Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/486)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

lead you there(1), and is your road safe or dangerous? Does your companion’s road take him to Kufa, and is it safe or dangerous?”

He replied, “I do not know any of that.”

He then asked his companion about it, and he replied, “I know(2) that my road will take me to Kufa and that it is safe. I also know that my companion’s road will not take him to Kufa and that it is not safe(3). If the third man follows the first, rational people will count him a fool; but if he follows the second, he will be regarded as exercising prudence.”

(* This is how he stated it in his book. The correct wording should be: He asked the second man, and [the second man said to him](4), “I do not know whether my road will take me to Kufa, nor do I know whether it is safe or dangerous.” *)(5).(6).

The response to this is from several angles:

First: It may be said that if following the Imams who(7) are claimed to be entitled to absolute obedience—even though this does not guarantee them(8) salvation—is obligatory(9), then following(10) the caliphs of

(1) (K) reads: “He said, ‘Is this your road that will take you there?’” (2) The text between square brackets appears only in (B) and (K) and is omitted from all other manuscripts. (3) (A) reads: “and he is not safe”; (B): “and he is not safe”; and (K): “and is not safe.” (4) The second occurrence of “to him” is omitted from (N) and (M). (5) The text between the asterisks is omitted only from (B). (6) “Or dangerous” is added in (N) and (M). (7) (A) and (B) read: “the Imams of the religion.” (8) “For them” is added in (A) and (B). (9) “Obligatory” is omitted only from (B). (10) Only (B) reads: “the followers.”

تُوصِّلُكَ إِلَيْهَا (١) وَهَلْ طَرِيقُكَ آمِنٌ أَمْ مُخَوِّفٌ؟ وَهَلْ طَرِيقُ صَاحِبِكَ تُؤَدِّيهِ إِلَى الْكُوفَةِ؟ وَهَلْ هُوَ آمِنٌ أَمْ مَخُوفٌ؟ فَقَالَ: لَا أَعْلَمُ شَيْئًا مِنْ ذَلِكَ. ثُمَّ سَأَلَ صَاحِبَهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ: أَعْلَمُ (٢) . أَنَّ طَرِيقِي يُوَصِّلُنِي إِلَى الْكُوفَةِ، وَأَنَّهُ آمِنٌ، وَأَعْلَمُ أَنَّ طَرِيقَ صَاحِبِي لَا يُؤَدِّيهِ إِلَى الْكُوفَةِ، وَأَنَّهُ لَيْسَ بِآمِنٍ (٣) .، فَإِنَّ الثَّالِثَ إِنْ تَابَعَ الْأَوَّلَ عَدَّهُ الْعُقَلَاءُ سَفِيهًا، وَإِنْ تَابَعَ الثَّانِيَ نُسِبَ إِلَى الْأَخْذِ بِالْحَزْمِ ". (* هَكَذَا ذَكَرَهُ فِي كِتَابِهِ وَالصَّوَابُ أَنْ يُقَالَ: وَسَأَلَ الثَّانِيَ فَقَالَ [لَهُ الثَّانِي] (٤) .: لَا أَعْلَمُ أَنَّ طَرِيقِي تُؤَدِّينِي إِلَى الْكُوفَةِ، وَلَا أَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ آمِنٌ أَمْ مَخُوفٌ *) (٥) . (٦) . وَالْجَوَابُ عَلَى هَذَا مِنْ وُجُوهٍ: . أَحَدُهَا: أَنْ يُقَالَ: إِنْ كَانَ اتِّبَاعُ الْأَئِمَّةِ الَّذِينَ (٧) . تُدَّعَى لَهُمُ الطَّاعَةُ الْمُطْلَقَةُ، وَأَنَّ ذَلِكَ لَا يُوجِبُ لَهُمْ (٨) . النَّجَاةَ وَاجِبًا (٩) .، كَانَ اتِّبَاعُ (١٠) . خُلَفَاءِ

(١) ك: فَقَالَ: أَهَذَا طَرِيقُكَ يُوصِّلُكَ إِلَيْهَا.؟ (٢) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ فِي (ب) ، (ك) فَقَطْ: وَسَقَطَ مِنْ سَائِرِ النُّسَخِ (٣) أ: وَلَيْسَ هُوَ آمِنٌ، ب: وَلَيْسَ هُوَ بِآمِنٍ، ك: وَلَيْسَ بِآمِنٍ (٤) لَهُ الثَّانِي: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) (٥) مَا بَيْنَ النَّجْمَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ب) فَقَطْ (٦) أَمْ مَخُوفٌ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (ن) ، (م) . (٧) أ، ب: أَئِمَّةِ الدِّينِ (٨) لَهُمْ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (أ) ، (ب) (٩) وَاجِبًا: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ب) فَقَطْ (١٠) ب فَقَطْ: أَتْبَاعُ