Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (2/276)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

If it is said, “The world may be pre-eternal, proceeding from its cause (1), with no temporal event occurring within it, and then temporal events arose within it,” this is false. For if He could bring them into being (2) after He had not been bringing them into being (3), He would not be a necessitating cause (4), but rather an agent acting by His choice and will, (5 and an agent acting by His choice and will 5) (5) whose effect does not coexist with Him, as has been explained at length elsewhere.

Furthermore, on this view, any pre-eternal effect of His must coexist with Him, while He must (6) remain inactive until He brings temporal events into being. Requiring His inactivity (7) while also requiring His action combines two opposites (8) and entails a specification (9) without a specifier (10). For, (11) by virtue of His essence, it must either be necessary for Him to be an agent in pre-eternity. (12 Or it must be impossible for Him to be an agent in pre-eternity, or both alternatives must be possible.

If it is necessary for Him to be an agent in pre-eternity, temporal events could arise in pre-eternity, and they would necessarily have no beginning, whereas the supposition is that they do have a beginning 12) (12). If it is impossible for Him to be [an agent] (13) in pre-eternity, it is impossible for anything besides Him to be pre-eternal (14) in pre-eternity. Thus, the world cannot be pre-eternal either devoid of temporal events or together with them.

(1) (b), (a): “a cause.” (2) (b) only: “bring into being.” (3) The phrase “He had not been bringing them into being” is absent from (b) and (a). (4) (n): “necessary.” (5) The text marked 5–5 is absent from (b) and (a). (6) (n), (m): *bi-an* (“that”). (7) (a): “thus His inactivity,” which is a textual corruption; (b): “His becoming inactive.” (8) (ʿ): “the two contradictories”; (n), (m): “the two mutually incompatible things.” (9) (n): “and a resulting specification.” (10) “A specifier” is absent from (m). (11) (b), (a): “because He.” (12) The text marked 12–12 is absent only from (b). (13) “An agent” is absent only from (n). (14) (b), (a): *qadīman* (“pre-eternal,” in the accusative), which is contrary to the intended meaning.

وَإِذَا قِيلَ: يَجُوزُ أَنْ يَكُونَ الْعَالَمُ قَدِيمًا عَنْ عِلَّتِهِ (١) بِلَا حَادِثٍ فِيهِ، ثُمَّ حَدَثَتْ فِيهِ الْحَوَادِثُ كَانَ هَذَا بَاطِلًا ; لِأَنَّهُ إِذَا جَازَ أَنْ يُحْدِثَهَا (٢) بَعْدَ أَنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ مُحْدِثًا (٣) لَمْ يَكُنْ مُوجِبًا (٤) بَلْ فَاعِلًا بِاخْتِيَارِهِ وَمَشِيئَتِهِ، (٥ وَالْفَاعِلُ بِاخْتِيَارِهِ وَمَشِيئَتِهِ ٥) (٥) لَا يُقَارِنُهُ مَفْعُولُهُ، كَمَا قَدْ بُسِطَ فِي مَوْضِعِهِ. وَلِأَنَّهُ عَلَى هَذَا يَجِبُ أَنْ يُقَارِنَهُ الْقَدِيمُ مِنْ مَفْعُولَاتِهِ، وَيَجِبُ أَنْ (٦) يَبْقَى مُعَطَّلًا عَنِ الْفِعْلِ إِلَى أَنْ يُحْدِثَ الْحَوَادِثَ، فَإِيجَابُ تَعْطِيلِهِ (٧) وَإِيجَابُ فِعْلِهِ جَمْعٌ بَيْنَ الضِّدَّيْنِ (٨) ، وَتَخْصِيصٌ (٩) بِلَا مُخَصِّصٍ (١٠) ، فَإِنَّهُ (١١) بِذَاتِهِ إِمَّا أَنْ يَجِبَ أَنْ يَكُونَ فَاعِلًا فِي الْأَزَلِ. (١٢ وَإِمَّا أَنْ يَمْتَنِعَ كَوْنُهُ فَاعِلًا فِي الْأَزَلِ، وَإِمَّا أَنْ يَجُوزَ الْأَمْرَانِ. فَإِنْ وَجَبَ كَوْنُهُ فَاعِلًا فِي الْأَزَلِ، جَازَ حُدُوثُ الْحَوَادِثِ فِي الْأَزَلِ، وَوَجَبَ أَنْ لَا يَكُونَ لَهَا ابْتِدَاءٌ، وَالتَّقْدِيرُ أَنَّ لَهَا ابْتِدَاءً ١٢) (١٢) ، وَإِنِ امْتَنَعَ كَوْنُهُ [فَاعِلًا] (١٣) فِي الْأَزَلِ امْتَنَعَ أَنْ يَكُونَ شَيْءٌ قَدِيمٌ (١٤) فِي الْأَزَلِ غَيْرَهُ، فَلَا يَجُوزُ قِدَمُ الْعَالَمِ خَالِيًا عَنِ الْحَوَادِثِ وَلَا مَعَ الْحَوَادِثِ.

(١) ب، أ: عِلَّةٍ. (٢) ب (فَقَطْ) : يُحْدِثَ. (٣) عِبَارَةُ: " لَمْ يَكُنْ مُحْدِثًا ": سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ب) ، (أ) . (٤) ن: وَاجِبًا. (٥) (٥ - ٥) : سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ب) ، (أ) . (٦) ن، م: بِأَنْ. (٧) أ: فَعُطْلُهُ، وَهُوَ تَحْرِيفٌ ; ب: تَعَطُّلِهِ. (٨) ع: الْمُتَنَاقِضَيْنِ ; ن، م: الْمُتَنَافَيْنِ. (٩) ن: وَتَخَصُّصٌ. (١٠) مُخَصَّصٍ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (م) . (١١) ب، أ: لِأَنَّهُ. (١٢) (١٢ - ١٢) : سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ب) فَقَطْ (١٣) فَاعِلًا: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) فَقَطْ. (١٤) ب، أ: قَدِيمًا، وَهُوَ بِخِلَافِ الْمَعْنَى.