Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (2/317)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

with the eyes in the Hereafter and denying it in this world, except for the disagreement specifically concerning the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace.] (1)

As for his appeal [and also the appeal of those who deny it] to His words [Most High] (2):

{No vision can apprehend Him} [Surah al-Anām: 103]

The verse is evidence against them, not for them. For apprehension must mean either vision without qualification, vision itself, or vision qualified by encompassment. The first is false, because not everyone who sees something is said to have [apprehended it, just as he is not said to] (3) have encompassed it. Ibn Abbās [may Allah be pleased with them both] (4) was asked about this and said (5), “Do you not see the sky?”

He replied, “Yes.”

He asked, “Do you see all of it (6)?”

He replied, “No.”

Likewise, whoever sees the flanks of an army or the sides of a mountain (7), garden, or city is not said to have apprehended it (8). He is said to have apprehended it only when his vision has encompassed it (9). In the present context, we are not required to establish that; we have mentioned it merely to explain the basis for denying the claim (10). Rather, anyone adducing the verse as proof must demonstrate that, in the language of the Arabs, apprehension is synonymous with vision and that everyone who sees something is said in their language to have apprehended it. There is no way to do so—how could there be, when between the term

(1) The passage enclosed in square brackets is absent from B, A, N, and M. (2) B and A read: “As for those who deny it citing the words of the Most High as evidence”; N and M read: “As for his citing His words as evidence.” (3) The passage enclosed in square brackets is absent from N and M. (4) The phrase “may Allah be pleased with them both” is absent from N and M. ʿA reads: “may Allah be pleased with him.” (5) N and M read: “He said.” (6) ʿA reads: “Do you see all of it?” (7) N and M read: “the flanks of the cavalry or the army”; ' reads: “the flanks of the army or the troops.” (8) ʿA reads: “apprehended it.” (9) N reads: “Nor is he said to have apprehended it unless his vision encompassed it”; M reads: “unless his vision encompassed it.” (10) ʿA reads: “so that we may substantiate the objection”; A reads: “to preclude the objection.”

بِالْعَيْنِ فِي الْآخِرَةِ وَنَفْيِهَا فِي الدُّنْيَا، إِلَّا الْخِلَافَ فِي النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - خَاصَّةً] (١) . وَأَمَّا احْتِجَاجُهُ [وَاحْتِجَاجُ النُّفَاةِ أَيْضًا] بِقَوْلِهِ [تَعَالَى] (٢) : {لَا تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَبْصَارُ} [سُورَةُ الْأَنْعَامِ: ١٠٣] فَالْآيَةُ حُجَّةٌ عَلَيْهِمْ لَا لَهُمْ، لِأَنَّ الْإِدْرَاكَ: إِمَّا أَنْ يُرَادَ بِهِ مُطْلَقُ الرُّؤْيَةِ، أَوِ الرُّؤْيَةُ، أَوِ الرُّؤْيَةُ الْمُقَيَّدَةُ بِالْإِحَاطَةِ، وَالْأَوَّلُ بَاطِلٌ، لِأَنَّهُ لَيْسَ كُلُّ مَنْ رَأَى شَيْئًا يُقَالُ: إِنَّهُ [أَدْرَكَهُ، كَمَا لَا يُقَالُ: ] (٣) أَحَاطَ بِهِ، كَمَا سُئِلَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ [رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا] (٤) عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ (٥) : أَلَسْتَ تَرَى السَّمَاءَ؟ قَالَ: بَلَى، قَالَ: أَكُلُّهَا تُرَى (٦) ؟ قَالَ: لَا. وَمَنْ رَأَى جَوَانِبَ الْجَيْشِ أَوِ الْجَبَلِ (٧) أَوِ الْبُسْتَانِ أَوِ الْمَدِينَةِ لَا يُقَالُ: إِنَّهُ أَدْرَكَهَا (٨) ، وَإِنَّمَا يُقَالُ: أَدْرَكَهَا إِذَا أَحَاطَ بِهَا رُؤْيَةً (٩) ، وَنَحْنُ فِي هَذَا الْمَقَامِ لَيْسَ عَلَيْنَا بَيَانُ ذَلِكَ، وَإِنَّمَا ذَكَرْنَا هَذَا بَيَانًا لِسَنَدِ (١٠) الْمَنْعِ، بَلِ الْمُسْتَدِلُّ بِالْآيَةِ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يُبَيِّنَ أَنَّ الْإِدْرَاكَ فِي لُغَةِ الْعَرَبِ مُرَادِفٌ لِلرُّؤْيَةِ، وَأَنَّ كُلَّ مَنْ رَأَى شَيْئًا يُقَالُ فِي لُغَتِهِمْ إِنَّهُ أَدْرَكَهُ، وَهَذَا لَا سَبِيلَ إِلَيْهِ، كَيْفَ وَبَيْنَ لَفْظِ

(١) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ب) ، (أ) ، (ن) ، (م) . (٢) ب، ا: وَأَمَّا احْتِجَاجُ النُّفَاةِ بِقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى ; ن، م: وَأَمَّا احْتِجَاجُهُ بِقَوْلِهِ. (٣) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٤) رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . وَفِي (ع) : رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ. (٥) ن، م: قَالَ. (٦) ع: أَتُرَى كُلُّهَا؟ (٧) ن، م: جَوَانِبَ الْخَيْلِ أَوِ الْجَيْشِ ; ': جَوَانِبَ الْجَيْشِ أَوِ الْجُنْدِ. (٨) ع: أَدْرَكَهُ. (٩) ن: وَلَا يُقَالُ إِنَّهُ أَدْرَكَهَا إِلَّا إِذَا أَحَاطَ بِهَا رُؤْيَةً ; م: إِلَّا إِذَا أَحَاطَ بِهَا رُؤْيَةً. (١٠) ع: لِنُسْنِدَ ; أ: لِسَدِّ.