Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (4/445)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

Ahmad [ibn Hanbal] (1) said: “The forbearing leader” [meaning Muāwiya] (2). Muāwiya was noble and forbearing.

Furthermore, the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—did not deliver only one sermon. Rather, he delivered sermons on Fridays, at the Eid festivals, during the Hajj, and on other occasions. Muāwiya and his father attended these sermons just as all the Muslims did. Do you suppose that at every sermon they would both get up and leave (3), and be permitted to do so? This is an attack upon the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and upon all the other Muslims, for they would thereby be allowing two men continually to get up and neither attend (4) the sermon nor the Friday prayer. Yet if they attended every sermon, why would they refuse [to listen to] a single sermon (5) before he had even delivered it?

It is also well known from Muāwiya’s life that he was among the most forbearing of people, among the most patient with those who harmed him, and among the most adept at winning over those who opposed him. How, then, could he have walked away from the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—when he held the highest rank among all creation (6) in religion and worldly affairs, and Muāwiya needed him in all his affairs? How could he not patiently listen to his words when, even after assuming kingship, [he would] (7) listen to those who insulted him (8) to his face? Why, then, would he not (9) listen to the words of the Prophet—may Allah bless

(1) The text within square brackets is absent from N, M, and W. (2) The text within square brackets is absent from N, M, and W. (3) “Do you suppose that the two of them...?”: this reading occurs only in B. All other manuscripts read: “Do you suppose that he...?” (4) R, S, and H read: “that they would get up and not attend.” (5) N, M, W, and A read: “they would refrain during sermons.” B reads: “from listening.” 1— (6) N reads: “the people.” (7) The auxiliary “was” occurs only in W. (8) A and B read: “someone who insults him.” (9) A and B read: “did not.”

قَالَ أَحْمَدُ [بْنُ حَنْبَلٍ] (١) : السَّيِّدُ الْحَلِيمُ [يَعْنِي مُعَاوِيَةَ] (٢) ، وَكَانَ مُعَاوِيَةُ كَرِيمًا حَلِيمًا. ثُمَّ إِنَّ خُطَبَ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - لَمْ تَكُنْ وَاحِدَةً، بَلْ كَانَ يَخْطُبُ فِي الْجُمَعِ وَالْأَعْيَادِ وَالْحَجِّ وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ. وَمُعَاوِيَةُ وَأَبُوهُ يَشْهَدَانِ الْخُطَبَ، كَمَا يَشْهَدُهَا الْمُسْلِمُونَ كُلُّهُمْ. أَفَتَرَاهُمَا (٣) فِي كُلِّ خُطْبَةٍ كَانَا يَقُومَانِ وَيُمَكَّنَانِ مِنْ ذَلِكَ؟ هَذَا قَدْحٌ فِي النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - وَفِي سَائِرِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، إِذْ يُمَكِّنُونَ اثْنَيْنِ دَائِمًا يَقُومَانِ وَلَا يَحْضُرَانِ (٤) الْخُطْبَةَ وَلَا الْجُمْعَةَ. وَإِنْ كَانَا يَشْهَدَانِ كُلَّ خُطْبَةٍ، فَمَا بَالُهُمَا يَمْتَنِعَانِ [مِنْ سَمَاعِ] خُطْبَةٍ (٥) وَاحِدَةٍ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَتَكَلَّمَ بِهَا؟ . ثُمَّ مِنَ الْمَعْلُومِ مِنْ سِيرَةِ مُعَاوِيَةَ أَنَّهُ كَانَ مِنْ أَحْلَمِ النَّاسِ، وَأَصْبَرِهِمْ عَلَى مَنْ يُؤْذِيهِ، وَأَعْظَمِ النَّاسِ تَأْلِيفًا لِمَنْ يُعَادِيهِ، فَكَيْفَ يَنْفِرُ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -، مَعَ أَنَّهُ أَعْظَمُ الْخَلْقِ (٦) مَرْتَبَةً فِي الدِّينِ وَالدُّنْيَا، وَهُوَ مُحْتَاجٌ إِلَيْهِ فِي كُلِّ أُمُورِهِ؟ فَكَيْفَ لَا يَصْبِرُ عَلَى سَمَاعِ كَلَامِهِ وَهُوَ بَعْدَ الْمُلْكِ [كَانَ] (٧) يَسْمَعُ كَلَامَ مَنْ يَسُبُّهُ (٨) فِي وَجْهِهِ؟ فَلِمَاذَا لَا (٩) يَسْمَعُ كَلَامَ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ

(١) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) ، (و) . (٢) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) ، (و) . (٣) أَفَتَرَاهُمَا: كَذَا فِي (ب) فَقَطْ. وَفِي سَائِرِ النُّسَخِ: أَفَتَرَاهُ. (٤) ر، ص، هـ: أَنْ يَقُومَا وَلَا يَحْضُرَانِ. (٥) ن، م، و، أ: يَمْتَنِعَانِ فِي خُطَبٍ. وَفِي (ب) : عَنْ سَمَاعِ. ١ - (٦) ن: النَّاسِ. (٧) كَانَ: فِي (و) فَقَطْ. (٨) أ، ب: مَنْ يَشْتُمُهُ. (٩) أ، ب: لَمْ.