Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (4/324)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

permissible to adduce it as proof, their argument based on a consensus to kill him is invalid. This is especially so given that it is well known that only a small group actually carried out his killing. Yet they deny that there was a consensus on pledging allegiance to him, saying:

“The people of truth among them pledged allegiance only out of fear and unwillingness” (1).

Even had they all agreed to kill him (2), and someone said, “The people of truth were averse [to killing him (3), but remained silent out of fear and dissimulation (4) to protect themselves,” this would (5) have been closer to the truth] (6), because it is ordinarily the case that those who seek to kill rulers intimidate anyone who opposes them. This is unlike those who seek to pledge allegiance to rulers (7), for they do not intimidate dissenters as those who seek to kill a ruler do (8). Indeed, those intent (9) on killing are quicker to resort to evil, bloodshed, and terrorizing people than those seeking to pledge allegiance.

This would be the case even if it were assumed that all the people had openly called for his killing. How much more so when the great majority opposed (10) his killing, and those who defended him in his home—including al-Hasan ibn Ali, Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr, and others—did indeed defend him?

Moreover, the people’s consensus on pledging allegiance to Abu Bakr was greater than their consensus on pledging allegiance to

(1) A and B read: “The people of truth, out of fear of them and unwillingly.” (2) The phrase alā qatlihi (“to kill him”) is absent from A and B. (3) R and H read qatalahu (“killed him”). (4) H reads: “or out of dissimulation.” (5) H reads kāna (“was”), rather than “would have been.” (6) The text within square brackets is absent from N, M, and W. (7) N and M read al-imām (“the ruler”), in the singular. (8) R, H, and W read yukhīfuhu (“intimidates him”). (9) N, M, and S read al-murīd (“the one intent”), in the singular. (10) A and B read ankara (“opposed”), in the singular.

يَجُزُ الِاحْتِجَاجُ بِهِ، بَطَلَتْ حُجَّتُهُمْ بِالْإِجْمَاعِ عَلَى قَتْلِهِ. لَا سِيَّمَا وَمِنَ الْمَعْلُومِ أَنَّهُ لَمْ يُبَاشِرْ قَتْلَهُ إِلَّا طَائِفَةٌ قَلِيلَةٌ. ثُمَّ إِنَّهُمْ يُنْكِرُونَ الْإِجْمَاعَ عَلَى بَيْعَتِهِ، وَيَقُولُونَ: إِنَّمَا بَايَعَ أَهْلُ الْحَقِّ مِنْهُمْ خَوْفًا وَكُرْهًا (١) . وَمَعْلُومٌ أَنَّهُمْ لَوِ اتَّفَقُوا كُلُّهُمْ عَلَى قَتْلِهِ (٢) ، وَقَالَ قَائِلٌ: كَانَ أَهْلُ الْحَقِّ كَارِهِينَ [لِقَتْلِهِ (٣) لَكِنْ سَكَتُوا خَوْفًا وَتَقِيَّةً (٤) عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ، لَكَانَ (٥) هَذَا أَقْرَبَ إِلَى الْحَقِّ،] (٦) لِأَنَّ الْعَادَةَ قَدْ جَرَتْ بِأَنَّ مَنْ يُرِيدُ قَتَلَ الْأَئِمَّةَ يُخِيفُ مَنْ يُنَازِعُهُ، بِخِلَافِ مَنْ يُرِيدُ مُبَايَعَةَ الْأَئِمَّةِ (٧) ، فَإِنَّهُ لَا يُخِيفُ الْمُخَالِفَ، كَمَا يُخِيفُ (٨) مَنْ يُرِيدُ قَتْلَهُ، فَإِنَّ الْمُرِيدِينَ (٩) لِلْقَتْلِ أَسْرَعُ إِلَى الشَّرِّ وَسَفْكِ الدِّمَاءِ وَإِخَافَةِ النَّاسِ مِنَ الْمُرِيدِينَ لِلْمُبَايَعَةِ. فَهَذَا لَوْ قُدِّرَ أَنَّ جَمِيعَ النَّاسِ ظَهْرَ مِنْهُمُ الْأَمْرُ بِقَتْلِهِ، فَكَيْفَ وَجُمْهُورُهُمْ أَنْكَرُوا (١٠) قَتَلَهُ، وَدَافَعَ عَنْهُ مَنْ دَافَعَ فِي بَيْتِهِ، كَالْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ وَعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ وَغَيْرِهِمَا؟ . وَأَيْضًا فَإِجْمَاعُ النَّاسِ عَلَى بَيْعَةِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ أَعْظَمُ مِنْ إِجْمَاعِهِمْ عَلَى بَيْعَةِ

(١) أ، ب: أَهْلُ الْحَقِّ خَوْفًا مِنْهُمْ وَكُرْهًا. (٢) عِبَارَةُ " عَلَى قَتْلِهِ ": سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) . (٣) ر، هـ: قَتْلَهُ. (٤) هـ: أَوْ تَقِيَّةً. (٥) هـ: كَانَ. (٦) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) ، (و) . (٧) ن، م: الْإِمَامِ. (٨) ر، هـ، و: يُخِيفُهُ. (٩) ن، م، ص: الْمُرِيدَ. (١٠) أ، ب: أَنْكَرَ.