Sharh Usul Itiqad Ahl al-Sunnah wa-al-Jamaah - Al-Lalakai - (7/1404)

Sharh Usul Itiqad Ahl al-Sunnah wa-al-JamaahAl-Lalakai

2526 – ʿUbayd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad reported to us; he said: Ḥamzah ibn Muhammad ibn al-ʿAbbās reported to us; he said: Abū Ismāʿīl al-Tirmidhī narrated to us in the year 276 AH ⦗1405⦘; he said: ʿAbd Allah ibn Ṣāliḥ narrated to us; Yaḥyā ibn Ayyūb related to me, from ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Harmalah, from Saʿīd ibn al-Musayyib, who said:

“When ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb assumed leadership he addressed the people from the pulpit of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He praised Allah and extolled Him, then said:

‘People, I know you have sensed harshness and severity in me. That is because, when I was with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, I was his servant and attendant, while he—as Allah has said—was “gentle and merciful toward the believers” (Qur’an 9:128). I therefore stood before him like a drawn sword, to be sheathed only when he ordered me, or restrained from something when he forbade me; otherwise I advanced upon the people, sheltered by his kindness.

I remained with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in that state until Allah took him while he was pleased with me—praise be to Allah abundantly for that, and I am the happier for it. Then I stood in the same position with Abū Bakr, the Caliph of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. You know his generosity, mildness, and forbearance. I was his servant, standing before him like a drawn sword, tempering my severity with his gentleness: if he signalled for me to hold back, I refrained; if not, I advanced. I continued thus until Allah took him, and he too was pleased with me—praise be to Allah abundantly for that, and I am the happier for it.

Today your affair has come to me, and I realize that someone will say, “He was hard on us while the authority lay with another—what will he be like now that it is his?” Know that you need ask no one about me; you already know and have tried me, and I have learned from the sunnah of your Prophet ﷺ what I have learned. There is nothing about which I ever wished the Messenger of Allah ﷺ might be questioned except that I questioned him.

Be aware that the severity you have seen in me has multiplied many times now that the matter rests with me—against the wrong-doer and the transgressor, and in securing the rights of the Muslims, their weak against their strong. Yet after that severity I shall lay my cheek upon the ground for those among you who are chaste, who refrain from wrongdoing, and who submit.

I will not refuse—if any ruling arises between me and anyone ⦗1406⦘ among you—to walk with him to whomever of you you choose, so that someone from among you may look into the matter between him and me. So fear Allah, servants of Allah; help me against yourselves by restraining them from me, and help me against myself by enjoining what is right, forbidding what is wrong, and by offering me sincere counsel in the charge over your affairs with which Allah has entrusted me.’”

Then he stepped down.

Ibn al-Musayyib said: “By Allah, he fulfilled what he promised, and even more: he showed sternness, where appropriate, toward those of suspicious conduct and wrongdoing, and gentleness toward the people of truth, whoever they were.”

٢٥٢٦ - أنا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَحْمَدَ، قَالَ: أنا حَمْزَةُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْعَبَّاسِ، قَالَ: نا أَبُو إِسْمَاعِيلَ التِّرْمِذِيُّ سَنَةَ سِتٍّ وَسَبْعِينَ ⦗١٤٠٥⦘ وَمِائَتَيْنِ، قَالَ: نا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ صَالِحٍ، حَدَّثَنِي يَحْيَى بْنُ أَيُّوبَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ حَرْمَلَةَ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيِّبِ قَالَ: " لَمَّا وَلِيَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ خَطَبَ النَّاسَ عَلَى مِنْبَرِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ، حَمِدَ اللَّهَ وَأَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: " أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، إِنِّي قَدْ عَلِمْتُ أَنَّكُمْ تُؤْنِسُونَ مِنِّي شِدَّةً وَغِلْظَةً، وَذَلِكَ أَنِّي كُنْتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَكُنْتُ عَبْدَهُ وَخَادِمَهُ، وَكَانَ كَمَا قَالَ اللَّهُ ﷿: ﴿بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَءُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ﴾ ، فَكُنْتُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ كَالسَّيْفِ الْمَسْلُولِ إِلَّا أَنْ يَغْمِدَنِي أَوْ يَنْهَانِي عَنْ أَمْرٍ فَأَكُفَّ، وَإِلَّا أَقْدَمْتُ عَلَى النَّاسِ لِمَكَانِ لِينِهِ، فَلَمْ أَزَلْ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَلَى ذَلِكَ حَتَّى تَوَفَّاهُ اللَّهُ وَهُوَ عَنِّي رَاضٍ، وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ عَلَى ذَلِكَ كَثِيرًا، وَأَنَا بِهِ أَسْعَدُ، ثُمَّ قُمْتُ ذَلِكَ الْمَقَامَ مَعَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ خَلِيفَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ بَعْدَهُ، وَكَانَ مَنْ قَدْ عَلِمْتُمْ فِي كَرَمِهِ وَدَعَتِهِ وَلِينِهِ، فَكُنْتُ خَادِمَهُ، وَكُنْتُ كَالسَّيْفِ الْمَسْلُولِ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ أَخْلِطُ شِدَّتِي بِلِينِهِ، إِلَّا أَنْ يَتَقَدَّمَ إِلَيَّ فَأَكُفَّ وَإِلَّا أَقْدَمْتُ، فَلَمْ أَزَلْ عَلَى ذَلِكَ حَتَّى تَوَفَّاهُ اللَّهُ وَهُوَ عَنِّي رَاضٍ، وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ عَلَى ذَلِكَ كَثِيرًا، وَأَنَا بِهِ أَسْعَدُ، ثُمَّ صَارَ أَمْرُكُمُ الْيَوْمَ إِلَيَّ، وَأَنَا أَعْلَمُ، فَسَيَقُولُ قَائِلٌ: كَانَ لَيَشْتَدُّ عَلَيْنَا وَالْأَمْرُ إِلَى غَيْرِهِ، فَكَيْفَ إِذَا صَارَ إِلَيْهِ؟ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّكُمْ لَا تَسْأَلُونَ عَنِّي أَحَدًا، قَدْ عَرَفْتُمُونِي وَجَرَّبْتُمُونِي، وَعَرَفْتُ مِنْ سُنَّةِ نَبِيِّكُمْ ﷺ مَا عَرَفْتُ، وَمَا أَصْبَحْتُ نَادِمًا عَلَى شَيْءٍ أَكُونُ أُحِبُّ أَنْ يُسْأَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنْهُ إِلَّا وَسَأَلْتُهُ، وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ شِدَّتِي الَّتِي كُنْتُمْ تَرَوْنَ قَدِ ازْدَادَتْ أَضْعَافًا إِذْ صَارَ الْأَمْرُ إِلَيَّ عَلَى الظَّالِمِ وَالْمُتَعَدِّي، وَالْأَخْذِ لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ لِضَعِيفِهِمْ مِنْ قَوِيِّهِمْ، وَإِنِّي بَعْدَ شِدَّتِي تِلْكَ وَاضِعٌ خَدِّي بِالْأَرْضِ لِأَهْلِ الْعَفَافِ وَالْكَفِّ مِنْكُمْ وَالتَّسْلِيمِ، وَإِنِّي لَا آبَى إِنْ كَانَ مِنِّي وَمِنْ أَحَدٍ ⦗١٤٠٦⦘ مِنْكُمْ شَيْءٌ مِنْ أَحْكَامِكُمْ أَنْ أَمْشِيَ مَعَهُ إِلَى مَنْ أَحْبَبْتُمْ مِنْكُمْ، فَلْيَنْظُرْ فِيمَا بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ أَحَدٌ مِنْكُمْ، فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ عِبَادَ اللَّهِ، وَأَعِينُونِي عَلَى أَنْفُسِكُمْ بِكَفِّهَا عَنِّي، وَأَعِينُونِي عَلَى نَفْسِي بِالْأَمْرِ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَالنَّهْيِ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ، وَإِحْضَارِي النَّصِيحَةَ فِيمَا وَلَّانِي اللَّهُ مِنْ أَمْرِكُمْ ". ثُمَّ نَزَلَ. قَالَ ابْنُ الْمُسَيِّبِ: " فَوَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ وَفَّى بِمَا قَالَ، وَزَادَ: فِي مَوْضِعِ الشِّدَّةِ عَلَى أَهْلِ الرَّيْبِ وَالظُّلْمِ، وَالرِّفْقِ بِأَهْلِ الْحَقِّ مَنْ كَانُوا "