Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (4/164)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

them and preventing(1) those who seek to expose their faults and impugn them. It is authentically reported that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said:

“Adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided caliphs after me, who have been guided aright. Hold fast to it and grip it with your molar teeth. Beware of newly introduced matters, for every innovation is misguidance.”(2)

There are many hadiths concerning their caliphate(3). When some among the Umayyads used to revile Alī—may Allah be pleased with him—and disparage him(4), claiming that he was not one of the Rightly Guided Caliphs(5), and Umar ibn Abd al-Azīz assumed office [after them](6), it was said that he was the first to mention the four [Rightly Guided](7) Caliphs from the pulpit. He publicly mentioned(8) Alī, praised him, and recounted his virtues, after a group of those who hated Alī had been unwilling to do so(9). The Kharijites hate Alī and Uthmān and declare them both unbelievers. Thus, mentioning them alongside Abū Bakr and Umar—may Allah be pleased with them—constituted a refutation of the Kharijites, whom the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—ordered to be fought.

(1) N, M, W, and A read: “and prevented it”; B reads: “and prevented them.” (2) This is part of a hadith narrated by Irbād ibn Sāriyah—may Allah be pleased with him. It begins: “I counsel you to fear Allah…” The hadith is recorded in *Sunan Abī Dāwūd*, 4:280–81 (Book of Knowledge, chapter “Adherence to the Sunnah”); *Sunan Ibn Mājah*, 1:15–16 (Introduction, chapter “Following the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs”); *Sunan al-Dārimī*, 1:44–45 (Introduction, chapter “Following the Sunnah”); and *al-Musnad* (al-Halabī ed.), 4:126–27. Shaykh al-Albānī classified it as authentic in *Sahīh al-Jāmi al-Saghīr*, 2:346. (3) N and M read: *khilāfihim* (“their opposition”), which is a textual corruption. (4) “And disparages him” is omitted from A and B. (5) A and B read: “and says: He is not one of the caliphs…” (6) “After them” is omitted from N and M. (7) “Rightly Guided” is added in A and B. (8) N, M, and A read: “So he made that public…” (9) A and B read: “They do not approve of that…”

عَلَيْهِمْ وَمَنْعًا (١) مِمَّنْ يُرِيدُ عَوْرَاتِهِمْ وَالطَّعْنَ عَلَيْهِمْ، فَإِنَّهُ قَدْ صَحَّ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - أَنَّهُ قَالَ: " «عَلَيْكُمْ بِسُنَّتِي وَسُنَّةِ الْخُلَفَاءِ الرَّاشِدِينَ الْمَهْدِيِّينَ مِنْ بَعْدِي، تَمَسَّكُوا بِهَا وَعَضُّوا عَلَيْهَا بِالنَّوَاجِذِ، وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَمُحْدَثَاتِ الْأُمُورِ، فَإِنَّ كُلَّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلَالَةٌ» " (٢) . وَالْأَحَادِيثُ فِي ذِكْرِ خِلَافَتِهِمْ (٣) كَثِيرَةٌ، فَلَمَّا كَانَ فِي بَنِي أُمَيَّةَ مَنْ يَسُبُّ عَلِيًّا - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ - وَيَذُمُّهُ (٤) وَيَقُولُ: إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ مِنَ الْخُلَفَاءِ (٥) الرَّاشِدِينَ، وَتَوَلَّى عُمَرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ [بَعْدَ أُولَئِكَ] (٦) ، فَقِيلَ: إِنَّهُ أَوَّلُ مَنْ ذَكَرَ الْخُلَفَاءَ [الرَّاشِدِينَ] (٧) الْأَرْبَعَةَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ، فَأَظْهَرَ ذِكْرَ (٨) عَلِيٍّ وَالثَّنَاءَ عَلَيْهِ وَذِكْرَ فَضَائِلِهِ، بَعْدَ أَنْ كَانَ طَائِفَةٌ مِمَّنْ يُبْغِضُ عَلِيًّا لَا تَخْتَارُ ذَلِكَ (٩) . وَالْخَوَارِجُ تُبْغِضُ عَلِيًّا وَعُثْمَانَ وَتُكَفِّرُهُمَا، فَكَانَ فِي ذِكْرِهِمَا مَعَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ - رَدٌّ عَلَى الْخَوَارِجِ الَّذِينَ أَمَرَ النَّبِيُّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - بِقِتَالِهِمْ.

(١) ن، م، و، أ: وَمَنَعَهَا؛ ب: وَمَنَعَهُمْ. (٢) هَذَا جُزْءٌ مِنْ حَدِيثٍ عَنِ الْعِرْبَاضِ بْنِ سَارِيَةَ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ -، وَأَوَّلُهُ: " وَأُوصِيكُمْ بِتَقْوَى اللَّهِ. . . الْحَدِيثَ. وَهُوَ فِي: سُنَنِ أَبِي دَاوُدَ ٤/٢٨٠ ٢٨١ (كِتَابُ الْعِلْمِ، بَابُ الْأَخْذِ بِالسُّنَّةِ. .) ؛ سُنَنِ ابْنِ مَاجَهْ ١/١٥ ١٦ (الْمُقَدِّمَةُ، بَابٌ فِي اتِّبَاعِ سُنَّةِ الْخُلَفَاءِ الرَّاشِدِينَ الْمَهْدِيِّينَ) ؛ سُنَنِ الدَّارِمِيِّ ١/٤٤ ٤٥ (الْمُقَدِّمَةُ، بَابُ اتِّبَاعِ السُّنَّةِ) ؛ الْمُسْنَدِ (ط. الْحَلَبِيِّ) ٤/١٢٦ ١٢٧. وَصَحَّحَهُ الشَّيْخُ الْأَلْبَانِيُّ فِي " صَحِيحِ الْجَامِعِ الصَّغِيرِ " ٢/٣٤٦. (٣) ن، م: خِلَافِهِمْ، وَهُوَ تَحْرِيفٌ. (٤) وَيَذُمُّهُ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) . (٥) أ، ب: وَيَقُولُ: لَيْسَ هُوَ مِنَ الْخُلَفَاءِ. . . (٦) بَعْدَ أُولَئِكَ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٧) الرَّاشِدِينَ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (أ) ، (ب) . (٨) ن، م، أ: فَأَظْهَرَ ذَلِكَ. . (٩) أ، ب: لَا يَخْتَارُونَ ذَلِكَ. .