Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (4/129)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

[The Rāfidī’s claim that people chose the school of Ahl al-Sunnah in pursuit of worldly gain, and the response to him]

Section (1)

The Rāfidī (2) said:

“I do not believe that any discerning scholar (3) has examined these schools and inwardly chosen (4) any school other than that of the Imāmīs, even if outwardly he professes another in pursuit of worldly gain. Schools, religious lodges, and endowments were established for them so that the Abbasid cause might endure (5) and they might bolster (6) among the common people belief in their imamate.”

In response, it is said: Such words (7) could be uttered only by one of the people most ignorant of the circumstances of Ahl al-Sunnah, or by one (8) of the greatest liars and most obstinate men. Their falsehood (9) is evident in many respects. It is well known that the Sunnah was stronger and more prominent before schools were built.

Indeed, schools were only built in Baghdad during the fifth century. The Nizāmiyya was built around 460 AH and was dedicated to only one of the schools of the four imams (10). The four schools had spread throughout the East

(1) S, R, and H read: “Chapter Fourteen.” (2) In K, p. [0–9] 07 (M). (3) N and A read: “among the sincere.” (4) K reads: “then chose.” (5) K reads: “when it endures,” which is a corruption. (6) K reads: “and he bolsters.” (7) A and B read: “words.” (8) A and B read: “and one who.” (9) N reads: “and his authority,” which is a corruption. (10) Ibn Khallikān states in his biography of Abū Alī ibn Alī ibn Ishāq ibn al-Abbās, known by the title Nizām al-Mulk (Wafayāt al-Ayān, 1/396): “He began constructing his school in Baghdad in 457 AH. In 459 AH, he assembled people of every rank so that Shaykh Abū Ishāq al-Shīrāzī—may Allah Most High have mercy on him—could teach there…” See also Ibn Kathīr, al-Bidāya wa-l-Nihāya, 12/140; Ibn al-Athīr, al-Kāmil, 10; and Ibn al-Jawzī, al-Muntazam, 9/65–66, which states: “Its deed of conditions stipulated that it was an endowment for the followers of al-Shāfiī in matters of legal principles…”

[كلام الرافضي على اختيار الناس لمذهب أهل السنة طلبا للدنيا والرد عليه] فَصْلٌ (١) . قَالَ الرَّافِضِيُّ (٢) : " وَمَا أَظُنُّ أَحَدًا مِنَ الْمُحَصِّلِينَ (٣) وَقَفَ عَلَى هَذِهِ الْمَذَاهِبِ وَاخْتَارَ (٤) غَيْرَ مَذْهَبِ الْإِمَامِيَّةِ بَاطِنًا، وَإِنْ كَانَ فِي الظَّاهِرِ يَصِيرُ إِلَى غَيْرِهِ طَلَبًا لِلدُّنْيَا؛ حَيْثُ وُضِعَتْ لَهُمُ الْمَدَارِسُ وَالرُّبُطُ وَالْأَوْقَافُ حَتَّى تَسْتَمِرَّ (٥) لِبَنِي الْعَبَّاسِ الدَّعْوَةُ وَيُشِيدُوا (٦) لِلْعَامَّةِ اعْتِقَادَ إِمَامَتِهِمْ " . فَيُقَالُ: هَذَا الْكَلَامُ (٧) لَا يَقُولُهُ إِلَّا مَنْ هُوَ مِنْ أَجْهَلِ النَّاسِ بِأَحْوَالِ أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ، أَوْ مَنْ (٨) هُوَ مِنْ أَعْظَمِ النَّاسِ كَذِبًا وَعِنَادًا، وَبُطْلَانُهُ (٩) ظَاهِرٌ مِنْ وُجُوهٍ كَثِيرَةٍ، فَإِنَّهُ مِنَ الْمَعْلُومِ أَنَّ السُّنَّةَ كَانَتْ قَبْلَ أَنْ تُبْنَى الْمَدَارِسُ أَقْوَى وَأَظْهَرُ، فَإِنَّ الْمَدَارِسَ إِنَّمَا بُنِيَتْ فِي بَغْدَادَ فِي أَثْنَاءِ الْمِائَةِ الْخَامِسَةِ: بُنِيَتِ النِّظَامِيَّةُ فِي حُدُودِ السِّتِّينَ وَالْأَرْبَعِمِائَةِ، وَبُنِيَتْ عَلَى مَذْهَبٍ وَاحِدٍ مِنَ الْأَئِمَّةِ الْأَرْبَعَةِ (١٠) . وَالْمَذَاهِبُ الْأَرْبَعَةُ طَبَقَتِ الْمَشْرِقَ

(١) ص، ر، هـ: الْفَصْلُ الرَّابِعَ عَشَرَ. (٢) فِي (ك) ص [٠ - ٩] ٠٧ (م) . (٣) ن، أ: مِنَ الْمُخْلِصِينَ. (٤) ك: فَاخْتَارَ. (٥) ك: حِينَ تَسْتَمِرُّ، وَهُوَ تَحْرِيفٌ. (٦) ك: وَيُشِيدُ. (٧) أ، ب: كَلَامٌ. (٨) أ، ب: وَمَنْ. (٩) ن: وَسُلْطَانُهُ، وَهُوَ تَحْرِيفٌ. (١٠) يَقُولُ ابْنُ خِلِّكَانَ فِي تَرْجَمَةِ أَبِي عَلِيِّ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ الْعَبَّاسِ الْمُلَقَّبِ بِنِظَامِ الْمُلْكِ (وَفِيَّاتِ الْأَعْيَانِ ١/٣٩٦: " وَشَرَعَ فِي عِمَارَةِ مَدْرَسَتِهِ بِبَغْدَادَ سَنَةَ سَبْعٍ وَخَمْسِينَ وَأَرْبَعِمِائَةٍ، وَفِي سَنَةِ تِسْعٍ وَخَمْسِينَ جَمَعَ النَّاسَ عَلَى طَبَقَاتِهِمْ لِيُدَرِّسَ بِهَا الشَّيْخُ أَبُو إِسْحَاقَ الشِّيرَازِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى. . . " وَانْظُرِ: الْبِدَايَةَ وَالنِّهَايَةَ لِابْنِ كَثِيرٍ ١٢/١٤٠؛ الْكَامِلَ لِابْنِ الْأَثِيرِ ١٠؛ الْمُنْتَظِمَ لِابْنِ الْجَوْزِيِّ ٩/٦٥ - ٦٦ وَفِيهِ (وَفِي كِتَابٍ شَرَطَهَا أَنَّهَا وَقْفٌ عَلَى أَصْحَابِ الشَّافِعِيِّ أَصْلًا. . .)