Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (4/396)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

them by alleging that they faulted one man for hating Ali yet condemned another for loving Ali? (1)

Yet no one among Ahl al-Sunnah regards hatred of Ali as an act of obedience or a good deed, or enjoins it; nor does anyone regard mere love for him as an evil deed or a sin, or forbid it.

The writings of every group within Ahl al-Sunnah are replete with accounts of his virtues and merits and with condemnation of those from every faction who wrong him. They denounce anyone who reviles him and detest such conduct. The mutual abuse and cursing that occurred between the two armies was of the same nature as the fighting that took place. Ahl al-Sunnah are among those who most (2) intensely detest and abhor the thought of his being fought or reviled. Rather, they all agree that he was of higher standing, more entitled to the caliphate, and superior in the sight of Allah, His Messenger, and the believers to Muawiya, his father, and his brother—the last of whom was better than Muawiya. Ali was also superior to those who were themselves superior to Muawiya—may Allah be pleased with him.

All the foremost early believers who pledged allegiance beneath the Tree were superior to those who embraced Islam in the year of the Conquest, and among the latter were many who were superior to Muawiya. Those who pledged beneath the Tree were superior to all of them, and Ali was superior to most (3) of those who pledged beneath the Tree. [Rather] (4), he was superior to all of them except the three. No one among Ahl al-Sunnah ranks [anyone] (5) other than the three above him. Indeed, they rank him above most of those present at Badr and at the Pledge of al-Ridwān, and above the foremost early believers among the Emigrants and the Helpers.

(1) A reads: “because of hatred for Ali and this man’s condemnation of love for Ali”; B reads: “because he hated Ali and censured this man for loving Ali.” (2) A and B read: “and they are among the most...” (3) M and R read: “superior to most of...” (4) “Rather” is added in A and B. (5) A reads: “anyone.” It is absent from all the other manuscripts, and I have supplied it from B.

عَلَيْهِمْ بِأَنْ قَدَحَ هَذَا لِبُغْضِهِ عَلِيًّا وَذَمَّ هَذَا لِحُبِّهِ عَلِيًّا (١) . ، مَعَ أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ مِنْ أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ مَنْ يَجْعَلُ بُغْضَ عَلِيٍّ طَاعَةً وَلَا حَسَنَةً، وَلَا يَأْمُرُ بِذَلِكَ، وَلَا مَنْ يَجْعَلُ مُجَرَّدَ حُبِّهِ سَيِّئَةً وَلَا مَعْصِيَةً، وَلَا يَنْهَى عَنْ ذَلِكَ. وَكُتُبُ أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ مِنْ جَمِيعِ الطَّوَائِفِ مَمْلُوءَةٌ بِذِكْرِ فَضَائِلِهِ وَمَنَاقِبِهِ، وَبِذَمِّ الَّذِينَ يَظْلِمُونَهُ مِنْ جَمِيعِ الْفِرَقِ، وَهُمْ يُنْكِرُونَ عَلَى مَنْ سَبَّهُ، وَكَارِهُونَ لِذَلِكَ. وَمَا جَرَى مِنَ التَّسَابِّ وَالتَّلَاعُنِ بَيْنَ الْعَسْكَرَيْنِ، مِنْ جِنْسِ مَا جَرَى مِنَ الْقِتَالِ. وَأَهْلُ السُّنَّةِ مِنْ أَشَدِّ (٢) . النَّاسِ بُغْضًا وَكَرَاهَةً لِأَنْ يُتَعَرَّضَ لَهُ بِقِتَالٍ أَوْ سَبٍّ، بَلْ هُمْ كُلُّهُمْ مُتَّفِقُونَ عَلَى أَنَّهُ أَجَلُّ قَدْرًا، وَأَحَقُّ بِالْإِمَامَةِ، وَأَفْضَلُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَعِنْدَ رَسُولِهِ وَعِنْدَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ وَأَبِيهِ وَأَخِيهِ الَّذِي كَانَ خَيْرًا مِنْهُ، وَعَلِيٌّ أَفْضَلُ مِمَّنْ هُوَ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ -، فَالسَّابِقُونَ الْأَوَّلُونَ الَّذِينَ بَايَعُوا تَحْتَ الشَّجَرَةِ كُلُّهُمْ أَفْضَلُ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أَسْلَمُوا عَامَ الْفَتْحِ، وَفِي هَؤُلَاءِ خَلْقٌ كَثِيرٌ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ، وَأَهْلُ الشَّجَرَةِ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ هَؤُلَاءِ كُلِّهِمْ، وَعَلِيٌّ أَفْضَلُ جُمْهُورِ ن (٣) . الَّذِينَ بَايَعُوا تَحْتَ الشَّجَرَةِ، [بَلْ] (٤) . هُوَ أَفْضَلُ مِنْهُمْ كُلِّهِمْ إِلَّا الثَّلَاثَةَ، فَلَيْسَ فِي أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ مَنْ يُقَدِّمُ عَلَيْهِ [أَحَدًا] (٥) . غَيْرَ الثَّلَاثَةِ، بَلْ يُفَضِّلُونَهُ عَلَى جُمْهُورِ أَهْلِ بَدْرٍ وَأَهْلِ بَيْعَةِ الرِّضْوَانِ، وَعَلَى السَّابِقِينَ الْأَوَّلِينَ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنْصَارِ.

(١) أ: لِبُغْضِ عَلِيٍّ وَذَمِّ هَذَا مَحَبَّةَ عَلِيٍّ ; ب: لِبُغْضِهِ عَلِيًّا وَذَمَّ هَذَا لِمَحَبَّةِ عَلِيٍّ (٢) أ، ب: وَهُمْ مِنْ أَشَدِّ (٣) ، م، ر: أَفْضَلُ مِنْ جُمْهُورِ (٤) بَلْ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (أ) ، (ب) (٥) أ: أَحَدٌ. وَسَقَطَتْ مِنْ سَائِرِ النُّسَخِ، وَأَثْبَتُّهَا مِنْ (ب)