Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/412)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

the scholars exercising independent judgment may differ over how to understand the words of the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—(1), without every one of them being sinful (2).

The eighth point (3): No adherent of Ahl al-Sunnah has ever said that the consensus of the four imams (4) is an infallible proof. Nor has anyone said that the truth is confined (5) to their views and that whatever lies outside them is false. Rather, if a scholar who does not follow these imams—such as Sufyān al-Thawrī, al-Awzā‘ī, al-Layth ibn Sa‘d, or any of the scholars exercising independent judgment before or after them—adopts a position that differs from that of the four imams (6), the matter in which they differ must be referred to Allah and His Messenger (7). The preponderant position is the one (8) supported by the evidence.

The ninth point (9) concerns his statement: “The Companions explicitly stated that analogical reasoning should be abandoned (10).”

The response is: (11) The majority who affirm analogical reasoning have said: It is established that the Companions exercised considered judgment and independent reasoning and drew analogies, just as it is established that they condemned what

(1) (N), (M), and (W): “the words of the Messenger.” (2) The phrase “and not every one of them is sinful” is absent from (A) and (B). (N) and (M) read: “and there is no sinner in it”; (W) reads: “and there is no sin.” The reading adopted in the text is correct. (3) (N), (M), and (W): “the ninth point.” (4) (A) and (B): “the jurists.” (5) (N) and (M): “restricted.” (6) (N), (M), and (W): “differs from the four.” (7) (N), (M), and (W): “and the Messenger.” (8) The word “position” is absent from (A) and (B). (9) (N), (M), and (W): “the tenth point.” (10) The word “abandoning” is absent from (N) only. (11) (N): “Then he said to him”; (M) and (W): “It is said.”

الْمُجْتَهِدِينَ يَتَنَازَعُونَ فِي فَهْمِ كَلَامِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - (١) وَلَيْسَ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمْ آثِمًا (٢) . الْوَجْهُ الثَّامِنُ (٣) : أَنَّ أَهْلَ السُّنَّةِ لَمْ يَقُلْ أَحَدٌ مِنْهُمْ إِنَّ إِجْمَاعَ الْأَئِمَّةِ (٤) الْأَرْبَعَةِ حُجَّةٌ مَعْصُومَةٌ، وَلَا قَالَ: إِنَّ الْحَقَّ مُنْحَصِرٌ (٥) فِيهَا وَإِنَّ مَا خَرَجَ عَنْهَا بَاطِلٌ، بَلْ إِذَا قَالَ: مَنْ لَيْسَ مِنْ أَتْبَاعِ الْأَئِمَّةِ كَسُفْيَانَ الثَّوْرِيِّ وَالْأَوْزَاعِيِّ وَاللَّيْثِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ وَمَنْ قَبْلَهُمْ وَمَنْ بَعْدَهُمْ مِنَ الْمُجْتَهِدِينَ قَوْلًا يُخَالِفُ قَوْلَ الْأَئِمَّةِ الْأَرْبَعَةِ (٦) ، رُدَّ مَا تَنَازَعُوا فِيهِ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ (٧) ، وَكَانَ الْقَوْلُ الرَّاجِحُ هُوَ الْقَوْلُ (٨) الَّذِي قَامَ عَلَيْهِ الدَّلِيلُ. الْوَجْهُ التَّاسِعُ (٩) : قَوْلُهُ: " الصَّحَابَةُ نَصُّوا عَلَى تَرْكِ (١٠) الْقِيَاسِ " . يُقَالُ لَهُ: (١١) الْجُمْهُورُ الَّذِينَ يُثْبِتُونَ الْقِيَاسَ قَالُوا: قَدْ ثَبَتَ عَنِ الصَّحَابَةِ أَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا بِالرَّأْيِ وَاجْتِهَادِ الرَّأْيِ وَقَاسُوا، كَمَا ثَبَتَ عَنْهُمْ ذَمُّ مَا

(١) ن، م، و: كَلَامِ الرَّسُولِ. (٢) عِبَارَةُ: وَلَيْسَ كُلٌّ مِنْهُمْ آثِمًا، سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) ، وَفِي (ن) ، (م) : وَلَيْسَ فِيهِ آثِمٌ وَفِي (و) : وَلَيْسَ إِثْمٌ، وَالصَّوَابُ مَا أَثْبَتَهُ. (٣) ن، م، و: التَّاسِعُ. (٤) أ، ب: الْفُقَهَاءِ. (٥) ن، م: مَحْصُورٌ. (٦) ن، م، و: يُخَالِفُ الْأَرْبَعَةَ. (٧) ن، م، و: وَالرَّسُولِ. (٨) الْقَوْلُ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) . (٩) ن، م، و: الْعَاشِرُ. (١٠) تَرْكِ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) فَقَطْ. (١١) ن: فَقَالَ لَهُ، م، و: يُقَالُ.