Al-Siyasa al-Shar'iyya - Ibn Taimiya - (الكتاب/234)

Al-Siyasa al-Shar'iyyaIbn Taimiya

worldly affairs. Allah Most High says:

“O you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. If you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is better and more excellent in outcome.” [al-Nisā: 59]

If it is a matter over which the Muslims have differed, he should elicit from each of them his opinion and the basis for it. Whichever opinion accords most closely with the Book of Allah and the sunnah of His Messenger should be followed, as Allah Most High says:

“If you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day.” (1)

Those vested with authority are of two types: rulers and scholars (2). When they are upright, the people are upright, and the harm caused by these two groups is therefore among the greatest dangers to the people. The early generations used to warn against the tribulations caused by both: that of the innovator in religion and that of the profligate in worldly affairs—the man of caprice blinded by his own whims, and the worldly-minded man beguiled by this world. It is the tribulation of those who enjoyed their allotted share just as those before them enjoyed their share, and the tribulation of those who plunged into vain discourse just as those before them had done.

They used to say, “Whoever escapes the tribulation of the people of religious innovation and the tribulation of a ruler has indeed been saved.” (3)

Each of the two must therefore strive, through (4) what he says and does, to obey Allah and His Messenger and to follow the Book of Allah and the sunnah of His Messenger (5). Whenever it is possible, in difficult cases, to ascertain what is indicated

(1) The passage from “That is better …” to this point is absent from (ظ). (2) (ي) reads: “the jurists.” (3) The passage from “the harm caused by these two groups is therefore among the greatest dangers …” to this point appears only in the original. (4) (ي) reads: “in what.” (5) “and the sunnah of His Messenger” appears only in the original.

الدنيا، قال الله تعالى: ﴿يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْكُمْ فَإِنْ تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ ذَلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلًا﴾ [النساء: ٥٩]. وإن كان أمرًا قد تنازع فيه المسلمون؛ فينبغي أن يستخرج من كل واحدٍ منهم رأيَه ووجْهَ رأيِه، فأيُّ الآراء كان أشبهَ بكتاب الله وسنة رسوله عُمِلَ به، كما قال تعالى: ﴿فَإِنْ تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ﴾ (١). وأولو الأمر صنفان؛ الأمراء والعلماء (٢)، وهم الذين إذا صلحوا صلح الناس، فأكثر ما يُخافُ على الناس ضررهما، وكان السلفُ يحذِّرون فتنتهما: فتنة المبتدع في دينه، والفاجر في دنياه، صاحب هوًى قد أعماه هواه، وصاحب دنيا قد أغوته دنياه، فتنة الذين استمتعوا بخلاقهم كما استمتع الذين من قبلهم بخلاقهم، وفتنة الذين خاضوا كما خاض الذين من قبلهم. وكانوا يقولون: من نجا من فتنة أهل البدع، وفتنة ذي السلطان نجا (٣). فعلى كلٍّ منهما أن يتحرَّى بما (٤) يقوله ويفعله طاعةَ الله ورسوله، واتباعَ كتاب الله وسنة رسوله (٥)، ومتى أمكن في الحوادث المشكلة معرفة ما دل

(١) من قوله «ذلك خير ... » إلى هنا ساقط من (ظ). (٢) (ي): «الفقهاء». (٣) من قوله: «فأكثر ما يخاف ... » إلى هنا من الأصل فقط. (٤) (ي): «فيما». (٥) «وسنة رسوله» من الأصل.