Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (4/125)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

to Banū Hāshim (* than Mālik (1), and was among those most eager to acquire whatever knowledge of the Messenger he could from his paternal cousins and from others [than his paternal cousins] (2)—had he found (3) with any member of Banū Hāshim *) (4) a greater body of knowledge than he found with Mālik, he would have hastened to it more eagerly than anyone. Since he acknowledged that he had never acquired [knowledge] (5) from anyone more learned than Mālik and Sufyān ibn Uyayna, and his books were replete with material taken from these [two] (6) and from others (7), yet contained nothing from Mūsā ibn Ja'far or his peers among Banū Hāshim, it was evident that what he sought of the Messenger’s—[may Allah bless him and grant him peace]—(8) knowledge was found with Mālik in greater measure than with these men.

Likewise, the fullness of Ahmad ibn Hanbal’s love for the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and for his hadith is well known, as are his knowledge of the Messenger’s words and deeds, his allegiance to those who followed him, his hostility toward those who opposed him, his love for Banū Hāshim, and his writings on their virtues. He even compiled ‘The Virtues (9) of Alī, al-Hasan, and al-Husayn’, just as he compiled ‘The Virtues of the Companions (10)’, and despite

(1) (A) and (B) read: “from Banū Hāshim, from Mālik.” This is a textual corruption. (2) (N) reads: “and others besides them.” (3) (N) reads: “Had they found”; (A) and (B) read: “And had he found.” (4) The passage between the two asterisks is omitted from (M). (5) “Knowledge” occurs only in (R). (S) reads: “he did not acquire it.” (6) “The two” is an addition in (A) and (B). (7) (A) and (B) read: “and from others besides the two of them.” (8) “May Allah bless him and grant him peace” is an addition in (A) and (B). (9) (N) and (M) read: “He compiled a work on the virtues of…” (10) (M) alone reads: “He compiled a work on the virtues of the Companions.” Sezgin lists *Kitāb Fadā'il al-Sahāba* among the manuscript works of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and *Fadā'il 'Alī* among his other works. See *Tārīkh al-Turāth al-'Arabī*, vol. [0–9], part [0–9], pp. [0–9]25, 226. *Kitāb Fadā'il al-Sahāba* has since been published.

بِبَنِي هَاشِمٍ (* مِنْ مَالِكٍ (١) ، وَمِنْ أَحْرَصِ النَّاسِ عَلَى مَا يَسْتَفِيدُهُ مِنْ عِلْمِ الرَّسُولِ مِنْ بَنِي عَمِّهِ وَغَيْرِ [بَنِي عَمِّهِ] (٢) - فَلَوْ وَجَدَ (٣) عِنْدَ أَحَدٍ مِنْ بَنِي هَاشِمٍ *) (٤) أَعْظَمَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ الَّذِي وَجَدَهُ عِنْدَ مَالِكٍ، لَكَانَ أَشَدَّ النَّاسِ مُسَارَعَةً إِلَى ذَلِكَ، فَلَمَّا كَانَ يَعْتَرِفُ بِأَنَّهُ لَمْ يَأْخُذِ [الْعِلْمَ] (٥) عَنْ أَحَدٍ أَعْلَمَ مِنْ مَالِكٍ، وَسُفْيَانَ بْنِ عُيَيْنَةَ، وَكَانَتْ كُتُبُهُ مَشْحُونَةً بِالْأَخْذِ عَنْ هَذَيْنِ [الِاثْنَيْنِ] (٦) وَعَنْ غَيْرِهِمَا (٧) ، وَلَيْسَ فِيهَا شَيْءٌ عَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ وَأَمْثَالِهِ مَنْ بَنِي هَاشِمٍ، عَلِمَ أَنَّ مَطْلُوبَهُ مِنْ عِلْمِ الرَّسُولِ - [صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ] - (٨) كَانَ عِنْدَ مَالِكٍ أَكْثَرَ مِمَّا هُوَ عِنْدَ هَؤُلَاءِ. وَكَذَلِكَ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ حَنْبَلٍ قَدْ عُلِمَ كَمَالُ مَحَبَّتِهِ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - وَلِحَدِيثِهِ، وَمَعْرِفَتُهُ بِأَقْوَالِهِ وَأَفْعَالِهِ، وَمُوَالَاتُهُ لِمَنْ يُوَافِقُهُ، وَمُعَادَاتُهُ لِمَنْ يُخَالِفُهُ، وَمَحَبَّتُهُ لِبَنِي هَاشِمٍ، وَتَصْنِيفُهُ فِي فَضَائِلِهِمْ، حَتَّى صَنَّفَ " فَضَائِلَ (٩) عَلِيٍّ، وَالْحَسَنِ، وَالْحُسَيْنِ " كَمَا صَنَّفَ " فَضَائِلَ الصَّحَابَةِ (١٠) " ، وَمَعَ

(١) أ، ب: مِنْ بَنِي هَاشِمٍ مِنْ مَالِكٍ، وَهُوَ تَحْرِيفٌ. (٢) ن: وَغَيْرِهِمْ. (٣) ن: فَلَوْ وَجَدُوا، أ، ب: وَلَوْ وَجَدَ. (٤) مَا بَيْنَ النَّجْمَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (م) (٥) الْعِلْمَ: فِي (ر) فَقَطْ. وَفِي (ص) : لَمْ يَأْخُذْهُ. (٦) الِاثْنَيْنِ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (أ) ، (ب) . (٧) أ، ب: وَغَيْرِهِمَا. (٨) صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (أ) ، (ب) . (٩) ن، م: صَنَّفَ فِي فَضَائِلِ. . . (١٠) م (فَقَطْ) : صَنَّفَ فِي فَضَائِلِ الصَّحَابَةِ. وَذَكَرَ سِزْكِينُ مِنْ كُتُبِ الْإِمَامِ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ حَنْبَلٍ الْمَخْطُوطَةِ " كِتَابَ فَضَائِلِ الصَّحَابَةِ " وَمِنْ كُتُبِهِ الْأُخْرَى كِتَابَ " فَضَائِلِ عَلِيٍّ " انْظُرْ: تَارِيخَ التُّرَاثِ الْعَرَبِيِّ، م [٠ - ٩] ، ج [٠ - ٩] ، ص [٠ - ٩] ٢٥، ٢٢٦. وَقَدْ طُبِعَ كِتَابُ " فَضَائِلِ الصَّحَابَةِ ".