Al-Jawāb as-Sahīh li-man baddala dīn al-Masīh - Ibn Taimiya - (1/239)

Al-Jawāb as-Sahīh li-man baddala dīn al-MasīhIbn Taimiya

to make its signs manifest; what is needed, they insist, is the sword.

We reply:
It is well-known that Allah has promised to make Islam prevail over every other religion both through knowledge and clarification and through sword and spear. The Exalted said:

“He is the One who sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth so that He may cause it to prevail over all religion, even though the polytheists detest it.” (Quran 9:33)

The scholars have explained that this promised prevalence encompasses both kinds, and the word “prevail” includes them together: guidance prevails by knowledge and exposition, while the religion prevails by the hand and by action. Allah, exalted is He, sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth so that He might make it prevail over every religion.

It is further known that Islam first prevailed by knowledge and proof before it prevailed by force of arms. The Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—remained in Mecca for thirteen years proclaiming Islam through teaching, clarification, signs, and conclusive evidence. Because of the manifest signs, proofs, and miracles they witnessed, the Emigrants and the Helpers believed in him freely and by choice, without any sword being raised. Only afterwards was it made to prevail by the sword.

If therefore we are obliged to wage armed jihad against the unbelievers, whether as an initial campaign or in self-defence, then it is even more fitting—indeed, more obligatory—that we set out the truths of Islam and make them known, both proactively and defensively, to those who disparage it.

The obligation of explaining precedes the obligation of fighting, and its benefit precedes the benefit obtained by force. Just as Islam continually has need of the sword, it likewise has need of knowledge and clarification. Its manifestation through knowledge and exposition is of the same order as its manifestation by the sword; it is a comprehensive ascendancy whereby it rises above every religion—even though many unbelievers have never been subdued by its sword, likewise many

إِظْهَارِ آيَاتِهِ، وَإِنَّمَا يَحْتَاجُ إِلَى السَّيْفِ. قِيلَ: مَعْلُومٌ أَنَّ اللَّهَ وَعَدَ بِإِظْهَارِهِ عَلَى الدِّينِ كُلِّهِ ظُهُورَ عِلْمٍ وَبَيَانٍ وَظُهُورَ سَيْفٍ وَسِنَانٍ، فَقَالَ تَعَالَى: {هُوَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلَ رَسُولَهُ بِالْهُدَى وَدِينِ الْحَقِّ لِيُظْهِرَهُ عَلَى الدِّينِ كُلِّهِ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ} [التوبة: ٣٣] . وَقَدْ فَسَّرَ الْعُلَمَاءُ ظُهُورَهُ بِهَذَا وَهَذَا، وَلَفْظُ الظُّهُورِ يَتَنَاوَلُهُمَا، فَإِنَّ ظُهُورَ الْهُدَى بِالْعِلْمِ وَالْبَيَانِ، وَظُهُورَ الدِّينِ بِالْيَدِ وَالْعَمَلِ، وَاللَّهُ تَعَالَى أَرْسَلَ رَسُولَهُ بِالْهُدَى وَدِينِ الْحَقِّ ; لِيُظْهِرَهُ عَلَى الدِّينِ كُلِّهِ. وَمَعْلُومٌ أَنَّ ظُهُورَ الْإِسْلَامِ بِالْعِلْمِ وَالْبَيَانِ قَبْلَ ظُهُورِهِ بِالْيَدِ وَالْقِتَالِ ; فَإِنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَكَثَ بِمَكَّةَ ثَلَاثَ عَشْرَةَ سَنَةً يُظْهِرُ الْإِسْلَامَ بِالْعِلْمِ وَالْبَيَانِ وَالْآيَاتِ وَالْبَرَاهِينِ، فَآمَنَتْ بِهِ الْمُهَاجِرُونَ وَالْأَنْصَارُ طَوْعًا وَاخْتِيَارًا بِغَيْرِ سَيْفٍ لِمَا بَانَ لَهُمْ مِنَ الْآيَاتِ الْبَيِّنَاتِ وَالْبَرَاهِينِ وَالْمُعْجِزَاتِ، ثُمَّ أَظْهَرَهُ بِالسَّيْفِ، فَإِذَا وَجَبَ عَلَيْنَا جِهَادُ الْكُفَّارِ بِالسَّيْفِ ابْتِدَاءً وَدَفْعًا، فَلَأَنْ يَجِبُ عَلَيْنَا بَيَانُ الْإِسْلَامِ وَإِعْلَامُهُ ابْتِدَاءً وَدَفْعًا لِمَنْ يَطْعَنُ فِيهِ بِطَرِيقِ الْأَوْلَى وَالْأَحْرَى. فَإِنَّ وُجُوبَ هَذَا قَبْلَ وُجُوبِ ذَاكَ وَمَنْفَعَتَهُ قَبْلَ مَنْفَعَتِهِ، وَمَعْلُومٌ أَنَّهُ يَحْتَاجُ كُلَّ وَقْتٍ إِلَى السَّيْفِ، فَكَذَلِكَ هُوَ مُحْتَاجٌ إِلَى الْعِلْمِ وَالْبَيَانِ، وَإِظْهَارُهُ بِالْعِلْمِ وَالْبَيَانِ مِنْ جِنْسِ إِظْهَارِهِ بِالسَّيْفِ وَهُوَ ظُهُورٌ مُجْمَلٌ عَلَا بِهِ عَلَى كُلِّ دِينٍ مَعَ أَنَّ كَثِيرًا مِنَ الْكُفَّارِ لَمْ يَقْهَرْهُ سَيْفُهُ فَكَذَلِكَ كَثِيرٌ