Al-Siyasa al-Shar'iyya - Ibn Taimiya - (الكتاب/10)

Al-Siyasa al-Shar'iyyaIbn Taimiya

such reason, or because he harbors resentment toward the person most entitled to it, or because of enmity between them—then he has betrayed Allah, His Messenger, and the believers, and has fallen under the prohibition in the words of Allah Most High:

“O believers, do not betray Allah and the Messenger, nor knowingly betray your trusts.”

Then He says:

“Know that your wealth and your children are only a trial, and that with Allah is a tremendous reward.” [al-Anfāl: 27–28].

Indeed, out of love for his son or his freedman, a man may favor him for certain offices or give him something to which he is not entitled, thereby betraying his trust. Likewise, he may prefer to increase or preserve his own wealth (1) by taking what he is not entitled to, or by showing favoritism in certain appointments to someone who curries favor with him. He thereby betrays Allah, the Messenger, and the trust placed in him (2).

Allah rewards (3) the person who fulfills the trust despite resisting his own desires, and He safeguards his family and wealth after he is gone. But Allah punishes the person who obeys his desires with the very opposite of what he intended: He humiliates his family and causes his wealth to disappear.

There is a well-known account concerning this. One of the Abbasid caliphs asked a scholar to relate something he had personally witnessed. The scholar said, “I lived to see Umar ibn Abd al-Azīz, and he was told, ‘O Commander of the Faithful, you have left (4) your sons’ mouths empty of this wealth and left them poor, with nothing at all (5)’—this was during his final illness. He said, ‘Bring them in to me.’ So they were brought in—

(1) Some copies read: “produces an increase …”; (ي) reads: “increased preservation of it or an increase in his wealth.” The printed edition accompanied by al-Uthaymīn’s commentary reads: “an increase in his share,” but gives no source for this alteration. (2) The remaining copies read: “and he betrayed his trust.” (3) Most copies read: “makes him steadfast.” The reading adopted here, “rewards him,” is from (ظ) and is appropriate to the context. (4) (ف، ي، ظ، ز) read: “you have left [their mouths] gaping,” while (ل) reads: “you have impoverished [them].” (5) Omitted from the original.

ذلك من الأسباب، أو لِضِغَنٍ في قلبه على الأحق، أو عداوة بينهما= فقد خان الله ورسوله والمؤمنين، ودخل فيما نُهي عنه في قوله تعالى: ﴿يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَخُونُوا اللَّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ وَتَخُونُوا أَمَانَاتِكُمْ وَأَنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ﴾ ثم قال: ﴿وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَأَوْلَادُكُمْ فِتْنَةٌ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ عِنْدَهُ أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ﴾ [الأنفال: ٢٧ - ٢٨]. فإن الرجل لحبه لولده أو لعتيقه، قد يؤثره في بعض الولايات، أو يعطيه ما لا يستحقه، فيكون قد خان أمانته، وكذلك قد يؤثر زيادةَ ماله أو حفظه (١) بأخذ ما لا يستحقه، أو محاباة من يداهنه في بعض الولايات، فيكون قد خان الله والرسول وأمانته (٢). ثم إن المؤدي للأمانة ــ مع مخالفة هواه ــ يُثيبُه (٣) الله فيحفظه في أهله وماله بعده. والمطيع لهواه يعاقبه الله بنقيض قصده فيُذِلُّ أهلَه ويُذهِب مالَه. وفي ذلك الحكاية المشهورة: أن بعض خلفاء بني العباس سأل بعض العلماء أن يحدثه عن بعض ما أدرك، فقال: أدركت عمر بن عبد العزيز وقد قيل له: يا أمير المؤمنين أفرغت (٤) أفواه بنيك من هذا المال، وتركتهم فقراء لا شيء لهم (٥) ــ وكان في مرض موته ــ فقال: أدخلوهم عليَّ، فأدخلوهم ــ

(١) في بعض النسخ: «يورث زيادة ... »، و (ي): «زيادة حفظه أو ماله». وفي المطبوعة مع شرح العثيمين: «زيادة حظه» ولم يشر إلى مصدر التغيير. (٢) بقية النسخ: «وخان أمانته». (٣) أكثر النسخ: «يثبته» والمثبت من (ظ) وهو المناسب للسياق. (٤) (ف، ي، ظ، ز): «أفغرت»، وفي (ل): «أفقرت». (٥) سقطت من الأصل.