Al-Siyasa al-Shar'iyya - Ibn Taimiya - (الكتاب/29)

Al-Siyasa al-Shar'iyyaIbn Taimiya

When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent Muādh to Yemen, he said, “O Muādh, the most important of your duties in my view is prayer” (1).

Likewise, Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) used to write to his officials: “The most important of your affairs in my view is prayer. Whoever guards it and observes it faithfully has preserved his religion; and whoever neglects it will be even more neglectful of his other deeds” (2).

This is because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Prayer is the pillar of the religion” (3). When the ruler upholds the pillar of the religion, prayer restrains people from indecency and wrongdoing, and it helps them perform all other acts of obedience. As Allah, glorified and exalted is He, says: “Seek help through patience and prayer. It is indeed burdensome except for the humbly submissive” [Quran 2:45]. He also says: “(152) O you who believe, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with” [Quran 2:153]. And Allah, Mighty and Majestic is He, said to His servant and Prophet (4) (peace and blessings be upon him): “Command your family to pray and remain steadfast in it. We do not ask you for provision; We

(1) I could not locate it. (2) Recorded by Mālik in *al-Muwatta* (6), Abd al-Razzāq in *al-Musannaf* (2037–2039), and al-Bayhaqī in *al-Kubrā*, 1/445. (3) Recorded by al-Bayhaqī in *al-Shu'ab* (2550), through a weak chain, from Ikrima, on the authority of Umar, attributing it to the Prophet. Al-Bayhaqī reported that his teacher al-Hākim said: “Ikrima did not hear from Umar.” Al-Bayhaqī added: “I believe he meant ‘from Ibn Umar.’” Al-Nawawī said in *al-Tanqīh*: “It is objectionable and baseless.” Ibn Hajar responded in *al-Talkhīs*, 1/183: “That is not so. Rather, Abu Nuaym, al-Bukhārī’s teacher, narrated it in *Kitāb al-Salāh* from Habīb ibn Sulaym, from Bilāl ibn Yahyā, who said: ‘A man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and asked him a question. He replied: “Prayer is the pillar of the religion.”’ It is a mursal report, and its transmitters are trustworthy.” End quote. It is also corroborated by the hadith: “The head of the matter is Islam, and its pillar is prayer…” Its sources will be documented later. See *al-Maqāsid al-Hasana*, pp. 266–267. (4) (Manuscripts *fāʾ*, *yāʾ*, and *zāy*): “And Allah Most High said to His Prophet.”

ولما بعث النبيّ ﷺ معاذًا إلى اليمن قال: «يا معاذ إن أهمَّ أمرك عندي الصلاة» (١). وكذلك كان عمر بن الخطاب ﵁ يكتب إلى عماله: إن أهمَّ أموركم عندي الصلاة، فمن حفظها وحافظ عليها حَفِظَ دينَه، ومن ضيعها كان لما سِواها من عمله أشد إضاعة (٢). وذلك لأن النبي ﷺ قال: «الصلاة عماد الدين» (٣). فإذا أقام المتولي عمادَ الدين، فالصلاة تنهى عن الفحشاء والمنكر، وهي التي تُعِيْن الناس على ما سواها من الطاعات، كما قال ﷾: ﴿وَاسْتَعِينُوا بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلَاةِ وَإِنَّهَا لَكَبِيرَةٌ إِلَّا عَلَى الْخَاشِعِينَ﴾ [البقرة: ٤٥]، وقال: ﴿(١٥٢) يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اسْتَعِينُوا بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلَاةِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ﴾ [البقرة: ١٥٣]، وقال ﷿ لعبده ونبيه (٤) ﷺ: ﴿وَأْمُرْ أَهْلَكَ بِالصَّلَاةِ وَاصْطَبِرْ عَلَيْهَا لَا نَسْأَلُكَ رِزْقًا نَحْنُ

(١) لم أجده. (٢) أخرجه مالك في «الموطأ» (٦)، وعبد الرزاق في «المصنف» (٢٠٣٧ - ٢٠٣٩)، والبيهقي في «الكبرى»: (١/ ٤٤٥). (٣) أخرجه البيهقي في «الشعب» (٢٥٥٠) بسند ضعيف من حديث عكرمة عن عمر مرفوعًا، ونقل عن شيخه الحاكم أنه قال: عكرمة لم يسمع من عمر، قال: وأظنه أراد عن ابن عمر. وقال النووي في التنقيح: منكر باطل. وتعقبه ابن حجر في «التلخيص»: (١/ ١٨٣) بقوله: (وليس كذلك، بل رواه أبو نعيم شيخ البخاري في «كتاب الصلاة» عن حبيب بن سليم، عن بلال بن يحيى، قال: «جاء رجل إلى النبي ﷺ فسأله، فقال: الصلاة عمود الدين». وهو مرسل رجاله ثقات) اهـ. ويشهد له حديث: «رأس الأمر الإسلام، وعموده الصلاة ... » وسيأتي تخريجه. وانظر: «المقاصد الحسنة» (ص ٢٦٦ - ٢٦٧). (٤) (ف، ي، ز): «وقال تعالى لنبيه».