Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (8/208)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

The truth of the matter is that there are many ways of attaining knowledge. Allah may spare many people the need for those particular methods—or even for rational inquiry—by granting them immediate knowledge, though worship may prepare the soul for such knowledge until it acquires it through inspiration. Some people, however, need rational inquiry or those particular methods, either because they lack what others have attained, or because doubts have arisen in their minds that cannot (1) be dispelled except through rational inquiry.

The same applies to [many] (2) of the states experienced by some travellers on the spiritual path (3), including (4) being struck senseless, fainting, and agitation during the remembrance of Allah and when listening to the Quran or something else. It also applies to losing awareness of created beings, so that a person is overcome with rapture (5) and his heart remains aware of none but Allah, until his awareness of Him makes him unaware of himself. Some people regard this as an indispensable experience for everyone who follows the path (6). Others regard it as the ultimate goal, with no spiritual station beyond it, while others criticize it and consider it an innovation not reported from the Companions.

The correct assessment is that this is something that [occurs] (7) in some travellers on the spiritual path, according to the intensity of the incoming spiritual experience

(1) m reads: wa-lā (“and not”). (2) Kathīr (“many”) is omitted in (n), (s), and (b). (3) n and m read: al-masākīn (“the needy”); s reads: al-mashākīn. (4) n, m, and s read: fī (“in”). (5) Ibn ‘Arabī states in “Istilāhāt al-sūfiyya” (Sufi Terminology), included in al-Futūhāt al-Makkiyya (The Meccan Revelations; printed with al-Jurjānī’s al-Ta‘rīfāt [Definitions]): “Istilām is a kind of walah (bewilderment) that comes upon the heart, which becomes still under its sway.” Al-Qāshānī states in his Istilāhāt al-sūfiyya (Sufi Terminology), p. 30 (edited by Dr. Muhammad Kamāl Ja‘far, General Book Organization, Cairo, 1981): “Istilām is bewilderment that overpowers the heart; it is close to hayamān.” (6) n, m, and s read: sāla (“flowed”), a textual corruption. (7) Yaqa‘ (“occurs”) is omitted in (n) and (m).

وَحَقِيقَةُ الْأَمْرِ أَنَّ طُرُقَ الْعِلْمِ مُتَعَدِّدَةٌ، وَقَدْ يُغْنِي اللَّهُ كَثِيرًا مِنَ النَّاسِ عَنْ تِلْكَ الطُّرُقِ الْمُعَيَّنَةِ، بَلْ عَنِ النَّظَرِ بِعُلُومٍ ضَرُورِيَّةٍ تَحْصُلُ لَهُمْ، وَإِنْ كَانَتِ الْعِبَادَةُ قَدْ تُعِدُّ النَّفْسَ لِتِلْكَ الْعُلُومِ الضَّرُورِيَّةِ حَتَّى تُحَصِّلَ إِلْهَامًا. وَطَائِفَةٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ يَحْتَاجُونَ إِلَى النَّظَرِ. أَوْ إِلَى تِلْكَ الطُّرُقِ: إِمَّا لِعَدَمِ مَا يَحْصُلُ لِغَيْرِهِمْ، وَإِمَّا لِشُبَهٍ عَرَضَتْ لَهُمْ لَا (١) تَزُولُ إِلَّا بِالنَّظَرِ. وَكَذَلِكَ [كَثِيرٌ] (٢) مِنَ الْأَحْوَالِ الَّتِي تَعْرِضُ لِبَعْضِ السَّالِكِينَ (٣) : مِنَ (٤) الصَّعْقِ وَالْغَشْيِ وَالِاضْطِرَابِ عِنْدَ الذِّكْرِ وَسَمَاعِ الْقُرْآنِ وَغَيْرِهِ، وَمِنَ الْفَنَاءِ عَنْ شُهُودِ الْمَخْلُوقَاتِ، بِحَيْثُ يَصْطَلِمُ (٥) وَيَبْقَى لَا يَشْهَدُ قَلْبُهُ إِلَّا اللَّهَ، حَتَّى يَغِيبَ بِمَشْهُودِهِ عَنْ نَفْسِهِ. فَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَجْعَلُ هَذَا لَازِمًا لَا بُدَّ لِكُلِّ مَنْ سَلَكَ (٦) مِنْهُ، وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَجْعَلُهُ هُوَ الْغَايَةَ وَلَا مَقَامَ وَرَاءَهُ، وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَقْدَحُ فِي هَذَا، وَيَجْعَلُهُ مِنَ الْبِدَعِ الَّتِي لَمْ تُنْقَلْ عَنِ الصَّحَابَةِ. وَالتَّحْقِيقُ أَنَّ هَذَا أَمْرٌ [يَقَعُ] (٧) لِبَعْضِ السَّالِكِينَ بِحَسَبِ قُوَّةِ الْوَارِدِ

(١) م: وَلَا. . (٢) كَثِيرٌ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (س) ، (ب) . (٣) ن، م، الْمَسَاكِينِ، س: الْمَشَاكِينِ. (٤) ن، م، س: فِي. (٥) قَالَ ابْنُ عَرَبِيٍّ فِي " اصْطِلَاحَاتِ الصُّوفِيَّةِ " الْوَارِدَةِ فِي الْفُتُوحَاتِ الْمَكِّيَّةِ (ط. مَعَ التَّعْرِيفَاتِ لِلْجُرْجَانِيِّ) : " الِاصْطِلَامُ: نَوْعُ وَلَهٍ يَرِدُ عَلَى الْقَلْبِ فَيَسْكُنُ تَحْتَ سُلْطَانِهِ ". وَقَالَ الْقَاشَانِيُّ فِي كِتَابِهِ " اصْطِلَاحَاتِ الصُّوفِيَّةِ " ص ٣٠ (ط. الْهَيْئَةِ الْعَامَّةِ لِلْكِتَابِ تَحْقِيقِ الدُّكْتُور مُحَمَّد كَمَال جَعْفَر، الْقَاهِرَةِ ١٩٨١) : " الِاصْطِلَامُ هُوَ الْوَلَهُ الْغَالِبُ عَلَى الْقَلْبِ، وَهُوَ قَرِيبٌ مِنَ الْهَيَمَانِ " (٦) ن، م، س: سَالَ وَهُوَ تَحْرِيفٌ (٧) يَقَعُ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) .