Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (2/477)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

ascetics concerning their spiritual masters—that they are divinely protected—and even less tenable than the belief of many of the early (1) Syrians [the followers of Banū Umayyah]: (2) that the imām must be obeyed in all things, and that when Allah appoints an imām, He accepts his good deeds and pardons his misdeeds. For those who go to extremes regarding spiritual masters, even when they go to extremes over a particular master, do not restrict guidance to him, forbid people from following anyone else, [or declare anyone who does not acknowledge him as a spiritual master to be an unbeliever] (3). Nor do they claim for him the degree of infallibility that these people claim—except, of course, for one who has departed (4) from the religion altogether. Such a person belongs among the extremists regarding spiritual masters, such as the Nusayriyyah, the Ismāīliyyah, and the Rāfidah.

In any event, the evil among them is greater [than among others] (5), their extremism is more severe, and the evil found among others is but a part of theirs.

As for the extremists among the Syrians [the followers of Banū Umayyah] (6), they would say (7): [When Allah appoints a caliph, He accepts his good deeds and pardons his misdeeds. They would sometimes even say that He would not call him to account (8).

(1) The word *qudamā* (“early”) is absent from (ع). (2) The phrase “the followers of Banū Umayyah” is absent from N and M. (3) The passage in square brackets is absent from N and M. (4) B and A read: *man yakhruju* (“who departs”). (5) The phrase “than among others” occurs only in (ع). (6) The phrase “the followers of Banū Umayyah” is absent from N and M. (7) The passage following the phrase “they would say” through the next occurrence of the phrase “they would say” is absent from N and M. (8) Mustajī Zādah quoted Ibn Taymiyyah’s passage beginning with the words “As for the extremists among the Syrians” up to this point, and then commented: “I say: From among them arose a sect known as the *Nāsibah*. Their religion and creed consist in hatred of the Messenger’s family and disparaging them.”

مِنَ النُّسَّاكِ فِي شُيُوخِهِمْ أَنَّهُمْ مَحْفُوظُونَ، وَأَضْعَفُ مِنِ اعْتِقَادِ كَثِيرٍ مِنْ قُدَمَاءِ (١) الشَّامِيِّينَ [أَتْبَاعِ بَنِي أُمَيَّةَ] : (٢) أَنَّ الْإِمَامَ تَجِبُ طَاعَتُهُ فِي كُلِّ شَيْءٍ، وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ إِذَا اسْتَخْلَفَ إِمَامًا تَقَبَّلَ مِنْهُ الْحَسَنَاتِ وَتَجَاوَزَ لَهُ عَنِ السَّيِّئَاتِ، لِأَنَّ الْغُلَاةَ فِي الشُّيُوخِ، وَإِنَّ غَلَوْا فِي شَيْخٍ فَلَا يَقْصُرُونَ الْهُدَى عَلَيْهِ، وَلَا يَمْنَعُونَ اتِّبَاعَ غَيْرِهِ، [وَلَا يُكَفِّرُونَ مَنْ لَمْ يَقُلْ بِمَشْيَخَتِهِ] (٣) ، وَلَا يَقُولُونَ فِيهِ مِنَ الْعِصْمَةِ مَا يَقُولُهُ هَؤُلَاءِ، اللَّهُمَّ إِلَّا مَنْ خَرَجَ (٤) عَنِ الدِّينِ بِالْكُلِّيَّةِ، فَذَاكَ فِي الْغُلَاةِ فِي الشُّيُوخِ: كَالنُّصَيْرِيَّةِ وَالْإِسْمَاعِيلِيَّةِ وَالرَّافِضَةِ. فَبِكُلِّ حَالٍ الشَّرُّ فِيهِمْ أَكْثَرُ [مِنْ غَيْرِهِمْ] (٥) ، وَالْغُلُوُّ فِيهِمْ أَعْظَمُ، وَشَرُّ غَيْرِهِمْ جُزْءٌ مِنْ شَرِّهِمْ. وَأَمَّا غَالِيَّةُ الشَّامِيِّينَ [أَتْبَاعِ بَنِي أُمَيَّةَ] (٦) ، فَكَانُوا يَقُولُونَ (٧) : [إِنَّ اللَّهَ إِذَا اسْتَخْلَفَ خَلِيفَةً تَقَبَّلَ مِنْهُ الْحَسَنَاتِ وَتَجَاوَزَ لَهُ عَنِ السَّيِّئَاتِ، وَرُبَّمَا قَالُوا: إِنَّهُ لَا يُحَاسِبُهُ. (٨) .

(١) قُدَمَاءِ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ع) . (٢) عِبَارَةُ " أَتْبَاعِ بَنِي أُمَيَّةَ ": سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٣) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٤) ب، ا: مَنْ يَخْرُجُ. (٥) مِنْ غَيْرِهِمْ: فِي (ع) فَقَطْ. (٦) أَتْبَاعِ بَنِي أُمَيَّةَ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٧) الْكَلَامُ بَعْدَ عِبَارَةِ " فَكَانُوا يَقُولُونَ " حَتَّى عِبَارَةِ " فَكَانُوا يَقُولُونَ ": سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٨) نَقَلَ مُسْتَجِي زَادَهْ كَلَامَ ابْنِ تَيْمِيَّةَ الَّذِي يَبْدَأُ بِعِبَارَةِ: " وَأَمَّا غَالِيَّةُ الشَّامِيِّينَ " إِلَى هَذَا الْمَوْضِعِ ثُمَّ عَلَّقَ قَائِلًا: " قُلْتُ: وَقَدْ نَبَتَتْ مِنْهُمْ فِرْقَةٌ يُقَالُ لَهُمُ: النَّاصِبَةُ وَدِينُهُمْ وَنِحْلَتُهُمْ بُغْضُ آلِ الرَّسُولِ وَالْقَدْحُ فِيهِمْ ".