Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (4/290)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

It may be said:

Fourth, each of the two hadiths is demonstrably false and may not be attributed to the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him.

For it may be asked: What is meant by saying that (1) Alī—or anyone else (2)—is the one who distinguishes truth from falsehood for the Muslim community? If this means that he distinguishes between the people of truth and the people of falsehood (3), thereby distinguishing [between] (4) believers and hypocrites, then this is something no human being is capable of—not a prophet or anyone else. Allah Most High said to His Prophet:

“Among the nomadic Arabs around you are hypocrites, as are some of the people of Medina. They persist in hypocrisy. You do not know them; We know them.”

[Surah al-Tawbah: 101]

If the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—did not know the exact identity of every hypocrite in and around his city, how could anyone else know (5) that?

If it is said that he sets out the characteristics of the people of truth and the people of falsehood, then the Quran has (6) explained this with the utmost clarity. It is the Criterion through which Allah distinguished between (7) truth and falsehood, without doubt.

If what is meant is that whoever fought alongside him was upon the truth, while whoever fought against him was upon falsehood (88): (8).

It may be said: Even if this were true, it would entail nothing except (9) distinguishing between the group

(1) N and M read: “What does it mean for [him] to be…” (2) A and B read: “Alī and others.” (3) A and B read: “distinguishes the people of truth and falsehood.” (4) “Between” occurs only in A and B. (5) M, R, S, H, and W read: “knows.” (6) “Has” is omitted from A and B. (7) A and B read: “distinguished for His Prophet between…”; W reads: “distinguished between it and…” (8) Omitted from A and B. (9) N, M, and W read: “true, it would entail nothing except…”

وَيُقَالُ: رَابِعًا: كُلٌّ مِنَ الْحَدِيثَيْنِ يُعْلَمُ بِالدَّلِيلِ أَنَّهُ كَذِبٌ، لَا يَجُوزُ نِسْبَتُهُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -. فَإِنَّهُ يُقَالُ: مَا الْمَعْنَى بِكَوْنِ (١) عَلِيٍّ أَوْ غَيْرِهِ (٢) فَارُوقَ الْأُمَّةِ يَفْرُقُ بَيْنَ الْحَقِّ وَالْبَاطِلِ؟ إِنْ عَنَى بِذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ يُمَيِّزُ بَيْنَ أَهْلِ الْحَقِّ وَأَهْلِ الْبَاطِلِ (٣) ، فَيُمَيِّزُ [بَيْنَ] (٤) الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُنَافِقِينَ، فَهَذَا أَمْرٌ لَا يَقْدِرُ عَلَيْهِ أَحَدٌ مِنَ الْبَشَرِ: لَا نَبِيٌّ وَلَا غَيْرُهُ. وَقَدْ قَالَ تَعَالَى لِنَبِيِّهِ: {وَمِمَّنْ حَوْلَكُمْ مِنَ الْأَعْرَابِ مُنَافِقُونَ وَمِنْ أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ مَرَدُوا عَلَى النِّفَاقِ لَا تَعْلَمُهُمْ نَحْنُ نَعْلَمُهُمْ} [سُورَةُ التَّوْبَةِ: ١٠١] ، فَإِذَا كَانَ النَّبِيُّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - لَا يَعْلَمُ عَيْنَ كُلِّ مُنَافِقٍ فِي مَدِينَتِهِ وَفِيمَا حَوْلَهَا، فَكَيْفَ يَعْلَمُ (٥) ذَلِكَ غَيْرُهُ؟ . وَإِنْ قِيلَ: إِنَّهُ يَذْكُرُ صِفَاتِ أَهْلِ الْحَقِّ وَأَهْلِ الْبَاطِلِ، فَالْقُرْآنُ قَدْ (٦) بَيَّنَ ذَلِكَ غَايَةَ الْبَيَانِ، وَهُوَ الْفُرْقَانُ الَّذِي فَرَّقَ اللَّهُ فِيهِ بَيْنَ (٧) . الْحَقِّ وَالْبَاطِلِ بِلَا رَيْبٍ. وَإِنْ أُرِيدَ بِذَلِكَ أَنَّ مَنْ قَاتَلَ مَعَهُ كَانَ عَلَى الْحَقِّ وَمَنْ قَاتَلَهُ كَانَ عَلَى الْبَاطِلِ (٨٨) : (٨) . فَيُقَالُ: هَذَا لَوْ كَانَ صَحِيحًا لَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهِ إِلَّا (٩) التَّمْيِيزُ بَيْنَ تِلْكَ الطَّائِفَةِ

(١) ن، م: مَا الْمَعْنَى أَنْ يَكُونَ. (٢) أ، ب: عَلِيٍّ وَغَيْرِهِ. (٣) أ، ب: يُمَيِّزُ أَهْلَ الْحَقِّ وَالْبَاطِلِ. (٤) بَيْنَ: فِي (أ) ، (ب) فَقَطْ. (٥) م، ر، ص، هـ، وَ: يَعْرِفُ. (٦) قَدْ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) . (٧) أ، ب: فَرَقَّ لِنَبِيِّهِ بَيْنَ. .، وَ: فَرَّقَ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ. (٨) سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) . (٩) ن، م، وَ: صَحِيحًا لَيْسَ فِيهِ إِلَّا.