Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (4/541)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

the one who fights him, imagining that he is fighting him so that there may be no persecution and religion may belong wholly to Allah. Yet one of the greatest motives driving him against the ruler (1) is the pursuit of his own interest: either a position of authority or wealth (2).

As Allah Most High says:

“If they are given some of it, they are pleased; but if they are not given any of it, they immediately become resentful.”

[Surah al-Tawbah: 58]

It is reported in the Sahih (3) that the Prophet—peace and blessings of Allah be upon him—said:

“There are three whom Allah will neither speak to nor look upon on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them, and they will have a painful punishment: a man who has surplus water but withholds it from (4) a traveler. Allah will say to him [on the Day of Resurrection] (5), ‘Today I shall withhold My bounty (6) from you, just as you withheld surplus water that your own hands did not produce’; a man who pledges allegiance to a ruler solely for worldly gain—if the ruler gives him some of it, he is pleased, but if he withholds it, he becomes angry; and a man who, after the afternoon prayer, falsely swears regarding an item of merchandise that he had been offered more for it than he actually had.” (7).

Thus, when misconception and desire come together on one side, and desire and misconception on the other, civil strife erupts. The Lawgiver commanded every person to do what serves his own welfare and that of the Muslims. He therefore commanded rulers to treat their subjects with justice and sincere concern, even saying:

“There is no shepherd whom Allah places in charge of

(1) W reads: “drove him against the ruler.” (2) S and B read: “or wealth.” (3) S reads: “And in the two Sahihs.” (4) The word “from” is omitted from A, R, and B. (5) The phrase “on the Day of Resurrection” is omitted from N, M, W, H, and A. (6) W reads: “I shall deny you My bounty.” (7) This hadith appeared previously in this volume, p. 412.

الْمُقَاتِلُ لَهُ ظَانًّا أَنَّهُ يُقَاتِلُهُ لِئَلَّا تَكُونَ فِتْنَةٌ وَيَكُونَ الدِّينُ كُلُّهُ لِلَّهِ، وَمِنْ أَعْظَمِ مَا حَرَّكَهُ عَلَيْهِ (١) طَلَبُ غَرَضِهِ: إِمَّا وِلَايَةٌ، وَإِمَّا مَالٌ (٢) . كَمَا قَالَ تَعَالَى: {فَإِنْ أُعْطُوا مِنْهَا رَضُوا وَإِنْ لَمْ يُعْطَوْا مِنْهَا إِذَا هُمْ يَسْخَطُونَ} [سُورَةُ التَّوْبَةِ: ٥٨] وَفِي الصَّحِيحِ (٣) عَنِ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - أَنَّهُ قَالَ: " «ثَلَاثَةٌ لَا يُكَلِّمُهُمُ اللَّهُ وَلَا يَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَلَا يُزَكِّيهِمْ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ: رَجُلٌ عَلَى فَضْلِ مَاءٍ يَمْنَعُهُ مِنِ (٤) ابْنِ السَّبِيلِ، يَقُولُ اللَّهُ لَهُ [يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ] (٥) : الْيَوْمَ أَمْنَعُكَ فَضْلِي (٦) كَمَا مَنَعْتَ فَضْلَ مَا لَمْ تَعْمَلْ يَدَاكَ. وَرَجُلٌ بَايَعَ إِمَامًا لَا يُبَايِعُهُ إِلَّا لِدُنْيَا: إِنْ أَعْطَاهُ مِنْهَا رَضِيَ: وَإِنْ مَنَعَهُ سَخِطَ. وَرَجُلٌ حَلَفَ عَلَى سِلْعَةٍ بَعْدَ الْعَصْرِ كَاذِبًا: لَقَدْ أَعْطَى بِهَا أَكْثَرَ مِمَّا أَعْطَى» " (٧) . فَإِذَا اتَّفَقَ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْجِهَةِ شُبْهَةٌ وَشَهْوَةٌ، وَمِنْ هَذِهِ الْجِهَةِ شَهْوَةٌ وَشُبْهَةٌ قَامَتِ الْفِتْنَةُ. وَالشَّارِعُ أَمَرَ كُلَّ إِنْسَانٍ بِمَا هُوَ الْمَصْلَحَةُ لَهُ وَلِلْمُسْلِمِينَ، فَأَمَرَ الْوُلَاةَ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالنُّصْحِ لِرَعِيَّتِهِمْ، حَتَّى قَالَ: " «مَا مِنْ رَاعٍ يَسْتَرْعِيهِ اللَّهُ

(١) و: جَرَى عَلَيْهِ. (٢) ص، ب: وَإِمَّا مَالًا. (٣) ص: وَفِي الصَّحِيحَيْنِ. (٤) مِنْ: لَيْسَتْ فِي (أ) ، (ر) ، (ب) . (٥) يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) ، (و) ، (هـ) ، (أ) . (٦) و: أَمْنَعُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِي. (٧) سَبَقَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ فِي هَذَا الْجُزْءِ ص ٤١٢.