Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (2/102)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

he should mention only what pertains specifically to the imamate (1), such as affirming the Twelve Imams and their infallibility.

The Fourth Response:

It may be said: Whatever truth this statement contains is affirmed by Ahl al-Sunnah—or by the majority of them—while whatever falsehood it contains is to be rejected. Belief in the truth contained in this position therefore does not fall outside the positions of Ahl al-Sunnah. We shall explain this in detail.

[The Fifth Response, Containing a Detailed Refutation of the First Section of Ibn al-Mutahhar’s Statement]

[Comment on His Statement That Allah Is Exalted Above Resembling Created Beings]

The Fifth Response:

His statement:

“They believe that Allah alone possesses beginningless, pre-eternal existence (2); that everything other than Him is originated, for He is One; and that He is neither a body nor in a place, for otherwise He would be originated. Rather, they declared Him transcendent above resembling (3) created beings.” (4)

It may be said to him: This points to the doctrine of the Jahmiyya and the Mu'tazila. Its implication is that Allah has no knowledge (5), power, or life; that His beautiful names—such as the All-Knowing, the All-Powerful, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing, the Most Compassionate, and the Most Merciful—do not signify attributes that subsist in Him; that He does not speak, is neither pleased nor wrathful, and neither loves nor hates; that He wills only what He creates apart from Himself of speech and will; and that no speech subsists in Him.

As for his statement:

“Allah is exalted above resembling created beings,”

(1) (N): “what pertains specifically to the question of the Imāmiyya”; (M): “what pertains specifically to the question of the imamate”; (A): “what pertains specifically to the Imāmiyya.” (2) (N) and (M): “beginninglessness and pre-eternity.” (3) (B): “His resembling [created beings].” When the preceding passage is cited in (N), (M), (A), and (K), it reads: “resembling [created beings].” (4) Ibn Taymiyya cites part of Ibn al-Mutahhar’s statement here. The complete text appeared above, pp. [0–9]7–98. Compare (K), p. 82 (M). (5) (N) and (M): “that Allah has no knowledge.”

يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَذْكُرَ مَا يَخْتَصُّ بِالْإِمَامَةِ (١) ، كَمَسْأَلَةِ إِثْبَاتِ الِاثْنَى عَشَرَ وَعِصْمَتِهِمْ. الْوَجْهُ الرَّابِعُ: أَنْ يُقَالَ: مَا فِي هَذَا الْكَلَامِ مِنْ حَقٍّ فَأَهْلُ السُّنَّةِ قَائِلُونَ بِهِ - أَوْ جُمْهُورُهُمْ - وَمَا كَانَ فِيهِ مِنْ بَاطِلٍ فَهُوَ رَدٌّ، فَلَيْسَ اعْتِقَادُ مَا فِي هَذَا الْقَوْلِ مِنَ الْحَقِّ خَارِجًا عَنْ أَقْوَالِ أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ، وَنَحْنُ نَذْكُرُ ذَلِكَ مُفَصَّلًا. [الوجه الخامس وفيه الرد التفصيلي على القسم الأول من كلام ابن المطهر] [التعليق على قوله إن الله منزه عن مشابهة المخلوقات] الْوَجْهُ الْخَامِسُ: قَوْلُهُ: " إِنَّهُمُ اعْتَقَدُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْمَخْصُوصُ بِالْأَزَلِيَّةِ وَالْقِدَمِ (٢) ، وَأَنَّ كُلَّ مَا سِوَاهُ مُحْدَثٌ ; لِأَنَّهُ وَاحِدٌ، وَأَنَّهُ لَيْسَ بِجِسْمٍ وَلَا فِي مَكَانٍ، وَإِلَّا لَكَانَ مُحْدَثًا، بَلْ نَزَّهُوهُ عَنْ مُشَابَهَةِ (٣) الْمَخْلُوقَاتِ " (٤) . فَيُقَالُ لَهُ: هَذَا إِشَارَةٌ إِلَى مَذْهَبِ الْجَهْمِيِّةِ وَالْمُعْتَزِلَةِ، وَمَضْمُونُهُ أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ لِلَّهِ عِلْمٌ (٥) وَلَا قُدْرَةٌ وَلَا حَيَاةٌ، وَأَنَّ أَسْمَاءَهُ الْحُسْنَى: كَالْعَلِيمِ وَالْقَدِيرِ وَالسَّمِيعِ وَالْبَصِيرِ وَالرَّءُوفِ وَالرَّحِيمِ وَنَحْوِ ذَلِكَ، لَا تَدُّلُّ عَلَى صِفَاتٍ لَهُ قَائِمَةٍ بِهِ، وَأَنَّهُ لَا يَتَكَلَّمُ وَلَا يَرْضَى وَلَا يَسْخَطُ، وَلَا يُحِبُّ وَلَا يُبْغِضُ، وَلَا يُرِيدُ إِلَّا مَا يَخْلُقُهُ مُنْفَصِلًا عَنْهُ مِنَ الْكَلَامِ وَالْإِرَادَةِ، وَأَنَّهُ لَمْ يَقُمْ بِهِ كَلَامٌ. وَأَمَّا قَوْلُهُ: " إِنَّ اللَّهَ مُنَزَّهٌ عَنْ مُشَابَهَةِ الْمَخْلُوقَاتِ "

(١) ن: مَا يَخْتَصُّ بِمَسْأَلَةِ الْإِمَامِيَّةِ ; م: مَا يَخْتَصُّ بِمَسْأَلَةِ الْإِمَامَةِ ; أ: مَا يَخْتَصُّ بِالْإِمَامِيَّةِ. (٢) ن، م: بِالْقِدَمِ وَالْأَزَلِيَّةِ. (٣) ب: مُشَابَهَتِهِ، وَفِي (ن) ، (م) ، (أ) ، (ك) عِنْدَ إِيرَادِ النَّصِّ السَّابِقِ: مُشَابَهَةِ. (٤) أَوْرَدَ ابْنُ تَيْمِيَّةَ هُنَا بَعْضَ كَلَامِ ابْنِ الْمُطَهَّرِ وَوَرَدَ النَّصُّ بِأَكْمَلِهِ مِنْ قَبْلُ، ص [٠ - ٩] ٧ - ٩٨، وَقَارِنْ (ك) ص ٨٢ (م) . (٥) ن، م: أَنَّ اللَّهَ لَيْسَ لَهُ عِلْمٌ.