Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (2/333)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

the Hereafter, Allah [Most High] (1) will perfect human beings and strengthen them until they are capable of seeing Him. For this reason, when Allah [Mighty and Majestic] (2) manifested Himself to the mountain, Moses fell unconscious:

{When he recovered, he said, “Glory be to You! I turn to You in repentance, and I am the first of the believers.”} [Surah al-Arāf: 143].

It has been said that “the first of the believers” (3) means: the first to believe that no living being sees You but dies, and no solid thing sees You but comes tumbling down (4). This is due to the incapacity (5) inherent in the created being, not to any impossibility inherent in the object seen. Rather, any impediment arising from the object itself could only be due to a deficiency in its existence, with the progression culminating in the nonexistent, which cannot conceivably be seen [outside the beholder] (6).

[For this reason, human beings are unable to see an angel in his true form, except for one whom Allah strengthens—as He strengthened our Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Allah Most High said:

{They say, “Why has an angel not been sent down to him?” Had We sent down an angel, the matter would have been decided, and then they would have been granted no respite. And had We made him an angel, We would certainly have given him the form of a man, leaving them in the very confusion they create.} [Surah al-Anām: 8, 9]

Several of the early Muslims said: “They are unable to see an angel in his true form. Had We sent them an angel, We would have given him the form of a human being. They would then have been unsure whether he was an angel or a human being, and so they would have gained nothing by having an angel sent to them. We therefore sent them a human being of their own kind whom they could see and from whom they could learn. This was the consummation of benevolence and mercy toward creation.” Hence Allah Most High said:

{Your companion is not mad} [Surah al-Takwīr: 22],

(1) “Most High” is an addition in ʿ. (2) “Mighty and Majestic” is an addition in ʿ. (3) The phrase “It has been said: the first of the believers” is absent only from ʿ. (4) In N and M, the text here is incomplete and confused. (5) ʿ alone reads: “the incapacity.” (6) B alone reads: “the opinion,” which is erroneous. The phrase “outside the beholder” is absent from N and M.

الدَّارِ الْآخِرَةِ أَكْمَلَ اللَّهُ [تَعَالَى] (١) الْآدَمِيِّينَ وَقَوَّاهُمْ حَتَّى أَطَاقُوا رُؤْيَتَهُ، وَلِهَذَا لَمَّا تَجَلَّى اللَّهُ [عَزَّ وَجَلَّ] (٢) لِلْجَبَلِ خَرَّ مُوسَى صَعِقًا {فَلَمَّا أَفَاقَ قَالَ سُبْحَانَكَ تُبْتُ إِلَيْكَ وَأَنَا أَوَّلُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ} [سُورَةُ الْأَعْرَافِ: ١٤٣] . قِيلَ: أَوَّلُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (٣) بِأَنَّهُ لَا يَرَاكَ حَيٌّ إِلَّا مَاتَ، وَلَا يَابِسٌ إِلَّا تَدَهْدَهَ (٤) ، فَهَذَا لِلْعَجْزِ (٥) الْمَوْجُودِ فِي الْمَخْلُوقِ، لَا لِامْتِنَاعٍ فِي ذَاتِ الْمَرْئِيِّ، بَلْ كَانَ الْمَانِعُ مِنْ ذَاتِهِ، لَمْ يَكُنْ إِلَّا لِنَقْصِ وَجُودِهِ حَتَّى يَنْتَهِيَ الْأَمْرُ إِلَى الْمَعْدُومِ الَّذِي لَا يُتَصَوَّرُ أَنْ يُرَى [خَارِجَ الرَّائِي] (٦) . [وَلِهَذَا كَانَ الْبَشَرُ يَعْجِزُونَ عَنْ رُؤْيَةِ الْمَلَكِ فِي صُورَتِهِ إِلَّا مَنْ أَيَّدَهُ اللَّهُ، كَمَا أَيَّدَ نَبِيَّنَا - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -، قَالَ تَعَالَى: {وَقَالُوا لَوْلَا أُنْزِلَ عَلَيْهِ مَلَكٌ وَلَوْ أَنْزَلْنَا مَلَكًا لَقُضِيَ الْأَمْرُ ثُمَّ لَا يُنْظَرُونَ - وَلَوْ جَعَلْنَاهُ مَلَكًا لَجَعَلْنَاهُ رَجُلًا وَلَلَبَسْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ مَا يَلْبِسُونَ} [سُورَةُ الْأَنْعَامِ: ٨، ٩] قَالَ غَيْرُ وَاحِدٍ مِنَ السَّلَفِ: هُمْ لَا يُطِيقُونَ أَنْ يَرَوُا الْمَلَكَ فِي صُورَتِهِ، فَلَوْ أَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْهِمْ مَلَكًا لَجَعَلْنَاهُ فِي صُورَةِ بَشَرٍ، وَحِينَئِذٍ كَانَ يُشْتَبَهُ عَلَيْهِمْ هَلْ هُوَ مَلَكٌ أَوْ بَشَرٌ، فَمَا كَانُوا يَنْتَفِعُونَ بِإِرْسَالِ الْمَلَكِ إِلَيْهِمْ، فَأَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْهِمْ بَشَرًا مِنْ جِنْسِهِمْ يُمْكِنُهُمْ رُؤْيَتُهُ وَالتَّلَقِّي عَنْهُ، وَكَانَ هَذَا مِنْ تَمَامِ الْإِحْسَانِ إِلَى الْخَلْقِ وَالرَّحْمَةِ، وَلِهَذَا قَالَ تَعَالَى: {وَمَا صَاحِبُكُمْ بِمَجْنُونٍ} [سُورَةُ التَّكْوِيرِ: ٢٢] ،

(١) تَعَالَى: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (ع) . (٢) عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (ع) . (٣) عِبَارَةُ: " قِيلَ أَوَّلُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ " سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ع) فَقَطْ. (٤) فِي (ن) ، (م) الْكَلَامُ هُنَا نَاقِصٌ وَمُضْطَرِبٌ. (٥) ع: (فَقَطْ) : الْعَجْزُ. (٦) ب (فَقَطْ) : الرَّأْيُ، وَهُوَ خَطَأٌ وَجُمْلَةُ " خَارِجَ الرَّائِي " سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) .