Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (4/273)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

in an unrestricted sense over his community after his death. None of these men was described (1) as the successor of the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—except with a qualification. If Ali is given (2) that designation, then the other Companions who were appointed as deputies have a stronger claim to it; thus, this was not unique to him.

Moreover, whoever succeeds an obeyed leader after his death can only be the best of people. By contrast, one who deputizes for him while he is away campaigning against his enemy does not [have to] be (3) the best of people. Rather, customary practice is (4) that, when setting out, a man takes with him someone whom he needs (5) on military campaigns and whom he considers superior to the person he leaves in charge (6) of his household (7 - 7): (7). This is because the person whose assistance is useful in jihad shares in what he does and is therefore greater than the one left in charge of the household, for the benefit provided by the latter is not equal to that of one who shares with him (8) in jihad.

The Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—only (9) likened Ali to Aaron in the basic fact of being appointed as deputy, not in the full extent of that appointment; moreover, others shared with Ali in this kind of appointment. This is shown by the fact that when Moses went to his Lord’s appointed time, no one accompanied him to share in that,

(1) A and B read: “and it was not applied.” (2) W reads: “and if he is not so designated”; A: “then if he is not so designated”; B: “then if he was so designated.” (3) N reads: “then he is not the best of people.” (4) A reads: “in accordance with established custom, he”; B: “for established custom is that he.” (5) “For him” is omitted only from B. (6) N reads: “someone who is the best of those with him and is superior to the one whom he appoints as deputy”; M reads: “someone who is the best of those with him, with/by the one whom he appoints as deputy”; R, H, S, and W read: “someone whom he considers superior to the one whom he appoints as deputy.” (7) Omitted from A and B. (8) A and B read: “like the benefit of that person who shares with him.” (9) “Only” is omitted from B; A reads: “did not [liken].”

مُطْلَقًا بَعْدَ مَوْتِهِ عَلَى أُمَّتِهِ، لَمْ يُطْلَقْ (١) عَلَى أَحَدٍ مِنْ هَؤُلَاءِ أَنَّهُ خَلِيفَةُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - إِلَّا مَعَ التَّقْيِيدِ. وَإِذَا سُمِّيَ (٢) عَلِيٌّ بِذَلِكَ فَغَيْرُهُ مِنَ الصَّحَابَةِ الْمُسْتَخْلَفِينَ أَوْلَى بِهَذَا الِاسْمِ، فَلَمْ يَكُنْ هَذَا مِنْ خَصَائِصِهِ. وَأَيْضًا فَالَّذِي يَخْلُفُ الْمُطَاعَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهِ لَا يَكُونُ إِلَّا أَفْضَلَ النَّاسِ. وَأَمَّا الَّذِي يَخْلُفُهُ فِي حَالِ غَزْوِهِ لِعَدُوِّهِ، فَلَا [يَجُبُّ أَنْ] يَكُونَ (٣) أَفْضَلَ النَّاسِ، بَلِ الْعَادَةُ جَارِيَةٌ بِأَنَّهُ (٤) يَسْتَصْحِبُ فِي خُرُوجِهِ لِحَاجَتِهِ إِلَيْهِ (٥) فِي الْمَغَازِي مَنْ يَكُونُ عِنْدَهُ أَفْضَلَ مِمَّنْ يَسْتَخْلِفُهُ (٦) ، عَلَى عِيَالِهِ ; لِأَنَّ الَّذِي يَنْفَعُ فِي الْجِهَادِ هُوَ شَرِيكُهُ فِيمَا يَفْعَلُهُ، فَهُوَ أَعْظَمُ مِمَّنْ يَخْلُفُهُ عَلَى الْعِيَالِ (٧ - ٧) : (٧) ، فَإِنَّ نَفْعَ ذَاكَ لَيْسَ كَنَفْعِ الْمُشَارِكِ لَهُ (٨) فِي الْجِهَادِ. وَالنَّبِيُّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - إِنَّمَا (٩) شَبَّهَ عَلِيًّا بِهَارُونَ فِي أَصْلِ الِاسْتِخْلَافِ لَا فِي كَمَالِهِ، وَلِعَلِيٍّ شُرَكَاءُ فِي هَذَا الِاسْتِخْلَافِ. يُبَيِّنُ ذَلِكَ أَنَّ مُوسَى لَمَّا ذَهَبَ إِلَى مِيقَاتِ رَبِّهِ لَمْ يَكُنْ مَعَهُ أَحَدٌ يُشَارِكُهُ فِي ذَلِكَ،

(١) أ، ب: وَلَمْ يُطْلَقْ. (٢) وَ: وَإِذَا لَمْ يُسَمَّ ; أ: فَإِذَا لَمْ يُسَمَّ ; ب: فَإِذَا كَانَ يُسَمَّى. (٣) ن: فَلَا يَكُونُ. (٤) أ: بِالْعَادَةِ الْجَارِيَةِ أَنَّهُ، ب: فَالْعَادَةُ الْجَارِيَةُ أَنَّهُ. (٥) إِلَيْهِ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ب) فَقَطْ. (٦) ن: مَنْ يَكُونُ أَفْضَلَ مَنْ عِنْدَهُ مِمَّنْ يَسْتَخْلِفُهُ ; م: مَنْ يَكُونُ أَفْضَلَ مَنْ عِنْدَهُ بِمَنْ يَسْتَخْلِفُهُ ; ر، هـ، ص، و: مَنْ يَكُونُ أَفْضَلَ عِنْدَهُ مِمَّنْ يَسْتَخْلِفُهُ. (٧) سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) . (٨) أ، ب: كَنَفْعِ ذَلِكَ الْمُشَارِكِ لَهُ. (٩) إِنَّمَا: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ب) . وَفِي (أ) : مَا.