Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (1/185)

Majmu' al-FatawaIbn Taimiya

for his brother in his absence without Allah appointing an angel for him. Whenever he offers a supplication for his brother, the appointed angel says, ‘Āmīn, and may you have the same.’” That is, the same as what you asked for your brother.

As for asking another person to meet one’s own needs or to supplicate for one, this has not been commanded. Asking for knowledge, however, is different: Allah has commanded it, as in His words, Most High:

“So ask the people of knowledge if you do not know.”

Allah Most High also says:

“So if you are in doubt about what We have revealed to you, ask those who have been reading the Scripture before you.”

And He says:

“Ask those of Our messengers whom We sent before you: Have We appointed any gods besides the Most Merciful to be worshipped?”

This is because knowledge must be shared. Whoever is asked about something he knows and conceals it will be bridled by Allah with a bridle of fire on the Day of Resurrection. Knowledge grows through teaching; it does not diminish through teaching as wealth diminishes when it is given away. For this reason, it is likened to a lamp.

Likewise, whoever has a right to something held by another, whether specific property or a debt—such as property entrusted for safekeeping or capital entrusted under a profit-sharing arrangement—may request it from the person holding it. The same applies to fayʾ (public revenues) and other jointly held funds whose distribution is administered by the ruler. A person may claim his rightful share from him, just as he may claim his entitlement from an endowment, an inheritance, or a bequest, because whoever has control of such property must deliver what is due to the person entitled to it.

This category also includes requesting maintenance from someone obliged to provide it, and a traveller requesting hospitality from someone obliged to offer it, just as Moses and al-Khidr asked the people of the town for food. Likewise, a creditor may demand repayment from the person who owes him.

Each party to a contract may ask the other to fulfil what is due to him:

لِأَخِيهِ بِظَهْرِ الْغَيْبِ إلَّا وَكَّلَ اللَّهُ بِهِ مَلَكًا كُلَّمَا دَعَا لِأَخِيهِ بِدَعْوَةِ قَالَ الْمَلَكُ الْمُوَكَّلُ بِهِ: آمِينَ وَلَك بِمِثْلِهِ} أَيْ بِمِثْلِ مَا دَعَوْت لِأَخِيك بِهِ. وَأَمَّا سُؤَالُ الْمَخْلُوقِ الْمَخْلُوقَ أَنْ يَقْضِيَ حَاجَةَ نَفْسِهِ أَوْ يَدْعُوَ لَهُ فَلَمْ يُؤْمَرْ بِهِ؛ بِخِلَافِ سُؤَالِ الْعِلْمِ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ أَمَرَ بِسُؤَالِ الْعِلْمِ كَمَا فِي قَوْله تَعَالَى {فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إنْ كُنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ} وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: {فَإِنْ كُنْتَ فِي شَكٍّ مِمَّا أَنْزَلْنَا إلَيْكَ فَاسْأَلِ الَّذِينَ يَقْرَءُونَ الْكِتَابَ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ} وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: {وَاسْأَلْ مَنْ أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ مِنْ رُسُلِنَا أَجَعَلْنَا مِنْ دُونِ الرَّحْمَنِ آلِهَةً يُعْبَدُونَ} وَهَذَا لِأَنَّ الْعِلْمَ يَجِبُ بَذْلُهُ فَمَنْ سُئِلَ عَنْ عِلْمٍ يَعْلَمُهُ فَكَتَمَهُ أَلْجَمَهُ اللَّه بِلِجَامِ مِنْ نَارٍ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ. وَهُوَ يَزْكُو عَلَى التَّعْلِيمِ لَا يَنْقُصُ بِالتَّعْلِيمِ كَمَا تَنْقُصُ الْأَمْوَالُ بِالْبَذْلِ وَلِهَذَا يُشَبَّهُ بِالْمِصْبَاحِ. وَكَذَلِكَ مَنْ لَهُ عِنْدَ غَيْرِهِ حَقٌّ مَنْ عَيْنٍ أَوْ دَيْنٍ كَالْأَمَانَاتِ مِثْلِ الْوَدِيعَةِ وَالْمُضَارَبَةِ لِصَاحِبِهَا أَنْ يَسْأَلَهَا مِمَّنْ هِيَ عِنْدَهُ وَكَذَلِكَ مَالُ الْفَيْءِ وَغَيْرِهِ مِنْ الْأَمْوَالِ الْمُشْتَرَكَةِ الَّتِي يَتَوَلَّى قِسْمَتَهَا وَلِيُّ الْأَمْرِ لِلرَّجُلِ أَنْ يَطْلُبَ حَقَّهُ مِنْهُ كَمَا يَطْلُبُ حَقَّهُ مِنْ الْوَقْفِ وَالْمِيرَاثِ وَالْوَصِيَّةِ؛ لِأَنَّ الْمُسْتَوْلِيَ يَجِبُ عَلَيْهِ أَدَاءُ الْحَقِّ إلَى مُسْتَحِقِّهِ. وَمِنْ هَذَا الْبَابِ سُؤَالُ النَّفَقَةِ لِمَنْ تَجِبُ عَلَيْهِ وَسُؤَالُ الْمُسَافِرِ الضِّيَافَةَ لِمَنْ تَجِبُ عَلَيْهِ كَمَا اسْتَطْعَمَ مُوسَى وَالْخَضِرُ أَهْلَ الْقَرْيَةِ. وَكَذَلِكَ الْغَرِيمُ لَهُ أَنْ يَطْلُبَ دَيْنَهُ مِمَّنْ هُوَ عَلَيْهِ. وَكُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْ الْمُتَعَاقِدَيْنِ لَهُ أَنْ يَسْأَلَ الْآخَرَ أَدَاءَ حَقِّهِ إلَيْهِ: