Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (4/425)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

on just terms, it would no longer be capable of offering resistance, and it would therefore not be permissible to fight it, even though it had been the rebellious party. Fighting the rebellious party is commanded only until it returns to Allah’s command—that is, comes back. He then said:

“If it returns, then make peace between them with justice.”

Thus, He commanded reconciliation after fighting the [rebellious] faction (1), just as He commanded reconciliation when the two groups first began fighting. When the conflict broke out, Aisha—may Allah be pleased with her—said, “The people have abandoned acting upon this verse.”

The matter was just as she said, for when the two groups fought, no reconciliation was effected between them. Even if one were to assume that the rebellious party was fought, the fighting against it was not carried on until it returned to Allah’s command, with a just reconciliation then being made between the two groups—even though Allah Most High commanded fighting until the return, followed by reconciliation; He did not command fighting in isolation. Rather, He said:

“Fight the one that rebels until it returns to Allah’s command.”

Yet no fighting took place that continued until it returned to Allah’s command. If that could have been done, it did not occur; and if it was beyond their ability, they were not commanded to do it (2).

The Muslims’ inability on the day of Uhud to fight in the manner that would have brought them victory was due to their failure to obey the Messenger and to their sins. Likewise, their flight on the day of Hunayn was sinful. This is shown by the fact that, if one group were to rebel against another and its aggression could be brought to an end without fighting, fighting would not be permissible. Thus, if the aggression could be ended (3) through admonition, a legal opinion (4), or enjoining what is right, it would not be permissible

(1) The reading “rebellious” is found in W; A reads “civil strife,” while all the other manuscripts read “faction.” Perhaps the text I have established is correct. (2) Ibn Taymiyya’s statement, “Even if it were assumed that [the rebellious faction] was fought … it would not have been commanded,” is unclear here, and I fear that the text may contain a corruption or omission. The intended meaning is that the rebellious faction must be fought until it returns to Allah’s command. If it returns, the two factions must be reconciled with justice. However, what occurred during the civil strife did not conform to Allah’s command: Ali—may Allah be pleased with him—did not fight the rebellious faction until it returned to Allah’s command and then effect a just reconciliation between his faction and the rebellious faction. Had what the noble verse directs been impossible, Allah Most High would not have commanded it. (3) S reads: “If the fighting ceased.” (4) The words “or a legal opinion” are omitted in W.

بِالْعَدْلِ لَمْ تَكُنْ مُمْتَنِعَةً، فَلَمْ يَجُزْ قِتَالُهَا. وَلَوْ كَانَتْ بَاغِيَةً، وَقَدْ أُمِرَ بِقِتَالِ الْبَاغِيَةِ إِلَى أَنْ تَفِيءَ إِلَى أَمْرِ اللَّهِ، أَيْ تَرْجِعَ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: ( «فَإِنْ فَاءَتْ فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَهُمَا بِالْعَدْلِ» ) فَأَمَرَ بِالْإِصْلَاحِ بَعْدَ قِتَالِ الْفِئَةِ [الْبَاغِيَةِ] (١) . ، كَمَا أَمَرَ بِالْإِصْلَاحِ إِذَا اقْتَتَلَتَا ابْتِدَاءً، وَقَدْ قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا - لَمَّا وَقَعَتِ الْفِتْنَةُ: " تَرَكَ النَّاسُ الْعَمَلَ بِهَذِهِ الْآيَةِ " . وَهُوَ كَمَا قَالَتْ ; فَإِنَّهُمَا لَمَّا اقْتَتَلَتَا لَمْ يُصْلَحْ بَيْنَهُمَا، وَلَوْ قُدِّرَ أَنَّهُ قُوتِلَتِ الْبَاغِيَةُ، فَلَمْ تُقَاتَلْ حَتَّى تَفِيءَ إِلَى أَمْرِ اللَّهِ، ثُمَّ أُصْلِحَ بَيْنَهُمَا بِالْعَدْلِ - وَاللَّهُ تَعَالَى أَمَرَ بِالْقِتَالِ إِلَى الْفَيْءِ، ثُمَّ الْإِصْلَاحِ، لَمْ يَأْمُرْ بِقِتَالٍ مُجَرَّدٍ، بَلْ قَالَ: {فَقَاتِلُوا الَّتِي تَبْغِي حَتَّى تَفِيءَ إِلَى أَمْرِ اللَّهِ} - وَمَا حَصَلَ قِتَالٌ حَتَّى تَفِيءَ إِلَى أَمْرِ اللَّهِ، فَإِنْ كَانَ ذَلِكَ مَقْدُورًا فَمَا وَقَعَ، وَإِنْ كَانَ مَعْجُوزًا عَنْهُ لَمْ يَكُنْ مَأْمُورًا بِهِ (٢) .. وَعَجْزُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ يَوْمَ أُحُدٍ عَنِ الْقِتَالِ الَّذِي يَقْتَضِي انْتِصَارَهُمْ كَانَ بِتَرْكِ طَاعَةِ الرَّسُولِ وَذُنُوبِهِمْ، وَكَذَلِكَ التَّوَلِّي يَوْمَ حُنَيْنٍ كَانَ مِنَ الذُّنُوبِ. يُبَيِّنُ ذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ لَوْ قُدِّرَ أَنَّ طَائِفَةً بَغَتْ عَلَى طَائِفَةٍ، وَأَمْكَنَ دَفْعُ الْبَغْيِ بِلَا قِتَالٍ، لَمْ يَجُزِ الْقِتَالُ، فَلَوِ انْدَفَعَ الْبَغْيُ (٣) . بِوَعْظٍ أَوْ فُتْيَا (٤) . أَوْ أَمْرٍ بِمَعْرُوفٍ لَمْ يَجُزِ

(١) الْبَاغِيَةِ: فِي (و) . وَفِي (أ) : الْفِتْنَةِ. وَفِي سَائِرِ النُّسَخِ: الْفِئَةِ. وَلَعَلَّ الصَّوَابَ مَا أَثْبَتُّهُ (٢) قَوْلُ ابْنِ تَيْمِيَّةَ: وَلَوْ قُدِّرَ أَنَّهُ قُوتِلَتْ. . . لَمْ يَكُنْ مَأْمُورًا بِهِ. الْكَلَامُ هُنَا غَيْرُ وَاضِحٍ، وَأَخْشَى أَنْ يَكُونَ هُنَاكَ تَحْرِيفٌ أَوْ سَقْطٌ. وَالْمَعْنَى: أَنَّ الْفِئَةَ الْبَاغِيَةَ يَجِبُ أَنْ تُقَاتَلَ حَتَّى تَفِيءَ إِلَى أَمْرِ اللَّهِ، فَإِنْ فَاءَتْ فَيَجِبُ الْإِصْلَاحُ بَيْنَ الْفِئَتَيْنِ بِالْعَدْلِ، وَلَكِنْ مَا حَدَثَ فِي الْفِتْنَةِ لَمْ يُطَابِقْ أَمْرَ اللَّهِ إِذْ إِنَّ عَلِيًّا - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ - لَمْ يُقَاتِلِ الْفِئَةَ الْبَاغِيَةَ حَتَّى تَفِيءَ إِلَى أَمْرِ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ أَصْلَحَ بَيْنَ فِئَتِهِ وَالْفِئَةِ الْبَاغِيَةِ بِالْعَدْلِ، وَلَوْ كَانَ مَا أَرْشَدَتْ إِلَيْهِ الْآيَةُ الْكَرِيمَةُ غَيْرَ مُمْكِنٍ مَا أَمَرَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى بِهِ (٣) ص: فَلَوِ انْدَفَعَ الْقِتَالُ (٤) أَوْ فُتْيَا: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (و)