Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (4/317)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

with Talha and al-Zubayr, they sought to agree upon a course that served the common good: once they were able, they would pursue Uthman’s killers, the instigators of the civil strife. Alī neither approved of Uthman’s killing nor assisted in it. As he used to swear:

“By Allah, I neither killed Uthman nor colluded in his killing.”

He was truthful and upright in his oath. The killers therefore feared that Alī would agree with Talha and al-Zubayr to apprehend them, so they attacked the army of Talha and al-Zubayr. Talha and al-Zubayr thought that Alī had attacked them, so they charged (1) in self-defense. Alī then thought that they had attacked him, so he charged in self-defense. Thus, the civil strife erupted against their wishes. Ā’isha—may Allah be pleased with her—was mounted; she neither fought nor ordered the fighting (2). This is how more than one authority versed in historical reports has related the matter (3).

As for his statement (4), “She disobeyed Allah’s command in His words:

‘Remain in your homes, and do not display yourselves as in the former Age of Ignorance.’

[Surah al-Ahzāb: 33]”

Ā’isha—may Allah be pleased with her—did not display herself as in the former Age of Ignorance. The command to remain at home does not preclude leaving for a beneficial purpose that one has been commanded to pursue, such as leaving to perform Hajj and Umrah or accompanying one’s husband on a journey (5). Indeed, this verse had (6) been revealed during the lifetime of the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and [the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—] traveled with them after

(1) W and H read: “so they attacked him.” (2) R, S, and H read: “fighting.” (3) See Sa‘īd al-Afghānī, *Ā’isha wa al-Siyāsa* (*Aisha and Politics*), Cairo ed., 1957, pp. 140–162; *al-‘Awāsim min al-Qawāsim*, pp. [0–9] 36–161. (4) R, S, and H read: “his statement about her.” (5) A and B read: “on a journey.” (6) The particle *qad* occurs only in R, S, and H.

وَطَلْحَةُ وَالزُّبَيْرُ، وَقَصَدُوا الِاتِّفَاقَ عَلَى الْمَصْلَحَةِ، وَأَنَّهُمْ إِذَا تَمَكَّنُوا طَلَبُوا قَتَلَةَ عُثْمَانَ أَهْلَ الْفِتْنَةِ، وَكَانَ عَلِيٌّ غَيْرَ رَاضٍ بِقَتْلِ عُثْمَانَ وَلَا مُعِينًا عَلَيْهِ، كَمَا كَانَ يَحْلِفُ فَيَقُولُ: وَاللَّهِ مَا قَتَلْتُ عُثْمَانَ وَلَا مَالَأْتُ عَلَى قَتْلِهِ، وَهُوَ الصَّادِقُ الْبَارُّ فِي يَمِينِهِ، فَخَشِيَ الْقَتَلَةُ أَنْ يَتَّفِقَ عَلِيٌّ مَعَهُمْ عَلَى إِمْسَاكِ الْقَتَلَةِ، فَحَمَلُوا عَلَى عَسْكَرِ طَلْحَةَ وَالزُّبَيْرِ، فَظَنَّ طَلْحَةُ وَالزُّبَيْرُ أَنَّ عَلِيًّا حَمَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ، فَحَمَلُوا (١) دَفْعًا عَنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ، فَظَنَّ عَلِيٌّ أَنَّهُمْ حَمَلُوا عَلَيْهِ، فَحَمَلَ دَفْعًا عَنْ نَفْسِهِ، فَوَقَعَتِ الْفِتْنَةُ بِغَيْرِ اخْتِيَارِهِمْ، وَعَائِشَةُ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا - رَاكِبَةٌ: لَا قَاتَلَتْ، وَلَا أَمَرَتْ بِالْقِتَالِ (٢) . هَكَذَا ذَكَرَهُ غَيْرُ وَاحِدٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْمَعْرِفَةِ بِالْأَخْبَارِ (٣) . وَأَمَّا قَوْلُهُ (٤) : " وَخَالَفَتْ أَمْرَ اللَّهِ فِي قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: {وَقَرْنَ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ وَلَا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الْأُولَى} [سُورَةُ الْأَحْزَابِ: ٣٣] فَهِيَ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا - لَمْ تَتَبَرَّجْ تَبَرُّجَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الْأُولَى. وَالْأَمْرُ بِالِاسْتِقْرَارِ فِي الْبُيُوتِ لَا يُنَافِي الْخُرُوجَ لِمَصْلَحَةٍ مَأْمُورٍ بِهَا، كَمَا لَوْ خَرَجَتْ لِلْحَجِّ وَالْعُمْرَةِ، أَوْ خَرَجَتْ مَعَ زَوْجِهَا فِي سَفْرَةٍ (٥) ، فَإِنَّ هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ قَدْ (٦) نَزَلَتْ فِي حَيَاةِ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - وَقَدْ سَافَرَ بِهِنَّ [رَسُولُ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -] بَعْدَ

(١) و، هـ: فَحَمَلُوا عَلَيْهِ. (٢) ر، ص، هـ: بِقِتَالٍ. (٣) انْظُرْ: عَائِشَةُ وَالسِّيَاسَةُ لِلْأُسْتَاذِ سَعِيدٍ الْأَفْغَانِيِّ، ص ١٤٠ - ١٦٢، ط. الْقَاهِرَةِ، ١٩٥٧ ; الْعَوَاصِمُ مِنَ الْقَوَاصِمِ، ص [٠ - ٩] ٣٦ - ١٦١. (٤) ر، ص، هـ: قَوْلُهُ عَنْهَا. (٥) أ، ب: فِي سَفَرٍ. (٦) قَدْ: فِي (ر) ، (ص) ، (هـ) .