Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (5/114)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

Thus, the Negus and others like him are among the blessed in Paradise, even though they did not observe (1) those ordinances of Islam that they were incapable of observing. Rather, they governed according to the rulings they were able to enforce. Accordingly, Allah counted such people among the People of the Book.

Allah Most High says:

“Indeed, among the People of the Book are those who believe in Allah, in what has been revealed to you, and in what was revealed to them. They humble themselves before Allah and do not trade Allah’s revelations for a paltry price. They will have their reward with their Lord. Indeed, Allah is swift in reckoning.”

[Surah Āl Imrān: 199]

A group of the early generations said that this verse was revealed concerning the Negus. This is related from Jābir, Ibn Abbās, and Anas. Others, including al-Hasan and Qatāda, said that it was revealed concerning him and his companions (2). This is what the Companions meant, but he was the leader whom they obeyed (3), for the verse is worded in the plural and does not refer to only one person.

It is related from Atā that he said: “It was revealed concerning forty people from Najrān, thirty from (4) Abyssinia, and eight Romans who (5) followed the religion of Jesus and then believed in Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace” (6).

(1) (W) reads: “were not bound [to observe them].” (2) (W) reads: “and among the Companions.” (3) (B) adds “and” before “but.” (4) “The people of” is added in (N) and (M). (5) (B) adds “and” before “they were.” (6) On the interpretation of this verse, see al-Suyūtī, *al-Durr al-Manthūr*, 2:113. Among the interpretations of the verse, he cites: “Abd ibn Humayd and Ibn Jarīr narrated from Qatāda, who said: ‘We were informed that this verse was revealed concerning the Negus and some of his companions, who believed in the Prophet of Allah and affirmed his truth.’” See also *Tafsīr al-Tabarī*, al-Maārif ed., 7:496–500; Ibn al-Jawzī, *Zād al-Masīr*, 1:532–533, which gives the fourth interpretation as follows: “It concerns forty people from Najrān, thirty from Abyssinia, and eight Romans who followed the religion of Jesus and then believed in the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace.” This was stated by Atā. See also Judge Abū Muhammad Abd al-Haqq ibn Ghālib ibn Atiyya al-Andalusī (d. 546 AH), *al-Muharrar al-Wajīz fī Tafsīr al-Kitāb al-Azīz*, ed. al-Majlis al-Ilmī (Fez, Morocco, 1397 AH/1977 CE), pp. 327–328; and *Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr*, al-Shab ed., 2:168–169.

فَالنَّجَاشِيُّ وَأَمْثَالُهُ سُعَدَاءُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ، وَإِنْ كَانُوا لَمْ يَلْتَزِمُوا (١) مَعَ شَرَائِعِ الْإِسْلَامِ مَا لَا يَقْدِرُونَ عَلَى الْتِزَامِهِ، بَلْ كَانُوا يَحْكُمُونَ بِالْأَحْكَامِ الَّتِي يُمْكِنُهُمُ الْحُكْمُ بِهَا، وَلِهَذَا جَعَلَ اللَّهُ هَؤُلَاءِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ. قَالَ تَعَالَى: {وَإِنَّ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ لَمَنْ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْهِمْ خَاشِعِينَ لِلَّهِ لَا يَشْتَرُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا أُولَئِكَ لَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ} [سُورَةُ آلِ عِمْرَانَ: ١٩٩] . وَهَذِهِ الْآيَةُ قَدْ قَالَ طَائِفَةٌ مِنَ السَّلَفِ: إِنَّهَا نَزَلَتْ فِي النَّجَاشِيِّ. وَيُرْوَى هَذَا عَنْ جَابِرٍ وَابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ وَأَنَسٍ. وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ قَالَ: فِيهِ وَفِي أَصْحَابِهِ (٢) ، كَمَا قَالَ الْحَسَنُ وَقَتَادَةُ، وَهَذَا مُرَادُ الصَّحَابَةِ، لَكِنْ (٣) هُوَ الْمُطَاعُ ; فَإِنَّ لَفْظَ الْآيَةِ لَفْظُ الْجَمْعِ لَمْ يُرَدْ بِهَا وَاحِدٌ، وَعَنْ عَطَاءٍ قَالَ: نَزَلَتْ فِي أَرْبَعِينَ مِنْ أَهْلِ نَجْرَانَ وَثَلَاثِينَ مِنْ أَهْلِ (٤) الْحَبَشَةِ، وَثَمَانِيَةٍ مِنَ الرُّومِ كَانُوا (٥) عَلَى دِينِ عِيسَى فَآمَنُوا بِمُحَمَّدٍ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ (٦) .

(١) و: لَمْ يَلْزَمُوا. (٢) و: وَفِي الصَّحَابَةِ. (٣) ب: وَلَكِنْ. (٤) أَهْلِ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (ن) ، (م) . (٥) ب: وَكَانُوا. (٦) انْظُرْ فِي تَفْسِيرِ هَذِهِ الْآيَةِ: الدُّرَّ الْمَنْثُورَ لِلسُّيُوطِيِّ ٢/١١٣؛ وَذَكَرَ مِنْ وُجُوهِ تَأْوِيلِ الْآيَةِ: وَأَخْرَجَ عَبْدُ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ وَابْنُ جَرِيرٍ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، قَالَ: ذُكِرَ لَنَا أَنَّ هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ نَزَلَتْ فِي النَّجَاشِيِّ وَفِي نَاسٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ آمَنُوا بِنَبِيِّ اللَّهِ وَصَدَّقُوا بِهِ. وَانْظُرْ تَفْسِيرَ الطَّبَرِيِّ ط. الْمَعَارِفِ ٧/٤٩٦ - ٥٠٠، زَادَ الْمَسِيرِ لِابْنِ الْجَوْزِيِّ ١/٥٣٢ - ٥٣٣ وَذَكَرَ الْوَجْهَ الرَّابِعَ مِنْ وُجُوهِ تَأْوِيلِ الْآيَةِ: فِي أَرْبَعِينَ مِنْ أَهْلِ نَجْرَانَ، وَثَلَاثِينَ مِنَ الْحَبَشَةِ، وَثَمَانِيَةٍ مِنَ الرُّومِ كَانُوا عَلَى دِينِ عِيسَى فَآمَنُوا بِالنَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ؛ قَالَهُ عَطَاءٌ. وَانْظُرْ: تَفْسِيرَ ابْنِ عَطِيَّةَ: الْمُحَرَّرُ الْوَجِيزُ فِي تَفْسِيرِ الْكِتَابِ الْعَزِيزِ، لِلْقَاضِي أَبِي مُحَمَّدٍ عَبْدِ الْحَقِّ بْنِ غَالِبِ بْنِ عَطِيَّةَ الْأَنْدَلُسِيِّ الْمُتَوَفَّى سَنَةَ ٥٤٦ هـ، تَحْقِيقُ الْمَجْلِسِ الْعِلْمِيِّ، فَاسَ الْمَغْرِبِ، ١٣٩٧ ١٩٧٧ ص ٣٢٧ - ٣٢٨ وَانْظُرْ: تَفْسِيرَ ابْنِ كَثِيرٍ ط. الشَّعْبِ ٢/١٦٨ - ١٦٩.