Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (7/71)

Majmu' al-FatawaIbn Taimiya

And he said:

“There is no obedience to any created being in disobedience to the Creator.”

And he said:

“Whoever commands you to disobey Allah, do not obey him.”

Now, if the person who declares lawful things forbidden and forbidden things lawful is a scholar exercising independent judgment, whose intention is to follow the Messenger, but the actual truth has eluded him despite his fearing Allah as much as he can, Allah does not hold him accountable for his error. Rather, He rewards him for the scholarly effort through which he obeyed his Lord. But whoever knows that this is an error concerning what the Messenger brought, yet follows that person in his error and turns away from the Messenger’s words, has a share in this shirk which Allah has condemned. This is especially so if he follows his own desires in doing so and supports that person with his words and actions, despite knowing that he is opposing the Messenger. This is shirk for which its perpetrator deserves punishment.

For this reason, the scholars agree that once someone knows the truth, he may not follow anyone in contradicting it. Their disagreement concerns only whether someone capable of examining the evidence may follow another’s scholarly judgment. If he is unable to make known the truth that he knows, he is like someone who knows that Islam is the truth while living among Christians: if he puts into practice as much of the truth as he can, he is not held accountable for what he is unable to do. Such people are like al-Najāshī and others.

Allah has revealed verses in His Book concerning such people, including His words, Exalted is He:

“Indeed, among the People of the Book are those who believe in Allah and in what was revealed to you and what was revealed to them.”

And His words:

“Among the people of Moses is a community which guides by the truth and establishes justice by it.”

And His words:

“When they hear what has been revealed to the Messenger, you see their eyes overflowing with tears because of the truth they have recognized.”

But if someone who follows a scholar exercising independent judgment is unable to ascertain the truth in detail and has done

وَقَالَ: {لَا طَاعَةَ لِمَخْلُوقِ فِي مَعْصِيَةِ الْخَالِقِ} . وَقَالَ: {مَنْ أَمَرَكُمْ بِمَعْصِيَةِ اللَّهِ فَلَا تُطِيعُوهُ} . ثُمَّ ذَلِكَ الْمُحَرِّمُ لِلْحَلَالِ وَالْمُحَلِّلُ لِلْحَرَامِ إنْ كَانَ مُجْتَهِدًا قَصْدُهُ اتِّبَاعُ الرَّسُولِ لَكِنْ خَفِيَ عَلَيْهِ الْحَقُّ فِي نَفْسِ الْأَمْرِ وَقَدْ اتَّقَى اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَاعَ؛ فَهَذَا لَا يُؤَاخِذُهُ اللَّهُ بِخَطَئِهِ بَلْ يُثِيبُهُ عَلَى اجْتِهَادِهِ الَّذِي أَطَاعَ بِهِ رَبَّهُ. وَلَكِنْ مَنْ عَلِمَ أَنَّ هَذَا خَطَأٌ فِيمَا جَاءَ بِهِ الرَّسُولُ ثُمَّ اتَّبَعَهُ عَلَى خَطَئِهِ وَعَدَلَ عَنْ قَوْلِ الرَّسُولِ فَهَذَا لَهُ نَصِيبٌ مِنْ هَذَا الشِّرْكِ الَّذِي ذَمَّهُ اللَّهُ لَا سِيَّمَا إنْ اتَّبَعَ فِي ذَلِكَ هَوَاهُ وَنَصَرَهُ بِاللِّسَانِ وَالْيَدِ مَعَ عِلْمِهِ بِأَنَّهُ مُخَالِفٌ لِلرَّسُولِ؛ فَهَذَا شِرْكٌ يَسْتَحِقُّ صَاحِبُهُ الْعُقُوبَةَ عَلَيْهِ. وَلِهَذَا اتَّفَقَ الْعُلَمَاءُ عَلَى أَنَّهُ إذَا عَرَفَ الْحَقَّ لَا يَجُوزُ لَهُ تَقْلِيدُ أَحَدٍ فِي خِلَافِهِ وَإِنَّمَا تَنَازَعُوا فِي جَوَازِ التَّقْلِيدِ لِلْقَادِرِ عَلَى الِاسْتِدْلَالِ وَإِنْ كَانَ عَاجِزًا عَنْ إظْهَارِ الْحَقِّ الَّذِي يَعْلَمُهُ؛ فَهَذَا يَكُونُ كَمَنْ عَرَفَ أَنَّ دِينَ الْإِسْلَامِ حَقٌّ وَهُوَ بَيْنَ النَّصَارَى فَإِذَا فَعَلَ مَا يَقْدِرُ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ الْحَقِّ؛ لَا يُؤَاخَذُ بِمَا عَجَزَ عَنْهُ وَهَؤُلَاءِ كَالنَّجَاشِيِّ وَغَيْرِهِ. وَقَدْ أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فِي هَؤُلَاءِ آيَاتٍ مِنْ كِتَابِهِ كَقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: {وَإِنَّ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ لَمَنْ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ إلَيْكُمْ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ إلَيْهِمْ} . وَقَوْلِهِ: {وَمِنْ قَوْمِ مُوسَى أُمَّةٌ يَهْدُونَ بِالْحَقِّ وَبِهِ يَعْدِلُونَ} . وَقَوْلِهِ: {وَإِذَا سَمِعُوا مَا أُنْزِلَ إلَى الرَّسُولِ تَرَى أَعْيُنَهُمْ تَفِيضُ مِنَ الدَّمْعِ مِمَّا عَرَفُوا مِنَ الْحَقِّ} . وَأَمَّا إنْ كَانَ الْمُتَّبِعُ لِلْمُجْتَهِدِ عَاجِزًا عَنْ مَعْرِفَةِ الْحَقِّ عَلَى التَّفْصِيلِ وَقَدْ فَعَلَ