Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/399)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

testimony. (1)

This is demonstrated (2) by the fact that the Imāmiyya (3), like everyone else, consider it permissible for the Imam’s deputies not to be infallible and for the Imam not to know them to be infallible. This is evidenced by the fact that the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—appointed al-Walīd ibn Uqba ibn Abī Muayt, who then informed him that those to whom he had been sent were waging war. (4) Allah Most High then revealed: (5)

“O you who believe, if an evildoer brings you news, verify it, lest you harm a people unwittingly and then come to regret what you have done.”

[Surah al-Hujurāt: 6]

(6) Many of Ali’s deputies—may Allah be pleased with him—(7) betrayed him (8), and some of them fled from him. His dealings with his deputies are well known. It is therefore clear that an Imam’s being infallible does not preclude reliance upon what is outwardly apparent or the occurrence of such abuses. Requiring the Imams to be infallible is a condition that cannot be fulfilled and has not been commanded, and it has brought (9) no benefit in either religion or worldly life.

(1) (N) and (M): *fī al-ʿadāla al-shahāda* (“with regard to uprightness, testimony”), which is erroneous. (2) (A): “If that were sound”; (B): “This makes that clear.” (3) (N) and (M): “the imamate,” which is a corruption. (4) (A) and (B): “he was sent to them.” (5) (W): “so I reveal concerning him”; (A) and (B): “Then Allah, Mighty and Majestic, revealed.” (6) See the report concerning al-Walīd ibn Uqba ibn Abī Muayt and the exegesis of the verse in *Tafsīr al-Tabarī* (Būlāq ed.), 26/78–79; *Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr* (al-Sha‘b ed.), 7/350–352; *al-Musnad* (al-Halabī ed.), 4/279—the hadith is narrated from al-Hārith ibn Dirār al-Khuzā‘ī, may Allah be pleased with him—and *Sīrat Ibn Hishām*, 3/308–309. (7) (N) and (M): “And Ali—peace be upon him—.” (8) (M): “betrayed him.” (9) “Through it” is absent from (A) and (B).

الشَّهَادَةِ (١) يُبَيِّنُ ذَلِكَ (٢) أَنَّ الْإِمَامِيَّةَ (٣) وَجَمِيعُ النَّاسِ يُجَوِّزُونَ أَنْ يَكُونَ نُوَّابَ الْإِمَامِ غَيْرَ مَعْصُومِينَ، وَأَنْ لَا يَكُونَ الْإِمَامُ عَالِمًا بِعِصْمَتِهِمْ، بِدَلِيلِ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - قَدْ وَلَّى الْوَلِيدَ بْنَ عُقْبَةَ بْنِ أَبِي مُعَيْطٍ ثُمَّ أَخْبَرَهُ بِمُحَارَبَةِ الَّذِينَ أَرْسَلَهُ إِلَيْهِمْ (٤) فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى (٥) {يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنْ جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ فَتَبَيَّنُوا أَنْ تُصِيبُوا قَوْمًا بِجَهَالَةٍ فَتُصْبِحُوا عَلَى مَا فَعَلْتُمْ نَادِمِينَ} [سُورَةُ الْحُجُرَاتِ: ٦] (٦) وَعَلِيٌّ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ - (٧) كَانَ كَثِيرٌ مِنْ نُوَّابِهِ يَخُونُهُ (٨) ، وَفِيهِمْ مَنْ هَرَبَ عَنْهُ، وَلَهُ مَعَ نُوَّابِهِ سِيَرٌ مَعْلُومَةٌ. فَعُلِمَ أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ فِي كَوْنِ الْإِمَامِ مَعْصُومًا مَا يَمْنَعُ اعْتِبَارَ الظَّاهِرِ وَوُجُودَ مِثْلِ هَذِهِ الْمَفَاسِدِ، وَأَنَّ اشْتِرَاطَ الْعِصْمَةِ فِي الْأَئِمَّةِ شَرْطٌ لَيْسَ بِمَقْدُورٍ وَلَا مَأْمُورٍ، وَلَمْ يَحْصُلْ بِهِ (٩) مَنْفَعَةٌ، لَا فِي الدِّينِ وَلَا فِي الدُّنْيَا.

(١) ن، م: فِي الْعَدَالَةِ الشَّهَادَةُ، وَهُوَ خَطَأٌ. (٢) أ: لَوْ صَحَّ ذَلِكَ، ب: يُوَضِّحُ ذَلِكَ. (٣) ن، م: الْإِمَامَةَ، وَهُوَ تَحْرِيفٌ. (٤) أ، ب: أُرْسِلَ إِلَيْهِمْ. (٥) و: فَأَنْزِلُ فِيهِ، أ، ب: فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ. (٦) انْظُرْ خَبَرَ الْوَلِيدِ بْنِ عُقْبَةَ بْنِ أَبِي مُعَيْطٍ وَتَفْسِيرَ الْآيَةِ: تَفْسِيرَ الطَّبَرِيِّ (ط. بُولَاقٍ) ، ٢٦/٧٨ - ٧٩؛ تَفْسِيرَ ابْنِ كَثِيرٍ (ط. الشَّعْبِ) ٧/٣٥٠ - ٣٥٢؛ الْمَسْنَدَ (ط. الْحَلَبِيِّ) ٤/٢٧٩، وَالْحَدِيثُ عَنِ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ ضِرَارٍ الْخُزَاعِيِّ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ -، سِيرَةُ ابْنِ هِشَامٍ ٣/٣٠٨ - ٣٠٩ (٧) ن، م: وَعَلِيٌّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ. (٨) م: يَخُونُونَهُ. (٩) بِهِ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) .