Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (4/406)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

I know of no proponent of this view among the followers of the four Imams or their counterparts among Ahl al-Sunnah. Rather, it is the view of many Marwānids (1) and those who agreed with them.

Among them are some who say that ʿAlī (2) was complicit in shedding ʿUthmān’s blood. Some say that he (3) gave the order openly; others say that he (4) gave it secretly; still others say that he approved of his killing and rejoiced at it; and yet others make different claims. All of this is falsehood and fabrication against ʿAlī—may Allah be pleased with him—(5). ʿAlī—may Allah be pleased with him—had no part (6) in ʿUthmān’s bloodshed; he neither ordered it nor approved of it.

It is related that he—and he was truthful and righteous (7)—said:

“By Allah, I did not kill ʿUthmān, nor did I assist in his killing.”

It is also related that he said:

“I neither killed him nor approved of his killing.”

It is further related that he heard Muʿāwiya’s supporters cursing ʿUthmān’s killers, whereupon he said:

“O Allah, curse ʿUthmān’s killers on land and sea, on plain and mountain.”

It is also related that some people (8) gave false testimony against him before the people of Syria, claiming that he had participated in shedding ʿUthmān’s blood (9). This was among the reasons that led them to withhold their allegiance from him: they believed that he was an oppressor, that he (10) was one of ʿUthmān’s killers, and that he had sheltered ʿUthmān’s killers because he agreed with them concerning his killing.

(1) W reads: “the statement of others among the Marwānids.” (2) The phrase *inna Alīyyan* (“indeed, Alī”) is omitted from A and B. (3) *Innahu* (“indeed, he”) is omitted from A, B, and S. (4) *Innahu* (“indeed, he”) is omitted only from A and B. (5) N and M read: “a lie and fabrication against Alī.” (6) N, M, and W read: “did not participate.” (7) N and M read: “and he is truthful, affirmed as truthful, and righteous.” (8) A and B read: “that some people.” (9) N, M, and W read: “in the killing of Uthmān.” (10) *Wa-annahu* (“and that he”) is omitted from A and B.

وَهَذَا الْقَوْلُ لَا أَعْلَمُ لَهُ قَائِلًا مِنْ أَصْحَابِ الْأَئِمَّةِ الْأَرْبَعَةِ وَنَحْوِهِمْ مِنْ أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ، وَلَكِنْ هُوَ قَوْلُ كَثِيرٍ مِنَ الْمَرْوَانِيَّةِ (١) . وَمَنْ وَافَقَهُمْ. وَمِنْ هَؤُلَاءِ مَنْ يَقُولُ: إِنَّ عَلِيًّا (٢) . شَارَكَ فِي دَمِ عُثْمَانَ، فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَقُولُ: إِنَّهُ (٣) . أَمَرَ عَلَانِيَةً، وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَقُولُ إِنَّهُ (٤) . : أَمَرَ سِرًّا، وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَقُولُ: بَلْ رَضِيَ بِقَتْلِهِ وَفَرِحَ بِذَلِكَ، وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَقُولُ غَيْرَ ذَلِكَ. وَهَذَا كُلُّهُ كَذِبٌ عَلَى عَلِيٍّ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ - وَافْتِرَاءٌ عَلَيْهِ (٥) . ، فَعَلِيٌّ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ - لَمْ يُشَارِكْ (٦) . فِي دَمِ عُثْمَانَ وَلَا أَمَرَ وَلَا رَضِيَ. وَقَدْ رُوِيَ عَنْهُ - وَهُوَ الصَّادِقُ الْبَارُّ (٧) . - أَنَّهُ قَالَ: وَاللَّهِ مَا قَتَلْتُ عُثْمَانَ وَلَا مَالَأْتُ عَلَى قَتْلِهِ. وَرُوِيَ عَنْهُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: مَا قَتَلْتُ وَلَا رَضِيتُ. وَرُوِيَ عَنْهُ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَصْحَابَ مُعَاوِيَةَ يَلْعَنُونَ قَتَلَةَ عُثْمَانَ، فَقَالَ: اللَّهُمَّ الْعَنْ قَتَلَةَ عُثْمَانَ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ، وَالسَّهْلِ وَالْجَبَلِ. وَرُوِيَ أَنَّ أَقْوَامًا (٨) . شَهِدُوا عَلَيْهِ بِالزُّورِ عِنْدَ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ أَنَّهُ شَارَكَ فِي دَمِ عُثْمَانَ (٩) . ، وَكَانَ هَذَا مِمَّا دَعَاهُمْ إِلَى تَرْكِ مُبَايَعَتِهِ لِمَا اعْتَقَدُوا أَنَّهُ ظَالِمٌ وَأَنَّهُ (١٠) . مِنْ قَتَلَةِ عُثْمَانَ، وَأَنَّهُ آوَى قَتَلَةَ عُثْمَانَ لِمُوَافَقَتِهِ لَهُمْ عَلَى قَتْلِهِ.

(١) و: قَوْلُ آخَرِينَ مِنَ الْمَرْوَانِيَّةِ (٢) عِبَارَةُ " إِنَّ عَلِيًّا " سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) (٣) إِنَّهُ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) ، (ص) (٤) إِنَّهُ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) فَقَطْ (٥) ن، م: كَذِبٌ وَافْتِرَاءٌ عَلَى عَلِيٍّ (٦) ن، م، و: لَمْ يَشْرَكْ (٧) ن، م: وَهُوَ الصَّادِقُ الْمَصْدُوقُ الْبَارُّ (٨) أ، ب: أَنَّ نَاسًا (٩) ن، م، و: فِي قَتْلِ عُثْمَانَ (١٠) وَأَنَّهُ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب)