Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (4/62)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

[The Believers 23:52]. Discord within the ummah is something to be rejected. Allah, Exalted is He, says:

“Do not be like those who became divided and differed after clear proofs had come to them.” [The Family of Imran 3:105]

Allah, Exalted is He, also says:

“He has ordained for you the religion which He enjoined upon Noah, and which We have revealed to you, and which We enjoined upon Abraham, Moses, and Jesus: establish the religion and do not be divided concerning it.” [Consultation 42:13]

And He, Exalted is He, says:

“Indeed, as for those who have divided their religion and become sects—you have nothing to do with them. Their matter rests only with Allah; then He will inform them of what they used to do.” [The Cattle 6:159]

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Do not differ, lest your hearts become divided.” (1) He said this concerning people standing evenly in the row.

When Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him, prayed four rak'ahs at Mina during Hajj, rather than shortening the four-rak'ah prayer, after eight years of his caliphate had passed, the people objected to him and said, “The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, Abu Bakr, and Umar shortened it.” (2) That is, they meant: and you yourself did so at the beginning of your caliphate. Yet he, may Allah be pleased with him, had an interpretive basis for his view. The Companions who objected to him nevertheless prayed four rak'ahs behind him (3), even though they considered this connected addition to the prayer objectionable; but they followed the imam in it, preferring unity.

So what then of an unconnected addition which, even if a person deliberately performed it, would not invalidate the prayer? Yet he says, “We hold fast to the sunnah and follow the reports of the Companions,” while contradicting them in this matter.

(1) Reported by Muslim, Book of Prayer, chapter: “Straightening and Forming the Rows” (432) (122). (2) Reported by al-Bukhari, Book of Shortening the Prayer, chapter: “Prayer at Mina” (1084); and Muslim, Book of the Travelers’ Prayer, chapter: “Shortening the Prayer at Mina” (695) (19). (3) Reported by Muslim in the preceding location (694) (17).

[المؤمنون: ٥٢]، والتَّنازع بين الأمة أَمْرٌ مرفوضٌ، قال الله تعالى: ﴿وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ تَفَرَّقُوا وَاخْتَلَفُوا مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَهُمُ الْبَيِّنَاتُ﴾ [آل عمران: ١٠٥]، وقال الله تعالى: ﴿شَرَعَ لَكُمْ مِنَ الدِّينِ مَا وَصَّى بِهِ نُوحًا وَالَّذِي أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ وَمَا وَصَّيْنَا بِهِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَمُوسَى وَعِيسَى أَنْ أَقِيمُوا الدِّينَ وَلَا تَتَفَرَّقُوا فِيهِ﴾ [الشورى: ١٣]، وقال تعالى: ﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ فَرَّقُوا دِينَهُمْ وَكَانُوا شِيَعًا لَسْتَ مِنْهُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ إِنَّمَا أَمْرُهُمْ إِلَى اللَّهِ ثُمَّ يُنَبِّئُهُمْ بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْعَلُونَ *﴾ [الأنعام]، وقال النَّبيُّ ﷺ: «لا تختلفوا فتختلفَ قلوبُكم» (١)، يقوله في تساوي النَّاس في الصَّفِّ. ولما صَلَّى عثمانُ ﵁ في مِنَى في الحَجِّ الرُّباعية أربعاً ولم يقصر بعد أنْ مَضى مِنْ خِلافته ثماني سنوات، وأنكرَ النَّاسُ عليه، وقالوا: قَصَرَ النَّبيُّ ﷺ وأبو بكر وعُمرُ (٢)، يعني: وأنت في أول خِلافتك، لكنه ﵁ تأوَّل، فكان الصَّحابة الذين ينكرون عليه يصلُّون خلفَه أربعاً (٣)، وهم ينكرون عليه، مع أنَّ هذه زيادة متَّصلة بالصَّلاة مُنكرَة عندهم، ولكن تابعوا الإمام فيها إيثاراً للاتِّفاق. فما بالك بزيادة منفصلة، لو تعمَّدها الإنسان لا تؤثِّر على بطلان الصَّلاة؟ ثم يقول: إننا متمسِّكون بالسُّنَّة ومتَّبعون لآثار الصَّحابة. مع مخالفته في هذه المسألة.

(١) أخرجه مسلم، كتاب الصلاة، باب تسوية الصفوف وإقامتها … (٤٣٢) (١٢٢). (٢) أخرجه البخاري، كتاب تقصير الصلاة، باب الصلاة بمنى (١٠٨٤)؛ ومسلم، كتاب صلاة المسافرين، باب قصر الصلاة بمنى (٦٩٥) (١٩). (٣) أخرجه مسلم في الموضع السابق (٦٩٤) (١٧).