Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (1/124)

for otherwise their words [and deeds] (1) could no longer be trusted, thereby nullifying the purpose of the prophetic mission.

Then, after the Messenger’s death, He caused the imamate to succeed the prophetic mission and appointed infallible leaders (2), so that people would be secure from their mistakes, lapses, and errors and would therefore submit to their commands, lest Allah leave the world bereft of His gracious care and mercy.

They also maintain that when Allah sent Muhammad (3)—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—(4), he undertook to convey (5) the message and explicitly declared that the caliph after him would be Alī ibn Abī Tālib [peace be upon him] (6); thereafter, he designated his son (7), al-Hasan al-Zakī, (8 then his son al-Husayn the Martyr 8) (8); then Alī ibn al-Husayn, Zayn al-Ābidīn; then Muhammad ibn Alī al-Bāqir; then Jafar ibn Muhammad al-Sādiq; then Mūsā ibn Jafar al-Kāzim; then Alī ibn Mūsā al-Ridā; then Muhammad ibn Alī al-Jawād; then Alī ibn Muhammad al-Hādī; then al-Hasan ibn Alī al-Askarī; then the successor, the Proof,

(1) “And their deeds” is omitted from N and M. (2) B only: “infallible and explicitly designated.” (3) K: “sent His Messenger Muhammad.” (4) K: “may Allah bless him and his family.” (5) K and A: “undertook to convey”; N: “so he ordered [the message] to be conveyed”; B: “shouldered the burden of [the message].” (6) A and B: “peace be upon him”; K: “peace be upon them both.” (7) N and M: “Then, after Alī, his son.” (8) (8–8): In K, these words are replaced with: “Then al-Husayn the Martyr, his brother.”

وَإِلَّا لَمْ يَبْقَ وُثُوقٌ بِأَقْوَالِهِمْ، [وَأَفْعَالِهِمْ] (١) ، فَتَنْتَفِي فَائِدَةُ الْبَعْثَةِ. ثُمَّ أَرْدَفَ الرِّسَالَةَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِ الرَّسُولِ بِالْإِمَامَةِ، فَنَصَّبَ أَوْلِيَاءَ مَعْصُومِينَ (٢) لِيَأْمَنَ النَّاسُ مِنْ غَلَطِهِمْ، وَسَهْوِهِمْ، وَخَطَئِهِمْ، فَيَنْقَادُونَ إِلَى أَوَامِرِهِمْ لِئَلَّا يُخَلِّيَ اللَّهُ الْعَالَمَ مِنْ لُطْفِهِ، وَرَحْمَتِهِ. وَأَنَّهُ لَمَّا بَعَثَ اللَّهُ مُحَمَّدًا. (٣) - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - (٤) قَامَ بِنَقْلِ (٥) الرِّسَالَةِ، وَنَصَّ عَلَى أَنَّ الْخَلِيفَةَ بَعْدَهُ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ [عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ] (٦) ، ثُمَّ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ عَلَى وَلَدِهِ (٧) الْحَسَنِ الزَّكِيِّ، (٨ ثُمَّ عَلَى وَلَدِهِ الْحُسَيْنِ الشَّهِيدِ ٨) (٨) ، ثُمَّ عَلَى عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ زَيْنِ الْعَابِدِينَ، ثُمَّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ الْبَاقِرِ، ثُمَّ عَلَى جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الصَّادِقِ، ثُمَّ عَلَى مُوسَى بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ الْكَاظِمِ، ثُمَّ عَلَى عَلِيِّ بْنِ مُوسَى الرِّضَا، ثُمَّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ الْجَوَادِ، ثُمَّ عَلَى عَلِيِّ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الْهَادِي، ثُمَّ عَلَى الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ الْعَسْكَرِيِّ، ثُمَّ عَلَى الْخَلَفِ الْحُجَّةِ

(١) وَأَفْعَالِهِمْ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٢) ب (فَقَطْ) : مَعْصُومِينَ مَنْصُوصِينَ. (٣) ك: بَعَثَ رَسُولَهُ مُحَمَّدًا. (٤) ك: صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ. (٥) كَذَا فِي (ك) ، (أ) وَفِي (ن) : فَأَمَرَ بِنَقْلِ، وَفِي (ب) : قَامَ بِثِقَلِ. (٦) عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ: كَذَا فِي (أ) ، (ب) وَفِي (ك) : عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلَامُ. (٧) ن، م: ثُمَّ مِنْ بَعْدِ عَلِيٍّ وَلَدُهُ. (٨) (٨ - ٨) : بَدَلًا مِنْ هَذِهِ الْعِبَارَاتِ فِي (ك) : ثُمَّ عَلَى الْحُسَيْنِ الشَّهِيدِ أَخِيهِ.