Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (4/199)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

said:

‘Allah commands you concerning your children: the male shall have the share of two females.’

[Surah al-Nisā’: 11]

Allah did not make this specific to the Muslim community rather than to him [—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—].”

[It may be answered]:

First: There is nothing in the general wording of the verse [to require] (1) that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—be inherited from. Allah Most High said:

“Allah commands you concerning your children: the male shall have the share of two females. If there are more than two females, they shall receive two-thirds of what he leaves; if there is only one, she shall receive half. Each of his parents shall receive one-sixth of what he leaves if he has a child. But if he has no child and his parents inherit from him, his mother shall receive one-third; and if he has siblings, his mother shall receive one-sixth.”

[Surah al-Nisā’: 11]

And in the other verse:

“You shall receive half of what your wives leave if they have no child; but if they have a child, you shall receive one-quarter of what they leave,”

up to His words:

“after any bequest made or debt, without causing harm.”

[Surah al-Nisā’: 12]

This address encompasses those intended by it, but it contains nothing requiring that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—be among those addressed.

The second-person kāf applies to whomever the speaker intends to address. If it is not known that a particular person is intended by the address, the wording does not encompass that person. Indeed, one group went so far as to hold that pronouns in general do not admit specification (2) [so how much more so a second-person pronoun?] (3), for it applies only to those intended by the address, not to those who are not intended. Even if it were assumed to be general and to admit specification, it would be general only with respect to those intended by the address. There is nothing in it requiring that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—be among those addressed by this (4).

(1) The passage in square brackets is omitted from N and M. (2) N, M, and W read: “to the conclusion that a second-person pronoun does not admit of specification.” (3) The passage in square brackets is omitted from N, M, and W. (4) N and M read: “with it.”

قَالَ: {يُوصِيكُمُ اللَّهُ فِي أَوْلَادِكُمْ لِلذَّكَرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ الْأُنْثَيَيْنِ} [سُورَةِ النِّسَاءِ: ١١] وَلَمْ يَجْعَلِ اللَّهُ ذَلِكَ خَاصًّا بِالْأُمَّةِ دُونَهُ [- صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -] . فَيُقَالُ] : أَوَّلًا: لَيْسَ فِي عُمُومِ لَفْظِ الْآيَةِ [مَا يَقْتَضِي] (١) أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - يُورَثُ، فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى قَالَ: {يُوصِيكُمُ اللَّهُ فِي أَوْلَادِكُمْ لِلذَّكَرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ الْأُنْثَيَيْنِ فَإِنْ كُنَّ نِسَاءً فَوْقَ اثْنَتَيْنِ فَلَهُنَّ ثُلُثَا مَا تَرَكَ وَإِنْ كَانَتْ وَاحِدَةً فَلَهَا النِّصْفُ وَلِأَبَوَيْهِ لِكُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا السُّدُسُ مِمَّا تَرَكَ إِنْ كَانَ لَهُ وَلَدٌ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ وَلَدٌ وَوَرِثَهُ أَبَوَاهُ فَلِأُمِّهِ الثُّلُثُ فَإِنْ كَانَ لَهُ إِخْوَةٌ فَلِأُمِّهِ السُّدُسُ} [سُورَةِ النِّسَاءِ: ١١] وَفِي الْآيَةِ الْأُخْرَى: {وَلَكُمْ نِصْفُ مَا تَرَكَ أَزْوَاجُكُمْ إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُنَّ وَلَدٌ فَإِنْ كَانَ لَهُنَّ وَلَدٌ فَلَكُمُ الرُّبُعُ مِمَّا تَرَكْنَ} إِلَى قَوْلِهِ: {مِنْ بَعْدِ وَصِيَّةٍ يُوصَى بِهَا أَوْ دَيْنٍ غَيْرَ مُضَارٍّ} [سُورَةِ النِّسَاءِ: ١٢] ، وَهَذَا الْخِطَابُ شَامِلٌ لِلْمَقْصُودِينَ بِالْخِطَابِ وَلَيْسَ فِيهِ مَا يُوجِبُ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - مُخَاطَبٌ بِهَا. وَ " كَافُ " الْخِطَابِ يَتَنَاوَلُ مَنْ قَصَدَهُ الْمُخَاطَبُ، فَإِنْ لَمْ يُعْلَمْ أَنَّ الْمُعَيَّنَ مَقْصُودٌ بِالْخِطَابِ لَمْ يَشْمَلْهُ اللَّفْظُ، حَتَّى ذَهَبَتْ طَائِفَةٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ إِلَى أَنَّ الضَّمَائِرَ مُطْلَقًا لَا تَقْبَلُ التَّخْصِيصَ (٢) [فَكَيْفَ بِضَمِيرِ الْمُخَاطَبِ؟] (٣) فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَتَنَاوَلُ إِلَّا مَنْ قُصِدَ بِالْخِطَابِ دُونَ مَنْ لَمْ يُقْصَدْ. وَلَوْ قُدِّرَ أَنَّهُ عَامٌّ يَقْبَلُ التَّخْصِيصَ، فَإِنَّهُ عَامٌّ لِلْمَقْصُودِينَ بِالْخِطَابِ، وَلَيْسَ فِيهَا مَا يَقْتَضِي كَوْنَ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - مِنَ الْمُخَاطَبِينَ بِهَذَا (٤) .

(١) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٢) ن، م، و: إِلَى أَنَّ ضَمِيرَ الْخِطَابِ لَا يَقْبَلُ التَّخْصِيصَ. (٣) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) ، (و) . (٤) ن، م: بِهَا.