Al-Siyasa al-Shar'iyya - Ibn Taimiya - (الكتاب/116)

Al-Siyasa al-Shar'iyyaIbn Taimiya

and elsewhere (1).

If the ruler apprehends the brigands and robbers [أ/ق 36] after they have seized people’s property, he must recover that property from them and return it to its owners, while also carrying out the prescribed punishment upon them. The same applies to a thief. If, after their liability for the property has been established, they refuse to produce it, he shall punish them with imprisonment and beating until they enable it to be recovered—whether by producing it themselves, appointing someone to produce it, or disclosing its location—just as anyone who refuses to discharge an obligation incumbent upon him is punished (2). Allah has permitted a man in His Book to strike his wife if she becomes defiant and withholds a right that she is obligated to render until she renders it; these people are all the more deserving of such treatment.

This demand and punishment (3) are rights belonging to the owner of the property. If he wishes to give them the property, reach a settlement concerning it, or pardon them from punishment for withholding it, he may do so. This differs from carrying out the prescribed punishment upon them, which may under no circumstances be pardoned. The ruler may not compel the owner to relinquish any part of his right.

(1) The following passage appears after this in the original manuscript: “As for someone who does not engage in highway robbery but extorts protection money or a tax from travelers, levied per person, animal, load, or otherwise, he is an unlawful tax collector and is subject to the punishment prescribed for such collectors. The jurists differed as to whether he may be killed. He is not considered a highway robber, since he does not render the road impassable, although he will be among those most severely punished on the Day of Resurrection. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said concerning the woman of Ghāmid who committed adultery: ‘She has repented so sincerely that, had an unlawful tax collector repented in the same manner, he would have been forgiven.’” This passage appeared in full shortly before; perhaps the copyist of the original manuscript inadvertently repeated it. See the earlier editorial note (p. 111). (2) See above (p. 62). (3) Manuscript (Y) reads: “and penalizing them.”

وغيره (١). فإذا ظفر السلطان [أ/ق ٣٦] بالمحاربين الحرامية وقد أخذوا الأموال، فعليه أن يستخرج منهم الأموال التي للناس ويردَّها عليهم، مع إقامة الحدِّ على أبدانهم، وكذلك السارق. فإن امتنعوا من إحضار المال بعد ثبوته عليهم، عاقبهم بالحبس والضرب حتى يُمَكِّنوا من أخذه بإحضاره، أو توكيل من يحضره، أو الإخبار عنه بمكانه، كما يُعَاقَب كلُّ ممتنعٍ عن حقٍّ وجبَ عليه أداؤه (٢)، فإنَّ الله قد أباح للرجل في كتابه أن يضرب امرأته إذا نَشَزَت فامتنعت من الحق الواجب عليها حتى توفيه، فهؤلاء أولى وأحرى. وهذه المطالبة والعقوبة (٣) حقٌّ لربِّ المال، فإن أراد هِبَتَهم المال أو المصالحة عليه أو العفو عن عقوبتهم على ذلك؛ فله ذلك بخلاف إقامة الحد عليهم، فإنه لا سبيل إلى العفو عنه بحال. وليس للإمام أن يُلْزِم ربَّ المال بترك شيء من حقه.

(١) بعده في الأصل: (وأما من كان لا يقطع الطريق، ولكنه يأخذ خفارة أو ضريبة من أبناء السبيل على الرؤوس والدواب والأحمال وغير ذلك؛ فهذا مكَّاس عليه عقوبة المكَّاسين. وقد اختلف الفقهاء في جواز قتله، وليس هو من قطاع الطريق، فإن الطريق لا تنقطع به، مع أنه أشد الناس عقوبة يوم القيامة، حتى قال النبي ﷺ في الغامدية التي زنت: «لقد تابت توبة لو تابها صاحب مُكْسٍ لغفر له»). وقد تقدم قريبًا هذا النص برمته، فلعل ناسخ الأصل سبق قلمه بتكراره. وانظر ما سبق التنبيه عليه (ص ١١١). (٢) انظر ما تقدم (ص ٦٢). (٣) (ي): «والمعاقبة».