16
This is what [the imams] and the majority of rational people reject (1). They say that it is a brazen denial of sensory evidence and contrary to revealed law and reason (2).
[As for the majority of] Ahl al-Sunnah (3) [who follow the early generations and the imams] (4), they say that the servant’s act is truly his own act, but that it is created by Allah and effected by Allah. They do not say, “It is identical to Allah’s act.” They distinguish between creating and the created thing, and between the act and what is effected (5).
[This is the distinction that al-Bukhārī, in his book The Creation of the Servants’ Acts, reported from all the scholars without exception (6). It was also stated by a number of the early generations and imams. It is the position of the Hanafīs and the majority of the Mālikīs, Shāfiīs, and Hanbalīs. Al-Baghawī (7) \ 284 reported it from all of Ahl al-Sunnah without exception, and al-Kalābādhī, the author of Introduction to the School of Sufism, reported it from all the Sufis (8). It is also the position of most schools of speculative theology, including the Hishāmiyya,
(1) N reads: “The majority of rational people rejected it”; B and A read: “The majority of rational people reject it”; M reads: “The majority of rational people mention it.”
(2) N reads: “Thus it is contrary to reason and revealed law”; (Ayn) reads: “and contrary to revealed law and reason”; M reads: “Thus it is contrary to revealed law.”
(3) The words “As for the majority” are omitted from N, with a blank space in their place. M reads: “As for Ahl al-Sunnah.”
(4) The material enclosed in square brackets occurs only in (Ayn).
(5) A lacuna begins here in B, A, N, and M and ends on the following page.
(6) Al-Bukhārī writes in *The Creation of the Servants’ Acts*, p. 12[0–9]: “People differed concerning the agent, the thing effected, and the act. The Qadariyya said: ‘All acts are from human beings, not from Allah.’ The Jabriyya said: ‘All acts are from Allah.’ The Jahmiyya said: ‘The act and the thing effected are one’; hence they called each ‘created.’ The scholars said: ‘Creating is Allah’s act, while our acts are created.’ … Thus Allah’s act is an attribute of Allah, whereas the thing effected is other than Him and belongs to creation.”
(7) He is al-Husayn ibn Masūd, known as al-Farrā. His biography was given earlier at 1:457. See also *Tadhkirat al-Huffāz*, 4:1257; *al-Alām* by al-Ziriklī, vol. 2.
(8) Al-Kalābādhī (d. 380 AH) writes in *al-Taarruf li-Madhhab Ahl al-Tasawwuf* (*Introduction to the School of Sufism*), p. 4[0–9], Īsā al-Halabī edition, 1380/1960: “They unanimously agreed that Allah Most High is the Creator of all the servants’ acts, just as He is the Creator of their very persons, and that everything they do, whether good or evil, occurs by Allah’s decree and predestination.” He then writes (p. 7[0–9]): “They unanimously agreed that they truly have acts and acquisition (*iktisāb*), for which they are rewarded or punished. It is for this reason that commands and prohibitions were issued, and promises and threats were given.” Ibn Taymiyya’s reference to al-Kalābādhī’s statement appeared earlier at 1:458.
وَهَذَا الَّذِي يُنْكِرُهُ
[الْأَئِمَّةُ]
وَجُمْهُورُ الْعُقَلَاءِ
(١)
.،
وَيَقُولُونَ:
إِنَّهُ مُكَابَرَةٌ لِلْحِسِّ وَمُخَالَفَةٌ لِلشَّرْعِ وَالْعَقْلِ
(٢)
.
[وَأَمَّا جُمْهُورُ]
أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ
(٣)
[الْمُتَّبِعُونَ لِلسَّلَفِ وَالْأَئِمَّةِ]
(٤)
فَيَقُولُونَ: إِنَّ فِعْلَ الْعَبْدِ فِعْلٌ لَهُ حَقِيقَةً،
وَلَكِنَّهُ مَخْلُوقٌ لِلَّهِ وَمَفْعُولٌ لِلَّهِ ; لَا يَقُولُونَ:
هُوَ نَفْسُ فِعْلِ اللَّهِ، وَيُفَرِّقُونَ بَيْنَ الْخَلْقِ وَالْمَخْلُوقِ، وَالْفِعْلِ وَالْمَفْعُولِ.
(٥)
. [وَهَذَا الْفَرْقُ الَّذِي حَكَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ فِي كِتَابِ
" خَلْقِ أَفْعَالِ الْعِبَادِ "
عَنِ الْعُلَمَاءِ قَاطِبَةً
(٦)
.، وَهُوَ الَّذِي ذَكَرَهُ غَيْرُ وَاحِدٍ مِنَ السَّلَفِ وَالْأَئِمَّةِ، وَهُوَ قَوْلُ الْحَنَفِيَّةِ وَجُمْهُورِ الْمَالِكِيَّةِ وَالشَّافِعِيَّةِ وَالْحَنْبَلِيَّةِ، وَحَكَاهُ الْبَغَوِيُّ
(٧)
\ ٢٨٤ عَنْ أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ قَاطِبَةً، وَحَكَاهُ الْكَلَابَاذِيُّ صَاحِبُ
" التَّعَرُّفِ لِمَذْهَبِ التَّصَوُّفِ "
عَنْ جَمِيعِ الصُّوفِيَّةِ
(٨)
.، وَهُوَ قَوْلُ أَكْثَرِ طَوَائِفِ أَهْلِ الْكَلَامِ مِنَ الْهِشَامِيَّةِ
(١) ن: تَرَكُوهُ جُمْهُورُ الْعُقَلَاءِ ; ب، أ: يُنْكِرُهُ جُمْهُورُ الْعُقَلَاءِ ; م: يَذْكُرُهُ جُمْهُورُ الْعُقَلَاءِ
(٢) ن: فَهُوَ مُخَالِفٌ لِلْعَقْلِ وَالشَّرْعِ ; ع: وَمُخَالِفٌ لِلشَّرْعِ وَالْعَقْلِ ; م: فَهُوَ مُخَالِفٌ لِلشَّرْعِ.
(٣) عِبَارَةُ: " وَأَمَّا جُمْهُورُ " سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) وَمَكَانُهَا بَيَاضٌ. وَفِي (م) : وَأَمَّا أَهْلُ السُّنَّةِ.
(٤) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ فِي (ع) فَقَطْ.
(٥) مِنْ هُنَا يَبْدَأُ سَقْطٌ مِنْ (ب) ، (أ) ، (ن) ، (م) ، وَيَنْتَهِي فِي الصَّفْحَةِ التَّالِيَةِ
(٦) يَقُولُ الْبُخَارِيُّ فِي " خَلْقِ أَفْعَالِ الْعِبَادِ " ص [٠ - ٩] ١٢: " وَاخْتَلَفَ النَّاسُ فِي الْفَاعِلِ وَالْمَفْعُولِ وَالْفِعْلِ. فَقَالَتِ الْقَدَرِيَّةُ: الْأَفَاعِيلُ كُلُّهَا مِنَ الْبَشَرِ لَيْسَتْ مِنَ اللَّهِ. وَقَالَتِ الْجَبْرِيَّةُ: الْأَفَاعِيلُ كُلُّهَا مِنَ اللَّهِ. وَقَالَتِ الْجَهْمِيَّةُ: الْفِعْلُ وَالْمَفْعُولُ وَاحِدٌ، لِذَلِكَ قَالُوا لِكُلٍّ مَخْلُوقٌ. وَقَالَ أَهْلُ الْعِلْمِ: التَّخْلِيقُ فِعْلُ اللَّهِ وَأَفْعَالُنَا مَخْلُوقَةٌ. . . فَفِعْلُ اللَّهِ صِفَةُ اللَّهِ، وَالْمَفْعُولُ غَيْرُهُ مِنَ الْخَلْقِ "
(٧) هُوَ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ الْمَعْرُوفُ بِالْفَرَّاءِ، وَسَبَقَتْ تَرْجَمَتُهُ ١/٤٥٧، وَانْظُرْ فِي تَرْجَمَتِهِ أَيْضًا: تَذْكِرَةَ الْحُفَّاظِ ٤/١٢٥٧ ; الْأَعْلَامَ لِلزِّرِكْلِيِّ ٢
(٨) يَقُولُ الْكَلَابَاذِيُّ (الْمُتَوَفَّى سَنَةَ ٣٨٠) فِي كِتَابِهِ " التَّعَرُّفِ لِمَذْهَبِ أَهْلِ التَّصَوُّفِ " ص [٠ - ٩] ٤، ط. عِيسَى الْحَلَبِيِّ ١٣٨٠/١٩٦٠: " أَجْمَعُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى خَالِقٌ لِأَفْعَالِ الْعِبَادِ كُلِّهَا، كَمَا أَنَّهُ خَالِقٌ لِأَعْيَانِهِمْ، وَأَنَّ كُلَّ مَا يَفْعَلُونَ مِنْ خَيْرٍ وَشَرٍّ فَبِقَضَاءِ اللَّهِ وَقَدَرِهِ ". . ثُمَّ يَقُولُ (ص [٠ - ٩] ٧) : " وَأَجْمَعُوا أَنَّ لَهُمْ أَفْعَالًا وَاكْتِسَابًا عَلَى الْحَقِيقَةِ، هُمْ بِهَا مُثَابُونَ وَعَلَيْهَا مُعَاقَبُونَ، وَلِذَلِكَ جَاءَ الْأَمْرُ وَالنَّهْيُ، وَوَرَدَ الْوَعْدُ وَالْوَعِيدُ ". هَذَا وَقَدْ سَبَقَتْ إِشَارَةُ ابْنِ تَيْمِيَّةَ إِلَى كَلَامِ الْكَلَابَاذِيِّ ١/٤٥٨