Excerpt from Ibn Taymiyyah's book 'Bayan Talbis Al-Jahmiyyah'

[Abu Yunus]

As found on a certain website:

Ibn Taymiyyah stated in his book “Bayaan Talbiis Al-Jahmiyyah”:

ولو قد شاء لاستقر على ظهر بعوضة فاستقلت به بقدرته ولطف ربوبيته (بيان تلبيس
الجهمية, خ1/ص568)⁠.

“If Aļļaah had willed He could have settled on a mosquito, and it [the mosquito] would have found Him [Aļļaah] light [or it would have carried Him on its back], by Aļļaah’s Power and His Gentle Lordship (Bayaan Talbiis Al-Jahmiyyah, 1/568)⁠.”

Here is the wider context of the quote for those with Arabic:

وقد بلغنا أنهم حين حملوا العرش وفوقه الجبار في عزته وبهائه ضعفوا عن حمله واستكانوا وجثوا على ركبهم حتى لقنوا لا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله فاستقلوا به بقدرة الله وإرادته ولولا ذلك ما استقل به العرش ولا الحملة ولا السموات ولا الأرض ولا من فيهن ولو قد شاء لاستقر على ظهر بعوضة فاستقلت به بقدرته ولطف ربوبيته فكيف على عرش عظيم أكبر من السموات والأرض وكيف تنكر أيها النفاج أن عرشه يقله والعرش أكبر من السموات السبع والأرضين السبع ولو كان العرش في السموات والارضين ما وسعته ولكنه فوق السماء السابعة

Is the book authentically attributed to Ibn Taymiyyah?

Is the translation fully accurate?

Is the quote taken in context?



Abu Yunus

[Murat Yazici]

I read something related to this some time ago. Here it is:

Excerpts from `Uthman Ibn Sa`id al-Darimi al-Sajzi's (d. 280) book al-Naqd `ala al-Jahmiyya p. 75:

"If He so willed, He could have settled on the back of a gnat and it would have carried Him thanks to His power and the favor of His lordship, not to mention the magnificient Throne."

(This is not `Abd Allah ibn `Abd al-Rahman al-Darimi, author of the Sunan, who died in 255)

So, if Ibni Taymiyya has indeed said something similar, his source might be this earlier anthropomorphist.

[TripolySunni]

The Whole thing means That Allah is what holds everything together.

[Abu Yunus]

The Whole thing means That Allah is what holds everything together.

Perhaps that was the intent of the author, but the language reveals gross tashbih and tajsim (in other words likening Allah to His creation).

[Abu Yunus]

Murat Bey,



Compare the quote from Uthman Ibn Sa'id al-Darimi's book with the quote from Ibn Taymiyyah's book - they seem the same, possibly word for word.

Do you have the original Arabic for the quote from Uthman Ibn Sa'id al-Darimi's book so that we can properly compare?

That would be appreciated, may Allah reward you.

Mehmet

[Murat Yazici]

Murat Bey,



Compare the quote from Uthman Ibn Sa'id al-Darimi's book with the quote from Ibn Taymiyyah's book - they seem the same, possibly word for word.

Do you have the original Arabic for the quote from Uthman Ibn Sa'id al-Darimi's book so that we can properly compare?

That would be appreciated, may Allah reward you.

Mehmet

Aleykum selam.

I do not have the original Arabic text. But I can list some sources which may hopefully help you find the Arabic version.

Look at

http://www.sunnah.org/aqida/anthro/anthro1.htm
http://www.sunnah.org/aqida/anthro/anthro2.htm

This is one of the places where I read the words of `Uthman Ibn Sa`id al-Darimi al-Sajzi.

Also, I have the following book (this is in English):

"The Refutation of him who attributes direction to Allah" (translation by Dr. G. F. Haddad.)

On p. 83 we see the following footnote by Dr. Haddad:

Ibn al-Qayyim in Ijtima al-Juyush (p.88 = p. 143) revealed that Ibn Taymiyya "praised and recommended al-Darimi's two books most strenuously."

One of the two mentioned books is al-Naqd `ala al-Jahmiyya.

I also have the Turkish translation of the following book:

Abu Hamid Ibn Marzuq, Bara'a al-Ash`ariyyin Min `Aqa'id al-Mukhalifin.

This book mentions Darimi's views in some detail. The above mentioned statement involving gnat/mosquito is also given here (in the first section fourth subtitle). The Turkish translation is consistent with the English version given above (for those who can read Turkish):

"Şüphesiz Allah arzu ederse, kudret ve rububiyetinin lutfu ile bir sivrisinek sırtının üzerinde de kalabilir. Koca Arş üzerinde nasıl durmasın?"

[Ghulam Nabi]

If Aļļaah had willed He could have settled on a mosquito

لا حول و لا قوة إلا بالله

And what would Ibn Taymiyya say to a Christians who believes "If Allah so wills he can become a human being and die on a cross"?

[Murat Yazici]

لا حول و لا قوة إلا بالله

And what would Ibn Taymiyya say to a Christians who believes "If Allah so wills he can become a human being and die on a cross"?

I just noticed an article, written by some writer named "Christopher Howse" in the UK. Apparently, this person is a Christian:

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/culture...el_of_st_john/

This is what he says:

The celebrated question of how many angels may dance on a pinhead was not once ever raised in the Middle Ages. That it characterised scholastic theology is a myth. But I am surprised to find Sunni Muslims saying that Ibn Taymiyya's opinion was that God could have settled on a mosquitos's back and the creature would have found him light.

This opinion is adduced to prove that Ibn Taymiyya was a heretic. This is something that matters, because Ibn Taymiyya is a hero of the Wahhabis, the sect that rules Saudi Arabia in alliance, for now, with the royal family.

...

The traveller Ibn Battuta heard Ibn Taymiyya preach and suggested that he was slightly bonkers – that he had "some kink in his brain" as H.A.R. Gibb translated it in 1929.

...

I'm not sure where mosquitos come in. But if God could settle on a mosquito's back, why could he not take flesh and dwell amongst us?

[Dhul-Qarnayn]

[abulayl]

لا حول و لا قوة إلا بالله

And what would Ibn Taymiyya say to a Christians who believes "If Allah so wills he can become a human being and die on a cross"?

I just noticed an article, written by some writer named "Christopher Howse" in the UK. Apparently, this person is a Christian:

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/culture...el_of_st_john/

This is what he says:

The christian scholars indulge in this IF theory, where Jesus(aw) self denied it by saying

(I Timothy 6:16): “...
whom no man hath seen, nor can see . . .”

(Psalm
121:4): “Behold, He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.”

(Luke 4:1-13) “Satan tempted Jesus for forty days” but in James 1:13 is said: “... for God cannot be tempted with evil...”
John 5:37.
Ye have neither heard His voice (God’s) at any time, nor seen His shape.

IF Jesus would be God in shape of human, He will not say above statement. So comparing the IF theory mentioned by ibn taymiyah(rh) with the IF theory of christian scholars which is refuted by their own scripture, whole argument is balony.

Me personally dont agree to invovle in such arguments, IF Allah wants he can do this or can do that, can Lie or can not, can seat on Mosquito or this and that. This are time wasting and has no profit at all.