Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (35/81)

Majmu' al-FatawaIbn Taimiya

Since this is so, efforts must be made to reconcile these two groups in the manner commanded by Allah and His Messenger. Each group should be asked, “What grievance do you have against the other?” If it is established that one group has wronged the other by causing loss of life or destruction of property, it must compensate for the losses it has caused. If each has inflicted losses upon the other, their respective claims should be offset against one another, as Allah Most High says:

“Prescribed for you is retribution for those killed: the free for the free, the slave for the slave, and the female for the female.”

A number of the early generations mentioned that this verse was revealed concerning a similar situation involving two groups that had fought one another, whom Allah commanded to offset their respective claims. He says:

“If anything remains due to someone from his brother…”

The word ‘afw means a surplus. Thus, if a balance remains due to one group from the other,

“then let it be pursued fairly.”

The party that owes it must pay it graciously. If one group is unable to compensate the other, a man may assume a financial liability and pay it to restore peaceful relations. He may subsequently obtain that amount from the Muslims’ zakat and ask people to help him in this situation, even if he is wealthy.

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said to Qabīsa ibn Mukhāriq al-Hilālī:

“O Qabīsa, asking for financial assistance is permissible only for three: a man whose wealth has been swept away by a calamity—he may ask until he has enough to meet his basic needs, then he must refrain; a man stricken by poverty, when three people of sound judgment from among his people stand and testify, ‘So-and-so has been stricken by poverty’—he may ask until he has enough to sustain himself and meet his basic needs, then he must refrain; and a man who assumes such a financial liability—he may ask until he obtains the amount needed to discharge it, then he must refrain.”

Every Muslim who is able must strive to reconcile them and, as far as possible, urge them to do what Allah has commanded.

وَإِذَا كَانَ كَذَلِك فَالْوَاجِبُ أَنْ يُسْعَى بَيْنَ هَاتِينَ الطَّائِفَتَيْنِ بِالصُّلْحِ الَّذِي أَمَرَ اللَّهُ بِهِ وَرَسُولُهُ، وَيُقَالَ لِهَذِهِ: مَا تَنْقِمُ مِنْ هَذِهِ؟ وَلِهَذِهِ: مَا تَنْقِمُ مِنْ هَذِهِ؟ فَإِنْ ثَبَتَ عَلَى إحْدَى الطَّائِفَتَيْنِ أَنَّهَا اعْتَدَتْ عَلَى الْأُخْرَى: بِإِتْلَافِ شَيْءٍ مِنْ الْأَنْفُسِ، وَالْأَمْوَالِ: كَانَ عَلَيْهَا ضَمَانُ مَا أَتْلَفَتْهُ. وَإِنْ كَانَ هَؤُلَاءِ أَتْلَفُوا لِهَؤُلَاءِ وَهَؤُلَاءِ أَتْلَفُوا لِهَؤُلَاءِ تَقَاصُّوا بَيْنَهُمْ، كَمَا قَالَ اللَّه تَعَالَى: {كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِصَاصُ فِي الْقَتْلَى الْحُرُّ بِالْحُرِّ وَالْعَبْدُ بِالْعَبْدِ وَالْأُنْثَى بِالْأُنْثَى} وَقَدْ ذَكَرَتْ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْ السَّلَفِ أَنَّهَا نَزَلَتْ فِي مِثْلِ ذَلِك فِي طَائِفَتَيْنِ اقْتَتَلَتَا فَأَمَرَهُمْ اللَّهُ بِالْمُقَاصَّةِ، قَالَ: {فَمَنْ عُفِيَ لَهُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ شَيْءٌ} وَالْعَفْوُ الْفَضْلُ فَإِذَا فَضَلَ لِوَاحِدَةِ مِنْ الطَّائِفَتَيْنِ شَيْءٌ عَلَى الْأُخْرَى {فَاتِّبَاعٌ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ} وَاَلَّذِي عَلَيْهِ الْحَقُّ يُؤَدِّيهِ بِإِحْسَانِ. وَإِنْ تَعَذَّرَ أَنْ تَضْمَنَ وَاحِدَةٌ لِلْأُخْرَى، فَيَجُوزُ أَنْ يَتَحَمَّلَ الرَّجُلُ حَمَالَةً يُؤَدِّيهَا لِصَلَاحِ ذَاتِ الْبَيْنِ، وَلَهُ أَنْ يَأْخُذَهَا بَعْدَ ذَلِك مِنْ زَكَاةِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، وَيَسْأَلَ النَّاسَ فِي إعَانَتِهِ فِي هَذِهِ الْحَالَةِ وَإِنْ كَانَ غَنِيًّا، {قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَقَبِيصَةَ بْنِ مخارق الْهِلَالِيِّ: يَا قَبِيصَةُ إنَّ الْمَسْأَلَةَ لَا تَحِلُّ إلَّا لِثَلَاثَةِ: رَجُلٌ أَصَابَتْهُ جَائِحَةٌ اجْتَاحَتْ مَالَهُ فَيَسْأَلُ حَتَّى يَجِدَ سَدَادًا مِنْ عَيْشٍ، ثُمَّ يُمْسِكُ. وَرَجُلٌ أَصَابَتْهُ فَاقَةٌ؛ فَإِنَّهُ يَقُومُ ثَلَاثَةٌ مِنْ ذَوِي الحجى مِنْ قَوْمِهِ؛ فَيَقُولُونَ: قَدْ أَصَابَ فُلَانًا فَاقَةٌ، فَيَسْأَلُ حَتَّى يَجِدَ قِوَامًا مِنْ عَيْشٍ وَسَدَادًا مِنْ عَيْشٍ؛ ثُمَّ يُمْسِكُ. وَرَجُلٌ يَحْمِلُ حَمَالَةً فَيَسْأَلُ حَتَّى يَجِدَ حَمَالَتَهُ، ثُمَّ يُمْسِكُ} . وَالْوَاجِبُ عَلَى كُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ قَادِرٍ أَنَّ يَسْعَى فِي الْإِصْلَاحِ بَيْنَهُمْ وَيَأْمُرَهُمْ بِمَا أَمَرَ اللَّهُ بِهِ مَهْمَا أَمْكَنَ.