Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/328)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

People must therefore (1) have a head. If they have no head, association becomes impossible; and if two coequal heads jointly preside over a group, the association breaks down.

This is firmly rooted (2) in the natural dispositions of all people. If there are two rulers, they must take turns (3) exercising authority, so that one obeys the other (4) on one occasion and the other obeys the first (5) on another. This is seen among the aides and ministers of kings: when one initiates a course of action (6), the other assists him in it. If (7) they do not agree, the matter is referred to someone above them. Otherwise, one and the same course of action cannot originate from two people jointly unless both are subordinate in it to a third.

Mutual obstruction thus occurs between two coequal principals, whether they are assumed (8) to agree or disagree. It is more evident when they disagree; yet they likewise obstruct one another (9) even when they agree. One of them cannot (10) act until the other acts (10 and the latter cannot act until the former acts 10) (11), and they have no third party to move them to act. Neither has any greater claim than the other to act first. Moreover, for the act to proceed from them both, when (12) the act of each necessarily requires the power to perform it (13), while each has no such power except through

(1) Manuscripts (N) and (M): “must.” (2) Manuscript (‘Ayn): “among what is firmly established.” (3) Manuscripts (N) and (M): “draw near to one another,” which is a corruption. (4) Manuscripts (A) and (B): “to this one.” (5) Manuscripts (A) and (B): “to this one.” (6) Manuscripts (N) and (M): “when he initiates [it]”; manuscript (N): “one of them follows a course of action.” (7) Manuscripts (‘Ayn) and (M): “and when”; manuscript (N): “and if.” (8) “Assumed” is omitted from manuscripts (A) and (B). (9) Manuscript (A): “each obstructs the other”; manuscript (B): “they mutually obstruct one another.” (10) Manuscripts (A) and (B): “it is not possible.” (11) The passage between the two markers (10–10) is omitted from manuscripts (A) and (B). (12) “Being” is omitted from manuscripts (N) and (M). (13) “To perform it” is omitted from manuscripts (A) and (B).

فَلَا بُدَّ (١) لِلنَّاسِ مِنْ رَأْسٍ، وَإِذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُمْ رَأْسٌ امْتَنَعَ الِاجْتِمَاعُ، فَإِذَا كَانَ لَهُمَا رَأْسَانِ مُتَكَافِئَانِ يَشْتَرِكَانِ فِي رِيَاسَةِ جَمَاعَةٍ بَطَلَ الِاجْتِمَاعُ. وَهَذَا مِمَّا هُوَ مُسْتَقِرٌّ (٢) فِي فِطَرِ النَّاسِ كُلِّهِمْ. فَإِذَا كَانَ وُلَاةُ الْأَمْرِ اثْنَيْنِ، فَلَابُدَ أَنْ يَتَنَاوَبَا (٣) فِي الْأَمْرِ بِحَيْثُ يُطِيعُ هَذَا هَذَا (٤) تَارَةً، وَهَذَا هَذَا (٥) تَارَةً، كَمَا يُوجَدُ فِي أَعْوَانِ الْمُلُوكِ وَوُزَرَائِهِمْ، إِذَا بَدَأَ هَذَا بِأَمْرٍ (٦) أَعَانَهُ الْآخَرُ عَلَيْهِ، فَإِنْ (٧) لَمْ يَتَّفِقَا رَجَعَ الْأَمْرُ إِلَى مَنْ فَوْقَهُمَا، وَإِلَّا فَالْأَمْرُ الْوَاحِدُ لَا يَصْدُرُ عَنِ اثْنَيْنِ مَعًا إِلَّا أَنْ يَكُونَا تَابِعَيْنِ فِيهِ لِثَالِثٍ. فَالتَّمَانُعُ حَاصِلٌ بَيْنَ الْأَصْلَيْنِ الْمُتَكَافِئَيْنِ، سَوَاءٌ قُدِّرَ (٨) اتِّفَاقُهُمَا أَوِ اخْتِلَافُهُمَا، وَلَكِنَّ التَّمَانُعَ مَعَ الِاخْتِلَافِ أَظْهَرُ، وَكَذَلِكَ هُمَا يَتَمَانَعَانِ (٩) مَعَ الِاتِّفَاقِ، فَإِنَّ أَحَدَهُمَا لَا يُمْكِنُهُ (١٠) أَنْ يَفْعَلَ حَتَّى يَفْعَلَ الْآخَرُ، (١٠ وَذَاكَ لَا يُمْكِنُهُ حَتَّى يَفْعَلَ الْآخَرُ ١٠) (١١) وَلَيْسَ لَهُمَا ثَالِثٌ يُحَرِّكُهُمَا إِلَى الْفِعْلِ، وَلَيْسَ تَقَدُّمُ أَحَدِهِمَا أَوْلَى مِنْ تَقَدُّمِ الْآخَرِ، وَوُقُوعُ الْفِعْلِ مِنْهُمَا مَعَ كَوْنِ (١٢) فِعْلِ كُلٍّ مِنْهُمَا لَا بُدَّ لَهُ مِنْ قُدْرَةٍ عَلَيْهِ (١٣) ، وَهُوَ لَا يَقْدِرُ إِلَّا

(١) ن، م: لَا بُدَّ. (٢) ع: مِمَّا اسْتَقَرَّ. (٣) ن، م: يَتَقَارَبَا، وَهُوَ تَحْرِيفٌ. (٤) أ، ب: لِهَذَا. (٥) أ، ب: لِهَذَا. (٦) ن، م: إِذَا ابْتَدَا، ن: اقْتَدَا أَحَدُهُمَا بِأَمْرٍ. (٧) ع، م: وَإِذَا، ن: وَإِنْ. (٨) قُدِّرَ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) . (٩) أ: مُمَانِعَانِ، ب: مُتَمَانِعَانِ. (١٠) أ، ب: لَا يُمْكِنُ. (١١) (١٠ - ١٠) سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) . (١٢) كَوْنِ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (١٣) عَلَيْهِ، سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) .