، وَلَا كُفْرِهِمْ هُوَ السَّبَبُ فِي سُخْطِهِ وَغَضَبِهِ، فَلَا يَكُونُ بَعْدَ أَعْمَالِهِمْ لَا حُبَّ وَلَا رِضَا وَلَا سُخْطَ وَلَا فَرَحَ وَلَا غَيْرَ ذَلِكَ مِمَّا أَخْبَرَتْ بِهِ نُصُوصُ الْكِتَابِ وَالسُّنَّةِ. قَالَ تَعَالَى: {قُلْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ} [سُورَةُ آلِ عِمْرَانَ: ٣١]

(١) هُوَ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ا) ، (ب) . (٢) ن، م: قَالُوا هُوَ. (٣) هُوَ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ا) ، (ب) . (٤) ابْنُ حَنْبَلٍ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (ا) ، (ب) . (٥) مَعْرُوفَةٌ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٦) فِيهَا: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (ا) ، (ب) . (٧) إِيمَانُ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) .