16
For this reason, the early Shia—those who accompanied Ali [or who were (1) living at that time]—did not dispute the superiority of Abū Bakr and Umar. Their only disagreement concerned [the relative superiority of] (2) Ali and Uthman. This is acknowledged (3) by [the leading Shia scholars among] the early and later generations alike; indeed, a similar statement (4) was made by Abū al-Qāsim al-Balkhī (5).
He said:
A questioner asked Sharīk ibn Abd Allāh ibn [Abī] Namir (6), [saying to him: (7) “Who is superior, Abū Bakr or Ali?” He replied]: “Abū Bakr.”
The questioner said to him, “You say this even though you are one of the Shia?” (8)
He replied, “Yes. A Shia is only [one who says this (9). By Allah,] Ali (10) mounted this pulpit and said, ‘Indeed, the best (11) of this Ummah
(1) M: “and they were.”
(2) “Superiority” is omitted from N and M.
(3) N: “which he knows”; M: “which you know.”
(4) A, L: “A figure such as [Abū al-Qāsim al-Balkhī] mentioned that.”
(5) He was Abū al-Qāsim ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ahmad ibn Mahmūd al-Kaʿbī al-Balkhī, author of *al-Maqālāt*. He was the head of the Kaʿbiyya, one of the Muʿtazila sects. He died in 319 AH, though 317 AH has also been reported. See Ibn Khallikān, 2/248–249; *al-Farq bayn al-Firaq*, pp. 108–110; *al-Milal wa al-Nihal*, 1/73.
(6) N, M: “Sharīk ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Namir”; A: “of Sharīk ibn ʿAbd Allāh.” The correct reading is the one printed in the text. Ibn Taymiyya mentions this report again later (Būlāq ed., 1/168). Sharīk ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī Namir al-Qurashī, Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Madanī, died in 140 AH. For his biography, see *Tahdhīb al-Tahdhīb*, 4/337–338; al-Khazrajī, *Khulāsat Tahdhīb al-Kamāl*, p. 140.
(7) M: “Namir [reported] that someone said to him…”
(8) A, L, B: “You say this even though you are a Shia?”
(9) A, L, B: “He replied to him, ‘Yes. Whoever does not say this is not a Shia’” (B uses the same wording without the prefixed preposition).
(10) “Ali” is omitted from A, L, and B.
(11) M: “He said, ‘Behold, the best…’”; L: “He said, ‘Indeed, the best…’”
وَلِهَذَا كَانَتِ الشِّيعَةُ الْمُتَقَدِّمُونَ الَّذِينَ صَحِبُوا عَلِيًّا، [أَوْ كَانُوا
(١)
فِي ذَلِكَ الزَّمَانِ] لَمْ يَتَنَازَعُوا فِي تَفْضِيلِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ، وَعُمَرَ، وَإِنَّمَا كَانَ نِزَاعُهُمْ فِي
[تَفْضِيلِ]
(٢)
عَلِيٍّ، وَعُثْمَانَ، وَهَذَا مِمَّا يَعْتَرِفُ بِهِ
(٣)
[عُلَمَاءُ الشِّيعَةِ الْأَكَابِرُ مِنَ]
الْأَوَائِلِ، وَالْأَوَاخِرِ حَتَّى ذَكَرَ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ
(٤)
أَبُو الْقَاسِمِ الْبَلْخِيُّ
(٥)
.
قَالَ:
سَأَلَ سَائِلٌ شَرِيكَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ
[أَبِي]
نَمِرٍ
(٦)
،
[فَقَالَ لَهُ:
(٧)
أَيُّهُمَا أَفْضَلُ أَبُو بَكْرٍ، أَوْ عَلِيٌّ؟
فَقَالَ لَهُ] :
أَبُو بَكْرٍ،
فَقَالَ لَهُ السَّائِلُ:
أَتَقُولُ هَذَا، وَأَنْتَ مِنَ الشِّيعَةِ؟
(٨)
فَقَالَ: نَعَمْ إِنَّمَا الشِّيعِيُّ [مَنْ قَالَ مِثْلَ هَذَا
(٩)
، وَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ] رَقَى عَلِيٌّ
(١٠)
هَذَا الْأَعْوَادَ،
فَقَالَ:
أَلَا إِنَّ خَيْرَ
(١١)
هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ
(١) م: وَكَانُوا.
(٢) تَفْضِيلِ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) .
(٣) ن: مِمَّا يَعْرِفُهُ، م: مِمَّا تَعْرِفُهُ.
(٤) أ، ل: ذَكَرَ ذَلِكَ مِثْلُ.
(٥) هُوَ أَبُو الْقَاسِمِ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مَحْمُودٍ الْكَعْبِيُّ الْبَلْخِيُّ صَاحِبُ " الْمَقَالَاتِ ". وَرَأَسُ فِرْقَةِ الْكَعْبِيَّةِ مِنْ فِرَقِ الْمُعْتَزِلَةِ، وَقَدْ تُوُفِّيَ سَنَةَ ٣١٩، وَقِيلَ سَنَةَ ٣١٧. انْظُرِ ابْنَ خَلِّكَانَ ٢/٢٤٨ - ٢٤٩؛ الْفَرْقَ بَيْنَ الْفِرَقِ، ص ١٠٨ - ١١٠؛ الْمِلَلَ وَالنِّحَلَ ١/٧٣
(٦) ن، م: شَرِيكَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ نَمِرٍ؛ أ: لِشَرِيكِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ. وَالصَّوَابُ مَا أَثْبَتْنَاهُ. وَيَذْكُرُ ابْنُ تَيْمِيَّةَ هَذِهِ الرِّوَايَةَ فِيمَا بَعْدُ (١/١٦٨ بُولَاقَ) . وَشَرِيكُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي نَمِرٍ الْقُرَشِيُّ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْمَدَنِيُّ، تُوُفِّيَ سَنَةَ ١٤٠ هـ. تَرْجَمْتُهُ فِي: تَهْذِيبِ التَّهْذِيبِ ٤/٣٣٧ - ٣٣٨؛ خُلَاصَةِ تَهْذِيبِ الْكَمَالِ لِلْخَزْرَجِيِّ، ص ١٤٠.
(٧) م: نَمِرٌ أَنَّهُ قَالَ لَهُ قَائِلٌ.
(٨) أ، ل، ب: تَقُولُ هَذَا وَأَنْتَ شِيعِيٌّ.
(٩) أ، ل، ب: فَقَالَ لَهُ: نَعَمْ، مَنْ لَمْ يَقُلْ هَذَا فَلَيْسَ بِشِيعِيٍّ (فِي " ب " فَلَيْسَ شِيعِيًّا) .
(١٠) عَلِيٌّ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ " أ "، " ل "، " ب ".
(١١) م: فَقَالَ أَلَا خَيْرُ؛ ل: فَقَالَ: إِنَّ خَيْرَ.