Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (4/327)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

And if it is said that (1) those who were with Ali were unable to compel the people to pledge allegiance to him, rally them (2) around him, or prevent them from fighting him, and were therefore incapable of doing so, the answer is that those who were with Uthman when he was besieged were likewise (3) unable to fend off the attack against him.

And if it is said instead that Ali’s companions were negligent and failed one another until they became unable (4) to fend off the fighting, overpower those who fought him—S: “killed him”—or rally the people around him, the answer is that those who were with Uthman [were negligent and failed one another (5) until those men gained power over him. Moreover, the claim that there was a consensus to kill Uthman] (6), despite its manifest denunciation [by] the great majority (7) of the ummah and their rising up (8) to support him and avenge him against those who killed him, is more patently false than the claim that the imams were unanimous in killing al-Husayn—may Allah be pleased with him.

Thus, if someone were to say, “Al-Husayn was killed by the consensus of the people, because no one prevented those who fought and killed him from doing so,” his statement would be no more manifestly false than that of one who claims a consensus (9) on killing Uthman; for, in the case of al-Husayn—may Allah be pleased with him—the denunciation was not as great

(1) “Indeed” is absent from A and B. (2) A and B read: “compelling the people to pledge allegiance and rallying them.” (3) “Likewise” is absent from A and B. (4) N, M, and W read: “was unable.” (5) A reads: “and they argued among themselves.” (6) The text between square brackets is absent from N and M. (7) A and B read: “by the great majority.” The other manuscripts read: “the denunciation of the great majority.” (8) A and B read: “and the rising up.” (9) A and B read: “the consensus.”

وَإِنْ قِيلَ: إِنَّ (١) الَّذِينَ كَانُوا مَعَ عَلِيٍّ لَمْ يُمْكِنْهُمْ إِلْزَامُ النَّاسِ بِالْبَيْعَةِ لَهُ، وَجَمْعُهُمْ (٢) عَلَيْهِ، وَلَا دَفْعُهُمْ عَنْ قِتَالِهِ، فَعَجَزُوا عَنْ ذَلِكَ. قِيلَ: وَالَّذِينَ كَانُوا مَعَ عُثْمَانَ لَمَّا حُصِرَ لَمْ يُمْكِنْهُمْ أَيْضًا (٣) دَفْعُ الْقِتَالِ عَنْهُ. وَإِنْ قِيلَ: بَلْ أَصْحَابُ عَلِيٍّ فَرَّطُوا وَتَخَاذَلُوا، حَتَّى عَجَزُوا (٤) عَنْ دَفْعِ الْقِتَالِ، أَوْ قَهْرِ الَّذِينَ قَاتَلُوهُ ص: قَتَلُوهُ. أَوْ جَمْعِ النَّاسِ عَلَيْهِ. قِيلَ: وَالَّذِينَ كَانُوا مَعَ عُثْمَانَ [فَرَّطُوا وَتَخَاذَلُوا (٥) حَتَّى تَمَكَّنَ مِنْهُ أُولَئِكَ. ثُمَّ دَعْوَى الْمُدَّعِي الْإِجْمَاعَ عَلَى قَتْلِ عُثْمَانَ] (٦) مَعَ ظُهُورِ الْإِنْكَارِ [مِنْ] جَمَاهِيرِ الْإِنْكَارِ (٧) الْأُمَّةِ لَهُ وَقِيَامِهِمْ (٨) فِي الِانْتِصَارِ لَهُ وَالِانْتِقَامِ مِمَّنْ قَتَلَهُ - أَظْهَرُ كَذِبًا مِنْ دَعْوَى الْمُدَّعِي إِجْمَاعَ الْأَئِمَّةِ عَلَى قَتْلِ الْحُسَيْنِ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ -. فَلَوْ قَالَ قَائِلٌ: إِنَّ الْحُسَيْنَ قُتِلَ بِإِجْمَاعِ النَّاسِ، لِأَنَّ الَّذِينَ قَاتَلُوهُ وَقَتَلُوهُ لَمْ يَدْفَعْهُمْ أَحَدٌ مِنْ ذَلِكَ، لَمْ يَكُنْ كَذِبُهُ بِأَظْهَرَ مِنْ كَذِبِ الْمُدَّعِي لِلْإِجْمَاعِ (٩) عَلَى قَتْلِ عُثْمَانَ ; فَإِنَّ الْحُسَيْنَ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ - لَمْ يَعْظُمْ إِنْكَارُ

(١) إِنَّ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) . (٢) أ، ب: إِلْزَامُ النَّاسِ الْبَيْعَةَ وَجَمْعُهُمْ. (٣) أَيْضًا: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) . (٤) ن، م، و: عَجَزَ. (٥) أ: وَتَجَادَلُوا. (٦) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٧) مِنْ جَمَاهِيرِ: كَذَا فِي (أ) ، (ب) . وَفِي سَائِرِ النُّسَخِ: إِنْكَارِ جَمَاهِيرِ. (٨) أ، ب: وَالْقِيَامِ. (٩) أ، ب: الْإِجْمَاعَ.