Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (4/507)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

everyone after the killing of Uthmān (1), and he took his place; he was therefore (2) worse than Iblīs.”

The response is as follows:

This statement contains such ignorance, misguidance, departure from Islam and every religion—and indeed even from the reason possessed by many disbelievers—as will be evident to anyone who reflects upon it.

First, (3) Iblīs is a greater disbeliever than any other disbeliever, and everyone who enters the Fire is among his followers. Allah Most High said:

“I will surely fill Hell with you and with all those among them who follow you.”

Surah Sād. It is he who commands [them] (4) to commit every vile deed and makes it appear attractive to them. How, then, could anyone be worse than he—particularly a Muslim, and still less one of the Companions?

This man’s statement, “Worse than Iblīs is one who did not surpass him in former obedience, yet raced alongside him in the field of disobedience,” (5) entails that everyone who disobeys Allah is worse than Iblīs, since he did not surpass him in former obedience and raced alongside him in the field of disobedience. Adam and his descendants would therefore be worse than Iblīs, for the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said:

“Every son of Adam repeatedly errs, and the best of those who repeatedly err are those who repent.” (6)

Would anyone who believes in Allah and the Last Day then say that a Muslim who commits a sin becomes worse than Iblīs? Or is the falsity of this not known by necessity from the religion of

(1) K: “after Uthmān.” (2) N, M: “and he was.” (3) A, B: “for indeed.” (4) “For them”: added in (A) and (B). (5) The phrase “and went with him into the arena of disobedience” is omitted from (A). In (B): “an arena of disobedience.” (6) This hadith was cited previously at 2/407.

الْكُلُّ بَعْدَ قَتْلِ عُثْمَانَ (١) وَجَلَسَ مَكَانَهُ، فَكَانَ (٢) شَرًّا مِنْ إِبْلِيسَ ". فَيُقَالُ: هَذَا الْكَلَامُ فِيهِ مِنَ الْجَهْلِ وَالضَّلَالِ وَالْخُرُوجِ عَنْ دِينِ الْإِسْلَامِ وَكُلِّ دِينٍ، بَلْ وَعَنِ الْعَقْلِ الَّذِي يَكُونُ لِكَثِيرٍ مِنَ الْكُفَّارِ، مَا لَا يَخْفَى عَنْ مَنْ تَدَبَّرَهُ. أَمَّا أَوَّلًا: فَلِأَنَّ (٣) إِبْلِيسَ أَكْفَرُ مِنْ كُلِّ كَافِرٍ، وَكُلُّ مَنْ دَخَلَ النَّارَ فَمِنْ أَتْبَاعِهِ. كَمَا قَالَ تَعَالَى: {لَأَمْلَأَنَّ جَهَنَّمَ مِنْكَ وَمِمَّنْ تَبِعَكَ مِنْهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ} سُورَةُ ص وَهُوَ الْآمِرُ [لَهُمْ] (٤) بِكُلِّ قَبِيحٍ الْمُزَيِّنُ لَهُ، فَكَيْفَ يَكُونُ أَحَدٌ شَرًّا مِنْهُ؟ لَا سِيَّمَا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، لَا سِيَّمَا مِنَ الصَّحَابَةِ؟ . وَقَوْلُ هَذَا الْقَائِلِ: " شَرٌّ مِنْ إِبْلِيسَ مَنْ لَمْ يَسْبِقْهُ فِي سَالِفِ طَاعَةٍ، وَجَرَى مَعَهُ فِي مَيْدَانِ الْمَعْصِيَةِ " (٥) يَقْتَضِي أَنَّ كُلَّ مَنْ عَصَى اللَّهَ فَهُوَ شَرٌّ مِنْ إِبْلِيسَ، لِأَنَّهُ لَمْ يَسْبِقْهُ فِي سَالِفِ طَاعَةٍ، وَجَرَى مَعَهُ فِي مَيْدَانِ الْمَعْصِيَةِ. وَحِينَئِذٍ فَيَكُونُ آدَمُ وَذُرِّيَّتُهُ شَرًّا مِنْ إِبْلِيسَ ; فَإِنَّ النَّبِيَّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - قَالَ: " «كُلُّ بَنِي آدَمَ خَطَّاءٌ، وَخَيْرُ الْخَطَّائِينَ التَّوَّابُونَ» " (٦) . ثُمَّ هَلْ يَقُولُ مَنْ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ: إِنَّ مَنْ أَذْنَبَ ذَنْبًا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ يَكُونُ شَرًّا مِنْ إِبْلِيسَ؟ أَوَ لَيْسَ هَذَا مِمَّا يُعْلَمُ فَسَادُهُ بِالِاضْطِرَارِ مِنْ دِينِ

(١) ك: بَعْدَ عُثْمَانَ. (٢) ن، م: وَكَانَ. (٣) أ، ب: فَإِنَّ. (٤) لَهُمْ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (أ) ، (ب) . (٥) عِبَارَةُ " وَجَرَى مَعَهُ فِي مَيْدَانِ الْمَعْصِيَةِ ": سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) . وَفِي (ب) : مَيْدَانِ مَعْصِيَةٍ. (٦) سَبَقَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ ٢/٤٠٧.