Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (1/105)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

and they accept many times more lies (1) than these people do, (2 and turn away from following the Quran and the Sunnah to a greater extent than these people do 2) (2), and they malign the best of the Muslims in a manner that causes these people to oppose them. Thus, of all the groups within the Muslim community, they are the furthest astray from the interests served by the Imamate. According to their own doctrine, therefore, they have missed the most important and noblest part of the religion.

[The Fourth Point: Honor Is Not Attained Merely by Knowing the Imam]

The fourth point is to say:

His statement,

“(through apprehending which the rank of honor is attained),”

is false. Merely knowing (3) the Imam of one’s time and seeing him (4) in person does not make one deserving of honor if one does not comply with his commands and prohibitions (5). For knowing the Imam of one’s time is certainly no greater than knowing the Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Whoever knew that Muhammad was the Messenger of Allah but did not believe in him or obey his command did not (6) attain any honor. Even if a person believed in the Prophet but disobeyed him, neglected the obligatory duties, and transgressed the prescribed limits (7), he would deserve the threatened punishment according to the Imamiyya and all other Muslim groups. What, then, of someone who knows the Imam while neglecting the obligatory duties and transgressing the prescribed limits?

(1) N and M read: “from the hadiths.” (2) The passage between markers 2–2 is omitted in M. (3) “Person” is omitted in A and B. (4) N and M read: “thus seeing him.” (5) “And his prohibitions” is omitted in A and B. (6) N reads: “and did not.” (7) B reads: “and neglected the obligatory duties and transgressed the prescribed limits”; A reads: “and neglected the obligatory duties and violated the prescribed limits.”

وَهُمْ يَقْبَلُونَ مِنَ الْأَكَاذِيبِ (١) أَضْعَافَ مَا يَقْبَلُهُ هَؤُلَاءِ، (٢ وَيُعْرِضُونَ عَنِ الِاقْتِدَاءِ بِالْكِتَابِ وَالسُّنَّةِ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ إِعْرَاضِ هَؤُلَاءِ ٢) (٢) ، وَيَقْدَحُونَ فِي خِيَارِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ قَدْحًا يُعَادِيهِمْ عَلَيْهِ هَؤُلَاءِ، فَهُمْ أَضَلُّ عَنْ مَصَالِحِ الْإِمَامَةِ مِنْ جَمِيعِ طَوَائِفِ الْأُمَّةِ، فَقَدْ فَاتَهُمْ عَلَى قَوْلِهِمْ أَهَمُّ الدِّينِ وَأَشْرَفُهُ. [الْوَجْهُ الرَّابِعُ الكرامة لا تنال بمجرد معرفة الإمام] الْوَجْهُ الرَّابِعُ: أَنْ يُقَالَ: قَوْلُهُ: (الَّتِي يَحْصُلُ بِسَبَبِ إِدْرَاكِهَا نَيْلُ دَرَجَةِ الْكَرَامَةِ.) كَلَامٌ بَاطِلٌ، فَإِنَّ مُجَرَّدَ مَعْرِفَةِ الْإِنْسَانِ (٣) إِمَامَ وَقْتِهِ، وَإِدْرَاكِهِ (٤) بِعَيْنِهِ لَا يَسْتَحِقُّ بِهِ الْكَرَامَةَ إِنْ لَمْ يُوَافِقْ أَمْرَهُ، وَنَهْيَهُ (٥) ، وَإِلَّا فَلَيْسَتْ مَعْرِفَةُ إِمَامِ الْوَقْتِ بِأَعْظَمَ مِنْ مَعْرِفَةِ الرَّسُولِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -، وَمَنْ عَرَفَ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، فَلَمْ يُؤْمِنْ بِهِ، وَلَمْ يُطِعْ أَمْرَهُ لَمْ (٦) يَحْصُلْ لَهُ شَيْءٌ مِنَ الْكَرَامَةِ، وَلَوْ آمَنَ بِالنَّبِيِّ، وَعَصَاهُ، فَضَيَّعَ الْفَرَائِضَ، وَتَعَدَّى الْحُدُودَ (٧) كَانَ مُسْتَحِقًّا لِلْوَعِيدِ عِنْدَ الْإِمَامِيَّةِ، وَسَائِرِ طَوَائِفِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، فَكَيْفَ بِمَنْ عَرَفَ الْإِمَامَ، وَهُوَ مُضَيِّعٌ لِلْفَرَائِضِ مُتَعَدٍّ لِلْحُدُودِ.

(١) ن، م: مِنَ الْأَحَادِيثِ. (٢) (٢ - ٢) : سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (م) . (٣) الْإِنْسَانِ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) . (٤) ن، م: فَإِدْرَاكُهُ. (٥) وَنَهْيَهُ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) . (٦) ن: وَلَمْ. (٧) ب: وَضَيَّعَ الْفَرَائِضَ وَتَعَدَّى الْحُدُودَ؛ أ: وَضَيَّعَ الْفَرَائِضَ وَاعْتَدَى الْحُدُودَ.