Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (3/504)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

more complete, and the two are by no means equal.

Yet Allah Most High says:

“Is Allah better, or what they associate with Him?”

[Surah al-Naml: 59]

When making a comparison, the superiority of unalloyed good over unalloyed evil may be mentioned, [even though unalloyed evil] (1) contains no good whatsoever.

If, however, by “imam” they mean an imam in the restricted sense, Ahl al-Sunnah do not hold that obedience to him is obligatory (2) unless what he commands accords with the command of the imam in the unrestricted sense—the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. When they obey him in matters in which [Allah has commanded that he be obeyed] (3), they are merely obeying Allah and His Messenger.

They are therefore not harmed by suspending judgment concerning the restricted imam—whether he is in Paradise or not—just as, in their view (4), the followers of the infallible one are not harmed when they obey his deputies, even though his deputies may be among the inhabitants of the Fire. This is especially so since it is not known (5) that the deputies of the one they deem infallible command what the infallible one commands, because they do not know what their infallible one says.

The statements (6) of the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, however, are known. Thus, anyone who enjoins what they prescribe is certainly (7) known to accord with them, while anyone who commands what contradicts them is known to have contravened them. As for whatever among them remains obscure (8), concerning which his deputy exercises independent reasoning (9), this is better than obeying the deputy of one for whom a claim is made of

(1) The passage in square brackets is omitted only from (N). (2) (N), (M), and (W) read: “That is one whom they do not hold it obligatory to obey.” (3) The passage in square brackets is omitted from (N) and (M). (4) “In their view” is omitted from (A) and (B). (5) (A) and (B) read: “they do not know.” (6) (N) reads: “As for the statement of…” (7) “Then certainly” is added in (A) and (B). (8) (A) and (B) read: “and whatever among them is disputed”; and (N): “and whatever is obscure in them.” (9) (N) and (M) read: “concerning them.”

أَكْمَلُ، وَلَا سَوَاءَ. وَلَكِنْ قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: (آللَّهُ خَيْرٌ أَمْ مَا يُشْرِكُونَ) [سُورَةُ النَّمْلِ: ٥٩] فَعِنْدَ الْمُقَابَلَةِ يُذْكَرُ فَضْلُ الْخَيْرِ الْمَحْضِ عَلَى الشَّرِّ الْمَحْضِ، [وَإِنْ كَانَ الشَّرُّ الْمَحْضُ] (١) لَا خَيْرَ فِيهِ. وَإِنْ أَرَادُوا بِالْإِمَامِ الْإِمَامَ الْمُقَيَّدَ، فَذَاكَ لَا يُوجِبُ أَهْلُ السُّنَّةِ طَاعَتَهُ (٢) ، إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ مَا أَمَرَ بِهِ مُوَافِقًا لِأَمْرِ الْإِمَامِ الْمُطْلَقِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - وَهُمْ إِذَا أَطَاعُوهُ فِيمَا أَمَرَ [اللَّهُ بِطَاعَتِهِ فِيهِ] (٣) ، فَإِنَّمَا هُمْ مُطِيعُونَ لِلَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ، فَلَا يَضُرُّهُمْ تَوَقُّفُهُمْ فِي الْإِمَامِ الْمُقَيَّدِ: هَلْ هُوَ فِي الْجَنَّةِ أَمْ لَا؟ كَمَا لَا يَضُرُّ أَتْبَاعُ الْمَعْصُومِ عِنْدَهُمْ (٤) إِذَا أَطَاعُوا نُوَّابَهُ، مَعَ أَنَّ نُوَّابَهُ قَدْ يَكُونُونَ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ، لَا سِيَّمَا وَنُوَّابُ الْمَعْصُومِ عِنْدَهُمْ لَا يُعْلَمُ (٥) أَنَّهُمْ يَأْمُرُونَ بِمَا يَأْمُرُ بِهِ الْمَعْصُومُ، لِعَدَمِ الْعِلْمِ بِمَا يَقُولُهُ مَعْصُومُهُمْ. وَأَمَّا أَقْوَالُ (٦) الرَّسُولِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - فَهِيَ مَعْلُومَةٌ، فَمَنْ أَمَرَ بِهَا فَقَدَ (٧) عُلِمَ أَنَّهُ وَافَقَهَا، وَمَنْ أَمَرَ بِخِلَافِهَا عُلِمَ أَنَّهُ خَالَفَهَا، وَمَا خَفِيَ مِنْهَا (٨) فَاجْتَهَدَ فِيهِ (٩) نَائِبُهُ، فَهَذَا خَيْرٌ مِنْ طَاعَةِ نَائِبٍ لِمَنْ تُدَّعَى

(١) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) فَقَطْ. (٢) ن، م، و: فَذَاكَ لَا يُوجِبُونَ طَاعَتَهُ. (٣) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٤) عِنْدَهُمْ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) . (٥) أ، ب: لَا يَعْلَمُونَ. (٦) ن: وَأَمَّا قَوْلُ. (٧) فَقَدَ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (أ) ، (ب) . (٨) أ، ب: وَمَا اخْتُلِفَ فِيهِ مِنْهَا، ن: وَمَا خَفِيَ فِيهَا. (٩) ن، م: فِيهَا.