1 . أَخْبَرَنَا صَالِحُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ السَّبْزَوَارِيُّ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ الْمَنْصُورَ يَقُولُ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُرَى، وَلَا يَنْبَغِي لَهُ أَنْ يُرَى، وَمَنْ يَعْبُدُ إِلَهًا يَرَاهُ فَإِنَّمَا يَعْبُدُ وَثَنًا مِنَ الْأَوْثَانِ، وَمَنْ يَزْعُمُ أَنَّهُ يَمْلَأُ عَيْنَيْهِ مِنْ رَبِّهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَهُوَ أَعْرَابِيٌّ!
Translation of the saying:
Salih ibn Muhammad al-Sabzawari informed us, he said: I heard Mansoor say: “Indeed, God is not seen, nor does He deserve to be seen, and whoever worships a god that he sees, then he is only worshipping an idol among the idols, and whoever claims that he will fill his eyes with his Lord on the Day of Judgment, then he is a Bedouin (i.e., an illiterate nomadic Arab)!”
2 . أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الْهَرَوِيُّ، قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِلْمَنْصُورِ: إِنَّهُمْ يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ كَمَا يَرَوْنَ الْقَمَرَ فِي السَّمَاءِ! قَالَ: لَا يَزْعُمُونَ إِلَّا كَمَا زَعَمَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ، فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَكْذِيبَهُمْ فِي الْقُرْآنِ، فَقَالَ: ﴿لَا تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَبْصَارُ وَهُوَ يُدْرِكُ الْأَبْصَارَ ۖ وَهُوَ اللَّطِيفُ الْخَبِيرُ﴾[1]، قُلْتُ: إِنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ ﴿لَا تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَبْصَارُ﴾ قَبْلَ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ! قَالَ: كَذَبُوا، لَوْ أَرَادَ اللَّهُ ذَلِكَ لَقَالَهُ، أَمَا بَلَغَهُمْ قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ لَا يَرْجُونَ لِقَاءَنَا لَوْلَا أُنْزِلَ عَلَيْنَا الْمَلَائِكَةُ أَوْ نَرَى رَبَّنَا ۗ لَقَدِ اسْتَكْبَرُوا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَعَتَوْا عُتُوًّا كَبِيرًا يَوْمَ يَرَوْنَ الْمَلَائِكَةَ لَا بُشْرَى يَوْمَئِذٍ لِلْمُجْرِمِينَ وَيَقُولُونَ حِجْرًا مَحْجُورًا﴾[2]؟! فَيَقُولُ: ﴿يَوْمَ يَرَوْنَ الْمَلَائِكَةَ﴾، وَلَا يَقُولُ: «يَرَوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ»، وَإِنَّمَا سَأَلُوا رُؤْيَتَهُ، فَلَوْ كَانُوا يَرَوْنَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ لَقَالَ: «يَوْمَ يَرَوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ»، قُلْتُ: إِنَّهُمْ أَكْثَرُ شَيْءٍ جَدَلًا، يَقُولُونَ إِنَّمَا يَرَاهُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ! قَالَ: إِذًا يَرَوْنَهُ بِقُلُوبِهِمْ، وَلَا يَرَوْنَهُ بِأَبْصَارِهِمْ، قُلْتُ: لِمَاذَا؟! قَالَ: لِقَوْلِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى: ﴿فَإِنَّهَا لَا تَعْمَى الْأَبْصَارُ وَلَكِنْ تَعْمَى الْقُلُوبُ الَّتِي فِي الصُّدُورِ﴾[3]، فَلَوْ كَانَ شَيْئًا يَرَاهُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ بِأَبْصَارِهِمْ لَرَآهُ الْكَافِرُونَ بِأَبْصَارِهِمْ كَمَا يَرَاهُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ، لِأَنَّهَا لَا تَعْمَى أَبْصَارُهُمْ، وَلَكِنْ تَعْمَى قُلُوبُهُمُ الَّتِي فِي صُدُورِهِمْ! قُلْتُ: أَلَيْسَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى يَقُولُ: ﴿كَلَّا إِنَّهُمْ عَنْ رَبِّهِمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ لَمَحْجُوبُونَ﴾[4]؟ فَلَعَلَّهُمْ لَا يَرَوْنَهُ بِأَبْصَارِهِمْ لِأَنَّهُمْ مَحْجُوبُونَ عَنْهُ! قَالَ: اقْرَأْ مَا يَقُولُ قَبْلَ هَذَا، فَقَرَأْتُ: ﴿كَلَّا ۖ بَلْ ۜ رَانَ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ مَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ﴾[5]، قَالَ: فَلَا يَرَوْنَهُ بِقُلُوبِهِمْ، إِذْ رَانَ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ، فَحُجِبُوا عَنْهُ بِرَيْنِ الْقُلُوبِ! قُلْتُ: هَذَا وَاللَّهِ الْحِكْمَةُ وَفَصْلُ الْخِطَابِ!
Translation of the saying:
Muhammad ibn Abd al-Rahman al- Harawi informed us, he said: I said to Mansoor: “They claim that they will see their Lord on the Day of Judgment as they see the moon in the sky!” He said: “They do not claim except like those before them would do so, then God revealed their refutation in the Quran, so He said: ‘Eyes cannot perceive Him, but He perceives all eyes, and He is the Subtle, the Aware.’” I said: “They say: ‘Eyes cannot perceive Him’ before the Day of Judgment!” He said: “They are lying. If God had willed it, He would have said it. Have His words not reached them where He has said: ‘And those who do not expect to meet Us say: “Why the Angels were not sent down to us, or why do we not see our Lord?” Indeed, they have become arrogant within themselves and transgressed with an enormous transgression. On the Day when they will see the Angels, there will be no glad tidings for the criminals, and they will say: “Keep (us) away from (punishment)”’?! So He has said: ‘On the Day when they will see the Angels,’ and He has not said: ‘They will see their Lord,’ while they asked to see Him, so if they were to see Him on the Day of Judgment, he would say: ‘On the Day when they will see their Lord.’”. I said: “They argue more than anyone. They say that only believers can see Him!” He said: “Then they will see Him with their hearts, and they do not see Him with their eyes.” I said: “Why?!” He said: Because of the words of God Almighty that has said: ‘Undoubtedly, the eyes are not blind, but the hearts in the chests are blind.’ So if there were something that believers would see with their eyes, disbelievers would also see it with their eyes; because their eyes are not blind, but rather their hearts that are in their chests are blind!” I said: “Has God not said: ‘By no means! Indeed, they will on that Day be veiled from their Lord’? So perhaps they do not see Him with their eyes because they are veiled from Him!” He said: “Recite what He has said before this.” So I recited: “By no means! Rather, what they used to earn has covered their hearts.” He said: “So they do not see Him with their hearts, for their hearts have been covered, and they are veiled from Him by the covering of the hearts!” I said: “This, I Swear to God, is wisdom and decisive speech!”
3 . أَخْبَرَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ دَاوُودَ الْفَيْضآبَادِيُّ، قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِلْمَنْصُورِ: هَلْ يَرَى الْمُؤْمِنُونَ رَبَّهُمْ فِي الْجَنَّةِ؟ قَالَ: يَرَوْنَهُ؟! وَكَيْفَ يَرَوْنَهُ؟! فَأَعْظَمَ ذَلِكَ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: إِنَّمَا يَرَوْنَ مِنْ نُورِ عَظَمَتِهِ مَا يَشَاءُ.
Translation of the saying:
Ali ibn Dawud al-Faizabadi informed us, he said: I said to Mansoor: “Do believers see their Lord in Heaven?” He said: “See Him?! How can they see Him?!” So he considered it great, then he said: “They only see from the light of His greatness what He wills.”
4 . أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الْبَلْخِيُّ، قَالَ: قَالَ الْمَنْصُورُ: أَلَا يَخَافُ الَّذِينَ يُرِيدُونَ رُؤْيَةَ اللَّهِ كَرُؤْيَةِ الْقَمَرِ لَيْلَةَ الْبَدْرِ أَنْ يَأْخُذَهُمْ مَا أَخَذَ سُفَهَاءَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ؟! ﴿قَالُوا أَرِنَا اللَّهَ جَهْرَةً فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الصَّاعِقَةُ﴾[6]! قُلْتُ: إِنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ أَنَّهُمْ أُهْلِكُوا لِأَنَّهُمْ سَأَلُوهَا فِي الدُّنْيَا، قَالَ: اللَّهُ أَكْرَمُ مِنْ أَنْ يُهْلِكَ قَوْمًا سَأَلُوهُ شَيْئًا مِنْ نَعِيمِ الْجَنَّةِ، إِنَّمَا أَهْلَكَهُمْ لِأَنَّهُمْ سَأَلُوا مَا لَا يَجُوزُ عَلَى اللَّهِ، فَكَفَرُوا مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَتْهُمُ الْبَيِّنَاتُ.
Translation of the saying:
Abdullah ibn Muhammad al-Balkhi informed us, he said: Mansoor said: “Are those who want to see God like seeing the moon on the night when it is full, not afraid that they will be struck by that which struck the fools of the Children of Israel?! ‘They said: “Show God to us manifestly!” So a thunderbolt struck them!’” I said: “They say that they perished because they asked for it in the world.” He said: “God is too Generous to destroy a people who asked Him for some of the blessings of Heaven. He destroyed them only because they asked for what is not permissible upon God, so they disbelieved after clear signs came to them.”
5 . أَخْبَرَنَا عِيسَى بْنُ عَبْدِ الْحَمِيدِ الْجُوزَجَانِيُّ، قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِلْمَنْصُورِ: إِنَّهُمْ يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، كَمَا يَرَوْنَ الْقَمَرَ لَيْلَةَ الْبَدْرِ، لَا يُضَامُونَ فِي رُؤْيَتِهِ، فَيَقُولُونَ تَبْقَى هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةُ فِيهَا مُنَافِقُوهَا، فَيَأْتِيهِمُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فِي غَيْرِ صُورَتِهِ الَّتِي يَعْرِفُونَ، فَيَقُولُ: أَنَا رَبُّكُمْ! فَيَقُولُونَ: نَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ! هَذَا مَكَانُنَا حَتَّى يَأْتِيَنَا رَبُّنَا عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، فَإِذَا جَاءَنَا رَبُّنَا عَرَفْنَاهُ! ثُمَّ يَأْتِيهِمُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فِي الصُّورَةِ الَّتِي يَعْرِفُونَ، فَيَقُولُ: أَنَا رَبُّكُمْ! فَيَقُولُونَ: أَنْتَ رَبُّنَا فَيَتَّبِعُونَهُ! فَغَضِبَ الْمَنْصُورُ غَضَبًا شَدِيدًا وَقَالَ: قَاتَلَهُمُ اللَّهُ! قَدْ كَفَرُوا بَعْدَ إِسْلَامِهِمْ، وَرَجَعُوا إِلَى الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الْأُولَى! ثُمَّ قَالَ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا صُورَةَ لَهُ وَلَا تَغَيُّرَ، سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ! ثُمَّ قَرَأَ: ﴿وَمَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَنْ يُكَلِّمَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَّا وَحْيًا أَوْ مِنْ وَرَاءِ حِجَابٍ أَوْ يُرْسِلَ رَسُولًا فَيُوحِيَ بِإِذْنِهِ مَا يَشَاءُ ۚ إِنَّهُ عَلِيٌّ حَكِيمٌ﴾[7].
Translation of the saying:
Isa ibn Abd al-Hamid al-Jowzjani informed us, he said: I said to Mansoor: “They claim that they will see their Lord on the Day of Judgment as they see the moon on the night when it is full, and they have no doubts about seeing Him, then they say that this Ummah (on the Day of Judgment) will remain with its hypocrites, then God the Exalted, the Majestic will come to them in a form other than the one they know, then He will say: ‘I am your Lord!’ So they will say: ‘We seek refuge with God! We will stay here until our Lord the Exalted, the Majestic comes to us. So when our Lord comes to us, we will know Him!’ Then God the Exalted, the Majestic will come to them in the form they know, then He will say: ‘I am your Lord!’ So they will say: ‘You are our Lord.” Then they will follow Him!’ At this moment, Mansoor became very angry and said: “May God kill them! They disbelieved after their Islam and returned to the first (state in the time of) ignorance!” Then he said: “Indeed, God does not have any form, nor does He change. Glorified and Exalted is He above what they describe!” Then he recited: “And it is not for any human being that God speaks with him unless by revelation or from behind a veil or that He sends a Messenger to reveal with His permission what He wills, for He is the Most High, the Wise.”
6 . أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الطَّالَقَانِيُّ، قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِلْمَنْصُورِ: قَدْ رَوَى حَدِيثَ الرُّؤْيَةِ عِشْرُونَ رَجُلًا مِنَ الصَّحَابَةِ، أَفَتَرَاهُمْ قَدْ كَذَبُوا؟! قَالَ: لَا، وَلَكِنَّ السُّنَّةَ مِثْلُ الْكِتَابِ، ﴿مِنْهُ آيَاتٌ مُحْكَمَاتٌ هُنَّ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ وَأُخَرُ مُتَشَابِهَاتٌ ۖ فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ زَيْغٌ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَابَهَ مِنْهُ ابْتِغَاءَ الْفِتْنَةِ وَابْتِغَاءَ تَأْوِيلِهِ ۗ وَمَا يَعْلَمُ تَأْوِيلَهُ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَالرَّاسِخُونَ فِي الْعِلْمِ﴾[8]، فَلَوْ رَدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّاسِخِينَ فِي الْعِلْمِ لَتَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ، وَلَكِنَّهُمُ اتَّبَعُوهُ، فَأَخَذُوا بِظَاهِرِهِ، فَضَلُّوا ضَلَالًا بَعِيدًا، قُلْتُ: إِنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ أَنَّ الْحَدِيثَ عَلَى ظَاهِرِهِ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ دَلِيلٌ عَلَى خِلَافِ ذَلِكَ، قَالَ: صَدَقُوا، وَأَيُّ دَلِيلٍ خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْعَقْلِ؟! إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى يَقُولُ: ﴿إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ﴾[9]، وَيَقُولُ: ﴿كَذَلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ الْآيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ﴾[10]، وَيَقُولُ: ﴿قَدْ بَيَّنَّا لَكُمُ الْآيَاتِ ۖ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ﴾[11]، وَيَقُولُ: ﴿إِنَّ شَرَّ الدَّوَابِّ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ الصُّمُّ الْبُكْمُ الَّذِينَ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ﴾[12]، وَيَقُولُ: ﴿وَيَجْعَلُ الرِّجْسَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ﴾[13]، فَأَيُّ دَلِيلٍ خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْعَقْلِ؟! قُلْتُ: مِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَقُولُ أَنَّ الْعَقْلَ لَا يَمْنَعُ رُؤْيَةَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى بِالْأَبْصَارِ! قَالَ: تِلْكَ مُكَابَرَةٌ لَا يُنْظَرُ إِلَى أَهْلِهَا، وَلَا يُكَلَّمُونَ! فَسَكَتَ سَاعَةً، ثُمَّ قَالَ: بَلَغَنِي أَنَّ رَجُلًا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْحَدِيثِ دَخَلَ عَلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مُوسَى الرِّضَا، وَكَانَ هُوَ مِنَ الرَّاسِخِينَ فِي الْعِلْمِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ: إِنَّا رُوِّينَا أَنَّ اللَّهَ قَسَمَ الرُّؤْيَةَ وَالْكَلَامَ بَيْنَ نَبِيَّيْنِ، فَقَسَمَ الْكَلَامَ لِمُوسَى عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، وَلِمُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ الرُّؤْيَةَ! فَقَالَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ: «فَمَنِ الْمُبَلِّغُ عَنِ اللَّهِ إِلَى الثَّقَلَيْنِ مِنَ الْجِنِّ وَالْإِنْسِ: ﴿لَا تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَبْصَارُ﴾، ﴿وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِهِ عِلْمًا﴾[14]، وَ﴿لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ﴾[15]؟! أَلَيْسَ مُحَمَّدٌ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ؟!» قَالَ: بَلَى، قَالَ: «كَيْفَ يَجِيءُ رَجُلٌ إِلَى الْخَلْقِ جَمِيعًا، فَيُخْبِرُهُمْ أَنَّهُ جَاءَ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ، وَأَنَّهُ يَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَى اللَّهِ بِأَمْرِ اللَّهِ، فَيَقُولُ: ﴿لَا تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَبْصَارُ﴾، ﴿وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِهِ عِلْمًا﴾، وَ﴿لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ﴾، ثُمَّ يَقُولُ: أَنَا رَأَيْتُهُ بِعَيْنِي، وَأَحَطْتُ بِهِ عِلْمًا؟! أَمَا تَسْتَحُيُونَ؟! مَا قَدَرَتِ الزَّنَادِقَةُ أَنْ تَرْمِيَهُ بِهَذَا، أَنْ يَكُونَ يَأْتِي مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ بِشَيْءٍ، ثُمَّ يَأْتِي بِخِلَافِهِ مِنْ وَجْهٍ آخَرَ!» قَالَ الرَّجُلُ: فَإِنَّهُ يَقُولُ: ﴿وَلَقَدْ رَآهُ نَزْلَةً أُخْرَى﴾[16]، فَقَالَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ: «إِنَّ بَعْدَ هَذِهِ الْآيَةِ مَا يَدُلُّ عَلَى مَا رَأَى، حَيْثُ قَالَ: ﴿لَقَدْ رَأَى مِنْ آيَاتِ رَبِّهِ الْكُبْرَى﴾[17]، فَآيَاتُ اللَّهِ غَيْرُ اللَّهِ، وَقَدْ قَالَ اللَّهُ: ﴿وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِهِ عِلْمًا﴾، فَإِذَا رَأَتْهُ الْأَبْصَارُ فَقَدْ أَحَاطَتْ بِهِ الْعِلْمَ»، فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ: فَتُكَذِّبُ بِالرِّوَايَاتِ؟! فَقَالَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ: «إِذَا كَانَتِ الرِّوَايَاتُ مُخَالِفَةً لِلْقُرْآنِ كَذَّبْتُهَا».[18]
Translation of the saying:
Ahmad ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Taloqani informed us, he said: I said to Mansoor: “Twenty men of the Sahabah have narrated the Hadith of seeing (God), so do you think they have lied?!” He said: “No, but the Sunnah is like the Book, ‘from which there are decisive verses, which are the foundation of the Book, and others are allegorical. But those in whose hearts is deviation follow the allegorical part, seeking fitnah and seeking its hidden meaning, and none knows its hidden meaning but God and those firmly grounded in knowledge,’ so if they had referred it to God and those firmly grounded in knowledge, it would be made clear to them, but they followed it, taking its apparent meaning, so they went far astray.” I said: “They say that a Hadith is (accepted based) on its apparent meaning until there is evidence to the contrary.” He said: “They are right, and what evidence is better than the intellect?! Indeed, God Almighty has said: ‘Indeed, there are signs in it for a people who use the intellect,’ and said: ‘This is how We make the signs clear for a people who use the intellect,’ and said: ‘We have surely made the signs clear to you if you use the intellect,’ and said: ‘Indeed, the worst beings in the sight of God are the deaf and the dumb who do not use the intellect,’ and said: ‘And He places impurity on those who do not use the intellect,’ so what evidence is better than the intellect?!” I said: “Some of them say that the intellect does not prevent seeing God Almighty with the eyes!” He said: “This is obstinacy whose people are not paid attention to nor talked with!” Then he was silent for a while and then said: I was informed that a man from people of Hadith came to Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Musa al-Rida who was one of those firmly grounded in knowledge, then he said to him: “We have been narrated that God divided vision and speech between two Prophets, so He allotted speech to Musa, peace be upon him, and vision to Muhammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him and his family!” Abu al-Hasan said: “Then who is the one who conveyed the message from God to the two communities of mankind and jinn: ‘Eyes cannot perceive Him,’ ‘and they cannot encompass Him with (their) knowledge,’ and ‘there is nothing like Him’?! Was it not Muhammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him and his family!?” He said: “Yes.” He continued: “How can a man come to all of creation and inform them that he has come from God, and that he invites them toward God by the command of God, and he says: ‘Eyes cannot perceive Him,’ ‘and they cannot encompass Him with (their) knowledge,’ and ‘there is nothing like Him,’ then he says: ‘I saw Him with my own eyes, and I encompassed Him with my knowledge’?! Should you not be ashamed?! Even the heretics could not accuse him of this, that he brought something from God and then brought something contrary to it from another aspect!” The man said: “But God has said: ‘And he certainly saw him another time.’” So Abu al-Hasan said: “After this verse, there is an indication of what he saw, where He has said: ‘He certainly saw some of his Lord’s greatest signs,’ and the signs of God are different from God Himself. Moreover, God has said: ‘and they cannot encompass Him with (their) knowledge,’ so if the eyes see Him, then they would encompass him with knowledge.” The man then said: “So do you deny the narrations?!” Abu al-Hasan said: “If the narrations are contrary to the Quran, I deny them.”
7 . أَخْبَرَنَا هَاشِمُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ الْخُجَنْدِيُّ، قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِلْمَنْصُورِ: أَخْبَرْتُ رَجُلًا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْحَدِيثِ بِقَوْلِكَ فِي حَدِيثِ الرُّؤْيَةِ، فَقَالَ: مَنْ أَوَّلَ حَدِيثَ الرُّؤْيَةِ فَهُوَ جَهْمِيٌّ! فَقَالَ: كَذَبَ الضِّلِّيلُ! ثُمَّ قَالَ: أَلَمْ تَقُلْ لَهُ أَنَّ الْجَهْمِيَّ خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِ؟! قُلْتُ: وَمَنِ الْمُشْرِكُ؟! قَالَ: مَنْ لَمْ يُؤَوِّلْ حَدِيثَ الرُّؤْيَةِ فَهُوَ مُشْرِكٌ! قُلْتُ: مُشْرِكٌ؟! جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ، قَالَ: نَعَمْ، أَلَا يَعْبُدُ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا يَرَاهُ بِعَيْنَيْهِ؟! قُلْتُ: إِنَّهُ يَعْتَقِدُ أَنَّهُ هُوَ اللَّهُ! قَالَ: كَذَلِكَ يَعْتَقِدُ شِرَارُ الْمُشْرِكِينَ فِي أَوْثَانِهِمْ، وَ﴿سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَتَعَالَى عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ﴾[19]! ثُمَّ أَخَذَ الْمَنْصُورُ يَقُصُّ قِصَّةً فَقَالَ: بَلَغَنِي أَنَّ أَيُّوبَ السَّخْتِيَانِيَّ -وَهُوَ مِمَّنْ يُعَظِّمُونَهُ[20]- كَانَ فِي مَجْلِسٍ فِيهِ أَعْرِابِيٌّ، فَقَالَ لِلْأَعْرَابِيِّ: «لَعَلَّكَ قَدَرِيٌّ»! قَالَ: وَمَا الْقَدَرِيُّ؟! فَأَخْبَرَهُ بِمَحَاسِنِ قَوْلِهِمْ، فَقَالَ: أَنَا ذَاكَ! ثُمَّ أَخْبَرَهُ بِمَا يَعِيبُ النَّاسُ مِنْ قَوْلِهِمْ، فَقَالَ: لَسْتُ بِذَاكَ! ثُمَّ أَخْبَرَهُ بِمَحَاسِنِ أَهْلِ الْحَدِيثِ، فَقَالَ: أَنَا ذَاكَ! ثُمَّ أَخْبَرَهُ بِمَا يَعِيبُ النَّاسُ مِنْ قَوْلِهِمْ، فَقَالَ: لَسْتُ بِذَاكَ! فَقَالَ أَيُّوبُ: «هَكَذَا يَفْعَلُ الْعَاقِلُ، يَأْخُذُ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ أَحْسَنَهُ»[21].
Translation of the saying:
Hashim ibn Ubaid al-Khojandi informed us, he said: I said to Mansoor: I informed a man from people of Hadith of your saying about the Hadith of seeing (God), so he said: “Whoever gives an interpretation for the Hadith of seeing (God) is a jahmi!” So He said: “The insignificant one lied!” Then he said: “Did you not tell him that a jahmi is better than a polytheist?!” I said: “And who is a polytheist?!” He said: “Whoever does not interpret the Hadith of seeing (God) is a polytheist!” I said: “A polytheist, may I be sacrificed for you?!” He said: “Yes. Does he not worship besides God what he sees with his eyes?!” I said: “He believes that it is God!” He said: “This is what the wicked among polytheists believe about their idols, and ‘Glorified and Exalted is God above what they associate (with Him)!’” Then Mansoor began to tell a story and said: “I was informed that Ayyub al-Sakhtiyani -one of those whom they venerate- was in a gathering in which there was a Bedouin, then he said to the Bedouin: ‘Perhaps you are one of the Qadariyyah!’ He said: ‘What is the Qadariyyah?!’ So he informed him of the merits of their view, so he said: ‘I am that!’ Then he informed him of what people criticized them for, so he said: ‘I am not that!’ Then he informed him of the merits of people of Hadith, so he said: ‘I am that!’ Then he informed him of what people criticized them for, so he said: ‘I am not that!’ Then Ayyub said: ‘This is what an intellectual should do, taking the best part of everything.’”
