Iqtiḍāʾ al-Ṣirāṭ al-Mustaqīm - Ibn Taimiya - (1/102)

Iqtiḍāʾ al-Ṣirāṭ al-MustaqīmIbn Taimiya

The Exalted says:

“Whoever opposes the Messenger after guidance has become clear to him and follows a way other than that of the believers—we shall leave him to the path he has chosen and roast him in Hell.” (al-Nisāʾ 4:115)

There are many other verses to the same effect.

Whatever guidance or practice those people adhere to is, in fact, a path other than that of the believers—indeed, it is the way of the corrupters and of those devoid of knowledge. Even if one were to imagine that a particular practice of theirs lies outside the general prohibition, the ban still applies to its very genus. Hence, shunning the entire genus altogether is the surest means of avoiding the forbidden, whereas drawing near to it is an open invitation to fall into what is prohibited.

The Most High also says:

“We have sent down to you the Book in truth, confirming the Scriptures that came before it and safeguarding them. So judge between them according to what Allah has revealed and do not follow their desires, turning away from the truth that has come to you. For each of you We have appointed a law and a way. Had Allah willed, He could have made you one community; but He wishes to test you in what He has given you. So race one another toward good deeds. To Allah you shall all return, and He will then inform you about the matters on which you differed … Do not follow their desires, and beware lest they tempt you away from even part of what Allah has revealed to you.” (al-Māʾidah 5:48–49)

To imitate them in their customs is itself submission to their whims—or at the very least, it is a prelude to submitting to those whims. Refraining from such imitation helps one avoid that submission and cuts off its root entirely.

Know, then, that Allah’s Book is replete with prohibitions against resembling the disbelieving nations and with accounts of them that serve as lessons for us to avoid what they did—such as His words, after relating what He did to the People of the Book

(1) In manuscripts Ad and Ta the text breaks off here at “al-mu’minin” (the believers) and does not complete the verse, evidently through a copyist’s intervention. (2) Qur’an, Surah al-Nisa’, verse 115. (3) I.e. the People of the Book, the polytheists, and all other unbelievers. (4) The printed edition reads: “that which has been forbidden.” (5) In manuscript At the text stops at “fima atakum” (in what He has given you) and then resumes: “wa la tattabi‘ …,” continuing the verse. (6) The printed edition reads: “wa ani ihkum baynahum bima anzala Allah” (and that you judge between them in accordance with what Allah has revealed), which keeps the sequence of verses continuous. (7) Qur’an, Surah al-Ma’idah, verses 48–49. (8) Manuscript D simply reads: “huwa.”

{وَمَنْ يُشَاقِقِ الرَّسُولَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ الْهُدَى وَيَتَّبِعْ غَيْرَ سَبِيلِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (١) نُوَلِّهِ مَا تَوَلَّى وَنُصْلِهِ جَهَنَّمَ} [النساء: ١١٥] (٢) إلى غير ذلك من الآيات. وما هم (٣) عليه من الهدي والعمل، هو من سبيل غير المؤمنين، بل ومن سبيل المفسدين، والذين لا يعلمون، وما يقدر عدم اندراجه في العموم، فالنهي ثابت عن جنسه، فيكون مفارقة الجنس بالكلية أقرب إلى ترك المنهي (٤) ومقاربته مظنة وقوع المنهي عنه، قال سبحانه: {وَأَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ مُصَدِّقًا لِمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَمُهَيْمِنًا عَلَيْهِ فَاحْكُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ عَمَّا جَاءَكَ مِنَ الْحَقِّ لِكُلٍّ جَعَلْنَا مِنْكُمْ شِرْعَةً وَمِنْهَاجًا وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَجَعَلَكُمْ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَلَكِنْ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ فِي مَا (٥) فَاسْتَبِقُوا الْخَيْرَاتِ إِلَى اللَّهِ مَرْجِعُكُمْ جَمِيعًا فَيُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ} [المائدة: ٤٨] إلى قوله (٦) {وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ وَاحْذَرْهُمْ أَنْ يَفْتِنُوكَ عَنْ بَعْضِ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ إِلَيْكَ} [المائدة: ٤٩] (٧) ومتابعتهم في هديهم: هي (٨) من اتباع ما يهوَوْنه، أو مظنة لاتباع ما يهوونه، وتركها معونة على ترك ذلك، وحسم لمادة متابعتهم فيما يهوونه. واعلم: أن في كتاب الله من النهي عن مشابهة الأمم الكافرة وقصصهم التي فيها عبرة لنا بترك ما فعلوه كثيرًا، مثل قوله لما ذكر ما فعله بأهل الكتاب

(١) في (أد ط) : وقف هنا (الْمُؤْمِنِينَ) ، ولم يكمل الآية، ولعله تصرف من النساخ. (٢) سورة النساء: الآية ١١٥. (٣) يعني أهل الكتاب والمشركين، وسائر الكافرين. (٤) في المطبوعة: المنهي عنه. (٥) في (أط) : وقف هنا: (فِي مَا آتَاكُمْ) ، ثم قال: (وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ. .) الآية. (٦) في المطبوعة: (وَأَنِ احْكُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ) ، وبهذا يكون سرد الآيات متصلة. (٧) سورة المائدة: الآيتان ٤٨، ٤٩. (٨) في (د) : هو.