Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (2/261)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

people, is a privation; and we adopt the view that it is a privation, so it may cease. Even if it is something positive, we do not concede that it cannot cease.

[If] the one who denies corporeality said (1):

“Rest is [something positive], and if it is (2) something positive and pre-eternal, then that which necessitates (3) its pre-eternity is pre-eternal and is among the concomitants of the Necessary Existent. It is thus necessary by virtue of the necessity of its cause (4).”

His corporealist brethren replied:

“This point furnishes a rebuttal to all the sects that dispute with us (5)—the Shi'ites, Mu'tazilites, Ash'arites, and others—for they agree with us that the Creator acted after He had not been acting. It therefore follows that [all] (6) temporal events may occur without (7) a temporally originated cause. [They explicitly state that all temporal events may—indeed, must (8)—occur without (9) a temporally originated cause] (10) (11 because they deem a beginningless succession of temporal events impossible 11) (11). Since this is possible, we adopt (12) the view that rest is a privation, while what is temporally originated is (13) motion, which is something positive. If a body may be brought into existence without a temporally originated cause, then a fortiori motion may be brought into existence without a temporally originated cause.

“Even if it were said:

‘Rest is something positive; then, if concrete entities may come into existence after not having existed,

(1) (ʿ), N, and M read: “said”; A reads: “For the one who denies [corporeality]…” (2) N and M read: “Rest, if it is … etc.” (3) N reads: “and that which necessitates.” (4) N and M read: “itself.” (5) N reads: “those disputing with us”; M reads: “those who oppose us.” (6) “All” is an addition in (ʿ). (7) N reads: *bidūni* (“without”). (8) M reads: “that it must.” (9) M reads: *bidūni* (“without”). (10) The text between square brackets is omitted from B, A, and N. (11) (11–11) is omitted from A and B. (12) B reads: “we allowed”; N and A read: “we deferred” (a corruption). The adopted reading is from (ʿ) and M. (13) (ʿ) and N read: *hiya* (“it is”).

مِنَ النَّاسِ عَدَمِيٌّ، وَنَحْنُ نَخْتَارُ أَنَّهُ عَدَمِيٌّ فَيَجُوزُ زَوَالُهُ، وَإِنْ كَانَ وُجُودِيًّا فَلَا نُسَلِّمُ أَنَّهُ لَا يَجُوزُ زَوَالُهُ. [فَإِنْ] قَالَ النَّافِي (١) : السُّكُونُ [وُجُودِيٌّ] ، وَإِذَا كَانَ (٢) وُجُودِيًّا قَدِيمًا، فَالْمُقْتَضِي (٣) لِقِدَمِهِ قَدِيمٌ مِنْ لَوَازِمِ الْوَاجِبِ، فَيَكُونُ وَاجِبًا بِوُجُوبِ سَبَبِهِ (٤) . قَالَ إِخْوَانُهُ الْمُجَسِّمَةُ: هَذَا الْمَوْضِعُ يَرُدُّ عَلَى جَمِيعِ الطَّوَائِفِ الْمُنَازِعِينَ (٥) لَنَا مِنَ الشِّيعَةِ وَالْمُعْتَزِلَةِ وَالْأَشْعَرِيَّةِ وَغَيْرِهِمْ، فَإِنَّهُمْ وَافَقُونَا عَلَى أَنَّ الْبَارِئَ فَعَلَ بَعْدَ أَنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فَاعِلًا، فَعُلِمَ جَوَازُ حُدُوثِ الْحَوَادِثِ [كُلِّهَا] (٦) بِلَا (٧) سَبَبٍ حَادِثٍ. [وَهُمْ يُصَرِّحُونَ بِأَنَّهُ يَجُوزُ - بَلْ يَجِبُ (٨) - حُدُوثُ الْحَوَادِثِ كُلِّهَا بِغَيْرِ (٩) سَبَبٍ حَادِثٍ] (١٠) (١١ لِامْتِنَاعِ حَوَادِثَ لَا أَوَّلَ لَهَا عِنْدَهُمْ ١١) (١١) ، وَإِذَا جَازَ ذَلِكَ اخْتَرْنَا (١٢) أَنْ يَكُونَ السُّكُونُ عَدَمِيًّا، وَالْحَادِثُ هُوَ (١٣) الْحَرَكَةُ الَّتِي هِيَ وُجُودِيَّةٌ، فَإِذَا جَازَ إِحْدَاثُ جُرْمٍ بِلَا سَبَبٍ حَادِثٍ فَإِحْدَاثُ حَرَكَةٍ بِلَا سَبَبٍ حَادِثٍ أَوْلَى. وَلَوْ قِيلَ: إِنَّ السُّكُونَ وُجُودِيٌّ، فَإِذَا جَازَ وُجُودُ أَعْيَانٍ بَعْدَ أَنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ،

(١) ع، ن، م: قَالَ ; أ: فَإِنَّ النَّافِيَ. (٢) ن، م: السُّكُونُ إِذَا كَانَ. . إِلَخْ. (٣) ن: وَالْمُقْتَضِي. (٤) ن، م: نَفْسِهِ. (٥) ن: الْمُتَنَازِعِينَ ; م: النَّازِعِينَ. (٦) كُلِّهَا: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (ع) . (٧) ن: بِدُونِ. (٨) م: بِأَنَّهُ يَجِبُ. (٩) م: بِدُونِ. (١٠) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ب) ، (أ) ، (ن) . (١١) (١١ - ١١) : سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) . (١٢) ب: أَجَزْنَا، ن، أ: أَخَّرْنَا (وَهُوَ تَحْرِيفٌ) وَالْمُثْبَتُ عَنْ (ع) ، (م) . (١٣) ع، ن: هِيَ.