Al-Amr bi-l-Maʿrūf wa-n-Nahy ʿan al-Munkar - Ibn Taimiya - (52)

Al-Amr bi-l-Maʿrūf wa-n-Nahy ʿan al-MunkarIbn Taimiya

so whenever two or more people gather, some form of mutual commanding and forbidding must take place. For this reason, the smallest congregation for prayer is two—“Two and above constitute a congregation,” as the saying goes. Because the act is nothing more than performing the prayer together, it is fulfilled with two: one leads as imam and the other follows. The Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—said to Mālik ibn al-Huwayrith and his companion:

“When the time for prayer arrives, give the call to prayer and the iqāma, and let the elder of you lead.”

The two were comparable in their recitation.

With respect to everyday affairs, the Sunan record that he—peace and blessings be upon him—said:

“It is not lawful for three people on a journey to fail to appoint one of them as their leader.”

Because commanding and forbidding are inseparable from human existence, anyone who does not command what Allah and His Messenger have commanded and forbid what Allah and His Messenger have forbidden—and in turn is not himself so commanded and forbidden—will still inevitably command and forbid and be commanded and forbidden, either in opposition to the truth or in a mixture of the truth Allah revealed with the falsehood He did not reveal. Should such conduct be adopted as a creed, it becomes an innovated creed.

Likewise, every human being is driven by his own will—intent on action and deed. If his intention is not sound and his work not a righteous act done purely for Allah’s sake, then the deed is corrupt or done for other than Allah; it is therefore false, as the Exalted says:

“Indeed, your efforts are diverse” (Al-Layl 92:4).

All such deeds are futile, akin to the works of the unbelievers:

“Those who disbelieved and barred others from the path of Allah—He rendered their deeds worthless” (Muhammad 47:1).

And He, the Most High, also says:

“As for those who disbelieve, their deeds are like a mirage in a desert: the thirsty one thinks it water; but when he comes to it, he finds nothing, yet he finds Allah there ready to settle the account. Allah is swift in reckoning” (An-Nūr 24:39).

وإذا اجتمع اثنان فصاعدا فلا بد أن يكون بينهما ائتمار بأمر وتناه عن أمر، ولهذا كان أقل الجماعة في الصلاة اثنين، كما قيل: الاثنان فما فوقهما جماعة، لكن لما كان ذلك اشتراكا في مجرد الصلاة حصل باثنين أحدهما إمام والآخر مأموم، كما قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم، لمالك بن الحويرث وصاحبه: «إذا حضرت الصلاة فأذنا وأقيما، وليؤمكما أكبركما» وكانا متقاربين في القراءة. وأما الأمور العادية ففي السنن أنه صلى الله عليه وسلم، قال: «لا يحل لثلاثة يكونون في سفر إلا أمروا عليهم أحدهم» وإذا كان الأمر والنهي من لوازم وجود بني آدم، فمن لم يأمر بالمعروف الذي أمر الله به ورسوله وينه عن المنكر الذي نهى الله عنه ورسوله، ويؤمر بالمعروف الذي أمر الله به ورسوله، وينه عن المنكر الذي نهى الله عنه ورسوله، وإلا فلا بد أن يأمر وينهى، ويؤمر وينهى، إما بما يضاد ذلك، وإما بما يشترك فيه الحق الذي أنزل الله بالباطل الذي لم ينزله الله. وإذا اتخذ ذلك دينا، كان دينا مبتدعا. وهذا كما أن كل بشر فإنه متحرك بإرادته همام حارث، فمن لم تكن نيته صالحة وعمله عملا صالحا لوجه الله وإلا كان عملا فاسدا أو لغير وجه الله، وهو الباطل، كما قال تعالى: {إِنَّ سَعْيَكُمْ لَشَتَّى} [الليل: ٤] (سورة الليل: آية ٤) . وهذه الأعمال كلها باطلة، من جنس أعمال الكفار: {الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَصَدُّوا عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَضَلَّ أَعْمَالَهُمْ} [محمد: ١] (سورة محمد: آية ١) . وقال تعالى: {وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَعْمَالُهُمْ كَسَرَابٍ بِقِيعَةٍ يَحْسَبُهُ الظَّمْآنُ مَاءً حَتَّى إِذَا جَاءَهُ لَمْ يَجِدْهُ شَيْئًا وَوَجَدَ اللَّهَ عِنْدَهُ فَوَفَّاهُ حِسَابَهُ وَاللَّهُ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ} [النور: ٣٩] (سورة النور: آية ٣٩) .