Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (4/604)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

of Allah is more honored in Allah’s sight, and reward from Allah is conferred on that basis, because the reality itself has been established. The ruling is therefore not made contingent upon a presumptive basis. Moreover, Allah Most High knows things as they truly are; He does not infer them by means of causes and signs.

For this reason, the declaration of Allah’s pleasure with the earliest forerunners is superior to invoking blessings upon the family of Muhammad, because the former states that Allah is pleased with them—the pleasure has already been attained—whereas the latter is a request and supplication for something not yet attained (1).

Regarding Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—Allah has stated [about him] (2) that He and His angels send blessings upon him:

“Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet.”

[Surah al-Ahzāb: 56]

His distinction did not lie merely in the community’s invoking blessings upon him, but in Allah Most High and His angels sending blessings specifically upon him—even though Allah and His angels send blessings upon believers generally, as He Most High says:

“It is He who blesses you, as do His angels, to bring you out of darkness into light.”

[Surah al-Ahzāb: 43]

They also send blessings upon those who teach (3) people what is good, as stated in the hadith:

“Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings upon those who teach (4) people what is good” (5).

(1) MSS N and M read: “for what is not attained”; MS B reads: “what has not been attained.” (2) “About him” is added only in MS B. (3) MS B alone reads: “as Allah—glorified and exalted—has informed us in His words.” (4) MSS B and H read: “upon a teacher of.” (5) The hadith is narrated from Abū Umāma al-Bāhilī—may Allah be pleased with him—in *Sunan al-Tirmidhī*, 4:154–155 (Book of Knowledge, Chapter on the Superiority of Jurisprudence over Worship). Its wording is: “The superiority of the scholar over the worshipper is like my superiority over the least of you.” The Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—then said: “Indeed, Allah, His angels, and the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth—even the ant in its burrow and even the fish—send blessings upon one who teaches people what is good.” Al-Tirmidhī said: “This hadith is *hasan* (good), *gharīb* (singularly transmitted), and *sahīh* (authentic).” Al-Suyūtī cited the hadith in *Sahīh al-Jāmi al-Saghīr* and said: “Tab (al-Tabarānī in *al-Kabīr*, and al-Diyā), from Abū Umāma.” Al-Albānī graded the hadith authentic.

لِلَّهِ كَانَ أَكْرَمَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ، وَالثَّوَابُ مِنَ اللَّهِ يَقَعُ عَلَى هَذَا، لِأَنَّ الْحَقِيقَةَ قَدْ وُجِدَتْ، فَلَمْ يُعَلَّقِ الْحُكْمُ بِالْمَظِنَّةِ، وَلِأَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى يَعْلَمُ الْأَشْيَاءَ عَلَى مَا هِيَ عَلَيْهِ، فَلَا يَسْتَدِلُّ بِالْأَسْبَابِ وَالْعَلَامَاتِ. وَلِهَذَا كَانَ رِضَا اللَّهِ عَنِ السَّابِقِينَ الْأَوَّلِينَ أَفْضَلَ مِنَ الصَّلَاةِ عَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، لِأَنَّ ذَلِكَ إِخْبَارٌ بِرِضَا اللَّهِ عَنْهُمْ، فَالرِّضَا قَدْ حَصَلَ، وَهَذَا طَلَبٌ وَسُؤَالٌ لِمَا لَمْ يَحْصُلْ (١) . وَمُحَمَّدٌ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - قَدْ أَخْبَرَ اللَّهُ [عَنْهُ] (٢) أَنَّهُ يُصَلِّي عَلَيْهِ هُوَ وَمَلَائِكَتُهُ بِقَوْلِهِ: {إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ} [سُورَةُ الْأَحْزَابِ: ٥٦] فَلَمْ تَكُنْ فَضِيلَتُهُ بِمُجَرَّدِ كَوْنِ الْأُمَّةِ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَيْهِ، بَلْ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَيْهِ بِخُصُوصِهِ، وَإِنْ كَانَ اللَّهُ وَمَلَائِكَتُهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عُمُومًا، كَمَا قَالَ تَعَالَى: {هُوَ الَّذِي يُصَلِّي عَلَيْكُمْ وَمَلَائِكَتُهُ لِيُخْرِجَكُمْ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ} [سُورَةُ الْأَحْزَابِ: ٤٣] ، وَيُصَلُّونَ عَلَى مُعَلِّمِي (٣) النَّاسِ الْخَيْرَ، كَمَا فِي الْحَدِيثِ: " «إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى مُعَلِّمِي (٤) النَّاسِ الْخَيْرَ» " (٥) .

(١) ن، م: لِمَا لَا يَحْصُلُ، ب: مَا لَمْ يَحْصُلْ. (٢) عَنْهُ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (ب) فَقَطْ. (٣) ب (فَقَطْ) كَمَا أَخْبَرَ اللَّهُ - سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى - بِقَوْلِهِ. . (٤) ب، ح: عَلَى مُعَلِّمِ. (٥) الْحَدِيثُ عَنْ أَبِي أُمَامَةَ الْبَاهِلِيِّ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ - فِي: سُنَنِ التِّرْمِذِيِّ ٤/١٥٤ ١٥٥ (كِتَابُ الْعِلْمِ، بَابٌ فِي فَضْلِ الْفِقْهِ عَلَى الْعِبَادَةِ) وَنَصُّهُ: " فَضْلُ الْعَالِمِ عَلَى الْعَابِدِ كَفَضْلِي عَلَى أَدْنَاكُمْ " ثُمَّ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -: " إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ وَأَهْلَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ، حَتَّى النَّمْلَةَ فِي جُحْرِهَا، وَحَتَّى الْحُوتَ لَيُصَلُّونَ عَلَى مُعَلِّمِ النَّاسِ الْخَيْرَ ". قَالَ التِّرْمِذِيُّ: " هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ صَحِيحٌ. وَذَكَرَ السُّيُوطِيُّ الْحَدِيثَ فِي " صَحِيحِ الْجَامِعِ الصَّغِيرِ " وَقَالَ: " طب (الطَّبَرَانِيُّ فِي الْكَبِيرِ، وَالضِّيَاءِ) عَنْ أَبِي أُمَامَةَ ". وَصَحَّحَ الْأَلْبَانِيُّ الْحَدِيثَ.