Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (2/356)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

other than Him from being created and originated, coming into existence (1) after it had not existed. No contingent being can be coeternal with Allah Most High and equal to Him. Indeed, this is rationally impossible and contradicts what the messengers have reported from Allah, as has been explained fully elsewhere.

Aristotle and his followers say:

“Place is the inner surface of the containing body that meets the outer surface of the contained body.”

According to them, it is an accident.

His statement:

“Its ‘where-ness’ is self-evident, (2) but its true nature is obscure,”

means that it is so according to them. As for the Muslim scholars, praise be to Allah, none of this is obscure to them. Rather, the term “place” may refer to that above which a thing is situated while depending upon it, as a person stands upon a roof. It may also refer to that above which a thing is situated without depending upon it, as heaven is above the air, the angels are above the earth and the air, and birds are above the earth.

Of this kind are the words of Hassān ibn Thābit, may Allah be pleased with him:

Our God is exalted high above a Throne;
Allah’s place is higher and greater. (3)

Hassān and the other Companions of the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—knew that Allah is independent of everything besides Him, while everything besides Him, whether the Throne or anything else, depends upon Him. He needs nothing, yet Hassān affirmed a place for Him.

The early generations and the Companions—and indeed the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace—would hear words like

(1) The original reads: “that everything other than Him is created, originated, and existent.” (2) The original reads *al-abniya* (“structures”). The correction of this word, based on *Talkhīs al-Muhassal*, was given earlier. (3) I did not find this verse in the printed *Dīwān* of Hassān.

سِوَاهُ مَخْلُوقًا مُحْدَثًا كَائِنًا (١) بَعْدَ أَنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ، لَيْسَ مِنَ الْمُمْكِنَاتِ قَدِيمٌ بِقِدَمِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى مُسَاوِيًا لَهُ، بَلْ هَذَا مُمْتَنِعٌ بِصَرَائِحِ الْعُقُولِ مُخَالِفٌ لِمَا أَخْبَرَتْ بِهِ الرُّسُلُ عَنِ اللَّهِ، كَمَا قَدْ بُسِطَ فِي مَوْضِعِهِ. وَأَرِسْطُو وَأَصْحَابُهُ يَقُولُونَ: إِنَّ الْمَكَانَ هُوَ السَّطْحُ الْبَاطِنُ مِنَ الْجِسْمِ الْحَاوِي الْمُلَاقِي لِلسَّطْحِ الظَّاهِرِ مِنَ الْجِسْمِ الْمَحْوِي، وَهُوَ عَرَضٌ عِنْدَ هَؤُلَاءِ. وَقَوْلُهُ: " إِنَّهُ بَدِيهِيُّ الْأَيْنِيَّةِ (٢) خَفِيُّ الْحَقِيقَةِ " أَيْ عِنْدِ هَؤُلَاءِ، وَأَمَّا عُلَمَاءُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ فَلَيْسَ عِنْدَهُمْ - وَلِلَّهِ الْحَمْدُ - مِنْ ذَلِكَ مَا هُوَ خَفِيٌّ، بَلْ لَفْظُ " الْمَكَانِ " قَدْ يُرَادُ بِهِ مَا يَكُونُ الشَّيْءُ فَوْقَهُ مُحْتَاجًا إِلَيْهِ، كَمَا يَكُونُ الْإِنْسَانُ فَوْقَ السَّطْحِ، وَيُرَادُ بِهِ مَا يَكُونُ الشَّيْءُ فَوْقَهُ مِنْ غَيْرِ احْتِيَاجٍ إِلَيْهِ، مِثْلُ كَوْنِ السَّمَاءِ فَوْقَ الْجَوِّ، وَكَوْنِ الْمَلَائِكَةِ فَوْقَ الْأَرْضِ وَالْهَوَاءِ، وَكَوْنِ الطَّيْرِ فَوْقَ الْأَرْضِ. وَمِنْ هَذَا قَوْلُ حَسَّانِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ: تَعَالَى عُلُوًّا فَوْقَ عَرْشٍ إِلَهُنَا ... وَكَانَ مَكَانُ اللَّهِ أَعْلَى وَأَعْظَمَا (٣) مَعَ عِلْمِ حَسَّانَ وَغَيْرِهِ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - أَنَّ اللَّهَ غَنِيٌّ عَنْ كُلِّ مَا سِوَاهُ، وَمَا سِوَاهُ مِنْ عَرْشٍ وَغَيْرِهِ مُحْتَاجٌ إِلَيْهِ، وَهُوَ لَا يَحْتَاجُ إِلَى شَيْءٍ، وَقَدْ أَثْبَتَ لَهُ مَكَانًا. وَالسَّلَفُ وَالصَّحَابَةُ، بَلِ النَّبِيُّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - كَانَ يَسْمَعُ مِثْلَ

(١) فِي الْأَصْلِ: أَنْ يَكُونَ كُلُّ مَا سِوَاهُ مَخْلُوقٌ مُحْدَثٌ كَائِنٌ. (٢) فِي الْأَصْلِ: الْأَبْنِيَةِ، وَسَبَقَ تَصْوِيبُ الْكَلِمَةِ عَنْ " تَلْخِيصِ الْمُحَصِّلِ ". (٣) لَمْ أَجِدِ الْبَيْتَ فِي دِيوَانِ حَسَّانَ الْمَطْبُوعِ.