Al-Hisba fi al-Islam - Ibn Taimiya - (12)

Al-Hisba fi al-IslamIbn Taimiya

such as the emir, the judge, and the muḥtasib (market inspector). When truthfulness characterises every report and justice governs every pronouncement, all affairs are set right, for the two always go hand in hand, just as the Almighty says: “The word of your Lord has been perfected in truth and in justice.” ⦗6:115⦘

The Prophet ﷺ, when speaking of the oppressors, said: “Whoever ratifies their lies and aids them in their wrongdoing is not of me and I am not of him, and he will not be allowed to approach my Pond; whereas whoever neither ratifies their lies nor assists them in their wrongdoing is of me and I am of him, and he will indeed approach my Pond.” 1

In the two Ṣaḥīḥs he ﷺ also said: “Hold fast to truthfulness, for truthfulness leads to righteousness and righteousness leads to Paradise. A man will continue to speak the truth and pursue truth until he is recorded with Allah as a ṣiddīq (a deeply truthful person). Beware of lying, for lying leads to wickedness and wickedness leads to the Fire. A man will continue to lie and to seek out lies until he is recorded with Allah as a persistent liar.” 2

For this reason the Exalted said: “Shall I inform you upon whom the devils descend? They descend upon every sinful liar.” ⦗26:221⦘

And He, Most High, said: “We shall seize him by the forelock— the forelock of a lying, sinful man.” ⦗96:15⦘

Accordingly, every holder of authority must seek the assistance of those who are truthful and just. If that proves impossible, he must accept the best available, even if some lying and injustice remain, for Allah supports this religion through a wicked man and through people who possess no virtue. One is only obliged to do what lies within one’s power. The Prophet ﷺ—or ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb—said: “Whoever appoints a man over a group while knowing that within that group there is someone more pleasing to Allah than he has betrayed Allah, His Messenger, and the believers.” 3

(1) Recorded by Imam Ahmad in his Musnad 2/95 and by al-Nasaʾi in his Sunan 7/160, on the authority of Kaʿb ibn ʿUjrah; the hadith is ḥasan (sound). (2) Muslim transmits a similar report in his Sahih 16/398 from ʿAbd Allah ibn Masʿud with the wording “wa ma yazalu” (“and he continues”) instead of “wa la yazalu.” The same wording is found in al-Tirmidhi’s Sunan 8/147 and in Ahmad’s Musnad 1/384. Al-Bukhari records a comparable version in his Sahih 10/507, as do Muslim 16/396–397 and Abu Dawud 13/333, the latter beginning with the prohibition of lying: “Iyyakum wa-l-kadhib” (“Beware of lying”). The hadith is ṣaḥiḥ (authentic). (3) Reported by al-Hakim in his Mustadrak 4/92 from Ibn ʿAbbas, who attributes it to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Al-Hakim judged its chain to be ṣaḥiḥ and noted that it was not included by the two Shaykhs; Imam al-Dhahabi agreed with him.

والمحتسب، وبالصدق في كل الأخبار، والعدل في الإنشاء من الأقوال، وتصلح جميع الأحوال، وهما قرينان كما قال تعالى: ﴿وَتَمَّتْ كَلِمَةُ رَبِّكَ صِدْقًا وَعَدْلًا﴾ [الأنعام: ١١٥] . وقال النبي ﷺ لما ذكر الظلمة: "من صدقهم بكذبهم وأعانهم على ظلمهم فليس مني ولست منه، ولا يرد عليّ الحوض، ومن لم يصدقهم بكذبهم ولم يعنهم على ظلمهم فهو مني وأنا منه، وسيرد عليّ الحوض" ١. وفي الصحيحين عن النبي ﷺ أنه قال: "عليكم بالصدق، فإن الصدق يهدي إلى البر، وإن البر يهدي إلى الجنة، ولا يزال الرجل يصدق ويتحرى الصدق حتى يكتب عند الله صديقًا، وإياكم والكذب! فإن الكذب يهدي إلى الفجور، وإن الفجور يهدي إلى النار، ولا يزال الرجل يكذب ويتحرى الكذب حتى يكتب عند الله كذابًا" ٢. ولهذا قال ﷾: ﴿هَلْ أُنَبِّئُكُمْ عَلَى مَنْ تَنَزَّلُ الشَّيَاطِينُ، تَنَزَّلُ عَلَى كُلِّ أَفَّاكٍ أَثِيمٍ﴾ [الشعراء: ٢٢١] . وقال تعالى: ﴿لَنَسْفَعَنْ بِالنَّاصِيَةِ، نَاصِيَةٍ كَاذِبَةٍ خَاطِئَةٍ﴾ [العلق: ١٥] . فلهذا يجب على كل ولي أمر أن يستعين بأهل الصدق والعدل، وإذا تعذر ذلك استعان بالأمثل فالأمثل وإن كان فيه كذب وظلم , فإن الله يؤيد هذا الدين بالرجل الفاجر وبأقوام لا خلاق لهم، والواجب إنما هو فعل المقدور، وقد قال النبي ﷺ أو "عمر بن الخطاب": "من قلد رجلًا على عصابة هو يجد في تلك العصابة من هو أرضى لله منه فقد خان الله وخان رسوله، وخان المؤمنين" ٣.

١ أخرجه الإمام أحمد في مسنده "٢/ ٩٥"، والنسائي في سننه "٧/ ١٦٠" عن "كعب بن عجرة" وهو حديث حسن. ٢ روى مثله مسلم في صحيحه "١٦/ ٣٩٨" عن عبد الله بن مسعود بلفظ "وما يزال" لا "ولا يزال"، وكذلك عنه الترمذي في سننه "٨/ ١٤٧" والإمام أحمد في مسنده "١/ ٣٨٤" وروى نحوه البخاري في صحيحه "١٠/ ٥٠٧" عنه أيضًا، وكذلك مسلم في صحيحه "١٦/ ٣٩٦، ٣٩٧" وأبو داود في سننه "١٣/ ٣٣٣" بدءًا بالنهي عن الكذب، "إياكم والكذب"، وهو حديث صحيح. ٣ رواه الحاكم في مستدركه "٤/ ٩٢" عن "ابن عباس" عن رسول الله ﷺ، وقال: "حديث صحيح الإسناد ولم يخرجاه"، ووافقه الإمام الذهبي على ذلك.