Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (1/427)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

But when what is predicated of the individual members is not an attribute of the aggregate, it does not follow that what holds true of the aggregate is the same as what holds true of the individual members. Take, for example, the constituent parts of a house, a human being, [and a tree] (1): none of these parts is itself a house or a human being [or a tree] (2). Likewise, the parts of a long, broad, lasting, or extended whole need not themselves be, respectively, long, broad, lasting, or extended (3).

Similarly, if each successive individual is subject to perishing or temporal origination, it does not follow that the kind comes to an end or is temporally originated (4) after not existing. Its temporal origination means that it came to exist after not existing, just as its perishing means that it became nonexistent after having existed. Its becoming nonexistent after having existed, or coming to exist after having been nonexistent, is a matter (5) pertaining to its existence and nonexistence, not to the very nature inherent in the aggregate—as is the case when the individual members are existent (6), nonexistent, or possible. Thus, the fact that this particular individual (7) does not last does not entail that its kind (8) does not last, for continuity consists in the succession of individual members. This is a property exclusive to the aggregate and is not predicated of any one individual. And when, through aggregation, the aggregate acquires a property

(1) The words “and a tree” are omitted from N and M. (2) The words “or a tree” are omitted from N and M. (3) In N and M, the following appears after the word “and extended”: “Allah Most High says: ‘Its fruit is everlasting, and so is its shade,’ and He says: ‘Indeed, this is Our provision, which will never be exhausted.’ What is everlasting and does not run out—that is, does not come to an end—is the kind; otherwise, each of its individual members perishes and comes to an end, and is not everlasting.” This addition in N and M repeats what has already been stated, is out of place here, and is unnecessary for the meaning to be complete. (4) B alone reads: “perishing or temporally originated.” (5) The word “matter” is omitted from A and B. (6) N alone reads: “as in the existing individuals taken collectively.” (7) N and M read: “the meaning,” which is an error. (8) N and M read: “its nonexistence,” which is an error.

وَأَمَّا إِذَا كَانَ مَا وُصِفَ بِهِ الْأَفْرَادُ لَا يَكُونُ صِفَةً لِلْجُمْلَةِ، لَمْ يَلْزَمْ أَنْ يَكُونَ حُكْمُ الْجُمْلَةِ حُكْمَ الْأَفْرَادِ، كَمَا فِي أَجْزَاءِ الْبَيْتِ وَالْإِنْسَانِ [وَالشَّجَرَةِ] (١) ، فَإِنَّهُ لَيْسَ كُلٌّ مِنْهَا بَيْتًا وَلَا إِنْسَانًا [وَلَا شَجَرَةً] (٢) ، وَأَجْزَاءُ الطَّوِيلِ وَالْعَرِيضِ وَالدَّائِمِ وَالْمُمْتَدِّ لَا يَلْزَمُ أَنْ يَكُونَ كُلٌّ مِنْهَا طَوِيلًا وَعَرِيضًا وَدَائِمًا وَمُمْتَدًّا (٣) . وَكَذَلِكَ إِذَا وُصِفَ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ وَاحِدٍ مِنَ الْمُتَعَاقِبَاتِ بِفَنَاءٍ أَوْ حُدُوثٍ، لَمْ يَلْزَمْ أَنْ يَكُونَ النَّوْعُ مُنْقَطِعًا أَوْ حَادِثًا (٤) بَعْدَ أَنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ؛ لِأَنَّ حُدُوثَهُ مَعْنَاهُ أَنَّهُ وُجِدَ بَعْدَ أَنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ، كَمَا أَنَّ فَنَاءَهُ مَعْنَاهُ أَنَّهُ عُدِمَ بَعْدَ وَجُودِهِ. وَكَوْنُهُ عُدِمَ بَعْدَ وُجُودِهِ، أَوْ وُجِدَ بَعْدَ عَدَمِهِ أَمْرٌ (٥) يَرْجِعُ إِلَى وُجُودِهِ وَعَدَمِهِ، لَا إِلَى نَفْسِ الطَّبِيعَةِ الثَّابِتَةِ لِلْمَجْمُوعِ، كَمَا فِي الْأَفْرَادِ الْمَوْجُودَةِ (٦) أَوِ الْمَعْدُومَةِ أَوِ الْمُمْكِنَةِ، فَلَيْسَ إِذَا كَانَ هَذَا الْمُعَيَّنُ (٧) لَا يَدُومُ، يَلْزَمُ أَنْ يَكُونَ نَوْعُهُ (٨) لَا يَدُومُ؛ لِأَنَّ الدَّوَامَ تَعَاقُبُ الْأَفْرَادِ، وَهَذَا أَمْرٌ يَخْتَصُّ بِهِ الْمَجْمُوعُ، لَا يُوصَفُ بِهِ الْوَاحِدُ، وَإِذَا حَصَلَ لِلْمَجْمُوعِ بِالِاجْتِمَاعِ حُكْمٌ

(١) وَالشَّجَرَةِ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٢) وَلَا شَجَرَةً: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٣) فِي (ن) ، (م) : بَعْدَ كَلِمَةِ " وَمُمْتَدًّا ": قَالَ تَعَالَى: (أُكُلُهَا دَائِمٌ وَظِلُّهَا) وَقَالَ: (إِنَّ هَذَا لَرِزْقُنَا مَا لَهُ مِنْ نَفَادٍ) فَالدَّائِمُ الَّذِي لَا يَنْفَدُ أَيْ لَا يَنْقَضِي هُوَ النَّوْعُ، وَإِلَّا فَكُلُّ فَرْدٍ مِنْ أَفْرَادِهِ نَافِدٌ مُنْقَضٍ لَيْسَ بِدَائِمٍ. وَهَذِهِ الزِّيَادَةُ فِي (ن) ، (م) تَكْرَارٌ لِمَا سَبَقَ وَلَا مَوْضِعَ لَهَا هُنَا وَالْمَعْنَى يَتِمُّ بِدُونِهَا. (٤) ب (فَقَطْ) : فَانِيًا أَوْ حَادِثًا. (٥) أَمْرٌ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ا) ، (ب) . (٦) ن (فَقَطْ) : كَمَا فِي الْأَفْرَادِ الْمَجْمُوعَةِ الْمَوْجُودَةِ. (٧) ن، م: الْمَعْنَى، وَهُوَ خَطَأٌ. (٨) ن، م: عَدَمُهُ، وَهُوَ خَطَأٌ.