Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (4/214)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

A free person is more entitled than his opposite—the slave who is bought and sold. The free person is given precedence over the slave because he is generally more knowledgeable of the legal rulings than the slave; because the slave is owned, and there is no assurance that his master may not call for him at any hour of the night or day, unlike the free person; and because, if the slave belongs to him, his rank is higher than that of the slave, since he is his master. Thus, it is not fitting for him to pray behind one who is beneath him in rank.

His statement, “and one who lives in a town,” means one who resides in an urban settlement. Its opposite is the Bedouin, for the Bedouins are generally rough and ignorant, as Allah, Exalted is He, says:

“The Bedouins are more steeped in disbelief and hypocrisy, and more likely not to know the limits of what Allah has sent down to His Messenger.” [al-Tawbah 9:97]

His statement, “and a resident,” means that a resident is given precedence over a traveller. For example, a person may be residing in this town for some need, and then a passing traveller comes by. One would say: the resident is more entitled than this passer-by, because, according to the well-known view of the madhhab, if the resident intends to stay for more than four days, he is required to offer the prayers in full. He is therefore more entitled than the traveller, who does not pray them in full. Accordingly, in this context, the resident stands in contrast to both the traveller and the permanent inhabitant. People are thus of three categories: a permanent inhabitant, a traveller, and a resident. The permanent inhabitant has precedence, then the resident.

And one who can see, one who is circumcised, and one who has clothes have precedence over their respective opposites.

His statement, “and one who can see,” means that one who can see is more entitled than a blind person, because he takes greater care to avoid impurities and other such matters, and is better able to determine the direction of the qiblah than a blind person.

Moreover, if any part of the body of one who can see were not reached by water during ablution, he would know it, unlike a blind person. Thus, one who can see has precedence over a blind person, provided that they are equal in the matters previously mentioned.

الحُرُّ أَولى مِن ضِدِّه، وضِدُّ العبدُ الرَّقيقُ الذي يُباع ويُشترى، وإنَّما كان الحُرُّ أَولى مِن العبدِ؛ لأنَّ الحُرَّ غالباً أعْلمُ بالأحكامِ مِن العبدِ، ولأنَّ العبدَ مملوكٌ، فلا يُؤمنُ أن يطلبَه سيدُه في أيِّ ساعةٍ مِن ليلٍ أو نهارٍ بخلاف الحُرِّ، ولأنه إنْ كان العبدُ عبده فمرتبتُه أعلى مِن مرتبةِ العبدِ وهو سيدُه، فلا ينبغي أن يكون مأموماً له وهو أرفعُ منه. وقوله: «وحاضر» المراد به الذي يسكن الحاضرةَ. وضِدُّه البدوي؛ لأنَّ البدوَ غالباً يكونون جُفاةً جُهَّالاً، كما قال الله تعالى: ﴿الأَعْرَابُ أَشَدُّ كُفْرًا وَنِفَاقًا وَأَجْدَرُ أَلاَّ يَعْلَمُوا حُدُودَ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ﴾ [التوبة: ٩٧]. وقوله: «ومقيم» يعني أن المقيم أَولى مِن المسافر، مثلاً: إنسانٌ في هذا البلدِ مقيمٌ لحاجةٍ فمرَّ مسافرٌ عابراً فتقول: المقيمُ أَولى مِن هذا العابرِ لأنَّ المقيمَ على المشهورِ مِن المذهبِ إذا نوى الإقامة أكثر مِن أربعة أيام لزمه أن يُتمَّ فكان بذلك أولى مِن المسافر الذي لا يتم وبناء على قوله: فالمقيم هنا ضد المسافر والمستوطن، فالناس ثلاثة أقسام: مستوطن ومسافر ومقيم، فالمستوطن أولى ثم المقيم. وَبَصِيرٌ، وَمَخْتُونٌ، وَمَنْ لَهُ ثِيَابٌ أَوْلَى مِنْ ضِدّهِمْ. قوله: «وبصير» يعني: أنَّ البصير أَولى مِن الأعمى؛ لأنَّ البصيرَ يتحرَّزُ مِن النجاساتِ وغيرِها، ويُدرك استقبالَ القِبلة أكثر مِن الأعمى. وأيضاً: البصيرُ لو أَنَّ بعضَ أعضائِهِ في الوُضُوء لم يصبه الماءُ لعَلِمَ به بخلافِ الأعمى، فالبصير أَولى مِن الأعمى، وذلك بعد اتِّفاقِهما فيما سَبَقَ.