Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (5/43)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

Alī. The words,

“He had left him behind during one of his military campaigns, whereupon Alī said to him, ‘O Messenger of Allah, are you leaving me behind with the women and children?’ The Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—replied, ‘Are you not content that your relation to me should be like Aaron’s relation to Moses, except that there is no prophet after me?’”

do not describe anything unique to him. The Prophet had appointed several others to take charge of Medina, and this appointment was no greater than any of the others.

This is why Alī said to him:

“Are you leaving me behind with the women and children?”

On every military campaign (1), the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—would leave men from the Emigrants and the Helpers in Medina. The sole exception was the campaign of Tabūk, when he commanded all the Muslims to march forth (2). Consequently, no one remained behind in Medina apart from the women and children except someone who was either disobedient or excused. This was why Alī disliked being left in charge and said:

“Are you leaving me behind with the women and children?”

In other words: “Are you leaving me behind and not taking me with you?” The Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—therefore explained to him that being left in charge was neither a deficiency (3) nor a humiliation. Moses had left Aaron in charge of his people because he trusted him; likewise, I have left you in charge because I trust you. Moses, however, appointed a prophet as his deputy, whereas there is no prophet after me.

This comparison concerns the basic fact of being left as a deputy. Moses left Aaron in charge of all the Children of Israel, whereas the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—left Alī in charge of only a small number of the Muslims, taking the great majority of them with him on the campaign.

Moreover, likening him to Aaron is no greater than the comparison made concerning Abū Bakr and Umar: the former was likened to Abraham and Jesus, and the latter to Noah and Moses. These four are superior to Aaron, and both Abū Bakr and Umar were each likened to two prophets rather than one. Thus, this comparison was (4) greater than the comparison of

(1) H, B, R: “a military campaign.” (2) A, B: “to set out.” (3) N only: “out of hatred.” (4) N, M: “and it was.”

عَلِيٍّ، فَإِنَّ قَوْلَهُ «وَقَدْ خَلَّفَهُ فِي بَعْضِ مَغَازِيهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ عَلِيٌّ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، تُخَلِّفُنِي مَعَ النِّسَاءِ وَالصِّبْيَانِ؟ فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: أَمَا تَرْضَى أَنْ تَكُونَ مِنِّي بِمَنْزِلَةِ هَارُونَ مِنْ مُوسَى إِلَّا أَنَّهُ لَا نَبِيَّ بَعْدِي» . لَيْسَ مِنْ خَصَائِصِهِ ; فَإِنَّهُ اسْتَخْلَفَ عَلَى الْمَدِينَةِ غَيْرَ وَاحِدٍ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ هَذَا الِاسْتِخْلَافُ أَكْمَلَ مِنْ غَيْرِهِ. وَلِهَذَا قَالَ لَهُ عَلِيٌّ: أَتُخَلِّفُنِي مَعَ النِّسَاءِ وَالصِّبْيَانِ؟ لِأَنَّ النَّبِيَّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - كَانَ فِي كُلِّ غَزَاةٍ (١) يَتْرُكُ بِالْمَدِينَةِ رِجَالًا مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنْصَارِ إِلَّا فِي غَزْوَةِ تَبُوكَ فَإِنَّهُ أَمَرَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ جَمِيعَهُمْ بِالنَّفِيرِ (٢) ، فَلَمْ يَتَخَلَّفْ بِالْمَدِينَةِ إِلَّا عَاصٍ أَوْ مَعْذُورٌ غَيْرُ النِّسَاءِ وَالصِّبْيَانِ. وَلِهَذَا كَرِهَ عَلِيٌّ الِاسْتِخْلَافَ، وَقَالَ: أَتُخَلِّفُنِي مَعَ النِّسَاءِ وَالصِّبْيَانِ؟ يَقُولُ تَتْرُكُنِي مُخَلَّفًا لَا تَسْتَصْحِبُنِي مَعَكَ؟ فَبَيَّنَ لَهُ النَّبِيُّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - أَنَّ الِاسْتِخْلَافَ لَيْسَ نَقْصًا (٣) وَلَا غَضَاضَةً ; فَإِنَّ مُوسَى اسْتَخْلَفَ هَارُونَ عَلَى قَوْمِهِ لِأَمَانَتِهِ عِنْدَهُ، وَكَذَلِكَ أَنْتَ اسْتَخْلَفْتُكَ لِأَمَانَتِكَ عِنْدِي، لَكِنَّ مُوسَى اسْتَخْلَفَ نَبِيًّا وَأَنَا لَا نَبِيَّ بَعْدِي. وَهَذَا تَشْبِيهٌ فِي أَصْلِ الِاسْتِخْلَافِ فَإِنَّ مُوسَى اسْتَخْلَفَ هَارُونَ عَلَى جَمِيعِ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ، وَالنَّبِيُّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - اسْتَخْلَفَ عَلِيًّا عَلَى قَلِيلٍ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، وَجُمْهُورُهُمُ اسْتَصْحَبَهُمْ فِي الْغَزَاةِ. وَتَشْبِيهُهُ بِهَارُونَ لَيْسَ بِأَعْظَمَ مِنْ تَشْبِيهِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ: هَذَا بِإِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعِيسَى، وَهَذَا بِنُوحٍ وَمُوسَى ; فَإِنَّ هَؤُلَاءِ الْأَرْبَعَةَ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ هَارُونَ، وَكُلٌّ مِنْ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ شُبِّهَ بِاثْنَيْنِ لَا بِوَاحِدٍ، فَكَانَ (٤) هَذَا التَّشْبِيهُ أَعْظَمَ مِنْ تَشْبِيهِ

(١) ح، ب، ر: غَزْوَةٍ. (٢) أ، ب: بِالنَّفْرِ. (٣) ن فَقَطْ: بُغْضًا. (٤) ن، م: وَكَانَ.