Al-Siyasa al-Shar'iyya - Ibn Taimiya - (الكتاب/124)

Al-Siyasa al-Shar'iyyaIbn Taimiya

pride in sin, and esteem among the rabble as requiring them to support and protect him—even if he is an unjust man in the wrong—against the wronged party who is in the right, especially if the wronged party is a leader who opposes them and whom they oppose in turn (1). They therefore believe that handing someone who has sought their protection (2) over to an opponent entails humiliation and weakness. This, without qualification, is pure conduct of the Age of Ignorance and one of the greatest causes of corruption in religion and worldly life. It has been related that conduct of this kind was the sole cause of certain wars among the Bedouin Arabs, such as the War of al-Basūs between (3) Banū Bakr and Taghlib. Likewise, something of this kind caused the Mongol Turks (4) to enter the Abode of Islam and subjugate the rulers of Transoxiana and Khurāsān.

Whoever humbles himself before Allah Most High has thereby ennobled himself, and whoever yields what is rightfully due from him has honored himself [A/Q 39], for the noblest of creation in Allah’s sight are those most mindful of Him. Whoever seeks honor (5) through injustice—by (6) withholding what is right and committing sin—has only humiliated and dishonored himself. Allah Most High says: “(9) Whoever desires honor, all honor belongs to Allah.” [Fātir: 10] He also says concerning the hypocrites: “They say, ‘If we return to Medina, the mightier will surely expel the humbler.’ Yet honor belongs to Allah, His Messenger, and the believers, but the hypocrites do not know.” [al-Munāfiqūn: 8] And Allah, Glorified and Exalted, says in describing people of this kind: “Among the people is one whose speech in this worldly life impresses you, and who calls Allah to witness what is in his heart,

(1) Manuscript (Y) reads: “opposes them”; manuscripts (Z) and (T) read: “rivals them and is hostile to them.” (2) The original reads: “the protector.” (3) The remaining manuscripts read: “between”; manuscript (Y) reads: “which was between.” (4) Manuscripts (Y) and (B) read: “*al-Mughal* (the Mongols).” (5) The original reads: “was deluded.” (6) The original reads: “by one who”; the adopted reading, “by,” is from manuscripts (Y), (Zh), (B), and (L). Manuscript (Z) reads: “has thereby.”

والعزة بالإثم، والسمعة عند الأوباش= أنهم ينصرونه ويحمونه ــ وإن كان ظالمًا مُبْطلًا ــ على المُحِقِّ المظلوم، لاسيما إن كان المظلوم رئيسًا يناوؤهم ويناوِؤنه (١)، فيرون أن في تسليم المستجير (٢) بهم إلى من يناوؤهم ذلًّا وعجزًا، وهذا ــ على الإطلاق ــ جاهلية محضة، وهي من أكبر أسباب فساد الدين والدنيا، وقد ذُكِر أنه إنما كان سبب حروبٍ من حروب الأعراب؛ كحرب البسوس، التي كانت من (٣) بني بكر وتغلب إلا نحو هذا، وكذا سبب دخول الترك المغول (٤) إلى دار الإسلام، واستيلاؤهم على ملوك ما وراء النهر وخراسان= كان سببه نحو هذا. ومن أذلَّ نفسه لله تعالى فقد أعزَّها، ومن بذل الحقَّ من نفسه فقد أكرم نفسه [أ/ق ٣٩]، فإنَّ أكرم الخلق عند الله أتقاهم. ومن اعتزَّ (٥) بالظلم مِن (٦) مَنْع الحق وفِعْل الإثم، فقد أذلَّ نفسَه وأهانها، قال الله تعالى: ﴿(٩) مَنْ كَانَ يُرِيدُ الْعِزَّةَ فَلِلَّهِ الْعِزَّةُ جَمِيعًا﴾ [فاطر: ١٠]، وقال تعالى عن المنافقين: ﴿يَقُولُونَ لَئِنْ رَجَعْنَا إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ لَيُخْرِجَنَّ الْأَعَزُّ مِنْهَا الْأَذَلَّ وَلِلَّهِ الْعِزَّةُ وَلِرَسُولِهِ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَلَكِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ﴾ [المنافقون: ٨]، وقال ﷻ في صفة هذا الضرب: ﴿وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يُعْجِبُكَ قَوْلُهُ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَيُشْهِدُ اللَّهَ عَلَى مَا فِي قَلْبِهِ

(١) (ي): «ينادّهم»، (ز، ط): «يناديهم ويناويهم». (٢) الأصل: «المجير». (٣) بقية النسخ: «بين»، (ي): «التي بين». (٤) (ي، ب): «المغل». (٥) الأصل: «اغتر». (٦) الأصل: «ممن» والمثبت من (ي، ظ، ب، ل). وفي (ز): «فقد».