Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (4/106)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

In sum, action is contingent upon ability. Thus, anyone who lacks the power and authority to govern and exercise command is not an imam, even if he deserves (1) to be granted power so that he may become capable of doing so. The fact that it is permissible (2) or obligatory for him to be empowered (3) is not the same as actually possessing power. An imam is one who is empowered and capable [and possesses authority] (4). None of these men met that description except Ali [may Allah be pleased with him] (5), as previously explained.

The fourth point:

It may be said: What do you mean by “deserving”? Do you mean that one of these men had to be appointed to the imamate to the exclusion of all the other members of Quraysh? Or do you mean that one [of them] (6) was among those qualified for the caliphate? If you mean the former, it is denied and rejected. If you mean the latter, that was a qualification they shared (7) with many members of Quraysh.

[The fifth point:

It may be said: The imam is the one who is followed (8)] (9). This may occur in two ways. The first is that people defer to him in matters of knowledge and religion and obey him voluntarily because he knows the command of Allah Almighty and enjoins it. A person therefore obeys him for that reason, even if he is incapable of compelling him (10) to obey.

(1) (A) and (B) read: “deserved.” (2) (A) and (B) read: “is prescribed.” (3) (N) and (M) read: “that he be,” which is a textual corruption. (4) The words in square brackets are an addition found only in (W). (5) “May Allah be pleased with him” is an addition found only in (S). (6) “Of them” is omitted from (N), (M), and (W). (7) (B) reads: “between him.” The word is omitted from (A). (8) (A) reads: “one who undertakes it”; (B): “one whose example is followed.” (9) The words in square brackets are omitted from (N), (M), and (W). (10) (A) and (B) read: “compelling them.”

فَفِي الْجُمْلَةِ الْفِعْلُ مَشْرُوطٌ بِالْقُدْرَةِ، فَكُلُّ مَنْ لَيْسَ لَهُ قُدْرَةٌ وَسُلْطَانٌ عَلَى الْوِلَايَةِ وَالْإِمَارَةِ لَمْ يَكُنْ إِمَامًا، وَإِنْ كَانَ يَسْتَحِقُّ (١) أَنْ يُجْعَلَ لَهُ قُدْرَةٌ حَتَّى يَتَمَكَّنَ، فَكَوْنُهُ يَسُوغُ (٢) أَنْ يُمَكَّنَ أَوْ يَجِبَ أَنْ يُمَكَّنَ (٣) لَيْسَ هُوَ نَفْسَ التَّمَكُّنِ، وَالْإِمَامُ هُوَ الْمُتَمَكِّنُ الْقَادِرُ [الَّذِي لَهُ سُلْطَانٌ] (٤) ، وَلَيْسَ فِي هَؤُلَاءِ مَنْ هُوَ كَذَلِكَ إِلَّا عَلِيٌّ [رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ] (٥) كَمَا تَقَدَّمَ. الْوَجْهُ الرَّابِعُ: أَنْ يُقَالَ: مَا تَعْنُونَ بِالِاسْتِحْقَاقِ؟ أَتَعْنُونَ أَنَّ الْوَاحِدَ مِنْ هَؤُلَاءِ كَانَ يَجِبُ أَنْ يُوَلَّى الْإِمَامَةَ دُونَ سَائِرِ قُرَيْشٍ؟ أَمْ تُرِيدُونَ أَنَّ الْوَاحِدَ [مِنْهُمْ] (٦) مِنْ جُمْلَةِ مَنْ يَصْلُحُ لِلْخِلَافَةِ؟ فَإِنْ أَرَدْتُمُ الْأَوَّلَ فَهُوَ مَمْنُوعٌ مَرْدُودٌ، وَإِنْ أَرَدْتُمُ الثَّانِيَ فَذَلِكَ قَدْرٌ مُشْتَرَكٌ بَيْنَهُمْ (٧) وَبَيْنَ خَلْقٍ كَثِيرٍ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ. [الْوَجْهُ الْخَامِسُ: أَنْ يُقَالَ الْإِمَامُ هُوَ الَّذِي يُؤْتَمُّ بِهِ (٨) ] (٩) وَذَلِكَ عَلَى وَجْهَيْنِ: أَحَدُهُمَا: أَنْ يُرْجَعَ إِلَيْهِ فِي الْعِلْمِ وَالدِّينِ بِحَيْثُ يُطَاعُ بِاخْتِيَارِ الْمُطِيعِ، لِكَوْنِهِ عَالِمًا بِأَمْرِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ آمِرًا بِهِ، فَيُطِيعُهُ الْمُطِيعُ لِذَلِكَ، وَإِنْ كَانَ عَاجِزًا عَنْ إِلْزَامِهِ (١٠) الطَّاعَةَ.

(١) أ، ب: اسْتَحَقَّ. (٢) أ، ب: يَشْرَعُ. (٣) ن، م: أَنْ يَكُونَ، وَهُوَ تَحْرِيفٌ. (٤) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ زِيَادَةٌ فِي (و) فَقَطْ. (٥) - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ -: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (ص) فَقَطْ. (٦) مِنْهُمْ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) ، (و) . (٧) ب: بَيْنَهُ. وَسَقَطَتِ الْكَلِمَةُ مِنْ (أ) . (٨) أ: مَنْ يَقُومُ بِهِ، ب: مَنْ يُقْتَدَى بِهِ. (٩) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) ، (و) . (١٠) أ، ب: إِلْزَامِهِمْ.