Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (1/9)

Majmu' al-FatawaIbn Taimiya

who attain success. Indeed, they enjoy a distinction above other people of faith and righteous deeds. As He, the Most High, said:

“Allah will raise those who have believed among you and those who were given knowledge, by degrees.”

Ibn ‘Abbās said: Allah raises [those believers who have been given knowledge by degrees above those who have not been given knowledge] (1).

The science of chains of transmission and narration is among the distinctive gifts Allah has bestowed upon the community of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, making it a means of attaining understanding. The People of the Book have no chains of transmission through which they pass down their reports. The same applies to the innovators within this community, the people of misguidance. Chains of transmission belong only to those upon whom Allah has bestowed His great favor—the people of Islam and the Sunnah. Through them, they distinguish the authentic from the unsound and the crooked from the upright. Others—the people of innovation and the disbelievers—have only reports that they pass down without chains of transmission, yet their religion rests upon them. They cannot distinguish truth from falsehood in these reports, nor what is valuable from what is worthless.

As for this community blessed with mercy and the members of this community safeguarded from error, those among them possessed of knowledge and religious devotion are certain of their affairs. Truth stands apart from falsehood as clearly to them as dawn appears to one who has eyes. Allah has protected them from collectively agreeing upon an error in His religion, whether in matters of reason or transmission. He has commanded them, whenever they disagree over anything, to refer it to Allah and the Messenger. As He, the Most High, said:

“O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is best and best in outcome.”

Thus, when the scholars of jurisprudence agree upon a ruling, it can only be true; and when the scholars of

A blank occurs in the original; the addition is supplied from al-Hākim’s Tafsīr (Quranic commentary) section, 2:481. He stated: “This hadith has an authentic chain of transmission, but neither of the two compilers recorded it.” Al-Dhahabī concurred.

الْمُفْلِحِينَ، بَلْ لَهُمْ مَزِيَّةٌ عَلَى غَيْرِهِمْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْإِيمَانِ وَالْأَعْمَالِ الصَّالِحَاتِ. كَمَا قَالَ تَعَالَى: {يَرْفَعِ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنْكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ دَرَجَاتٍ} قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: يَرْفَعْ اللَّهُ [الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ مِنَ الْمَؤْمِنِينَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ لَمْ يُؤْتُوا الْعِلْمَ دَرَجَاتٍ] (١) . وَعِلْمُ الْإِسْنَادِ وَالرِّوَايَةِ مِمَّا خَصَّ اللَّهُ بِهِ أُمَّةَ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَجَعَلَهُ سُلَّمًا إلَى الدِّرَايَةِ. فَأَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ لَا إسْنَادَ لَهُمْ يَأْثُرُونَ بِهِ الْمَنْقُولَاتِ، وَهَكَذَا الْمُبْتَدِعُونَ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ أَهْلُ الضَّلَالَاتِ، وَإِنَّمَا الْإِسْنَادُ لِمَنْ أَعْظَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ الْمِنَّةَ " أَهْلُ الْإِسْلَامِ وَالسُّنَّةِ، يُفَرِّقُونَ بِهِ بَيْنَ الصَّحِيحِ وَالسَّقِيمِ وَالْمُعْوَجِّ وَالْقَوِيمِ وَغَيْرِهِمْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْبِدَعِ وَالْكُفَّارِ إنَّمَا عِنْدَهُمْ مَنْقُولَاتٌ يَأْثُرُونَهَا بِغَيْرِ إسْنَادٍ، وَعَلَيْهَا مِنْ دِينِهِمْ الِاعْتِمَادُ، وَهُمْ لَا يَعْرِفُونَ فِيهَا الْحَقَّ مِنْ الْبَاطِلِ، وَلَا الْحَالِي مِنْ الْعَاطِلِ. وَأَمَّا هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةُ الْمَرْحُومَةُ وَأَصْحَابُ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ الْمَعْصُومَةِ: فَإِنَّ أَهْلَ الْعِلْمِ مِنْهُمْ وَالدِّينِ هُمْ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ عَلَى يَقِينٍ، فَظَهَرَ لَهُمْ الصِّدْقُ مِنْ الْمَيْنِ، كَمَا يَظْهَرُ الصُّبْحُ لِذِي عَيْنَيْنِ. عَصَمَهُمْ اللَّهُ أَنْ يُجْمِعُوا عَلَى خَطَأٍ فِي دِينِ اللَّهِ مَعْقُولٍ أَوْ مَنْقُولٍ، وَأَمَرَهُمْ إذَا تَنَازَعُوا فِي شَيْءٍ أَنْ يَرُدُّوهُ إلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ كَمَا قَالَ تَعَالَى: {يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْكُمْ فَإِنْ تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ إنْ كُنْتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ ذَلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلًا} . فَإِذَا اجْتَمَعَ أَهْلُ الْفِقْهِ عَلَى الْقَوْلِ بِحُكْمِ لَمْ يَكُنْ إلَّا حَقًّا، وَإِذَا اجْتَمَعَ أَهْلُ

بياض بالأصل، والزيادة من الحاكم في التفسير ٢/ ٤٨١ وقال: " هَذَا حَدِيثٌ صَحِيحٌ الإسناد ولم يُخَرِّجَاهُ " ووافقه الذهبي