Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (2/384)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

We said to you:

Our agreement with you is dialectical. Suppose that, in agreement with you, we have affirmed that an infinite succession of temporal events is impossible, while, contrary to you, we have also said (1) that something receptive (2) to a thing may be devoid both of it and of its opposite.

You say:

“If He were receptive to temporal events (3), their infinite succession would necessarily follow, yet you do not affirm that (4).”

We reply:

If these two premises are sound—although we do not accept what follows from them (5)—then it necessarily follows that we have erred in either one or the other. There is no more reason to locate our error in what we conceded to you than in that on which we disagreed with you. We may have erred in denying an infinite succession of temporal events, rather than in saying:

“That which is receptive to a thing may be devoid both of it and of its opposite.”

Thus, our error on one of the two issues would not prove that you are correct (6) on the other issue on which we disagreed with you.

The most that follows in this (7) matter is [that we would be] (8) inconsistent. Such inconsistency (9) encompasses us, you, and most of those who have discussed this issue and others like it. If we are inconsistent, it is better for us to return to a position [in which] we agree with reason and revelation (10) than to return to a position

(1) (ن) and (م) read: “We have already said.” (2) (ب) alone reads: “the agent.” (3) (ب) reads: “If He admits temporal events”; (ن) and (م) read: “If temporal events are posited.” (4) (ع) reads: “yet you do not affirm it”; (م) reads: “yet you do not affirm that.” (5) (ع), (ن), and (م) read: “what it entails.” (6) (ب) alone reads: “your response.” (7) “This” is absent from (ع). (8) The phrase “that we would be” is absent from (ن) and (م). (9) (ن) alone reads: “and those who are inconsistent,” which is an error. (10) (ن) and (م) read: “agrees with reason and revelation.”

قُلْنَا لَكُمْ: مُوَافَقَتُنَا لَكُمْ حُجَّةٌ جَدَلِيَّةٌ، وَإِذَا كُنَّا قَدْ قُلْنَا بِامْتِنَاعِ تَسَلْسُلِ الْحَوَادِثِ مُوَافَقَةً لَكُمْ، وَقُلْنَا (١) بِأَنَّ الْقَابِلَ (٢) لِلشَّيْءِ قَدْ يَخْلُو عَنْهُ وَعَنْ ضِدِّهِ مُخَالَفَةً لَكُمْ. وَأَنْتُمْ تَقُولُونَ: إِنْ قَبِلَ الْحَوَادِثَ (٣) لَزِمَ تَسَلْسُلُهَا وَأَنْتُمْ لَا تَقُولُونَ بِذَلِكَ (٤) . قُلْنَا: إِنْ صَحَّتْ هَاتَانِ الْمُقَدِّمَتَانِ - وَنَحْنُ لَا نَقُولُ بِمُوجِبِهِمَا (٥) - لَزِمَ خَطَؤُنَا: إِمَّا فِي هَذِهِ وَإِمَّا فِي هَذِهِ. وَلَيْسَ خَطَؤُنَا فِيمَا سَلَّمْنَاهُ لَكُمْ بِأَوْلَى مِنْ خَطَئِنَا فِيمَا خَالَفْنَاكُمْ فِيهِ، فَقَدْ يَكُونُ خَطَؤُنَا فِي مَنْعِ تَسَلْسُلِ الْحَوَادِثِ لَا فِي قَوْلِنَا: إِنَّ الْقَابِلَ لِلشَّيْءِ يَخْلُو عَنْهُ وَعَنْ ضِدِّهِ، فَلَا يَكُونُ خَطَؤُنَا فِي إِحْدَى الْمَسْأَلَتَيْنِ دَلِيلًا عَلَى صَوَابِكُمْ (٦) فِي الْأُخْرَى الَّتِي خَالَفْنَاكُمْ فِيهَا. أَكْثَرُ مَا فِي هَذَا (٧) الْبَابِ [أَنَّا نَكُونُ] (٨) مُتَنَاقِضَيْنِ، وَالتَّنَاقُضُ (٩) شَامِلٌ لَنَا وَلَكُمْ وَلِأَكْثَرِ مَنْ تَكَلَّمَ فِي هَذِهِ الْمَسْأَلَةِ وَنَظَائِرِهَا. وَإِذَا كُنَّا مُتَنَاقِضَيْنِ، فَرُجُوعُنَا إِلَى قَوْلٍ نُوَافِقُ [فِيهِ] الْعَقْلَ وَالنَّقْلَ (١٠) ، أَوْلَى مِنْ رُجُوعِنَا إِلَى قَوْلٍ

(١) ن، م: قَدْ قُلْنَا. (٢) ب (فَقَطْ) : الْفَاعِلَ. (٣) ب: إِنْ قَبِلَ بِالْحَوَادِثِ ; ن، م: فَإِذَا قِيلَ الْحَوَادِثُ. (٤) ع: وَأَنْتُمْ لَا تَقُولُونَ بِهِ ; م: وَأَنْتُمْ لَا تَقُولُونَ تِلْكَ. (٥) ع، ن، م: بِمُوجِبِهَا. (٦) ب (فَقَطْ) : جَوَابُكُمْ. (٧) هَذَا: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ع) . (٨) عِبَارَةُ " أَنَّا نَكُونُ " سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٩) ن (فَقَطْ) : وَالْمُتَنَاقِضَيْنِ، وَهُوَ خَطَأٌ. (١٠) ن، م: يُوَافِقُ الْعَقْلَ وَالنَّقْلَ.