Al-Bidayah wa an-Nihayah - Ibn Kathir - (15/388)

Al-Bidayah wa an-NihayahIbn Kathir

alone, without partner, and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and upon his family and Companions, the stars of right guidance and the exemplars to be followed, the four (1) [Caliphs]; and upon al-‘Abbas, [his uncle and] the remover of his distress, father of the lords of the caliphs [the rightly guided and divinely guided imams]; and upon the rest of the Companions, all of them (2), and those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment.

O people, know that the imamate is one of the obligations of Islam, and that jihad is enjoined upon all mankind. The banner of jihad cannot be raised unless the servants’ word is united; the sanctuaries are not violated save when the sacred limits are transgressed; and blood is not shed except through perpetrated crimes (3). Had you confronted the enemies of Islam, they would never (4) have entered the Abode of Peace, nor plundered blood and wealth, nor slain men and children (5), nor profaned the sanctity of the caliphate and the harem, [nor made those who survived taste a painful torment; at this, voices rose in weeping] and the cries (6) grew loud at the horror of that long day. How many an elder had his white beard stained with his own blood! How many a child wept yet found no mercy for his tears!

So, servants [of Allah] (7), roll up your sleeves for earnest striving to revive the duty of jihad: “So fear Allah as much as you are able, listen and obey, and spend—that is best for yourselves. Whoever is protected from the stinginess of his own soul—it is they who are the successful” ⦗Al-Taghābun: 16⦘. No excuse now remains for sitting back from the enemies of the religion and from defending the Muslims.

This sultan, al-Malik al-Ẓāhir, the noble, eminent, learned, just, striving, aided, Rukn al-Dunyā wa’l-Dīn, has risen to support the imamate when helpers were few; he scattered the armies of unbelief after they had roamed through the lands. Through his concern (8) the oath of allegiance has been firmly knotted, and the Abbasid state overflows with soldiers because of him. Hasten, servants of Allah, to give thanks for this blessing; make your intentions sincere and you will be granted victory; fight the allies of Satan and you will prevail. Let not what has happened alarm you: war is turn by turn, and the outcome is for the God-fearing. Time is but two days, and the reward (9) is for the believers.

May Allah gather your affairs (10) upon guidance and strengthen your victory through faith. I seek Allah’s [majestic] forgiveness for myself [and for you] and for all Muslims; so seek His forgiveness—for indeed He is the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.”

He then delivered the second sermon (11), descended, and led the prayer (12). His pledge of allegiance was dispatched to all the provinces so that he might be mentioned in the Friday khutbah, and coins were struck in his name.

(1) In the printed edition: “especially the caliphs.” (2) Not found in the two primary sources or in the appendix to al-Rawdatayn (vol. 1, p. 188). (3) In the appendix to al-Rawdatayn: “in performing mourning rituals.” (4) In the appendix to al-Rawdatayn: “ḥīn” (when), a term absent from the two primary sources. (5) In the printed edition, following this passage: “and they reviled the boys and girls and deprived them of fathers and mothers.” (6) In the printed edition: al-ṣayḥāt (“the cries”). (7) Found only in the printed edition. (8) In the printed edition: “and the pledge of allegiance was established through his initiative.” (9) In the appendix to al-Mir’āh: “wal-ākhar,” a corruption requiring emendation. (10) Thus rendered in both primary sources and the printed edition; in the appendix to al-Mir’āh it appears as “ʿalā at-taqwā” (“on piety”). (11) The second sermon appears in the appendix to Mir’āt al-Zamān (vol. 1, pp. 189–190). (12) Appendix to al-Rawdatayn (p. 221).

وحده لا شريك له وأن محمدًا عبده ورسوله، ﷺ وعلى آله وصحبه نجوم الاهتداء وأئمة الاقتداء، الأربعة (١) [الخلفاء] ، وعلى العباس [عمّه و] كاشف غمه أبي السادة الخلفاء [الراشدين والأئمة المهديين] وعلى بقية الصحابة أجمعين (٢) والتابعين لهم بإحسان إلى يوم الدين، أيها الناس اعلموا أن الإمامة فرضٌ من فروض الإسلام، والجهاد محتوم على جميع الأنام، ولا يقوم علم الجهاد إلا باجتماع كلمة العباد، ولا سبيت الحرم إلا بانتهاك المحارم، ولا سفكت الدماء إلا بارتكاب الجرائم (٣) ، فلو شاهدتم أعداء الإسلام لما (٤) دخلوا دار السلام، واستباحوا الدماء والأموال وقتلوا الرجال والأطفال (٥) ، وهتكوا حرم الخلافة والحريم، [وأذاقوا من اسْتَبَقُوا العذابَ الأليم، فارتفعت الأصوات بالبكاء] وعلَتْ الضَّجّات (٦) من هول ذلك اليوم الطويل، فكم من شيخ خُضبت شيبته بدمائه، وكم من طفل بكى فلم يُرحم لبكائه، فشَمِّرُوا عباد [الله] (٧) عن ساقِ الاجتهاد في إحياء فرض الجهاد ﴿فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ وَاسْمَعُوا وَأَطِيعُوا وَأَنْفِقُوا خَيْرًا لِأَنْفُسِكُمْ وَمَنْ يُوقَ شُحَّ نَفْسِهِ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ﴾ [التغابن: ١٦] فلم يبقَ معذرةٌ في القعود عن أعداء الدين، والمحاماة عن المسلمين. وهذا السلطان الملك الظاهر السيد الأجلّ العالم العادل المجاهد المؤيّد ركن الدنيا والدين، قد قام بنصر الإمامة عند قلة الأنصار، وشرَّد جيوشَ الكفر بعد أن جاسوا خلال الديار، فأصبحت البيعة باهتمامه (٨) منتظمة العقود، والدولة العباسية به متكاثرة الجنود، فبادروا عباد الله إلى شكر هذه النعمة، وأخلصوا نياتكم تنصروا، وقاتلوا أولياء الشيطان تظفروا، ولا يروعنّكم ما جرى، فالحرب سجال والعاقبة للمتقين، والدهر يومان والأجر (٩) للمؤمنين، جمع اللهُ على الهدى (١٠) أمركم، وأعز بالإيمان نصركم، وأستغفر الله [العظيم] لي [ولكم] ولسائر المسلمين، فاستغفروه إنه هو الغفور الرحيم". ثم خطب الثانية (١١) ونزل فصلى (١٢) وكتب بيعته إلى الآفاق ليخطب له، وضربت السكة باسمه.

(١) ط: لا سيما الخلفاء. (٢) ليست في الأصلين ولا في ذيل الروضتين (١/ ١٨٨). (٣) في ذيل الروضتين: بارتكاب المآتم. (٤) في ذيل الروضتين (حين) ولم ترد اللفظة في الأصلين. (٥) بعده في ط: وسبوا الصبيان والبنات وأيتموهم من الآباء والأمهات. (٦) ط: الصيحات. (٧) عن ط وحدها. (٨) ط: وأصبحت البيعة بهمته. (٩) في ذيل المرآة: والآخر؛ وهو تحريف يجب تصحيحه. (١٠) كذا في الأصلين وط. وهي في ذيل المرآة: على التقوى. (١١) الخطبة الثانية في ذيل مرآة الزمان (١/ ١٨٩ - ١٩٠). (١٢) ذيل الروضتين (٢٢١).