Al-Uqud al-Durriyya - Ibn Abd al-Hadi - (الكتاب/263)

who nursed rancor. The governor therefore ordered that the judges (1) and the shaykhs, those whose rank was respected and whose opinions carried weight, be gathered. They did not know (2) the reason for which they were being summoned at that appointed time, and this took place on Monday, the eighth of the blessed month of Rajab in the year 705 AH.

He said to me, “This session has been convened for you, and a royal decree has arrived (3) from the Sultan that I question you about your creed and about the writings you have sent to the Egyptian lands—the books by which (4) you invite the people to that creed.

“I think he also said: and that I assemble the judges and the jurists so they may deliberate (5) on the matter.”

I replied, “As for creed, it is not (6) to be taken from me, nor from anyone greater than I; rather, it is taken from Allah and His Messenger ⦗75⦘ and from the consensus of the early generations of this Ummah. Whatever is in the Quran must be believed, and likewise whatever is established in the sound hadith collections, such as Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.

“As for the books, I have never, of my own initiative, written a letter to anyone (7) inviting him to any of that,

(1) Manuscripts F, K, and Taf add: “al-arbaʿa: the judges of the four madhhabs (legal schools), together with their deputies and the muftis.” (2) Manuscripts B, Q, and F read “fima.” (3) Manuscripts F, Q, and Taf read “faqad.” (4) Manuscript K reads “tadʿunaha.” (5) Manuscripts F, K, and Taf read “watatabahathun.” (6) Manuscript F reads “fa-innahu la.” (7) Manuscript T reads “adʿuhu.”

ذوي الأحقاد. فأَمَرَ الأميرُ بجمع القضاة (١) والمشايخ ممن له حُرْمة وبه اعتداد. وهم لا يدرون ما (٢) قُصِد بجمعهم في هذا الميعاد، وذلك يوم الاثنين ثامن رجب المبارك عام خمس وسبعمائة. فقال لي: هذا المجلس عُقِد لك، وقد (٣) وردَ مرسومُ السلطان: أن أسألكَ عن اعتقادك، وعما كتبتَ به إلى الديار المصرية من الكتب التي تدعو بها (٤) الناسَ إلى الاعتقاد. وأظنُّه قال: وأنْ أَجْمَعَ القضاةَ والفقهاءَ، ويتباحثون (٥) في ذلك. فقلتُ: أما الاعتقادُ فلا (٦) يُؤْخَذ عنّي ولا عمَّن هو أكبرُ منِّي، بل يؤخذُ عن الله ورسوله [ق ٧٥] وما أجمعَ عليه سلفُ الأمة؛ فما كان في القرآن وجبَ اعتقادُه، وكذلك ما ثبتَ في الأحاديث الصحيحة، مثل «صحيح البخاري ومسلم». وأما الكتب؛ فما كتبتُ إلى أحدٍ كتابًا ابتداءً أدعو (٧) به إلى شيءٍ من ذلك،

(١) بعده في (ف، ك، طف) زيادة: «الأربعة: قضاة المذاهب الأربعة، وغيرهم من نوابهم والمفتين». (٢) (ب، ق، ف): «فيما». (٣) (ف، ق، طف): «فقد». (٤) (ك): «تدعونها». (٥) (ف، ك، طف): «وتتباحثون». (٦) (ف): «فإنه لا». (٧) (ط): «أدعوه».