Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (1/418)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

The perfection of the effect derives from the perfection (1) of the cause. If perfection is not impossible for Him, it must necessarily belong to Him. For if it were merely possible—neither necessary nor impossible—its being established for Him would depend upon another; and whatever is such cannot be necessary in existence through itself. Thus, every perfection possible for Him is necessary for Him.

[The Impossibility of the Necessary Being’s Product Being Coeternal with Him]

It is impossible (2) for what He produces to coexist with Him from eternity, for several reasons. The first is that what He produces necessarily entails temporal events and is never free of them. Whatever entails temporal events cannot (3) be the effect of a complete, beginningless cause, for no part of the effect of a complete, beginningless cause can be delayed (4). If any part of it were delayed (5), it would be a cause (6) potentially rather than actually, and would depend upon something separate from itself in order to produce it; and that is impossible. It follows, therefore, that what He produces can proceed from Him only one thing (7) after another (8). Everything He produces thus comes into being after not having existed. Moreover, if it coexisted with Him in eternity, that would preclude (9) its being produced by Him, for it is rationally impossible for something to be produced while coexisting with its producer.

Nor can any particular existent be conceived as a complete cause of an effect distinct from itself

(1) The word “perfection” is absent from A and B. (2) N alone reads: “and it is possible,” which is erroneous. (3) N alone reads: “it is possible,” which is erroneous. (4) N, M, and A read: “behind it,” which is erroneous. The correct reading is that of B, which I have adopted. (5) N reads: *ʿalayhi* (“upon it”); M reads: *ʿalathu* (“overtook it”). (6) N reads: *ʿalayhi* (“upon it”); M reads: *ʿalathu* (“overtook it”). (7) A and B read: “His effect can only be one thing.” (8) B alone reads: *baʿda shayʾan* (“after one thing”), which is erroneous. (9) N and M read: “is impossible.”

كَمَالُ الْمَعْلُولِ مِنْ كَمَالِ (١) الْعِلَّةِ. وَإِذَا لَمْ يَكُنِ الْكَمَالُ مُمْتَنَعًا عَلَيْهِ، فَلَا بُدَّ أَنْ يَكُونَ وَاجِبًا لَهُ، إِذْ لَوْ كَانَ مُمْكِنًا غَيْرَ وَاجِبٍ وَلَا مُمْتَنَعٍ لَافْتَقَرَ فِي ثُبُوتِهِ لَهُ إِلَى غَيْرِهِ، وَمَا كَانَ كَذَلِكَ لَمْ يَكُنْ وَاجِبَ الْوُجُودِ بِنَفْسِهِ، فَمَا أَمْكَنَ لَهُ مِنَ الْكَمَالِ فَهُوَ وَاجِبٌ لَهُ. [امتناع مقارنة المفعول للواجب] وَيُمْتَنَعُ (٢) أَنْ يَكُونَ مَفْعُولُهُ مُقَارِنًا لَهُ أَزَلِيًّا مَعَهُ لِوُجُوهٍ: أَحَدُهَا: أَنَّ مَفْعُولَهُ مُسْتَلْزِمٌ لِلْحَوَادِثِ لَا يَنْفَكُّ عَنْهَا، وَمَا يَسْتَلْزِمُ الْحَوَادِثَ يُمْتَنَعُ (٣) أَنْ يَكُونَ مَعْلُولًا لِعِلَّةٍ تَامَّةٍ أَزَلِيَّةٍ، فَإِنَّ مَعْلُولَ الْعِلَّةِ التَّامَّةِ الْأَزَلِيَّةِ لَا يَتَأَخَّرُ مِنْهُ (٤) شَيْءٌ، وَلَوْ تَأَخَّرَ مِنْهُ (٥) شَيْءٌ لَكَانَتْ عِلَّةً (٦) بِالْقُوَّةِ لَا بِالْفِعْلِ، وَلَافْتَقَرَتْ فِي كَوْنِهَا فَاعِلَةً لَهُ إِلَى شَيْءٍ مُنْفَصِلٍ عَنْهَا، وَذَلِكَ مُمْتَنَعٌ. فَوَجَبَ أَنْ يَكُونَ مَفْعُولًا لَهُ لَا يَكُونُ عَنْهُ إِلَّا شَيْئًا (٧) بَعْدَ شَيْءٍ (٨) ، فَكُلُّ مَا هُوَ مَفْعُولٌ لَهُ فَهُوَ حَادِثٌ بَعْدَ أَنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ، وَلِأَنَّ كَوْنَهُ مُقَارِنًا لَهُ فِي الْأَزَلِ يَمْنَعُ (٩) كَوْنَهُ مَفْعُولًا لَهُ، فَإِنَّ كَوْنَ الشَّيْءِ مَفْعُولًا مُقَارِنًا مُمْتَنَعٌ عَقْلًا. وَلَا يُعْقَلُ فِي الْمَوْجُودَاتِ شَيْءٌ مُعَيَّنٌ هُوَ عِلَّةٌ تَامَّةٌ لِمَعْلُولٍ مُبَايِنٍ لَهُ

(١) كَمَالِ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ا) ، (ب) . (٢) ن (فَقَطْ) : وَيُمْكِنُ، وَهُوَ خَطَأٌ. (٣) ن (فَقَطْ) : يُمْكِنُ، وَهُوَ خَطَأٌ. (٤) ن، م، ا: عَنْهُ، وَهُوَ خَطَأٌ. وَالصَّوَابُ مَا فِي (ب) . وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَثْبَتُّهُ. (٥) ن: عَلَيْهِ؛ م: عَلَتْهُ. (٦) ن: عَلَيْهِ؛ م: عَلَتْهُ. (٧) ا، ب: مَفْعُولُهُ لَا يَكُونُ إِلَّا شَيْئًا. (٨) ب (فَقَطْ) : بَعْدَ شَيْئًا، وَهُوَ خَطَأٌ. (٩) ن، م: يُمْتَنَعُ.