Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (4/280)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

everyone who remained in Mecca was under ʿAttāb’s command. Likewise, when he sent Khālid ibn al-Walīd and other commanders of detachments, whoever went out with a commander was under that commander’s authority by virtue of his own choice to go out with him—not because (1) the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—had individually designated everyone accompanying the commander to go out with him. Nothing of this sort was the practice of the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—or even that of Abū Bakr.

This (2) is analogous to a regularly appointed imam who leads a congregation in prayer during his lifetime: whoever prays behind him has that imam as his own imam, and the imam takes precedence over him even if the follower is superior to him.

In Sahīh Muslim [and elsewhere] (3), Abū Masʿūd al-Badrī relates that the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—said:

“The people should be led in prayer by the one most proficient in reciting the Book of Allah. If they are equal in recitation, then by the one most knowledgeable about the Sunnah. If they are equal in knowledge of the Sunnah, then by the one who emigrated earliest. If they are equal in emigration, then by the eldest. No man shall lead [another man] (4) in prayer within the latter’s domain, nor sit in his place of honor except with his permission.” (5)

Thus, the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—forbade anyone from taking precedence over an imam vested with authority (6), even if the follower was superior to him.

(1) A and B read: “not that.” (2) N and M read: “And for this reason.” (3) “And elsewhere” is omitted from N, M, and W. (4) The second occurrence of “man” appears only in B. (5) The hadith is narrated with similar wording from Abū Masʿūd al-Badrī al-Ansārī in: *Sahīh Muslim*, 1/465 (*Book of Mosques and Places of Prayer*, “Chapter: Who Is Most Entitled to Lead the Prayer”); *Sunan Abī Dāwūd*, 1/226 (*Book of Prayer*, same chapter); *Sunan al-Tirmidhī*, 1/149–150 (*Book of Prayer*, same chapter); *Sunan al-Nasāʾī*, 2/59 (*Book of Imamate*, same chapter); *Sunan Ibn Mājah*, 1/313–314 (*Book of Establishing the Prayer*, same chapter); and *al-Musnad* (al-Halabī ed.), 4/118, 121–122. (6) A reads: “over the imam vested with authority”; B and S read: “an imam vested with authority.”

كَانَ مَنْ أَقَامَ بِمَكَّةَ فَعَتَّابٌ أَمِيرٌ عَلَيْهِ، وَكَذَلِكَ لَمَّا أَرْسَلَ خَالِدَ بْنَ الْوَلِيدَ وَغَيْرَهُ مِنْ أُمَرَاءِ السَّرَايَا، كَانَ مَنْ خَرَجَ مَعَ الْأَمِيرِ، فَالْأَمِيرُ أَمِيرٌ عَلَيْهِ بِاخْتِيَارِهِ الْخُرُوجَ مَعَهُ، لَا بِأَنَّ (١) النَّبِيَّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - عَيَّنَ لِلْخُرُوجِ مَعَ الْأَمِيرِ كُلَّ مَنْ مَعَهُ وَمِنْ هَذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ مِنْ عَادَةِ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - بَلْ وَلَا مِنْ عَادَةِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ. وَهَذَا (٢) كَمَا أَنَّهُ إِذَا كَانَ إِمَامٌ رَاتِبٌ فِي حَيَاتِهِ يُصَلِّي بِقَوْمٍ، فَمَنْ صَلَّى خَلْفَهُ كَانَ ذَلِكَ الْإِمَامُ إِمَامًا لَهُ يَتَقَدَّمُ عَلَيْهِ، وَإِنْ كَانَ الْمَأْمُومُ أَفْضَلَ مِنْهُ. وَفِي صَحِيحِ مُسْلِمٍ [وَغَيْرِهِ] (٣) عَنْ أَبِي مَسْعُودٍ الْبَدْرِيِّ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - قَالَ: «يَؤُمُّ الْقَوْمَ أَقْرَؤُهُمْ لِكِتَابِ اللَّهِ، فَإِنْ كَانُوا فِي الْقِرَاءَةِ سَوَاءً فَأَعْلَمُهُمْ بِالسُّنَّةِ، فَإِنْ كَانُوا فِي السُّنِّةِ سَوَاءً فَأَقْدَمُهُمْ هِجْرَةً، فَإِنْ كَانُوا فِي الْهِجْرَةِ سَوَاءً فَأَقْدَمُهُمْ سِنًّا، وَلَا يَؤُمَنَّ الرَّجُلُ [الرَّجُلَ] (٤) فِي سُلْطَانِهِ ; وَلَا يَجْلِسُ عَلَى تَكْرِمَتِهِ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ» (٥) فَنَهَى النَّبِيُّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - أَنْ يَتَقَدَّمَ عَلَى الْإِمَامِ ذِي السُّلْطَانِ (٦) وَإِنْ كَانَ الْمَأْمُومُ أَفْضَلَ مِنْهُ.

(١) أ، ب: لَا أَنَّ. (٢) ن، م: وَلِهَذَا. (٣) وَغَيْرِهِ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) ، (و) . (٤) الرَّجُلُ: فِي (ب) فَقَطْ. (٥) الْحَدِيثُ بِأَلْفَاظٍ مُقَارِبَةٍ عَنْ أَبِي مَسْعُودٍ الْبَدْرِيِّ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ فِي: مُسْلِمٍ ١/٤٦٥ (كِتَابُ الْمَسَاجِدِ وَمَوَاضِعِ الصَّلَاةِ، بَابُ مَنْ أَحَقُّ بِالْإِمَامَةِ) ; سُنَنِ أَبِي دَاوُدَ ١/٢٢٦ (كِتَابُ الصَّلَاةِ، بَابُ مَنْ أَحَقُّ بِالْإِمَامَةِ) ; سُنَنِ التِّرْمِذِيِّ ١/١٤٩ ١٥٠ (كِتَابُ الصَّلَّاة بَابُ مَنْ أَحَقُّ بِالْإِمَامَةِ) ; سُنَنِ النَّسَائِيِّ ٢/٥٩ (كِتَابُ الْإِمَامَةِ بَابُ مَنْ أَحَقُّ بِالْإِمَامَةِ) ; سُنَنِ ابْنِ مَاجَهْ ١/٣١٣ ٣١٤ (كِتَابُ إِقَامَةِ الصَّلَاةِ. .، بَابُ مَنْ أَحَقُّ بِالْإِمَامَةِ) ; الْمُسْنَدِ (ط. الْحَلَبِيِّ) ٤/١١٨، ١٢١ ١٢٢. (٦) أ: عَلَى الْإِمَامِ ذِي سُلْطَانٍ ; ب، ص: إِمَامٍ ذِي سُلْطَانٍ.