Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (2/165)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

Accordingly, it may be said: Even if we grant that you call this “composition” (1), you have no proof for denying it. It was from this standpoint that Abū Hāmid al-Ghazālī argued against them in The Incoherence.

Likewise, the term “part” may mean one of the components from which a thing is composed, such as the components of composite foods, plants, and buildings (2); or a part that can [be separated] (3) from it, such as a human limb. It may also mean an attribute inherent in a thing, such as animality in an animal, humanity in a human being, and rationality in a rational being.

It may further mean a part that cannot be divided, such as a constituent of a body that cannot be separated from it: either the indivisible atom, or matter and form according to those who affirm them [and say that it] (4) exists only when the body exists; or something else according to those who do not hold this view.

People disagree concerning the body: Is it composed of matter and form, of indivisible atoms, or of neither the one [nor the other] (5)? There are three positions. Most rational thinkers hold the third position, including the Hishāmiyya, Najjāriyya, Dirāriyya, Kullābiyya, [and Ashariyya] (6), as well as many of the Karrāmiyya and many jurists, hadith scholars, Sufis, philosophers, and others.

The point here is that the term “part” (7) has several meanings depending upon—

(1) N and M read: “composite.” (2) N and M read: “foods, buildings, and clothing.” (3) The words “its separation” are omitted from N and M. (4) The words “and says that it” are omitted from N. (5) The words “nor of the other” are omitted from N. (6) The words “and the Ashariyya” are omitted from N and M. (7) N and M read: “motion,” which is a copyist’s corruption.

فَيُقَالُ: هَبْ أَنَّكُمْ سَمَّيْتُمْ هَذَا تَرْكِيبًا (١) فَلَا دَلِيلَ لَكُمْ عَلَى نَفْيِهِ. وَمِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ نَاظَرَهُمْ أَبُو حَامِدٍ الْغَزَالِيُّ فِي " التَّهَافُتِ " . وَكَذَلِكَ لَفْظُ " الْجُزْءِ " يُرَادُ بِهِ بَعْضُ الشَّيْءِ الَّذِي رُكِّبَ مِنْهُ، كَأَجْزَاءِ الْمُرَكَّبَاتِ مِنَ الْأَطْعِمَةِ وَالنَّبَاتَاتِ وَالْأَبْنِيَةِ (٢) ، وَبَعْضُهُ الَّذِي يُمْكِنُ [فَصْلُهُ] (٣) عَنْهُ كَأَعْضَاءِ الْإِنْسَانِ، وَيُرَادُ بِهِ صِفَتُهُ اللَّازِمَةُ لَهُ كَالْحَيَوَانِيَّةِ لِلْحَيَوَانِ وَالْإِنْسَانِيَّةِ لِلْإِنْسَانِ وَالنَّاطِقِيَّةِ لِلنَّاطِقِ، وَيُرَادُ بِهِ بَعْضُهُ الَّذِي لَا يُمْكِنُ تَفْرِيقُهُ كَجُزْءِ الْجِسْمِ الَّذِي لَا يُمْكِنُ مُفَارَقَتُهُ لَهُ: إِمَّا الْجَوْهَرُ الْفَرْدُ، وَإِمَّا الْمَادَّةُ وَالصُّورَةُ عِنْدَ مَنْ يَقُولُ بِثُبُوتِ ذَلِكَ [وَيَقُولُ: إِنَّهُ] (٤) لَا يُوجَدُ إِلَّا بِوُجُودِ الْجِسْمِ، وَإِمَّا غَيْرُ ذَلِكَ عِنْدَ مَنْ لَا يَقُولُ بِذَلِكَ. فَإِنَّ النَّاسَ مُتَنَازِعُونَ فِي الْجِسْمِ: هَلْ هُوَ مُرَكَّبٌ مِنَ الْمَادَّةِ وَالصُّورَةِ، أَوْ مِنَ الْجَوَاهِرِ الْمُنْفَرِدَةِ، أَوْ لَا مِنْ هَذَا [وَلَا مِنْ هَذَا] (٥) ؟ عَلَى ثَلَاثَةِ أَقْوَالٍ. وَأَكْثَرُ الْعُقَلَاءِ عَلَى الْقَوْلِ الثَّالِثِ كَالْهِشَامِيَّةِ وَالنَّجَّارِيَّةِ وَالضِّرَارِيَّةِ وَالْكُلَّابِيَّةِ [وَالْأَشْعَرِيَّةِ] (٦) وَكَثِيرٍ مِنَ الْكَرَّامِيَّةِ، وَكَثِيرٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْفِقْهِ وَالْحَدِيثِ وَالتَّصَوُّفِ وَالْمُتَفَلْسِفَةِ وَغَيْرِهِمْ. وَالْمَقْصُودُ هُنَا أَنَّ لَفْظَ " الْجُزْءِ " (٧) لَهُ عِدَّةُ مَعَانٍ بِحَسَبِ

(١) ن، م: مُرَكَّبًا. (٢) ن، م: مِنَ الْأَطْعِمَةِ وَالْأَبْنِيَةِ وَالثِّيَابِ. (٣) فَصْلُهُ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٤) وَيَقُولُ إِنَّهُ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) . (٥) وَلَا مِنْ هَذَا: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) . (٦) وَالْأَشْعَرِيَّةِ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٧) ن، م: الْحَرَكَةِ، وَهُوَ تَحْرِيفٌ مِنَ النَّاسِخِ.