Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/435)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

while other claims (1) are lies falsely attributed to them, which none of them ever made. As for what some of those people did say, the majority rejected it; thus, they did not unanimously agree upon misguidance.

Moreover, the reprehensible and heinous matters (2) found among the Shia—matters contrary to the Book, the Sunnah, and consensus—are worse and more abhorrent (3) than those found in any conceivable group of Ahl al-Sunnah. There is no group of Ahl al-Sunnah (4) whose doctrine contains anything (5) weak without an even weaker and more abhorrent position being found among the doctrines of the Shia (6).

It is therefore evident, whichever way the matter is considered, that every group of Ahl al-Sunnah is better than they are. The falsehood (7) found among them, their denial of the truth, profound ignorance, belief in impossibilities, lack of reason, excessiveness in following their whims (8), and attachment to matters unknown are unparalleled in any other group.

As for his claim that sodomy with slaves is permissible, it is a lie that none of the scholars of Ahl (9) al-Sunnah ever stated. I believe he intended thereby to vilify Mālik, for I have seen ignorant people relate this claim about Mālik. Its basis is what is related from him concerning the anuses of

(1) (N) and (M) read: “some of them held, while other claims…”; the word “three” is omitted in (W), (S), (R), and (H). (2) “Reprehensible and heinous” is omitted in (A) and (B). (3) “And more abhorrent” is omitted in (R). (4) Omitted in (B) only. (5) (B) alone reads: “Thus, whatever is found in our doctrine is…”; this is an error. (6) (N), (M), (W), (H), (R), and (S) read: “except that weaker and more numerous views are found among the doctrines of the Shia.” (7) “That” is omitted in (B) only. (8) (A) and (B) read: “whim.” (9) The word *Ahl* (adherents) is omitted in (A), (B), (S), and (N).

وَفِيهِ (١) مَا هُوَ كَذِبٌ عَلَيْهِمْ لَمْ يَقُلْهُ أَحَدٌ مِنْهُمْ، وَذَلِكَ الَّذِي قَالَهُ بَعْضُ هَؤُلَاءِ أَنْكَرَهُ جُمْهُورُهُمْ فَلَمْ يَتَّفِقُوا عَلَى ضَلَالَةٍ. ثُمَّ إِنَّ الْمَوْجُودَ فِي الشِّيعَةِ مِنَ الْأُمُورِ الْمُنْكَرَةِ الشَّنِيعَةِ (٢) الْمُخَالِفَةِ لِلْكِتَابِ وَالسُّنَّةِ وَالْإِجْمَاعِ، أَعْظَمُ وَأَشْنَعُ (٣) مِمَّا يُوجَدُ فِي أَيِّ طَائِفَةٍ فُرِضَتْ مِنْ طَوَائِفِ السُّنَّةِ، فَمَا مِنْ طَائِفَةٍ مِنْ طَوَائِفِ السُّنَّةِ (٤) يُوجَدُ فِي قَوْلِهَا مَا هُوَ (٥) ضَعِيفٌ إِلَّا وَيُوجَدُ مَا هُوَ أَضْعَفُ مِنْهُ وَأَشْنَعُ مِنْ أَقْوَالِ الشِّيعَةِ (٦) . فَتَبَيَّنَ عَلَى كُلِّ تَقْدِيرٍ أَنَّ كُلَّ طَائِفَةٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ خَيْرٌ مِنْهُمْ، فَإِنَّ الْكَذِبَ الَّذِي (٧) يُوجَدُ فِيهِمْ، وَالتَّكْذِيبَ بِالْحَقِّ، وَفَرْطَ الْجَهْلِ، وَالتَّصْدِيقَ بِالْمُحَالَاتِ، وَقِلَّةَ الْعَقْلِ، وَالْغُلُوَّ فِي اتِّبَاعِ الْأَهْوَاءِ (٨) ، وَالتَّعَلُّقَ بِالْمَجْهُولَاتِ لَا يُوجَدُ مِثْلُهُ فِي طَائِفَةٍ أُخْرَى. وَأَمَّا مَا حَكَاهُ مِنْ إِبَاحَةِ اللِّوَاطِ بِالْعَبِيدِ، فَهُوَ كَذِبٌ لَمْ يَقُلْهُ أَحَدٌ مِنْ عُلَمَاءِ أَهْلِ (٩) السُّنَّةِ، وَأَظُنُّهُ قَصَدَ التَّشْنِيعَ بِهِ عَلَى مَالِكٍ، فَإِنِّي رَأَيْتُ مِنَ الْجُهَّالِ مَنْ يَحْكِي هَذَا عَنْ مَالِكٍ. وَأَصْلُ ذَلِكَ مَا يُحْكَى عَنْهُ فِي حُشُوشِ

(١) ن، م: مَا قَالَهُ بَعْضُهُمْ وَفِيهِ ; وَسَقَطَتِ الْكَلِمَةُ " الثَّلَاثَةِ " مِنْ (و) ، (ص) ، (ر) ، (هـ) . (٢) النَّكِرَةِ الشَّنِيعَةِ، سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) . (٣) وَأَشْنَعُ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ر) . (٤) سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ب) فَقَطْ. (٥) ب فَقَطْ: فَمَا يُوجَدُ فِي قَوْلِنَا مَا هُوَ، وَهُوَ خَطَأٌ. (٦) ن، م، و، هـ، ر، ص: إِلَّا يُوجَدُ مَا هُوَ أَضْعَفُ وَأَكْثَرُ فِي أَقْوَالِ الشِّيعَةِ. (٧) الَّذِي: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ب) فَقَطْ. (٨) أ، ب: الْهَوَى. (٩) أَهْلِ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) ، (ص) ، (ن) .