Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (2/239)

reports concerning his view on power and life differed: some of them (1) relate that he used to say (2), “The Creator has always been powerful and living,” while others deny that he ever said this.”

He said (3): “The seventh group among the Rāfidah do not maintain that the Creator is knowing in Himself, as maintained (4) by Shaytān al-Tāq. Rather, they (5) maintain that Allah does not know a thing until He brings about its effect, and bringing about that effect, in their view, is will. Thus, when He wills a thing, He knows it; and when He does not will it, He does not know it. In their view, the meaning of ‘He wills’ is that He moves with a motion (6) that is will. When He moves, He knows the thing; otherwise, it is impermissible to describe Him as knowing it (7).”

He said: “The eighth group among the Rāfidah maintain (8) that for Allah to know means that He acts. If they are asked, ‘Do you say (9) [that] (10) Allah—glory be to Him—has always been knowing

(1) *Al-Maqālāt* reads: “some people.” (2) *Al-Maqālāt* reads: “he maintains.” (3) Immediately following the preceding passage. (4) B and A read: “he said it.” (5) N and M read: “rather.” (6) B, A, and M read: “He causes a motion”; N reads: “He moved by means of a motion.” The reading adopted here is from *al-Maqālāt*. (7) “It” is absent from N and M. Following this phrase, *al-Maqālāt* adds: “They maintained that He is not described as knowing what will not occur.” (8) *Al-Maqālāt* reads: “they say.” (9) “Do you say” is absent from B; A reads: “he says”; and N and M read: “they say.” The reading adopted here is from *al-Maqālāt*. (10) “That” is absent from N.

اخْتَلَفَ عَنْهُ فِي الْقُدْرَةِ وَالْحَيَاةِ: فَمِنْهُمْ (١) مَنْ يَحْكِي عَنْهُ أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَقُولُ (٢) : إِنَّ الْبَارِئَ لَمْ يَزَلْ قَادِرًا حَيًّا، وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَنْكَرُ أَنْ يَكُونَ قَالَ ذَلِكَ ". قَالَ (٣) : " وَالْفِرْقَةُ السَّابِعَةُ مِنَ الرَّافِضَةِ: لَا يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّ الْبَارِئَ عَالِمٌ فِي نَفْسِهِ كَمَا قَالَ (٤) شَيْطَانُ الطَّاقِ، وَلَكِنَّهُمْ (٥) يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَعْلَمُ الشَّيْءَ حَتَّى يُؤَثِّرَ أَثَرَهُ، وَالتَّأْثِيرُ عِنْدَهُمُ الْإِرَادَةُ، فَإِذَا أَرَادَ الشَّيْءَ عَلِمَهُ، وَإِذَا لَمْ يُرِدْهُ لَمْ يَعْلَمْهُ. وَمَعْنَى أَرَادَ عِنْدَهُمْ أَنَّهُ تَحَرَّكَ حَرَكَةً (٦) هِيَ إِرَادَةُ، فَإِذَا تَحَرَّكَ عَلِمَ الشَّيْءَ، وَإِلَّا لَمْ يَجُزِ الْوَصْفُ لَهُ بِأَنَّهُ عَالِمٌ بِهِ (٧) ". قَالَ: " وَالْفِرْقَةُ الثَّامِنَةُ مِنَ الرَّافِضَةِ: يَزْعُمُونَ (٨) أَنَّ مَعْنَى أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ يَفْعَلُ، فَإِنْ قِيلَ لَهُمْ: أَتَقُولُونَ (٩) : [إِنَّ] (١٠) اللَّهَ سُبْحَانَهُ لَمْ يَزَلْ عَالِمًا

(١) الْمَقَالَاتِ: فَمِنَ النَّاسِ. (٢) الْمَقَالَاتِ: يَزْعُمُ. (٣) بَعْدَ الْكَلَامِ السَّابِقِ مُبَاشَرَةً. (٤) ب، أ: قَالَهُ. (٥) ن، م: وَلَكِنْ. (٦) ب، أ، م: يُحَرِّكُ حَرَكَةً ; ن: تَحَرَّكَ بِحَرَكَةٍ، وَالْمُثْبَتُ مِنْ " الْمَقَالَاتِ ". (٧) بِهِ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) ، وَفِي " الْمَقَالَاتِ " بَعْدَ هَذِهِ الْعِبَارَةِ مَا يَلِي: " وَزَعَمُوا أَنَّهُ لَا يُوصَفُ بِالْعِلْمِ بِمَا لَا يَكُونُ ". (٨) " الْمَقَالَاتِ ": يَقُولُونَ. (٩) أَتَقُولُونَ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ب) ، وَفِي (أ) : يَقُولُ، (ن) ، (م) : يَقُولُونَ. وَالْمُثْبَتُ مِنَ " الْمَقَالَاتِ ". (١٠) إِنَّ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) .