Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (4/105)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

but rather say that they were powerless, prevented, and overcome by wrongdoers. None of them was ever able to exercise the imamate except Ali ibn Abī Tālib, although affairs proved intractable for him, and half the Muslim community—or somewhat less or more—did not pledge allegiance to him. Indeed, many of them fought against him, and he fought against them; while many neither fought against him (1) nor fought alongside him. Among the latter were some who were better than those who fought against him and those who fought alongside him (2). They included eminent Muslims whose equals were not found among those with Ali (3). Indeed, those who refrained from fighting with him and for him were better than those who fought against him and those who fought alongside him.

If, however, by this (4) he means that they possessed knowledge and religious devotion by virtue of which they deserved to be imams, then—even if this claim were valid—it would not entail that they were imams whom people were obliged to obey. A man’s deserving to be the prayer leader of a mosque does not make him its prayer leader; his deserving to be a judge [does not make him a judge] (5); and his deserving to be a military commander does not make him one. Prayer is valid only behind someone who is actually serving as the prayer leader, not behind someone who merely ought to be the prayer leader. Likewise, judgment between people can be rendered (6) only by someone who possesses authority and power, not by someone who merely deserves appointment to the judiciary. Similarly, soldiers fight only under a commander appointed over them, not under someone who has not been appointed, even if he deserves (7) to be appointed.

(1) (N) and (M) read: “he did not fight them.” (2) “(22)” is omitted only from (B). (3) “Their equals” is omitted from (A) and (B). (4) (A) and (B) read: “If by it he means.” (5) The words in square brackets are omitted only from (N). (6) (R) reads: “prefers it.” (7) (A) and (B) read: “even if he was deserving.” The remaining manuscripts read: “even if he deserved.”

بَلْ يَقُولُونَ: إِنَّهُمْ عَاجِزُونَ مَمْنُوعُونَ مَغْلُوبُونَ مَعَ الظَّالِمِينَ، لَمْ يَتَمَكَّنْ أَحَدٌ مِنْهُمْ مَنِ الْإِمَامَةِ، إِلَّا عَلِيَّ بْنَ أَبِي طَالِبٍ، مَعَ أَنَّ الْأُمُورَ اسْتَصْعَبَتْ عَلَيْهِ، وَنِصْفُ الْأُمَّةِ - أَوْ أَقَلُّ أَوْ أَكْثَرُ - لَمْ يُبَايِعُوهُ، بَلْ كَثِيرٌ مِنْهُمْ قَاتَلُوهُ وَقَاتَلَهُمْ، وَكَثِيرٌ مِنْهُمْ لَمْ يُقَاتِلُوهُ (١) وَلَمْ يُقَاتِلُوا مَعَهُ، وَفِي هَؤُلَاءِ مَنْ هُوَ أَفْضَلُ مِنَ الَّذِينَ قَاتَلُوهُ وَقَاتَلُوا مَعَهُ (٢) ، وَكَانَ فِيهِمْ مِنْ فُضَلَاءِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مَنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ مَعَ عَلِيٍّ مِثْلُهُمْ (٣) ، بَلِ الَّذِينَ تَخَلَّفُوا عَنِ الْقِتَالِ مَعَهُ وَلَهُ كَانُوا أَفْضَلَ مِمَّنْ قَاتَلَهُ وَقَاتَلَ مَعَهُ. وَإِنْ أَرَادَ أَنَّهُ (٤) كَانَ لَهُمْ عِلْمٌ وَدِينٌ يَسْتَحِقُّونَ بِهِ أَنْ يَكُونُوا أَئِمَّةً، فَهَذِهِ الدَّعْوَى إِذَا صَحَّتْ لَا تُوجِبُ كَوْنَهُمْ أَئِمَّةً يَجِبُ عَلَى النَّاسِ طَاعَتُهُمْ، كَمَا أَنَّ اسْتِحْقَاقَ الرَّجُلِ أَنْ يَكُونَ إِمَامَ مَسْجِدٍ لَا يَجْعَلُهُ إِمَامًا، وَاسْتِحْقَاقُهُ أَنْ يَكُونَ قَاضِيًا [لَا يُصَيِّرُهُ قَاضِيًا] (٥) ، وَاسْتِحْقَاقُهُ أَنْ يَكُونَ أَمِيرَ الْحَرْبِ لَا يَجْعَلُهُ أَمِيرَ الْحَرْبِ. وَالصَّلَاةُ لَا تَصِحُّ إِلَّا خَلْفَ مَنْ يَكُونُ إِمَامًا بِالْفِعْلِ، وَلَا خَلْفَ مَنْ يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَكُونَ إِمَامًا. وَكَذَلِكَ الْحُكْمُ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ إِنَّمَا يَفْصِلُهُ (٦) ذُو سُلْطَانٍ وَقُدْرَةٍ لَا مَنْ يَسْتَحِقُّ أَنْ يُوَلَّى الْقَضَاءَ، وَكَذَلِكَ الْجُنْدُ إِنَّمَا يُقَاتِلُونَ مَعَ أَمِيرٍ عَلَيْهِمْ لَا مَعَ مَنْ لَمْ يُؤَمَّرْ وَإِنْ كَانَ يَسْتَحِقُّ (٧) أَنْ يُؤْمَرَ.

(١) ن، م: لَمْ يُقَاتِلْهُمْ. (٢) (٢٢) : سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ب) فَقَطْ. (٣) مِثْلُهُمْ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) . (٤) أ، ب: وَإِنْ أَرَادَ بِهِ. . (٥) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) فَقَطْ. (٦) ر: يُفَضِّلُهُ. (٧) وَإِنْ كَانَ يَسْتَحِقُّ: كَذَا فِي (أ) ، (ب) . وَفِي سَائِرِ النُّسَخِ: وَإِنِ اسْتَحَقَّ.