Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (34/176)

Majmu' al-FatawaIbn Taimiya

so that it came to have several imams, each imam would be obliged to implement the prescribed punishments and secure the fulfillment of rights. Hence, the scholars have said that the judicial rulings of rebels are to be upheld to the same extent as those of just authorities. Likewise, if they shared authority and formed factions, each faction would be obliged to carry out these duties among those who obeyed it.

This applies when the rulers are divided and multiple. The same applies if they are not divided, but their obedience to the supreme ruler is incomplete. In that case too, even if he is relieved of the duty to compel them to fulfill these obligations, they are not relieved of fulfilling them; rather, they must carry them out. Likewise, if some rulers were unable to implement the prescribed punishments and uphold rights, or neglected to do so, that obligation would fall upon whoever was capable of fulfilling it.

The statement, “Only the ruler and his deputies may implement the prescribed punishments,” applies when they are capable and act justly. Similarly, when the jurists say, “The matter rests with the judge,” they mean a just and capable judge. If he neglects the property of orphans or is incapable of managing it, it is not obligatory to hand it over to him when it can be safeguarded without him. Likewise, if the ruler neglects the prescribed punishments or is incapable of implementing them, it is not obligatory to entrust them to him when they can be implemented without him.

The governing principle is that these obligations should be fulfilled in the best possible manner. Whenever one ruler can fulfill them, there is no need for two. Whenever they can only be fulfilled by several people and without a ruler, they are to be fulfilled, provided that doing so does not cause greater harm than neglecting them. For they fall under “enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong.” If, however, doing so entails harm involving the rulers or their subjects that exceeds the harm of neglecting these duties, one harm must not be averted by a greater harm. And Allah knows best.

فَكَانَ لَهَا عِدَّةُ أَئِمَّةٍ: لَكَانَ يَجِبُ عَلَى كُلِّ إمَامٍ أَنْ يُقِيمَ الْحُدُودَ وَيَسْتَوْفِيَ الْحُقُوقَ؛ وَلِهَذَا قَالَ الْعُلَمَاءُ إنَّ أَهْلَ الْبَغْيِ يُنَفَّذُ مِنْ أَحْكَامِهِمْ مَا يُنَفَّذُ مِنْ أَحْكَامِ أَهْلِ الْعَدْلِ؛ وَكَذَلِكَ لَوْ شَارَكُوا الْإِمَارَةَ وَصَارُوا أَحْزَابًا لَوَجَبَ عَلَى كُلِّ حِزْبٍ فِعْلَ ذَلِكَ فِي أَهْلِ طَاعَتِهِمْ فَهَذَا عِنْدَ تَفَرُّقِ الْأُمَرَاءِ وَتَعَدُّدِهِمْ وَكَذَلِكَ لَوْ لَمْ يَتَفَرَّقُوا؛ لَكِنْ طَاعَتُهُمْ لِلْأَمِيرِ الْكَبِيرِ لَيْسَتْ طَاعَةً تَامَّةً؛ فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ أَيْضًا إذَا أُسْقِطَ عَنْهُ إلْزَامُهُمْ بِذَلِكَ لَمْ يَسْقُطْ عَنْهُمْ الْقِيَامُ بِذَلِكَ؛ بَلْ عَلَيْهِمْ أَنْ يُقِيمُوا ذَلِكَ؛ وَكَذَلِكَ لَوْ فُرِضَ عَجْزُ بَعْضِ الْأُمَرَاءِ عَنْ إقَامَةِ الْحُدُودِ وَالْحُقُوقِ أَوْ إضَاعَتِهِ لِذَلِكَ: لَكَانَ ذَلِكَ الْفَرْضُ عَلَى الْقَادِرِ عَلَيْهِ. وَقَوْلُ مَنْ قَالَ: لَا يُقِيمُ الْحُدُودَ إلَّا السُّلْطَانُ وَنُوَّابُهُ. إذَا كَانُوا قَادِرِينَ فَاعِلِينَ بِالْعَدْلِ. كَمَا يَقُولُ الْفُقَهَاءُ: الْأَمْرُ إلَى الْحَاكِمِ إنَّمَا هُوَ الْعَادِلُ الْقَادِرُ فَإِذَا كَانَ مُضَيِّعًا لِأَمْوَالِ الْيَتَامَى؛ أَوْ عَاجِزًا عَنْهَا: لَمْ يَجِبْ تَسْلِيمُهَا إلَيْهِ مَعَ إمْكَانِ حِفْظِهَا بِدُونِهِ وَكَذَلِكَ الْأَمِيرُ إذَا كَانَ مُضَيِّعًا لِلْحُدُودِ أَوْ عَاجِزًا عَنْهَا لَمْ يَجِبْ تَفْوِيضُهَا إلَيْهِ مَعَ إمْكَانِ إقَامَتِهَا بِدُونِهِ. وَالْأَصْلُ أَنَّ هَذِهِ الْوَاجِبَاتِ تُقَامُ عَلَى أَحْسَنِ الْوُجُوهِ. فَمَتَى أَمْكَنَ إقَامَتُهَا مِنْ أَمِيرٍ لَمْ يُحْتَجْ إلَى اثْنَيْنِ وَمَتَى لَمْ يَقُمْ إلَّا بِعَدَدِ وَمِنْ غَيْرِ سُلْطَانٍ أُقِيمَتْ إذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ فِي إقَامَتِهَا فَسَادٌ يَزِيدُ عَلَى إضَاعَتِهَا فَإِنَّهَا مِنْ " بَابِ الْأَمْرِ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَالنَّهْيِ عَنْ الْمُنْكَرِ " فَإِنْ كَانَ فِي ذَلِكَ مِنْ فَسَادِ وُلَاةِ الْأَمْرِ أَوْ الرَّعِيَّةِ مَا يَزِيدُ عَلَى إضَاعَتِهَا لَمْ يُدْفَعْ فَسَادٌ بِأَفْسَدَ مِنْهُ. وَاَللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ.