Iqtiḍāʾ al-Ṣirāṭ al-Mustaqīm - Ibn Taimiya - (2/370)

Iqtiḍāʾ al-Ṣirāṭ al-MustaqīmIbn Taimiya

alone.”

All the acts of worship that Allah has legislated require that the entire religion be dedicated purely to Allah alone, in fulfilment of His words:

“They were commanded only to worship Allah, devoting the religion wholly to Him as upright monotheists, to establish the prayer and to give the zakāh—that is the true religion.” (al-Bayyinah 98:5)

Thus, the prayer is for Allah alone, charity is for Allah alone, fasting is for Allah alone, and the pilgrimage is for Allah alone—and it is performed to the House of Allah alone. The objective of ḥajj is to worship Allah alone in the sites where He has commanded that He be worshipped. For this reason, ḥajj is the emblem of the ḥanīf way, to the extent that some of the early generations said:

“Hunafāʾ for Allah—that is, pilgrims.”

The Jews and Christians do not perform pilgrimage to the House. Some of the early scholars also related that when Allah revealed,

“Whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted from him.” (Āl ʿImrān 3:85),

the Jews and Christians said, “We are Muslims.” So Allah revealed:

“Pilgrimage to the House is a duty owed to Allah by all people who are able to find a way to it.” (Āl ʿImrān 3:97)

They said, “Shall we not make pilgrimage?” whereupon Allah said:

“And whoever disbelieves—Allah is self-sufficient, free of need from all peoples.” (Āl ʿImrān 3:97)

The statement, “Whoever seeks a religion other than Islam” (Āl ʿImrān 3:85) is general, applying to both the earlier and the later generations, for the religion of Islam is the religion of Allah upon which His prophets and believing servants stood, as Allah has mentioned in

(1) Reported by Ahmad in the Musnad (1:214, 224, 283, 347) on the authority of Ibn Abbas. There the wording reads: “ja'altani lillah 'adlan” (you have made me an equal to Allah) instead of “niddan” (a rival); the two terms convey the same idea. (2) Qur'an, Surah al-Bayyina 98:5. (3) In manuscripts J and D the phrase “wa-s-sadaqatu lillahi wahdahu” (and charity is for Allah alone) is placed after the mention of fasting. (4) See Ibn Jarir, Tafsir (30:170), where he records the point to which the author refers. (5) Qur'an, Surah Al Imran 3:85 (partial verse). (6) Qur'an, Surah Al Imran 3:97. (7) Qur'an, Surah Al Imran 3:97; Ibn Jarir also cites this in his Tafsir (3:241). (8) In manuscript D the remainder of the verse, “fa-lan yuqbala minhu” (it will never be accepted from him), is included.

وحده» (١) . والعبادات التي شرعها الله كلها تتضمن إخلاص الدين كله لله، تحقيقا لقوله تعالى: {وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ حُنَفَاءَ وَيُقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَذَلِكَ دِينُ الْقَيِّمَةِ} [البينة: ٥] (٢) فالصلاة لله وحده، والصدقة لله (٣) وحده، والصيام لله وحده، والحج لله وحده، وإلى بيت الله وحده؛ فالمقصود من الحج: عبادة الله وحده في البقاع التي أمر الله بعبادته فيها، ولهذا كان الحج شعار الحنيفية، حتى قال طائفة من السلف: " حنفاء لله، أي حجاجا " (٤) فإن اليهود والنصارى لا يحجون البيت. قال طائفة من السلف: لما أنزل الله تعالى: {وَمَنْ يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا فَلَنْ يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ} [آل عمران: ٨٥] (٥) . قالت اليهود والنصارى: نحن مسلمون، فأنزل الله تعالى: {وَلِلَّهِ عَلَى النَّاسِ حِجُّ الْبَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلًا} [آل عمران: ٩٧] (٦) . فقالوا: لا نحج؟ فقال تعالى {وَمَنْ كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَنِيٌّ عَنِ الْعَالَمِينَ} [آل عمران: ٩٧] (٧) وقوله تعالى: {وَمَنْ يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا} [آل عمران: ٨٥] (٨) عام في الأولين والآخرين، فإن دين الإسلام هو دين الله الذي عليه أنبياؤه، وعباده المؤمنون، كما ذكر الله ذلك في

(١) أخرجه أحمد في المسند (١ / ٢١٤، ٢٢٤، ٢٨٣، ٣٤٧) ، عن ابن عباس وفيه: "جعلتني لله عدلا" بدل: "ندا" ومعناهما واحد. (٢) سورة البينة: الآية ٥. (٣) في (ج د) : أخر قوله: (والصدقة لله وحده) بعد الصيام. (٤) انظر: تفسير ابن جرير (٣٠ / ١٧٠) ، حيث ذكر ما أشار إليه المؤلف. (٥) سورة آل عمران: من الآية ٨٥. (٦) سورة آل عمران: الآية ٩٧. (٧) سورة آل عمران: الآية ٩٧. ذكر ذلك ابن جرير في تفسيره (٣ / ٢٤١) . (٨) في (د) : " فَلَنْ يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ" من بقية الآية.