Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (1/3)

[Author’s Introduction]
[Opening Sermon of the Book]

In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful
[And His help we seek] (1)

The learned shaykh and imam, the accomplished erudite scholar, the peerless eminent scholar and hadith master, the humble and devout worshipper, the imam of imams, the godly scholar of the Muslim community, Shaykh al-Islām, the remaining luminary, Taqī al-Dīn, the last of the independent jurists, (2) Abu al-Abbās Ahmad ibn Abd al-Halīm ibn Abd al-Salām ibn Abd Allah ibn Abī al-Qāsim ibn Taymiyya al-Harrānī—may Allah sanctify his soul and illuminate his grave (3)—said:

Praise be to Allah, who sent the prophets as bearers of glad tidings and warners, and sent down with them the Scripture in truth to judge between people concerning that over which they differed. None differed over it except those who had been given it, after clear proofs had come to them, out of mutual animosity. Then Allah, by His leave, guided those who believed to the truth concerning that over which they had differed (4). Allah guides whomever He wills to a straight path. And I bear witness

(1) “And through Him we seek help”: an addition in (م) and (أ). In (ن): “And success is through Allah.” (2) أ, ل: “the last of the mujtahids.” (3) م, ن: “The shaykh, imam, learned and eminent scholar, godly teacher, peerless in his age and unique in his time, Ahmad ibn Abd al-Halīm ibn Abd al-Salām ibn Taymiyya al-Harrānī—may Allah be pleased with him, envelop him in His mercy, and grant him dwelling in the choicest part of His Paradise. Amen.” Some of these words were not visible in the facsimile of (ن). (4) “By His permission” is omitted only from (أ).

[مقدمة المؤلف] [خطبة الكتاب] بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ [وَبِهِ نَسْتَعِينُ] (١) قَالَ الشَّيْخُ الْإِمَامُ الْعَالِمُ، الْحَبْرُ الْكَامِلُ، الْأَوْحَدُ الْعَلَّامَةُ الْحَافِظُ، الْخَاشِعُ الْقَانِتُ، إِمَامُ الْأَئِمَّةِ، وَرَبَّانِيُّ الْأُمَّةِ، شَيْخُ الْإِسْلَامِ، بَقِيَّةُ الْأَعْلَامِ، تَقِيُّ الدِّينِ، خَاتِمَةُ الْمُجْتَهِدِينَ، (٢) أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْحَلِيمِ بْنِ عَبْدِ السَّلَامِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ تَيْمِيَّةَ الْحَرَّانِيُّ، قَدَّسَ اللَّهُ رُوحَهُ، وَنَوَّرَ ضَرِيحَهُ (٣) . الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي بَعَثَ النَّبِيِّينَ مُبَشِّرِينَ، وَمُنْذِرِينَ، وَأَنْزَلَ مَعَهُمُ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ فِيمَا اخْتَلَفُوا فِيهِ، وَمَا اخْتَلَفَ فِيهِ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ أُوتُوهُ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَتْهُمُ الْبَيِّنَاتُ بَغْيًا بَيْنَهُمْ، فَهَدَى اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لِمَا اخْتَلَفُوا فِيهِ مِنَ الْحَقِّ بِإِذْنِهِ (٤) ، وَاللَّهُ يَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ، وَأَشْهَدُ

(١) وَبِهِ نَسْتَعِينُ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (م) ، (أ) ، وَفِي (ن) : وَبِاللَّهِ التَّوْفِيقُ. (٢) أ، ل: بَقِيَّةُ الْمُجْتَهِدِينَ. (٣) م، ن: قَالَ الشَّيْخُ الْإِمَامُ الْعَالِمُ الْعَلَّامَةُ الرَّبَّانِيُّ، وَحِيدُ عَصْرِهِ، وَفَرِيدُ دَهْرِهِ، أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْحَلِيمِ بْنِ عَبْدِ السَّلَامِ بْنِ تَيْمِيَّةَ الْحَرَّانِيُّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ، وَتَغَمَّدَهُ بِرَحْمَتِهِ، وَأَسْكَنَهُ بَحْبُوحَةَ جَنَّتِهِ، آمِينَ. وَلَمْ تَظْهَرْ بَعْضُ هَذِهِ الْكَلِمَاتِ فِي مُصَوَّرَةِ (ن) . (٤) بِإِذْنِهِ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) فَقَطْ.