Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (1/466)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

a position even weaker than it. Nor is there any strong position held by the Shia (1) without someone among Ahl al-Sunnah holding it and an even stronger position as well. Nor is it conceivable that (2) the Shia should hold any strong position that [anyone among] (3) Ahl al-Sunnah has not held. It is therefore established that Ahl al-Sunnah have a greater claim to every good than they do, just as the Muslims have a greater claim to every good than the Jews and Christians.

[Chapter: A Response to the Rāfidī’s Claim That They Say the Obedient Person Does Not Deserve Reward and the Sinner Does Not Deserve Punishment]

Chapter

As for his assertion that they say:

“The obedient person does not deserve reward, nor does the sinner deserve punishment. Rather, He may punish someone like a prophet who remains obedient throughout his life and goes to the utmost lengths in obeying His commands, while rewarding someone like Iblīs or Pharaoh who spends his entire life committing every manner of sin, including the gravest (4).”

This (5) is a fabrication against Ahl al-Sunnah. None of them says that Allah punishes a prophet or any obedient person, nor does any of them say that Allah rewards Iblīs and Pharaoh (6). [Indeed,] (7) He does not reward any sinner for his sin. Rather, they say that it is possible for Him to pardon—

(1) N and M read: “among the Shia.” (2) The phrase “it is conceivable that” is absent from A and B. (3) “Anyone among” is absent from N and M. (4) See above, pp. 125–126 [0–9]. (5) A and B use the feminine form: “This, then.” (6) N reads: “Pharaoh and Iblīs.” (7) “Rather” is added in A and B.

مَا هُوَ أَضْعَفُ مِنْهُ، وَلَا يُوجَدُ لِلشِّيعَةِ (١) قَوْلٌ قَوِيٌّ إِلَّا وَفِي أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ مَنْ يَقُولُهُ وَيَقُولُ مَا هُوَ أَقْوَى مِنْهُ، وَلَا يُتَصَوَّرُ أَنْ (٢) يُوجَدَ لِلشِّيعَةِ قَوْلٌ قَوِيٌّ لَمْ يَقُلْهُ [أَحَدٌ مِنْ] (٣) أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ. فَثَبَتَ أَنَّ أَهْلَ السُّنَّةِ أَوْلَى بِكُلِّ خَيْرٍ مِنْهُمْ، كَمَا أَنَّ الْمُسْلِمِينَ أَوْلَى بِكُلِّ خَيْرٍ مِنَ الْيَهُودِ وَالنَّصَارَى. [فَصْلٌ الرد على قول الرافضي إِنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّ الْمُطِيعَ لَا يَسْتَحِقُّ ثَوَابًا وَالْعَاصِيَ لَا يَسْتَحِقُّ عِقَابًا] فَصْلٌ. وَأَمَّا قَوْلُهُ: إِنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ: " إِنَّ الْمُطِيعَ لَا يَسْتَحِقُّ ثَوَابًا، وَالْعَاصِيَ لَا يَسْتَحِقُّ عِقَابًا، بَلْ قَدْ يُعَذِّبُ الْمُطِيعَ طُولَ عُمْرِهِ الْمُبَالِغَ فِي امْتِثَالِ أَوَامِرِهِ كَالنَّبِيِّ، وَيُثِيبُ الْعَاصِيَ طُولَ عُمْرِهِ بِأَنْوَاعِ الْمَعَاصِي وَأَبْلَغِهَا كَإِبْلِيسَ وَفِرْعَوْنَ (٤) " . فَهَذَا (٥) فِرْيَةٌ عَلَى أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ، لَيْسَ فِيهِمْ مَنْ يَقُولُ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُعَذِّبُ نَبِيًّا وَلَا مُطِيعًا، وَلَا مَنْ يَقُولُ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُثِيبُ إِبْلِيسَ وَفِرْعَوْنَ (٦) [بَلْ] (٧) وَلَا يُثِيبُ عَاصِيًا عَلَى مَعْصِيَتِهِ؛ لَكِنْ يَقُولُونَ: إِنَّهُ يَجُوزُ أَنْ يَعْفُوَ عَنِ

(١) ن، م: فِي الشِّيعَةِ. (٢) عِبَارَةُ " يُتَصَوَّرُ أَنْ ": سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) . (٣) أَحَدٌ مِنْ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٤) انْظُرْ مَا سَبَقَ ص [٠ - ٩] ٢٥ - ١٢٦. (٥) أ، ب: فَهَذِهِ. (٦) ن: فِرْعَوْنَ وَإِبْلِيسَ. (٧) بَلْ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (أ) ، (ب) .