Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (4/169)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

with them(1)—although they are the two leaders of the youth of Paradise, Abū Bakr and Umar are the two leaders of the mature men of Paradise, and this class is more complete(2) than that(3) class.

If someone says, “They are the sons of the Messenger of Allah’s daughter—peace and blessings be upon him,” it is replied: “Alī [ibn Abī Tālib] is superior(4) to them both by agreement of Ahl al-Sunnah and the Shia, yet he was not the son of the Messenger of Allah’s daughter—peace and blessings be upon him. Ibrāhīm, the Prophet’s son—peace and blessings be upon him—was more closely related to him than either of them, yet he was not superior to the earliest forerunners. Umāma(5), daughter of Abū al-Ās, was likewise his daughter’s daughter, and Uthmān had a child by the Prophet’s daughter—peace and blessings be upon him.”

If it is said, “[Alī](6) was his cousin,” it is replied: “Among the Prophet’s paternal uncles and cousins—peace and blessings be upon him—were a number(7) of believers who accompanied him, such as Hamza, al-Abbās, Abd Allāh(8) and al-Fadl, the two sons of al-Abbās, and Rabīa ibn al-Hārith ibn Abd al-Muttalib. Hamza was superior to al-Abbās; Alī and Jafar were superior to the others; and Alī was superior to al-Abbās. It is therefore evident that excellence rests upon faith and piety, not lineage.” Among the Twelve are those renowned for knowledge

(1) “May Allah be pleased with them both” appears only in N and M. (2) R, H, and S read: “superior.” (3) A and B read: “than this.” (4) N and M read: “and Alī is superior.” (5) “And likewise Umāma” is the reading in B alone; all other manuscripts read: “and Umāma.” (6) “Alī” is omitted from N, M, and W. (7) “A number” is omitted from A, B, and W. (8) N, H, R, and W read: “and Ubayd Allah.” Al-Isāba, 2/430, states: “Ubayd Allah ibn al-Abbās ibn Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hāshim, whose kunya was Abū Muhammad, was one of the brothers. He was the full brother of al-Fadl, Abd Allah, Qutham, and Mabad…”

عَنْهُمَا (١) وَإِنْ كَانَا سَيِّدَا شَبَابِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ فَأَبُو بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرُ سَيِّدَا كُهُولِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ، وَهَذَا الصِّنْفُ أَكْمَلُ (٢) مِنْ ذَلِكَ (٣) الصِّنْفِ. وَإِذَا قَالَ الْقَائِلُ: هُمَا وَلَدُ بِنْتِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -: قِيلَ وَعَلِيُّ [بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ] أَفْضَلُ (٤) مِنْهُمَا بِاتِّفَاقِ أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ وَالشِّيعَةِ، وَلَيْسَ هُوَ وَلَدَ بِنْتِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -، وَإِبْرَاهِيمُ ابْنُ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْهُمَا، وَلَيْسَ هُوَ أَفْضَلَ مِنَ السَّابِقِينَ الْأَوَّلِينَ، وَكَذَا أُمَامَةُ (٥) بِنْتُ أَبِي الْعَاصِ بِنْتُ بِنْتِهِ، وَكَانَ لِعُثْمَانَ وَلَدٌ مِنْ بِنْتِ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -. وَإِذَا قِيلَ: [عَلِيٌّ] (٦) هُوَ ابْنُ عَمِّهِ. قِيلَ: فِي أَعْمَامِ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - وَبَنِي عَمِّهِ جَمَاعَةٌ (٧) مُؤْمِنُونَ صَحِبُوهُ: كَحَمْزَةَ وَالْعَبَّاسِ وَعَبْدِ اللَّهِ (٨) وَالْفَضْلِ ابْنَيِ الْعَبَّاسِ، وَكَرَبِيعَةَ بْنِ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ. وَحَمْزَةُ أَفْضَلُ مِنَ الْعَبَّاسِ، وَعَلِيٌّ وَجَعْفَرُ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ غَيْرِهِمَا، وَعَلِيٌّ أَفْضَلُ مِنَ الْعَبَّاسِ، فَعُلِمَ أَنَّ الْفَضْلَ بِالْإِيمَانِ وَالتَّقْوَى لَا بِالنَّسَبِ. وَفِي الِاثْنَى عَشَرَ مِنْ هُوَ مَشْهُورٌ بِالْعِلْمِ

(١) رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا: فِي (ن) ، (م) فَقَطْ. (٢) ر، هـ، ص: أَفْضَلُ. (٣) أ، ب: مِنْ هَذَا. (٤) ن، م: وَعَلِيٌّ أَفْضَلُ. . (٥) وَكَذَا أُمَامَةُ: كَذَا فِي (ب) فَقَطْ، وَفِي سَائِرِ النُّسَخِ وَأُمَامَةُ. . (٦) عَلِيٌّ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) ، (و) . (٧) جَمَاعَةٌ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) ، (و) . (٨) ن، هـ، ر، و: وَعُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ. وَفِي " الْإِصَابَةِ " ٢/٤٣٠: " عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْعَبَّاسِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ بْنِ هَاشِمٍ، يُكَنَّى أَبَا مُحَمَّدٍ أَحَدِ الْإِخْوَةِ، وَهُوَ شَقِيقُ الْفَضْلِ وَعَبْدِ اللَّهِ وَقُثَمَ وَمَعْبَدٍ. . .