Al-Siyasa al-Shar'iyya - Ibn Taimiya - (الكتاب/211)

Al-Siyasa al-Shar'iyyaIbn Taimiya

that should bring his case before me. By Him in whose hand is my soul, I will certainly exact retaliation on his behalf against the offender.”

Amr ibn al-Ās sprang to his feet and said, “Commander of the Faithful, if a Muslim man is placed in authority over subjects and disciplines them, would you really subject him to retaliation (1) for doing so?”

He replied, “Yes! By Him in whose hand is Muhammad’s soul, I will certainly exact retaliation from him. How could I not do so when I saw the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, allow retaliation to be exacted from himself? Take heed: do not strike the Muslims and thereby humiliate them, and do not withhold their rights and thereby drive them to disbelief.” Ahmad and others narrated it (2).

This applies when a governor subjects his people to a severe, unlawful beating. As for striking sanctioned by the Sacred Law, there is unanimously no retaliation for it; such striking may be obligatory, recommended, or permissible.

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Retaliation for affronts to honor is likewise legally sanctioned [أ/ق 66]. Thus, if a man curses another or invokes evil against him, the latter may respond in kind. The same applies if he insults him without saying anything false, though pardon is better. Allah Most High says:

“The recompense of an evil deed is an evil deed like it. But whoever pardons and seeks reconciliation, his reward is with Allah. He certainly does not love the wrongdoers. (40) As for those who retaliate after being wronged, there is no blame upon them. (41) Blame lies only upon those who wrong people and transgress in the land without right” [al-Shūrā: 40–42].

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “When two people revile one another, the blame for what they say falls upon the one who began it, so long as no transgression is committed (3) by the

(1) Manuscript Yā reads: “Would he come to you so that you could exact retaliation for him?”; manuscript Bā: “Would he come to you, and you exact retaliation for him?”; manuscript Zāy: “surely one who exacts retaliation against him”; manuscript Bā: “you adjudicate his case”; manuscript Lām: “the one who exacts retaliation.” (2) Its source citation was given above (p. 31). (3) Manuscripts Yā and Bā read: “he transgresses.”

ذلك فليرفعه إليَّ، فوالذي نفسي بيده إذًا لأُقِصَّنَّه منه. فوثب عَمرو بن العاص فقال: يا أمير المؤمنين، إن كان رجل من المسلمين على رعية، فأدَّب رعيَّتَه أئنك لمُقِصّه (١) منه؟ قال: إي والذي نفس محمد بيده إذًا لأُقِصّنه منه، أنَّى لا أُقِصُّه منه وقد رأيت رسول الله ﷺ يُقِصّ من نفسه؟! ألا لا تضربوا المسلمين فتُذِلُّوهم، ولا تمنعوهم حقوقَهم فتكفروهم. رواه أحمد وغيره (٢). ومعنى هذا إذا ضرب المتولي رعيتَه ضربًا مُبَرِّحًا غير جائز، فأما الضرب المشروع فلا قصاص فيه بالإجماع، وهو واجب أو مستحب أو جائز. فصل والقصاص في الأعراض مشروع أيضًا [أ/ق ٦٦] وهو أن الرجل إذا لعن رجلًا أو دعا عليه، فله أن يفعل به كذلك، وكذلك إذا شتمه شتيمة لا كذب فيها، والعفو أفضل، قال الله تعالى: ﴿وَجَزَاءُ سَيِّئَةٍ سَيِّئَةٌ مِثْلُهَا فَمَنْ عَفَا وَأَصْلَحَ فَأَجْرُهُ عَلَى اللَّهِ إِنَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الظَّالِمِينَ (٤٠) وَلَمَنِ انْتَصَرَ بَعْدَ ظُلْمِهِ فَأُولَئِكَ مَا عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ سَبِيلٍ (٤١) إِنَّمَا السَّبِيلُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ يَظْلِمُونَ النَّاسَ وَيَبْغُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ﴾ [الشورى: ٤٠ - ٤٢]. وقال النبي ﷺ: «المُسْتَبَّان ما قالا فعلى البادئ منهما ما لم يَعتَد (٣)

(١) (ي): «أياتيك لتقصه»، (ب): «أياتيك تقصه»، (ز): «لمقتصه»، (ب): «تقضه»، (ل): «المقتص». (٢) تقدم تخريجه (ص ٣١). (٣) (ي، ب): «يتعدى».