Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/408)

who followed any of the others unquestioningly, nor anyone who instructed people to follow him. Rather, (1) each of them called upon people to follow the Quran and Sunnah. If another expressed an opinion that, in his judgment (2), contradicted the Quran and Sunnah, he rejected it and did not require people to follow him unquestioningly.

If you say, “People followed the authorities of these schools,” this did not occur by mutual arrangement. Rather, it happened that one group followed one authority, [while another group followed another] (3)—like pilgrims who sought someone to show them the way: one group regarded one man as an experienced guide (4) and followed him, and the others did likewise (5).

Since that is the case, this did not amount to Ahl al-Sunnah agreeing upon falsehood. Rather, each group among them (6) rejects whatever errors it finds among the others (7). They did not agree that any particular individual was obliged to accept everything said by each of these authorities. Indeed, most of them (8) do not instruct the layman to follow any particular person other than the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—in everything he says.

Allah Most High has guaranteed the Ummah protection from error, and part of the completeness of this protection is that He should raise up

(1) (N): “Rather, many [of them].” (2) “In his judgment” is absent from (N). (3) The text between square brackets is absent from (N) and (M). (4) (A) and (B): “a good guide.” (5) (A) and (B): “others.” (6) “Among them” is an addition in (A) and (B). (7) (W): “what they have.” (8) (A), (W), and (N): “Indeed, most of them also.”

مَنْ يُقَلِّدُ الْآخَرَ وَلَا مَنْ يَأْمُرُ بِاتِّبَاعِ النَّاسِ لَهُ، بَلْ (١) كُلٌّ مِنْهُمْ يَدْعُو إِلَى مُتَابَعَةِ الْكِتَابِ وَالسُّنَّةِ، وَإِذَا قَالَ: غَيْرُهُ قَوْلًا يُخَالِفُ الْكِتَابَ وَالسُّنَّةَ عِنْدَهُ (٢) رَدَّهُ وَلَا يُوجِبُ عَلَى النَّاسِ تَقْلِيدَهُ. وَإِنْ قُلْتَ: إِنَّ أَصْحَابَ هَذِهِ الْمَذَاهِبِ اتَّبَعَهُمُ النَّاسُ، فَهَذَا لَمْ يَحْصُلْ بِمُوَطَّأَةٍ، بَلِ اتَّفَقَ أَنَّ قَوْمًا اتَّبَعُوا هَذَا، [وَقَوْمًا اتَّبَعُوا هَذَا] (٣) كَالْحُجَّاجِ الَّذِينَ طَلَبُوا مَنْ يَدُلُّهُمْ عَلَى الطَّرِيقِ فَرَأَى قَوْمٌ هَذَا دَلِيلًا خَبِيرًا (٤) فَاتَّبَعُوهُ، وَكَذَلِكَ الْآخَرُونَ (٥) . وَإِذَا كَانَ كَذَلِكَ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِي ذَلِكَ اتِّفَاقُ أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ عَلَى بَاطِلٍ، بَلْ كُلُّ قَوْمٍ مِنْهُمْ (٦) يُنْكِرُونَ مَا عِنْدَ غَيْرِهِمْ (٧) مِنَ الْخَطَأِ، فَلَمْ يَتَّفِقُوا عَلَى أَنَّ الشَّخْصَ الْمُعَيَّنَ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَقْبَلَ مِنْ كُلٍّ مِنْ هَؤُلَاءِ مَا قَالَهُ، بَلْ جُمْهُورُهُمْ (٨) لَا يَأْمُرُونَ الْعَامِّيَّ بِتَقْلِيدِ شَخْصٍ مُعَيَّنٍ غَيْرِ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - فِي كُلِّ مَا يَقُولُهُ. وَاللَّهُ تَعَالَى قَدْ ضَمِنَ الْعِصْمَةَ لِلْأُمَّةِ، فَمِنْ تَمَامِ الْعِصْمَةِ أَنْ يَجْعَلَ

(١) ن: بَلْ كَثِيرٌ. (٢) عِنْدَهُ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) . (٣) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٤) أ، ب: خَيِّرًا. (٥) أ، ب: آخَرُونَ. (٦) مِنْهُمْ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (أ) ، (ب) . (٧) و: مَا عِنْدَهُمْ. (٨) أ، و، ن: بَلْ وَجُمْهُورُهُمْ.