Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (4/408)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

and became the ruler of all the Muslims. Despite this, he did not (1) put to death those of ʿUthmān’s killers who had remained (2). Indeed, it is related that [when] (3) he came to Medina (4) for Hajj, he heard a voice in the house (5) of ʿUthmān crying, “Alas for the Commander of the Faithful! Alas for the Commander of the Faithful!” (6)

He asked, “What is this?”

They replied, “It is ʿUthmān’s daughter lamenting him.” He dismissed (7) the people, then went to her and said, “My cousin, the people have given us their obedience reluctantly, while we have shown them forbearance despite our anger. If we withdraw our forbearance, they will withdraw their obedience. It is better for you to remain the daughter of the Commander of the Faithful than to become merely one of the common people. So do not let me hear you mention ʿUthmān again after today.”

Thus Muʿāwiya—may Allah be pleased with him—whose defender claims that he was right to fight ʿAlī because he was seeking the execution (8) of ʿUthmān’s killers, did not put them to death when (9) he gained power and the people unanimously accepted him. If putting them to death was obligatory and within his power, it would have been more appropriate for him to do so without fighting the Muslims than to fight ʿAlī and his companions for that purpose. Had Muʿāwiya put ʿUthmān’s killers to death, no greater turmoil would have occurred than occurred during the nights of

(1) A and B read: “did not.” (2) A and B read: “rebelled.” (3) “When” appears only in A and B. (4) “Medina” is omitted from R, S, and H. (5) N and M read: “in mentioning.” (6) The second occurrence of the expression “Alas for the Commander of the Faithful!” is omitted from A and B. (7) N, W, and A read: “then he struck.” (8) R, S, and H read: “to kill.” (9) R, S, and H read: “then, when.”

وَصَارَ أَمِيرًا عَلَى جَمِيعِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، وَمَعَ هَذَا فَلَمْ (١) . يَقْتُلْ قَتَلَةَ عُثْمَانَ الَّذِينَ كَانُوا قَدْ بَقَوْا (٢) . بَلْ رُوِيَ عَنْهُ أَنَّهُ [لَمَّا] (٣) . قَدِمَ الْمَدِينَةَ (٤) ) . حَاجًّا فَسَمِعَ الصَّوْتَ فِي دَارِ (٥) . عُثْمَانَ: " يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَاهُ، يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَاهُ " (٦) . ، فَقَالَ: مَا هَذَا؟ قَالُوا: بِنْتُ عُثْمَانَ تَنْدُبُ عُثْمَانَ. فَصَرَفَ (٧) . النَّاسَ، ثُمَّ ذَهَبَ إِلَيْهَا فَقَالَ: يَا ابْنَةَ عَمِّ إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ بَذَلُوا لَنَا الطَّاعَةَ عَلَى كُرْهٍ، وَبَذَلْنَا لَهُمْ حِلْمًا عَلَى غَيْظٍ، فَإِنْ رَدَدْنَا حِلْمَنَا رَدُّوا طَاعَتَهُمْ؛ وَلَأَنْ تَكُونِي بِنْتَ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَنْ تَكُونِي وَاحِدَةً مِنْ عُرْضِ النَّاسِ، فَلَا أَسْمَعَنَّكِ بَعْدَ الْيَوْمِ ذَكَرْتِ عُثْمَانَ. فَمُعَاوِيَةُ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ -، الَّذِي يَقُولُ الْمُنْتَصِرُ لَهُ: إِنَّهُ كَانَ مُصِيبًا فِي قِتَالِ عَلِيٍّ، لِأَنَّهُ كَانَ طَالِبًا لِقَتْلِ (٨) . قَتَلَةَ عُثْمَانَ، لَمَّا (٩) . تَمَكَّنَ وَأَجْمَعَ النَّاسُ عَلَيْهِ لَمْ يَقْتُلْ قَتَلَةَ عُثْمَانَ. فَإِنْ كَانَ قَتْلُهُمْ وَاجِبًا، وَهُوَ مَقْدُورٌ لَهُ، كَانَ فِعْلُهُ بِدُونِ قِتَالِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ أَوْلَى مِنْ أَنْ يُقَاتِلَ عَلِيًّا وَأَصْحَابَهُ لِأَجْلِ ذَلِكَ، وَلَوْ قَتَلَ مُعَاوِيَةُ قَتَلَةَ عُثْمَانَ لَمْ يَقَعْ مِنَ الْفِتْنَةِ أَكْثَرَ مِمَّا وَقَعَ لَيَالِيَ

(١) أ، ب: لَمْ (٢) أ، ب: بَغَوْا (٣) لَمَّا: فِي (أ) ، (ب) . فَقَطْ (٤) الْمَدِينَةَ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ر) ، (ص) ، (هـ (٥) ن، م: فِي ذِكْرِ (٦) عِبَارَةُ: " يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَاهُ " الثَّانِيَةُ سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) (٧) ن، و، أ: فَضَرَبَ (٨) ر، ص، هـ: لِيَقْتُلَ (٩) ر، ص، هـ: فَلَمَّا