Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/402)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

and fairness knows that the likes of Mālik, al-Layth ibn Sa‘d, al-Awzā‘i, Abū Hanīfa, al-Thawrī, and Ibn Abī Laylā, as well as al-Shāfi‘i, Ahmad, Ishāq, Abū ‘Ubayd, and Abū Thawr, possessed greater knowledge and understanding of jurisprudence than the two al-‘Askarīs and others like them (1).

Moreover, these men are better than the Awaited One, who does not know what he is saying. If any one of these men possessed a text transmitted from the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—there can be no doubt that a text authentically established from the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—takes precedence over (2) analogical reasoning. If he possessed no such text and did not accept (3) analogical reasoning, he would be ignorant. Analogical reasoning (4), which yields a probable judgment, is better than ignorance accompanied by neither knowledge nor probable belief.

If these people claim, “Everything they say is authentically established (5) from the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace,” this would be (6) even weaker than the assertion of someone who says, “Everything (7) a qualified independent jurist says is a statement (8) of the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace.” A group among the proponents of reasoned opinion indeed holds this view, and their position is closer to the truth than that of the Rāfida (9), for the latter’s claim is manifestly false.

Moreover, this is like the claim of those who say (10): “The practice of the people of Medina (11) was received from

(1) (A) and (B): “and their likes.” (2) (A) and (B): “from.” (3) (N) and (M): “then he does not reason by analogy”; (W): “nor does he reason by analogy.” (4) (A) and (B): “and analogical reasoning.” (5) (A) and (B): “These, as they say it, is established,” which is a textual corruption. (6) “Was” is absent from (N) and (M). (7) (A) and (B): “as,” which is a textual corruption. (8) (N) and (M): “it is a statement.” (9) (N): “reasoned opinion and the position of the Rāfida”; (M): “reasoned opinion, and his position is closer than that of the Rāfida.” (10) (N) and (M): “Thus, this is the position of those who say”; (A) and (B): “Thus, this is like the position of one who said.” (11) (N) and (M): “the Sunnah,” which is an error.

وَإِنْصَافٌ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّ مِثْلَ مَالِكٍ وَاللَّيْثِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ وَالْأَوْزَاعِيِّ وَأَبِي حَنِيفَةَ وَالثَّوْرِيِّ وَابْنِ أَبِي لَيْلَى، وَمِثْلَ الشَّافِعِيِّ وَأَحْمَدَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَأَبِي عُبَيْدٍ وَأَبِي ثَوْرٍ أَعْلَمُ وَأَفْقَهُ مِنَ الْعَسْكَرِيَّيْنِ وَأَمْثَالِهِمَا (١) . وَأَيْضًا فَهَؤُلَاءِ خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْمُنْتَظَرِ الَّذِي لَا يَعْلَمُ مَا يَقُولُ، فَإِنَّ الْوَاحِدَ مِنْ هَؤُلَاءِ إِنْ كَانَ عِنْدَهُ نَصٌّ مَنْقُولٌ: عَنِ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - فَلَا رَيْبَ أَنَّ النَّصَّ الثَّابِتَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - مُقَدَّمٌ عَلَى (٢) الْقِيَاسِ بِلَا رَيْبٍ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ عِنْدَهُ نَصٌّ وَلَمْ يَقُلْ (٣) بِالْقِيَاسِ كَانَ جَاهِلًا، فَالْقِيَاسُ (٤) الَّذِي يُفِيدُ الظَّنَّ خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْجَهْلِ الَّذِي لَا عِلْمَ مَعَهُ وَلَا ظَنَّ، فَإِنْ قَالَ هَؤُلَاءِ: كُلُّ مَا يَقُولُونَهُ هُوَ ثَابِتٌ (٥) عَنِ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - كَانَ (٦) هَذَا أَضْعَفُ مِنْ قَوْلِ مَنْ قَالَ: كُلُّ مَا (٧) يَقُولُهُ الْمُجْتَهِدُ فَإِنَّهُ قَوْلُ (٨) النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -، فَإِنَّ هَذَا يَقُولُهُ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الرَّأْيِ، وَقَوْلُهُمْ أَقْرَبُ مِنْ قَوْلِ الرَّافِضَةِ (٩) فَإِنَّ قَوْلَ أُولَئِكَ كَذِبٌ صَرِيحٌ. وَأَيْضًا فَهَذَا كَقَوْلِ مَنْ يَقُولُ (١٠) : عَمَلُ أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ (١١) مُتَلَقًّى عَنْ

(١) أ، ب: وَأَمْثَالِهِمْ. (٢) أ، ب: عَنْ. (٣) ن، م: فَلَا يَقُولُ، و: وَلَا يَقُولُ. (٤) أ، ب: وَالْقِيَاسُ. (٥) أ، ب: هَؤُلَاءِ كَمَا يَقُولُونَهُ ثَابِتٌ، وَهُوَ تَحْرِيفٌ. (٦) كَانَ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٧) أ، ب: كَمَا، وَهُوَ تَحْرِيفٌ. (٨) ن، م: هُوَ قَوْلُ. (٩) ن: الرَّأْيِ وَقَوْلُ الرَّافِضَةِ، م: الرَّأْيِ وَقَوْلُهُ أَقْرَبُ مِنْ قَوْلِ الرَّافِضَةِ. (١٠) ن، م: فَهَذَا قَوْلُ مَنْ يَقُولُ، أ، ب: فَهَذَا كَقَوْلِ مَنْ قَالَ. (١١) ن، م: السُّنَّةِ، وَهُوَ خَطَأٌ.