Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (4/365)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

the designated Hāshimite successor lest he compel them to accept the truth they disliked, then putting forward (1) someone who would secure their demands while retaining Hāshimite leadership—namely, al-Abbās—would have been more appropriate and more advantageous to them than Abū Bakr, who would not assist them in obtaining their demands as al-Abbās would and would compel them to accept the bitter truth even more than Alī would. If they disliked some bitter truth from Alī, they would have disliked it even more from (2) Abū Bakr; and if they sought sweet worldly gains from Abū Bakr, they could more readily have obtained them from al-Abbās and Alī. Their turning away from Alī, al-Abbās, and others in favor of Abū Bakr therefore proves that they placed the truth where it belonged [and settled it in its proper form] (3), pursued the soundest course by its proper means (4), and knew that Allah and His Messenger were pleased that Abū Bakr—may Allah be pleased with him—should be given precedence.

This was something they knew clearly and unmistakably from what they had seen and heard from the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—throughout their companionship with him. Through prolonged observation, experience (5), and hearing, they knew enough of the Prophet’s preference for Abū Bakr to require them to give him precedence and obey him. Hence Umar—may Allah be pleased with him—said:

“There is no one among you (6) to whom (7) people journey from afar as they do to Abū Bakr.” (8)

He meant that Abū Bakr’s superiority over everyone else was manifest and evident, requiring no investigation or deliberation.

(1) A reads: “putting him forward”; B: “putting them forward.” (2) N and W read: “in.” (3) The text in square brackets is omitted from N and A. (4) W reads: “and they came to it through its proper door.” (5) “And experience” appears only in N and W. (6) N reads: “among us.” (7) A and B read: “in him.” (8) This report appeared previously at 1:517.

الْوَصِيِّ الْهَاشِمِيِّ لِئَلَّا يَحْمِلَهُمْ عَلَى الْحَقِّ الَّذِي يَكْرَهُونَهُ، كَانَ تَقْدِيمُ (١) مَنْ يُحَصِّلُ مَطَالِبَهُمْ مَعَ الرِّيَاسَةِ الْهَاشِمِيَّةِ - وَهُوَ الْعَبَّاسُ - أَوْلَى وَأَحْرَى مِنْ أَبِي بَكْرٍ، الَّذِي لَا يُعِينُهُمْ عَلَى مَطَالِبِهِمْ كَإِعَانَةِ الْعَبَّاسِ، وَيَحْمِلُهُمْ عَلَى الْحَقِّ الْمُرِّ أَكْثَرَ مَا يَحْمِلُهُمْ عَلَيْهِ عَلِيٌّ، فَلَوْ كُرِهَ مِنْ عَلِيٍّ حَقٌّ مُرٌّ لَكَانَ ذَلِكَ مِنْ (٢) أَبِي بَكْرٍ أَكْرَهَ، وَلَوْ أُرِيدَ مِنْ أَبِي بَكْرٍ دُنْيَا حُلْوَةٌ لَكَانَ طَلَبُهَا عِنْدَ الْعَبَّاسِ وَعَلِيٍّ أَقْرَبَ، فَعُدُولُهُمْ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ وَعَنِ الْعَبَّاسِ وَغَيْرِهِمَا إِلَى أَبِي بَكْرٍ دَلِيلٌ عَلَى أَنَّ الْقَوْمَ وَضَعُوا الْحَقَّ فِي نِصَابِهِ، [وَأَقَرُّوهُ فِي إِهَابِهِ] (٣) ، وَأَتَوُا الْأَمْرَ الْأَرْشَدَ مِنْ بَابِهِ (٤) ، وَأَنَّهُمْ عَلِمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ كَانَا يَرْضَيَانِ تَقْدِيمَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ -. وَهَذَا أَمْرٌ كَانَ مَعْلُومًا لَهُمْ عِلْمًا ظَاهِرًا بَيِّنًا لِمَا رَأَوْهُ وَسَمِعُوهُ مِنَ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - مُدَّةَ صُحْبَتِهِمْ لَهُ، فَعَلِمُوا مِنْ تَفْضِيلِ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - لِأَبِي بَكْرٍ بِطُولِ الْمُشَاهَدَةِ وَالتَّجْرِبَةِ (٥) وَالسَّمَاعِ مَا أَوْجَبَ تَقْدِيمَهُ وَطَاعَتَهُ. وَلِهَذَا قَالَ عُمَرُ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ -: " لَيْسَ فِيكُمْ (٦) مَنْ تُقْطَعُ إِلَيْهِ (٧) الْأَعْنَاقُ مِثْلَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ " (٨) أَرَادَ أَنَّ فَضِيلَتَهُ عَلَى غَيْرِهِ ظَاهِرَةٌ مَكْشُوفَةٌ لَا تَحْتَاجُ إِلَى بَحْثٍ وَنَظَرٍ.

(١) أ: تَقْدِيمُهُ ; ب: تَقْدِيمُهُمْ. (٢) ن، وَ: فِي. (٣) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (أ) . (٤) و: وَأَتَوْا إِلَيْهِ مِنْ بَابِهِ. (٥) وَالتَّجْرِبَةِ: فِي (ن) ، (و) فَقَطْ. (٦) ن: فِينَا. (٧) أ، ب: فِيهِ. (٨) سَبَقَ هَذَا الْأَثَرُ ١/٥١٧.