Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (2/329)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

whereas these deny them. They therefore denied this attribute because—according to al-Asharī’s position—it is one of the report-based attributes; and because, in their view, this attribute was not established by reason] (1), they said: “Allah will be seen, but not in any direction” (2).

The majority of people [from among] (3) both those who affirm that Allah will be seen and those who deny it say that the falsity of this position is known by rational necessity, just as with their position concerning divine speech. For this reason, Abū Abd Allāh al-Rāzī states that none of the Muslim groups holds their position on the questions of divine speech and seeing Allah (4).

[Ibn Taymiyya Follows Two Lines of Exposition on the Question of Seeing Allah]

[The First Approach]

We [shall follow two lines of exposition. In the first, we shall explain that those among the affirmers of seeing Allah against whom objections have been raised—such as al-Asharī and others—are closer to what is correct than the position of those who deny it.

In the second, we shall set forth the truth in absolute terms, without defending anyone.

The First Approach:

shall] (5) demonstrate that this group and the other groups that affirm that Allah will be seen (6) are less mistaken and more correct than those who deny it. We say to these deniers [of seeing Allah] (7): You have heaped denunciation upon the Asharīs [and those followers of the imams who agree with them] (8) over the question of seeing Allah. We shall demonstrate that they are closer to the truth than you are [on scriptural grounds

(1) The passage between square brackets is absent from N and M. (2) N reads: “They said that He is not seen in any direction”; M reads: “They said that He is seen, but not in any direction.” (3) “From” is absent only from N. (4) N reads: “the vision and speech.” (5) The passage between square brackets is absent from B, A, N, and M. The second line of argument begins on p. 348. (6) “For the vision” is absent from ʿ. (7) ʿ reads: “And we say to those who deny the vision”; N and M read: “And we say to these deniers.” (8) The passage between square brackets is absent from N and M.

وَهَؤُلَاءِ يَنْفُونَهَا، فَنَفَوْا هَذِهِ الصِّفَةَ ; لِأَنَّهَا - عَلَى قَوْلِ الْأَشْعَرِيِّ - مِنَ الصِّفَاتِ الْخَبَرِيَّةِ، وَلَمَّا لَمْ تَكُنْ هَذِهِ الصِّفَةُ عِنْدَ هَؤُلَاءِ عَقْلِيَّةً] (١) قَالُوا: إِنَّهُ يُرَى لَا فِي جِهَةٍ (٢) . وَجُمْهُورُ النَّاسِ [مِنْ] (٣) مُثْبِتَةِ الرُّؤْيَةِ وَنُفَاتِهَا يَقُولُونَ: إِنَّ قَوْلَ هَؤُلَاءِ مَعْلُومُ الْفَسَادِ بِضَرُورَةِ الْعَقْلِ، كَقَوْلِهِمْ فِي الْكَلَامِ. وَلِهَذَا يَذْكُرُ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الرَّازِيُّ أَنَّهُ لَا يَقُولُ بِقَوْلِهِمْ فِي مَسْأَلَةِ الْكَلَامِ وَالرُّؤْيَةِ (٤) أَحَدٌ مِنْ طَوَائِفِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ. [ابن تيمية يسلك طريقين من البيان في مسألة الرؤية] [الطريق الأول] وَنَحْنُ [نَسْلُكُ طَرِيقَيْنِ مِنَ الْبَيَانِ: أَحَدُهُمَا: نُبَيِّنُ فِيهِ أَنَّ هَؤُلَاءِ الَّذِينَ رَدَّ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ مُثْبِتِيِ الرُّؤْيَةِ كَالْأَشْعَرِيِّ وَغَيْرِهِ أَقْرَبُ إِلَى الصَّوَابِ مِنْ قَوْلِ النُّفَاةِ. الثَّانِي: نُبَيِّنُ فِي الْحَقِّ بَيَانًا مُطْلَقًا لَا نَذُبُّ فِيهِ عَنْ أَحَدٍ. الطَّرِيقُ الْأَوَّلُ: أَنْ] (٥) نُبَيِّنَ أَنَّ هَذِهِ الطَّائِفَةَ وَغَيْرَهَا مِنَ الطَّوَائِفِ الْمُثْبِتَةِ لِلرُّؤْيَةِ (٦) أَقَلُّ خَطَأً وَأَكْثَرُ صَوَابًا مِنْ نُفَاةِ الرُّؤْيَةِ. وَنَقُولُ لِهَؤُلَاءِ النُّفَاةِ [لِلرُّؤْيَةِ] (٧) : أَنْتُمْ أَكْثَرْتُمُ التَّشْنِيعَ عَلَى الْأَشْعَرِيَّةِ [وَمَنْ وَافَقَهُمْ مِنْ أَتْبَاعِ الْأَئِمَّةِ] (٨) فِي مَسْأَلَةِ الرُّؤْيَةِ. وَنَحْنُ نُبَيِّنُ أَنَّهُمْ أَقْرَبُ إِلَى الْحَقِّ مِنْكُمْ [نَقْلًا

(١) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٢) ن: فَقَالُوا إِنَّهُ لَا يُرَى فِي جِهَةٍ ; م: فَقَالُوا إِنَّهُ يُرَى لَا فِي جِهَةٍ. (٣) مِنْ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) فَقَطْ. (٤) ن: الرُّؤْيَةِ وَالْكَلَامِ. (٥) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ب) ، (أ) ، (ن) ، (م) . وَالطَّرِيقُ الثَّانِي يَبْدَأُ ص ٣٤٨. (٦) لِلرُّؤْيَةِ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ع) . (٧) ع: وَنَقُولُ لِنُفَاةِ الرُّؤْيَةِ ; ن، م: وَنَقُولُ لِهَؤُلَاءِ النُّفَاةِ. (٨) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) .