Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (4/253)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

If, out of ignorance, they say:

“This sin is disbelief” (1),

in order thereby to declare (2) Abū Bakr an unbeliever, it follows that they must also declare Alī an unbeliever. But this necessary consequence is false, and so is the premise that entails it. They constantly disparage Abū Bakr, Umar, and Uthmān; indeed, (3) they declare them unbelievers on account of matters (4) whose like—or even less excusable instances—also proceeded from Alī. If he deserves reward or is excused, then they are more deserving of reward and excuse. Conversely, if the lesser deed is said to entail sinful defiance or disbelief, then the graver deed entails it all the more.

It may also be said:

The injury done to Fātimah—may Allah be pleased with her—was grave only because it involved causing distress to her father. Therefore, when the choice lay between causing distress to her father and causing distress to her (5), avoiding distress to her father was the greater obligation. This was the situation of Abū Bakr and Umar: they took care (6) not to harm her father or trouble him (7) in any way. For he had laid down an injunction and issued a command (8), and they feared that if they altered his injunction and command, he would be angered by their contravening them and would be distressed thereby. Every rational person knows that when the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—has issued a ruling, and Fātimah or anyone else requests something contrary to that ruling, upholding the Prophet’s ruling—peace and blessings be upon him—takes precedence. Obedience to him is obligatory, and disobedience to him is forbidden. Whoever was distressed by obedience to him was mistaken in

(1) S reads: “Indeed, when he commits a sin, he becomes an unbeliever.” (2) N reads: “so they declared [him] an unbeliever”; W and M read: “and they declared [him] an unbeliever.” (3) The word “indeed” is omitted in A and B. (4) N alone reads: “on account of the other,” which is a textual corruption. (5) N and M read: “between causing distress to her and causing distress to her father.” (6) The preposition “against” is omitted in B. (7) A and B read: “they trouble him.” (8) A and B read: “and issued a command.”

وَإِنْ قَالُوا بِجَهْلِهِمْ: إِنَّ هَذَا الذَّنْبَ كُفْرٌ (١) لِيُكَفِّرُوا (٢) بِذَلِكَ أَبَا بَكْرٍ، لَزِمَهُمْ تَكْفِيرُ عَلِيٍّ، وَاللَّازِمُ بَاطِلٌ فَالْمَلْزُومُ مِثْلُهُ. وَهُمْ دَائِمًا يَعِيبُونَ أَبَا بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ وَعُثْمَانَ، بَلْ (٣) وَيُكَفِّرُونَهُمْ بِأُمُورٍ (٤) قَدْ صَدَرَ مِنْ عَلِيٍّ مَا هُوَ مِثْلُهَا أَوْ أَبْعَدُ عَنِ الْعُذْرِ مِنْهَا، فَإِنْ كَانَ مَأْجُورًا أَوْ مَعْذُورًا فَهُمْ أَوْلَى بِالْأَجْرِ وَالْعُذْرِ، وَإِنْ قِيلَ بِاسْتِلْزَامِ الْأَمْرِ الْأَخَفِّ فِسْقًا أَوْ كُفْرًا، كَانَ اسْتِلْزَامُ الْأَغْلَظِ لِذَلِكَ أَوْلَى. وَأَيْضًا فَيُقَالُ: إِنَّ فَاطِمَةَ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا - إِنَّمَا عَظُمَ أَذَاهَا لِمَا فِي ذَلِكَ مِنْ أَذَى أَبِيهَا، فَإِذَا دَارَ الْأَمْرُ بَيْنَ أَذَى أَبِيهَا وَأَذَاهَا (٥) كَانَ الِاحْتِرَازُ عَنْ أَذَى أَبِيهَا أَوْجَبَ. وَهَذَا حَالُ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ، فَإِنَّهُمَا احْتَرَزَا عَنْ (٦) أَنْ يُؤْذِيَا أَبَاهَا أَوْ يُرِيبَاهُ (٧) بِشَيْءٍ، فَإِنَّهُ عَهِدَ عَهْدًا وَأَمَرَ بِأَمْرٍ (٨) ، فَخَافَا إِنْ غَيَّرَا عَهْدَهُ وَأَمْرَهُ أَنْ يَغْضَبَ لِمُخَالَفَةِ أَمْرِهِ وَعَهْدِهِ وَيَتَأَذَّى بِذَلِكَ. وَكُلُّ عَاقِلٍ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - إِذَا حَكَمَ بِحُكْمٍ، وَطَلَبَتْ فَاطِمَةُ أَوْ غَيْرُهَا مَا يُخَالِفُ ذَلِكَ الْحُكْمَ، كَانَ مُرَاعَاةُ حُكْمِ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - أَوْلَى، فَإِنَّ طَاعَتَهُ وَاجِبَةٌ، وَمَعْصِيَتَهُ مُحَرَّمَةٌ، وَمَنْ تَأَذَّى لِطَاعَتِهِ كَانَ مُخْطِئًا فِي

(١) ص: إِنَّهُ إِذَا أَذْنَبَ كَفَرَ. (٢) ن: فَكَفَّرُوا؛ و، م: وَكَفَّرُوا. (٣) بَلْ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) . (٤) ن (فَقَطْ) : بِالْآخَرِ، وَهُوَ تَحْرِيفٌ. (٥) ن، م: بَيْنَ أَذَاهَا وَأَذَى أَبِيهَا. (٦) عَنْ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ب) . (٧) أ، ب: يُرِيبَانِهِ. (٨) أ، ب: وَأَمَرَ أَمْرًا.