Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (1/17)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

Among the most momentous testimonies is that concerning which Allah appointed [the nation of Muhammad (1)] as witnesses. He says:

{Thus We have made you a just community so that you may be witnesses over humanity and the Messenger may be a witness over you.}

[Surah al-Baqarah: 143]

And He, exalted, says:

{Strive for Allah as He deserves to be striven for. He has chosen you and has placed no hardship upon you in religion—the way of your father Abraham. He named you Muslims before and in this, so that the Messenger may be a witness over you and you may be witnesses over humanity.}

[Surah al-Hajj: 78]

According to the majority, this means that [Allah named them] Muslims before the revelation of the Quran and in the Quran.

And He, exalted, says:

{Who is more unjust than one who conceals a testimony he has from Allah?}

[Surah al-Baqarah: 140]

And He, exalted, says:

{And when Allah took the covenant of those who were given the Scripture: “You must make it clear to the people and must not conceal it.”}

[Surah Āl Imrān: 187]

And He, exalted, says:

{Indeed, those who conceal the clear proofs and guidance We have sent down after We made them clear to the people in the Scripture—they are cursed by Allah and cursed by those who curse—except those who repent, mend their ways, and make the truth clear. I shall accept their repentance, for I am the Accepter of Repentance, the Most Merciful.}

[Surah al-Baqarah: 159–160]

Such concealment is especially grave when [the latter members of this nation curse its earliest members, as stated in the report:

“When] the latter members of this nation curse its earliest members, whoever possesses knowledge must make it known, for whoever conceals knowledge at that time is like one who conceals [what Allah revealed to Muhammad” (2).

(1) M reads: “Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace).” (2) M reads: “what was revealed to Muhammad.” In Ibn Mājah’s *Sunan*, 1/96–97 (*Introduction*, “Chapter: One Who Is Asked About Knowledge and Conceals It”), Jābir narrated that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “When the latter members of this nation curse its earliest members, whoever conceals a hadith has concealed what Allah revealed.” The editor notes: “It is stated in *al-Zawāʾid*: ‘Its chain of transmission contains Husayn ibn Abī al-Sarī, who was a liar, and Abd Allāh ibn al-Sarī, who was weak.’ It is stated in *al-Atrāf* that Abd Allāh ibn al-Sarī did not meet Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir and that there were intermediaries between them; thus, the chain is also interrupted.”

وَمِنْ أَعْظَمِ الشَّهَادَاتِ مَا جَعَلَ اللَّهُ [أُمَّةَ مُحَمَّدٍ (١) ] شُهَدَاءَ عَلَيْهِ حَيْثُ قَالَ: {وَكَذَلِكَ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أُمَّةً وَسَطًا لِتَكُونُوا شُهَدَاءَ عَلَى النَّاسِ وَيَكُونَ الرَّسُولُ عَلَيْكُمْ شَهِيدًا} [سُورَةُ الْبَقَرَةِ: ١٤٣] . وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: {وَجَاهِدُوا فِي اللَّهِ حَقَّ جِهَادِهِ هُوَ اجْتَبَاكُمْ وَمَا جَعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ مِنْ حَرَجٍ مِلَّةَ أَبِيكُمْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ هُوَ سَمَّاكُمُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَفِي هَذَا لِيَكُونَ الرَّسُولُ شَهِيدًا عَلَيْكُمْ وَتَكُونُوا شُهَدَاءَ عَلَى النَّاسِ} [سُورَةُ الْحَجِّ: ٧٨] ، وَالْمَعْنَى [عِنْدَ الْجُمْهُورِ أَنَّ اللَّهَ سَمَّاهُمُ] الْمُسْلِمِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِ نُزُولِ الْقُرْآنِ، وَفِي الْقُرْآنِ. وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: {وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنْ كَتَمَ شَهَادَةً عِنْدَهُ مِنَ اللَّهِ} [سُورَةُ الْبَقَرَةِ: ١٤٠] ، وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: {وَإِذْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثَاقَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ لَتُبَيِّنُنَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ وَلَا تَكْتُمُونَهُ} [سُورَةُ آلِ عِمْرَانَ: ١٨٧] ، وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: {إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكْتُمُونَ مَا أَنْزَلْنَا مِنَ الْبَيِّنَاتِ وَالْهُدَى مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا بَيَّنَّاهُ لِلنَّاسِ فِي الْكِتَابِ أُولَئِكَ يَلْعَنُهُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَلْعَنُهُمُ اللَّاعِنُونَ - إِلَّا الَّذِينَ تَابُوا وَأَصْلَحُوا وَبَيَّنُوا فَأُولَئِكَ أَتُوبُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَأَنَا التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ} [سُورَةُ الْبَقَرَةِ: ١٥٩ - ١٦٠] ، لَا سِيَّمَا الْكِتْمَانَ إِذَا لَعَنَ [آخِرُ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ أَوَّلَهَا، كَمَا فِي الْأَثَرِ: «إِذَا لَعَنَ] آخِرُ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ أَوَّلَهَا، فَمَنْ كَانَ عِنْدَهُ عِلْمٌ فَلْيُظْهِرْهُ، فَإِنَّ كَاتِمَ الْعِلْمِ يَوْمَئِذٍ كَكَاتِمِ [مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ» (٢) .

(١) م: مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ. (٢) م: مَا أُنْزِلَ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ. وَفِي سُنَنِ ابْنِ مَاجَهْ ١/٩٦ - ٩٧. (الْمُقَدِّمَةُ، بَابُ مَنْ سُئِلَ عَنْ عِلْمٍ فَكَتَمَهُ) عَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - " إِذَا لَعَنَ آخِرُ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ أَوَّلَهَا، فَمَنْ كَتَمَ حَدِيثًا فَقَدْ كَتَمَ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ " وَذَكَرَ الْمُحَقِّقُ: " فِي الزَّوَائِدِ فِي إِسْنَادِهِ حُسَيْنُ بْنُ أَبِي السَّرِيِّ كَذَّابٌ. وَعَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ السِّرِيِّ، ضَعِيفٌ. وَفِي الْأَطْرَافِ: أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ السَّرِيِّ لَمْ يُدْرِكْ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ الْمُنْكَدِرِ. وَذَكَرَ أَنَّ بَيْنَهُمَا وَسَائِطَ فَفِيهِ انْقِطَاعٌ أَيْضًا ".