Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (5/16)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

The response is as follows:

The command to give charity was not an obligation imposed upon every Muslim, such that they would be sinners for failing to give it. Rather, only someone wishing to consult the Messenger privately was commanded to do so. It so happened that, at that time, no one wished to consult him privately except Ali ibn Abī Tālib—may Allah be pleased with him—and so he gave charity for the purpose of that private consultation(1).

This is like Allah’s command that anyone who performs the minor pilgrimage before Hajj offer a sacrificial animal; His command that anyone prevented from completing the pilgrimage offer a sacrificial animal; and His command that anyone suffering an ailment of the scalp make compensation by fasting, giving charity, or making a sacrifice. This verse was revealed concerning Ka‘b ibn Ujrah, when the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—passed by him while he was blowing on the fire beneath a pot and the lice on his head were afflicting him(2). It is also like His command that anyone who is ill or on a journey complete an equal number on other days; His command that anyone who breaks an oath feed ten needy people, clothe them, or free a slave; His command that, when they rise for prayer, they wash their faces and their hands up to the elbows; and His command that, when they recite the Quran, they seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan. There are many similar examples.

Thus, when a command is made contingent upon a condition and that condition is met only in the case of one person, no one else is commanded

(1) See the interpretation of this verse in Ibn Kathīr’s Tafsīr, which states: Ibn Abī Najīh reported from Mujāhid: “They were forbidden to consult the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—privately until they first gave charity. No one consulted him privately except Ali ibn Abī Tālib, who gave a dinar in charity and then consulted the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—asking him about ten matters. The concession was then revealed.” Ma‘mar reported from Qatāda concerning the verse, “When you consult the Messenger privately, give charity before your private consultation”: “It was abrogated, having remained in effect for only a brief part of one day.” Abd al-Razzāq related it as follows: Ma‘mar informed us, from Ayyūb, from Mujāhid, that Ali said: “No one acted upon it except me before it was abrogated.” I believe he also said: “It remained in effect for only a brief period.” (2) All of this is contained in verse 196 of Surat al-Baqara: “Complete Hajj and Umrah for Allah. If you are prevented, then offer whatever sacrificial animal is readily available, and do not shave your heads until the sacrificial animal reaches its place of sacrifice. But whoever among you is ill or has an ailment of the scalp must make compensation by fasting, giving charity, or offering a sacrifice”—to the end of the verse. See its interpretation in Ibn Kathīr’s Tafsīr and other works. See also what Ibn Kathīr related from al-Bukhārī and Ahmad concerning Ka‘b ibn Ujra—may Allah be pleased with him.

وَالْجَوَابُ أَنْ يُقَالَ: الْأَمْرُ بِالصَّدَقَةِ لَمْ يَكُنْ وَاجِبًا عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِينَ حَتَّى يَكُونُوا عُصَاةً بِتَرْكِهِ، وَإِنَّمَا أُمِرَ بِهِ مَنْ أَرَادَ النَّجْوَى، وَاتَّفَقَ أَنَّهُ لَمْ يُرِدِ النَّجْوَى إِذْ ذَاكَ إِلَّا عَلِيٌّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ فَتَصَدَّقَ لِأَجْلِ الْمُنَاجَاةِ (١) . وَهَذَا كَأَمْرِهِ بِالْهَدْيِ لِمَنْ تَمَتَّعَ بِالْعُمْرَةِ إِلَى الْحَجِّ، وَأَمْرِهِ بِالْهَدْيِ لِمَنْ أُحْصِرَ وَأَمْرِهِ لِمَنْ بِهِ أَذًى مِنْ رَأَسِهِ بِفِدْيَةٍ مِنْ صِيَامٍ أَوْ صَدَقَةٍ أَوْ نُسُكٍ. وَهَذِهِ الْآيَةُ نَزَلَتْ فِي كَعْبِ بْنِ عُجْرَةَ لَمَّا مَرَّ بِهِ النَّبِيُّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - وَهُوَ يَنْفُخُ تَحْتَ قِدْرٍ وَهَوَامُّ رَأْسِهِ تُؤْذِيهِ (٢) . وَكَأَمْرِهِ لِمَنْ كَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ بِعِدَّةٍ مِنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ، وَكَأَمْرِهِ لِمَنْ حَنِثَ فِي يَمِينِهِ بِإِطْعَامِ عَشَرَةِ مَسَاكِينَ أَوْ كِسْوَتِهِمْ أَوْ تَحْرِيرِ رَقَبَةٍ، وَكَأَمْرِهِ إِذَا قَامُوا إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ أَنْ يَغْسِلُوا وُجُوهَهُمْ وَأَيْدِيَهُمْ إِلَى الْمَرَافِقِ، وَكَأَمْرِهِ إِذَا قَرَءُوا الْقُرْآنَ أَنْ يَسْتَعِيذُوا بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ، وَنَظَائِرُ هَذَا مُتَعَدِّدَةٌ. فَالْأَمْرُ الْمُعَلَّقُ بِشَرْطٍ إِذَا لَمْ يُوجَدْ ذَلِكَ الشَّرْطُ إِلَّا فِي حَقِّ وَاحِدٍ لَمْ يُؤْمَرْ

(١) انْظُرْ تَأْوِيلَ هَذِهِ الْآيَةِ فِي تَفْسِيرِ ابْنِ كَثِيرٍ؛ وَفِيهِ: قَالَ ابْنُ أَبِي نَجِيحٍ: عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ قَالَ: نُهُوا عَنْ مُنَاجَاةِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَتَّى يَتَصَدَّقُوا، فَلَمْ يُنَاجِهِ إِلَّا عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ، قَدَّمَ دِينَارًا صَدَقَةً تَصَدَّقَ بِهَا، ثُمَّ نَاجَى النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَسَأَلَهُ عَنْ عَشْرِ خِصَالٍ، ثُمَّ أُنْزِلَتِ الرُّخْصَةُ. وَقَالَ مَعْمَرٌ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ: (إِذَا نَاجَيْتُمُ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدِّمُوا بَيْنَ يَدَيْ نَجْوَاكُمْ صَدَقَةً) إِنَّهَا مَنْسُوخَةٌ، مَا كَانَتْ إِلَّا سَاعَةً مِنْ نَهَارٍ، هَكَذَا رَوَى عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ. أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ عَنْ أَيُّوبَ عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ، قَالَ عَلِيٌّ: مَا عَمِلَ بِهَا أَحَدٌ غَيْرِي حَتَّى نُسِخَتْ، وَأَحْسَبُهُ قَالَ: وَمَا كَانَتْ إِلَّا سَاعَةً. (٢) وَهَذَا كُلُّهُ فِي آيَةٍ ١٩٦ مِنْ سُورَةِ الْبَقَرَةِ] : (وَأَتِمُّوا الْحَجَّ وَالْعُمْرَةَ لِلَّهِ فَإِنْ أُحْصِرْتُمْ فَمَا اسْتَيْسَرَ مِنَ الْهَدْيِ وَلَا تَحْلِقُوا رُءُوسَكُمْ حَتَّى يَبْلُغَ الْهَدْيُ مَحِلَّهُ فَمَنْ كَانَ مِنْكُمْ مَرِيضًا أَوْ بِهِ أَذًى مِنْ رَأْسِهِ فَفِدْيَةٌ مِنْ صِيَامٍ أَوْ صَدَقَةٍ أَوْ نُسُكٍ) الْآيَةَ وَانْظُرْ تَفْسِيرَهَا فِي تَفْسِيرِ ابْنِ كَثِيرٍ وَغَيْرِهِ، وَانْظُرْ مَا رَوَاهُ ابْنُ كَثِيرٍ عَنِ الْبُخَارِيِّ وَأَحْمَدَ فِي شَأْنِ كَعْبِ بْنِ عُجْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ.