Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/395)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

an instruction (1) to obey even when the ruler reserves privileges for himself—which is injustice on his part—and a prohibition against contesting authority with those to whom it belongs. This is a prohibition against rebelling against him, for those to whom authority belongs are the authorities whom one has been commanded to obey: those who possess the power by which they issue commands. What is meant is not (2) someone who deserves to be appointed (3) but possesses no authority, nor is it restricted to a just incumbent (4), because (5) he has already stated that they will reserve privileges for themselves. This shows that it is a prohibition (6) against contesting the ruler’s authority even when he reserves privileges for himself. This is a broad subject.

The fourth argument:

If we suppose that justice is required of every officeholder (7), so that only an upright person is to be obeyed, not an unjust one, then it is evident that requiring justice of rulers is no more stringent (8) than requiring it of witnesses (9). A witness may (10) report something he does not (11) know; if he is not upright, the truthfulness of his report cannot be known. By contrast, a ruler issues a command (12) whose ruling may be known independently of him, and one can therefore know whether it constitutes obedience to Allah or disobedience to Him.

(1) (N), (M), and (W): “for he commanded.” (2) (N) and (W): “by it; it is not.” (3) (N) and (M): “assumes office.” (4) (N), (M), and (W): “the just one.” (5) (A) and (B): “for he.” (6) (W): “that he had forbidden.” (7) (W): “in the appointee.” (8) (A), (B), and (W): “is not greater.” (9) (N), (M), and (W): “with regard to witnesses.” (10) “May” is an addition in (A) and (B). (11) “Not” is absent from (N) and (M). (12) (N), (M), and (W): “an act.”

أَمْرٌ (١) بِالطَّاعَةِ مَعَ اسْتِئْثَارِ وَلِيِّ الْأَمْرِ، وَذَلِكَ ظُلْمٌ مِنْهُ، وَنَهْيٌ عَنْ مُنَازَعَةِ الْأَمْرِ أَهْلَهُ، وَذَلِكَ نَهْيٌ عَنِ الْخُرُوجِ عَلَيْهِ ; لِأَنَّ أَهْلَهُ هُمْ أُولُو الْأَمْرِ الَّذِينَ أَمِرَ بِطَاعَتِهِمْ، وَهُمُ الَّذِينَ لَهُمْ سُلْطَانٌ يَأْمُرُونَ بِهِ، وَلَيْسَ (٢) الْمُرَادُ مَنْ يَسْتَحِقُّ أَنْ يُوَلَّى (٣) وَلَا سُلْطَانَ لَهُ، وَلَا الْمُتَوَلِّيَ الْعَادِلَ (٤) ; لِأَنَّهُ (٥) قَدْ ذَكَرَ أَنَّهُمْ يَسْتَأْثِرُونَ، فَدَلَّ عَلَى أَنَّهُ نَهْيٌ (٦) عَنْ مُنَازَعَةِ وَلِيِّ الْأَمْرِ وَإِنْ كَانَ مُسْتَأْثِرًا، وَهَذَا بَابٌ وَاسِعٌ. الْوَجْهُ الرَّابِعُ: أَنَّا إِذَا قَدَّرْنَا أَنَّهُ يُشْتَرَطُ الْعَدْلُ فِي كُلِّ مُتَوَلٍّ (٧) فَلَا يُطَاعُ إِلَّا مَنْ كَانَ ذَا عَدْلٍ، لَا مَنْ كَانَ ظَالِمًا. فَمَعْلُومٌ أَنَّ اشْتِرَاطَ الْعَدْلِ فِي الْوُلَاةِ لَيْسَ بِأَعْظَمَ (٨) مِنِ اشْتِرَاطِهِ فِي الشُّهُودِ (٩) فَإِنَّ الشَّاهِدَ قَدْ (١٠) يُخْبِرُ بِمَا لَا (١١) يَعْلَمُ، فَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ ذَا عَدْلٍ لَمْ يُعْرَفْ صِدْقُهُ فِيمَا أَخْبَرَ بِهِ، وَأَمَّا وَلِيُّ الْأَمْرِ فَهُوَ يَأْمُرُ بِأَمْرٍ (١٢) يَعْلَمُ حُكْمَهُ مِنْ غَيْرِهِ، فَيَعْلَمُ هَلْ هُوَ طَاعَةٌ لِلَّهِ أَوْ مَعْصِيَةٌ.

(١) ن، م، و: فَقَدْ أَمَرَ. (٢) ن، و: بِهِ لَيْسَ. (٣) ن، م: يَتَوَلَّى. (٤) ن، م، و: الْعَدْلَ. (٥) أ، ب: فَإِنَّهُ. (٦) و: أَنَّهُ قَدْ نَهَى. (٧) و: فِي الْمُتَوَلَّى. (٨) أ، ب، و: لَيْسَ أَعْظَمَ. (٩) ن، م، و: فِي الشُّهَدَاءِ. (١٠) قَدْ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (أ) ، (ب) . (١١) لَا: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (١٢) ن، م، و: بِعَمَلٍ.