Al-Siyasa al-Shar'iyya - Ibn Taimiya - (الكتاب/80)

Al-Siyasa al-Shar'iyyaIbn Taimiya

a serving platter (1),” and they say, “Neither a horseman among the cavalry nor the foremost of the Arabs (2).”

People have divided into three groups on this matter:

One group is dominated by the love of supremacy or corruption in the land. They give no thought to their ultimate fate in the Hereafter and believe that rule cannot be sustained without largesse, while such largesse may be impossible without raising funds unlawfully. Thus, they become rapacious takers and lavish givers.

They say that no one can govern people unless he takes for himself and gives to others. If a scrupulous man (3), who neither takes nor gives, assumes authority, the leaders will turn against him and remove him from office—if they do not go so far as to harm his person and property. These people consider only their immediate worldly interests while neglecting their long-term welfare in this world and the Hereafter. Their end will therefore be wretched in both this world and the Hereafter, unless they attain something that sets their Hereafter right (4), such as repentance or the like—among the things in which they believe—and thereby escape that fate (5).

Another group possesses fear of Allah Most High and religious commitment that restrains them from what they regard as reprehensible, such as wronging people and committing forbidden acts. This is good and obligatory. Yet they may also believe that governance cannot be conducted without the unlawful practices of the former group, so they abstain from it or prevent it altogether. They may also harbor cowardice, miserliness, or narrowness of character,

(1) The meaning is: neither courage nor generosity. The original manuscript reads, “I neither obeyed him nor feared him!” This is a corruption. (2) This has the same meaning as the preceding proverb. Al-Sarrāj (d. 691 AH) recited the following verse about himself, as reported in *Ayān al-Asr* (5/121): When he saw me approaching, he said: “Neither the cavalry’s champion nor the foremost of the Arabs.” (3) (ي) reads: “the weak man.” (4) The remaining manuscripts read: “their fate.” (5) The phrase “among the things in which they believe, and thereby escape it” appears only in the original manuscript.

جفنة (١)، ويقولون: لا فارس الخيل ولا وجه العرب (٢). لكن افترق الناس هنا ثلاث فرق: * فريق غلبَ عليهم حبُّ العلو في الأرض أو الفساد، فلم ينظروا في عاقبة المعاد، ورأوا أن السلطان لا يقوم إلا بعطاء، وقد لا يتأتَّى العطاء إلا باستخراج أموال من غير حلِّها، فصاروا نهَّابين وهَّابين. وهؤلاء يقولون: لا يمكن أن يتولى على الناس إلا من يأكل ويُطْعِم، فإنه إذا تولى العفيف (٣) الذي لا يأكل ولا يُطْعِم، سَخِط عليه الرؤساء وعزلوه، إن لم يضروه في نفسه وماله. وهؤلاء نظروا في عاجل دنياهم وأهملوا الآجل من دنياهم وآخرتهم، فعاقبتهم عاقبة رديئة في الدنيا والآخرة، إن لم يحصل لهم ما يُصْلِح آخرتهم (٤) من توبة ونحوها مما يعتقدونه فينجوا منه (٥). * وفريقٌ عندهم خوفٌ من الله تعالى، ودينٌ يمنعهم عما يعتقدونه قبيحًا، من ظلم الخلق وفعل المحارم، فهذا حسنٌ واجب، لكن قد يعتقدون مع ذلك أن السياسة لا تتم إلا بما يفعله أولئك من الحرام، فيمتنعون أو يمنعون عنها مطلقًا، وربما كان في نفوسهم جُبن أو بخل، أو ضِيق خلق

(١) والمعنى: لا شجاعة ولا كرم. وفي الأصل: «لا طعته ولا خفته»! وهو تحريف. (٢) بمعنى المثل السابق، وقد أنشد السراج (ت ٦٩١) لنفسه كما في «أعيان العصر»: (٥/ ١٢١). قال وقد أبْصَرَ وجهي مُقْبلًا ... لا فارس الخَيلِ ولا وجْهَ العَرَب (٣) (ي): «الضعيف». (٤) بقية النسخ: «عاقبتهم». (٥) «مما يعتقدونه فينجوا منه» من الأصل فقط.