Al-Jawāb as-Sahīh li-man baddala dīn al-Masīh - Ibn Taimiya - (5/320)

its counterpart. Thus, when anyone who is like him—and anyone who follows such a one—turns out blessed, while whoever opposes someone like him and those like his followers ends up miserable, this becomes a clear sign and lesson that obliges one to follow him and forbids contradicting him.

This is, moreover, a proof of the prophethood of the earlier messengers from two perspectives:

He reported the very same things they reported without any prior collusion or mutual awareness between them and him; they did not take from him, nor did he take from them.
Each party conveyed from Allah detailed reports whose mutual agreement is, in ordinary circumstances, impossible without deliberate coordination. Since there was neither coordination nor prior acquaintance, and such concurrence could not have happened by chance, it follows that every one of these informants is truthful.

The Exalted said:
“Indeed, in Joseph and his brothers there are signs for those who ask.” (Yusuf 7)

He then recounted Joseph’s story in that surah until He said:
“That is from the news of the unseen which We reveal to you; you were not with them when they resolved upon their plan while they were scheming. Yet most people—even though you strive for it—will not believe. And you do not ask them for any reward for it; it is nothing but a reminder to all peoples. How many a sign there is in the heavens and on the earth that they pass by while they turn away from it! And most of them do not believe in Allah except while they associate others with Him.” (Yusuf 102-106)

نَظِيرِهِ. فَإِذَا كَانَ مَنْ كَانَ مِثْلَهُ وَمِثْلَ مَنِ اتَّبَعَهُ سَعِيدًا، وَحَالُ مَنْ خَالَفَ مِثْلَهُ وَمِثْلَ مَنِ اتَّبَعَهُ شَقِيًّا، كَانَ فِي هَذَا دَلَالَةٌ وَعِبْرَةٌ تُوجِبُ اتِّبَاعَهُ، وَتَنْهَى عَنْ مُخَالَفَتِهِ، وَهَذَا - أَيْضًا - دَلِيلٌ عَلَى نُبُوَّةِ مَنْ قَبْلَهُ مِنَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ مِنْ وَجْهَيْنِ: مِنْ جِهَةِ أَنَّهُ أَخْبَرَ بِمِثْلِ مَا أَخْبَرُوا بِهِ، مِنْ غَيْرِ مُوَاطَأَةٍ بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَهُ، وَلَا تَشَاعُرٍ، لَمْ يَأْخُذُوا عَنْهُ، وَلَمْ يَأْخُذْ عَنْهُمْ. وَكُلٌّ مِنْهُمَا أَخْبَرَ عَنِ اللَّهِ بِأَخْبَارٍ مُفَصَّلَةٍ، يَمْتَنِعُ الِاتِّفَاقُ عَلَيْهَا عَادَةً إِلَّا بِتَوَاطُؤٍ، فَإِذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ تَوَاطُؤٌ وَتَشَاعُرٌ، وَامْتَنَعَ اتِّفَاقُ ذَلِكَ مِنْ غَيْرِ مُوَاطَأَةٍ، عُلِمَ أَنَّ كُلًّا مِنَ الْمُخْبِرِينَ صَادِقٌ، قَالَ تَعَالَى: {لَقَدْ كَانَ فِي يُوسُفَ وَإِخْوَتِهِ آيَاتٌ لِلسَّائِلِينَ} [يوسف: ٧] . وَقَصَّ قِصَّتَهُ فِي السُّورَةِ، إِلَى أَنْ قَالَ: {ذَلِكَ مِنْ أَنْبَاءِ الْغَيْبِ نُوحِيهِ إِلَيْكَ وَمَا كُنْتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ أَجْمَعُوا أَمْرَهُمْ وَهُمْ يَمْكُرُونَ - وَمَا أَكْثَرُ النَّاسِ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتَ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ - وَمَا تَسْأَلُهُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٌ لِلْعَالَمِينَ - وَكَأَيِّنْ مِنْ آيَةٍ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ يَمُرُّونَ عَلَيْهَا وَهُمْ عَنْهَا مُعْرِضُونَ - وَمَا يُؤْمِنُ أَكْثَرُهُمْ بِاللَّهِ إِلَّا وَهُمْ مُشْرِكُونَ} [يوسف: ١٠٢ - ١٠٦] .