Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (2/445)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

and who is the Seal of the Prophets and the best of the messengers; whom Allah sent with the best revealed law to the best community ever raised for humanity; to whom He revealed the best of His Books, making it confirm the Scriptures before it and stand as an authority over them; through whom Allah guided creation, brought them out of darkness into light, and guided them to the path of the Almighty, the Praiseworthy; through whom Allah distinguished truth from falsehood, guidance from misguidance, error from sound judgment, and the path to Paradise from the path to the Fire;

and through whom Allah divided His servants into the wretched and the blessed:

The blessed are those who believe in him and obey him, while the wretched are those who reject him and disobey him. Allah made salvation and felicity hinge upon him: among those whom his call has reached and against whom the proof of his message has been established, no servant has any means of escaping Allah’s punishment and attaining felicity in this world and the Hereafter other than believing in him and following the light sent down with him.

Allah Most High says:

“My mercy encompasses all things. I shall decree it for those who are mindful of Me, give zakat, and believe in Our signs—those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whom they find described in the Torah and the Gospel in their possession. He enjoins what is right, forbids what is wrong, makes wholesome things lawful for them, forbids them impure things, and relieves them of their burden and the shackles that were upon them. Those who believe in him, honor and support him, and follow the light sent down with him—it is they who will prosper.”

[Surah al-Aʿrāf: 156, 157].

Through him, Allah has explained the rights due to Allah alone and the rights due to the Messenger. Allah Most High says:

“Indeed, We have sent you as a witness, a bearer of glad tidings, and a warner, so that you may believe in Allah and His Messenger, support and honor him, and glorify Him morning and evening.”

[Surah al-Fath: 8, 9]. Thus, belief is in Allah and the Messenger, while support and reverence are

وَهُوَ خَاتَمُ النَّبِيِّينَ وَأَفْضَلُ الْمُرْسَلِينَ، أَرْسَلَهُ اللَّهُ بِأَفْضَلِ شَرِيعَةٍ إِلَى خَيْرِ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ، وَأَنْزَلَ عَلَيْهِ أَفْضَلَ كُتُبِهِ وَجَعَلَهُ مُصَدِّقًا لِمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَمُهَيْمِنًا عَلَيْهِ، الَّذِي هَدَى اللَّهُ بِهِ الْخَلْقَ وَأَخْرَجَهُمْ بِهِ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ وَهَدَاهُمْ بِهِ إِلَى صِرَاطِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَمِيدِ، وَهُوَ الَّذِي فَرَّقَ اللَّهُ بِهِ بَيْنَ الْحَقِّ وَالْبَاطِلِ وَبَيْنَ الْهُدَى وَالضَّلَالِ وَالْغَيِّ وَالرَّشَادِ وَطَرِيقِ الْجَنَّةِ وَطَرِيقِ النَّارِ، وَهُوَ الَّذِي قَسَمَ اللَّهُ بِهِ عِبَادَهُ إِلَى شَقِيٍّ وَسَعِيدٍ: فَالسَّعِيدُ مَنْ آمَنَ بِهِ وَأَطَاعَهُ وَالشَّقِيُّ مَنْ كَذَّبَهُ وَعَصَاهُ، وَعَلَّقَ بِهِ النَّجَاةَ وَالسَّعَادَةَ فَلَا سَبَبَ يَنْجُو بِهِ الْعَبْدُ مِنْ عَذَابِ اللَّهِ وَيَنَالُ السَّعَادَةَ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ مِمَّنْ بَلَغَتْهُ دَعْوَتُهُ وَقَامَتْ عَلَيْهِ الْحُجَّةُ بِرِسَالَتِهِ إِلَّا مَنْ آمَنَ بِهِ وَاتَّبَعَ النُّورَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ مَعَهُ. قَالَ تَعَالَى: {وَرَحْمَتِي وَسِعَتْ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ فَسَأَكْتُبُهَا لِلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ بِآيَاتِنَا يُؤْمِنُونَ - الَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ الرَّسُولَ النَّبِيَّ الْأُمِّيَّ الَّذِي يَجِدُونَهُ مَكْتُوبًا عِنْدَهُمْ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ وَالْإِنْجِيلِ يَأْمُرُهُمْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَاهُمْ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَيُحِلُّ لَهُمُ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَيُحَرِّمُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْخَبَائِثَ وَيَضَعُ عَنْهُمْ إِصْرَهُمْ وَالْأَغْلَالَ الَّتِي كَانَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ فَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِهِ وَعَزَّرُوهُ وَنَصَرُوهُ وَاتَّبَعُوا النُّورَ الَّذِي أُنْزِلَ مَعَهُ أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ} [سُورَةُ الْأَعْرَافِ: ١٥٦، ١٥٧] . وَقَدْ بَيَّنَ اللَّهُ عَلَى لِسَانِهِ مَا يَسْتَحِقُّهُ اللَّهُ مِنَ الْحُقُوقِ الَّتِي لَا تَصْلُحُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ وَمَا يَسْتَحِقُّهُ الرَّسُولُ مِنَ الْحُقُوقِ، فَقَالَ تَعَالَى: {إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ شَاهِدًا وَمُبَشِّرًا وَنَذِيرًا - لِتُؤْمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَتُعَزِّرُوهُ وَتُوَقِّرُوهُ وَتُسَبِّحُوهُ بُكْرَةً وَأَصِيلًا} [سُورَةُ الْفَتْحِ: ٨، ٩] ، فَالْإِيمَانُ بِاللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ، وَالتَّعْزِيرُ وَالتَّوْقِيرُ