Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (4/605)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

Thus Muhammad (1)—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—was the most perfect of people in the qualities by which blessings are merited, such as faith, teaching what is good, and other such qualities. He therefore possessed, with regard to blessings upon him—both as a declaration (2) and as a command—a distinction [the like of which] (3) is not found for anyone else—may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

The descendants of Hāshim therefore have rights due to them, and they also have duties incumbent upon them. When Allah Most High commands a person to do something He has not commanded of others, that person does not thereby alone become superior to them. Rather, if he fulfills what Allah has commanded, he becomes superior to others by virtue of his obedience. This is the case with those in authority and others who are commanded to do what others are not: whoever among them obeys is superior because his obedience is more complete, while whoever among them does not obey is surpassed by anyone more pious than he.

For this reason, the rightly guided caliphs were accorded superiority over the rest of the people, and those among the Mothers of the Believers who were accorded superiority were made superior to all other women. Allah commanded the caliphs to do what He had not commanded others, and they performed righteous deeds unmatched by those of anyone else; thus, they became superior.

The same applies to the wives of the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Allah said to them:

“Whoever among you commits a clear immorality will have her punishment doubled, and that is easy for Allah. But whoever among you devoutly obeys Allah and His Messenger and does righteous deeds, We shall grant her reward twice over, and We have prepared for her an honorable provision.”

[Surah al-Ahzāb: 13, 30]

And they—praise be to Allah (4)—devoutly obeyed Allah and His Messenger and performed righteous deeds. They therefore deserved a twofold reward and became superior by obeying the command, not merely by being given the command. If it were assumed—Allah forbid—that one of them were to commit a clear immorality (5), her punishment would be doubled.

(1) MSS B and H read: “And Muhammad.” (2) “As a declaration”: thus in MSS H, R, and B. The remaining manuscripts also read: “as a declaration.” (3) “The like of which” is omitted from MSS N, M, and W. (4) MSS H and B read: “And they—praise be to Allah—.” (5) “Clear” is added in MSS N, M, and Y.

فَمُحَمَّدٌ (١) - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - لَمَّا كَانَ أَكْمَلَ النَّاسِ فِيمَا يَسْتَحِقُّ بِهِ الصَّلَاةَ مِنَ الْإِيمَانِ وَتَعْلِيمِ الْخَيْرِ وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ، كَانَ لَهُ مِنَ الصَّلَاةِ عَلَيْهِ خَبَرًا (٢) وَأَمْرًا، خَاصِّيَّةٌ لَا يُوجَدُ [مِثْلُهَا] (٣) لِغَيْرِهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -. فَبَنُو هَاشِمٍ لَهُمْ حَقٌّ وَعَلَيْهِمْ حَقٌّ، وَاللَّهُ تَعَالَى إِذَا أَمَرَ الْإِنْسَانَ بِمَا لَمْ يَأْمُرْ بِهِ غَيْرَهُ، لَمْ يَكُنْ أَفْضَلَ مِنْ غَيْرِهِ بِمُجَرَّدِ ذَلِكَ، بَلْ إِنِ امْتَثَلَ مَا أَمَرَ اللَّهُ بِهِ كَانَ أَفْضَلَ مِنْ غَيْرِهِ بِالطَّاعَةِ، كَوُلَاةِ الْأُمُورِ وَغَيْرِهِمْ مِمَّنْ أُمِرَ بِمَا لَمْ يُؤْمَرْ بِهِ غَيْرُهُ: مَنْ أَطَاعَ مِنْهُمْ كَانَ أَفْضَلَ، لِأَنَّ طَاعَتَهُ أَكْمَلُ، وَمَنْ لَمْ يُطِعْ مِنْهُمْ كَانَ مَنْ هُوَ أَفْضَلُ مِنْهُ فِي التَّقْوَى أَفْضَلَ مِنْهُ. وَلِهَذَا فُضِّلَ الْخُلَفَاءُ الرَّاشِدُونَ عَلَى سَائِرِ النَّاسِ، وَفُضِّلَ مَنْ فُضِّلَ مِنْ أُمَّهَاتِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَى سَائِرِ النِّسَاءِ ; لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ أَمَرَ الْخُلَفَاءَ بِمَا لَمْ يَأْمُرْ بِهِ غَيْرَهُمْ، فَقَامُوا مِنَ الْأَعْمَالِ الصَّالِحَةِ بِمَا لَمْ يَقُمْ غَيْرُهُمْ بِنَظِيرِهِ، فَصَارُوا أَفْضَلَ. وَكَذَلِكَ أَزْوَاجُ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - قَالَ اللَّهُ لَهُنَّ: {مَنْ يَأْتِ مِنْكُنَّ بِفَاحِشَةٍ مُبَيِّنَةٍ يُضَاعَفْ لَهَا الْعَذَابُ ضِعْفَيْنِ وَكَانَ ذَلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسِيرًا - وَمَنْ يَقْنُتْ مِنْكُنَّ لِلَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَتَعْمَلْ صَالِحًا نُؤْتِهَا أَجْرَهَا مَرَّتَيْنِ وَأَعْتَدْنَا لَهَا رِزْقًا كَرِيمًا} [سُورَةُ الْأَحْزَابِ: ١٣، ٣٠] وَهُنَّ - وَلِلَّهِ الْحَمْدُ (٤) - قَنَتْنَ لِلَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَعَمِلْنَ صَالِحًا، فَاسْتَحْقَقْنَ الْأَجْرَ مَرَّتَيْنِ، فَصِرْنَ أَفْضَلَ لِطَاعَةِ الْأَمْرِ، لَا لِمُجَرَّدِ الْأَمْرِ. وَلَوْ قُدِّرَ - وَالْعِيَاذُ بِاللَّهِ - أَنَّ وَاحِدَةً تَأْتِي بِفَاحِشَةٍ مُبَيِّنَةٍ (٥) لَضُوعِفَ لَهَا الْعَذَابُ ضِعْفَيْنِ.

(١) ب، ح: وَمُحَمَّدٌ. (٢) خَبَرًا: كَذَا فِي (ح) ، (ر) ، (ب) . وَفِي سَائِرِ النُّسَخِ: خَبَرًا. (٣) مِثْلُهَا: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) ، (و) . (٤) ح، ب: وَهُنَّ لِلَّهِ الْحَمْدُ. (٥) مُبَيِّنَةٍ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (ن) ، (م) ، (ي) .