Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (4/216)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

If it is objected:

“Rather, the address (1) encompasses both him and the Muslim community under the general wording of this verse (2), but he was specifically exempted from the verse concerning marriage and bridal gifts.”

The reply is:

He was likewise specifically exempted from the verse of inheritance. Thus, whatever is said regarding the former may equally be said regarding the latter. It makes no difference (3) whether it is said that the wording of the verse included him and that he was then specifically exempted from it, or that it did not include him because he was not (4) among those addressed. The same may be said here (5).

The seventh response is that this verse was not intended to specify whose estate may be inherited [and whose may not be inherited] (6), nor to specify the status of the deceased or the heir. Rather, it was intended to establish that inherited property is to be divided among the heirs according to these specified proportions. The purpose here, therefore, is to state the shares allotted to the persons mentioned when they qualify as heirs.

Accordingly, if the deceased were a Muslim and these persons were unbelievers, they would not inherit from him, by the consensus of the Muslims. Likewise, if the deceased were an unbeliever and they were Muslims, they would not inherit from him, according to the Sunnah and the view of the great majority of Muslims (7). The same applies if the deceased were a slave and they were free, or if he were free and they were slaves. The same also applies to one who kills deliberately, according to Muslims generally, and to one who kills accidentally with respect to the blood money. As for the remainder of the estate, there is disagreement.

(1) N, M, W: “If it is said, then the address...” (2) The phrase “within the general scope of this verse” appears only in M. N reads: “within the general scope.” (3) A, B, R, H, S: “equally.” (4) “is not” is omitted from A. (5) The phrase “the same may be said here” is omitted only from B. (6) “and one from whom no inheritance is received” is omitted from N and M. (7) The passage between markers (7–7) is omitted from A and B.

فَإِنْ قِيلَ: بَلِ الْخِطَابُ (١) مُتَنَاوِلٌ لَهُ وَلِلْأُمَّةِ فِي عُمُومِ هَذِهِ الْآيَةِ (٢) ، لَكِنْ خُصَّ هُوَ مِنْ آيَةِ النِّكَاحِ وَالصَّدَاقِ. قِيلَ: وَكَذَلِكَ خُصَّ مِنْ آيَةِ الْمِيرَاثِ، فَمَا قِيلَ فِي تِلْكَ يُقَالُ مِثْلُهُ فِي هَذِهِ وَسَوَاءٌ (٣) قِيلَ: إِنَّ لَفْظَ الْآيَةِ شَمِلَهُ وَخُصَّ مِنْهُ، أَوْ قِيلَ: إِنَّهُ لَمْ يَشْمَلْهُ لِكَوْنِهِ لَيْسَ (٤) مِنَ الْمُخَاطَبِينَ: يُقَالُ مِثْلُهُ هُنَا (٥) . السَّابِعُ: أَنْ يُقَالَ: هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ لَمْ يُقْصَدْ بِهَا بَيَانُ مَنْ يُورَثُ [وَمَنْ لَا يُورَثُ] (٦) ، وَلَا بَيَانُ صِفَةِ الْمَوْرُوثِ وَالْوَارِثِ، وَإِنَّمَا قُصِدَ بِهَا أَنَّ الْمَالَ الْمَوْرُوثَ يُقَسَّمُ بَيْنَ الْوَارِثِينَ عَلَى هَذَا التَّفْصِيلِ. فَالْمَقْصُودُ هُنَا بَيَانُ مِقْدَارِ أَنْصِبَاءِ هَؤُلَاءِ الْمَذْكُورِينَ إِذَا كَانُوا وَرَثَةً. وَلِهَذَا لَوْ كَانَ الْمَيِّتُ مُسْلِمًا وَهَؤُلَاءِ كُفَّارًا لَمْ يَرِثُوا بِاتِّفَاقِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، وَكَذَلِكَ لَوْ كَانَ كَافِرًا وَهَؤُلَاءِ مُسْلِمِينَ لَمْ يَرِثُوا بِالسُّنَّةِ وَقَوْلِ جَمَاهِيرِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ (٧) ، وَكَذَلِكَ لَوْ كَانَ عَبْدًا وَهُمْ أَحْرَارٌ، أَوْ كَانَ حُرًّا وَهُمْ عَبِيدٌ. وَكَذَلِكَ الْقَاتِلُ عَمْدًا عِنْدَ عَامَّةِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، وَكَذَلِكَ الْقَاتِلُ خَطَأً مِنَ الدِّيَةِ. وَفِي غَيْرِهَا نِزَاعٌ.

(١) ن، م، و: فَإِنْ قِيلَ فَالْخِطَابُ. (٢) عِبَارَةُ " فِي عُمُومِ هَذِهِ الْآيَةِ " فِي (م) فَقَطْ. وَفِي (ن) : فِي عُمُومِ. (٣) أ، ب، ر، هـ، ص: سَوَاءٌ. (٤) لَيْسَ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) . (٥) عِبَارَةُ " يُقَالُ مِثْلُهُ هُنَا ": سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ب) فَقَطْ. (٦) وَمَنْ لَا يُورَثُ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٧) (٧ - ٧) : سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) .