Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (5/177)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

they hate, such as Umar, Aisha, and others, by (1) imagining that an inanimate object—such as a mixture of dates, dried curds, and clarified butter (2)—or an animal, such as a red ewe, is the very enemy toward whom they bear hostility. They then torment that ewe to vent their spite upon the enemy. This is a degree of profound ignorance unknown among anyone else.

Likewise, none of the other groups within the Ummah is known to hold mourning assemblies and lamentations, strike their cheeks, tear open their garments, spread ashes, hang sackcloth, eat salty food until they become thirsty and then refrain from drinking water—in imitation of one who was wronged and killed—or hold a mourning ceremony (3) five or six hundred years after he was killed.

There are many doctrines and practices unique to the Rāfidah that attest to the utmost ignorance and misguidance, but we have not intended to enumerate them here. Rather, the point is that no group other than the followers of the Sunnah and hadith, who adhere to the traditions of the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—possesses any truth exclusive to it among all the other groups. The Rāfidah go farther in this regard than any other group.

As for the Kharijites, the Mutazilah, and the Jahmiyyah, they likewise did not stand apart (4) from the people of the Sunnah and the community (* in any matter of truth. Rather, for every element of truth they possess, there is someone among the followers of the Sunnah (5) who holds it. Yet these groups did not reach (6) the same degree of deficient reason and abundant ignorance as the Rāfidah.

(1) A reads: “rather,” which is a textual corruption. (2) B alone reads: *ka-l-jibs* (“like gypsum”). Lisān al-ʿArab defines *hays* as food made from dates, dried curds, and clarified butter. (3) W reads: “his mourning ceremony.” (4) H and B read: “do not stand apart.” (5) B alone reads: “*Ahl al-Sunnah wa-l-Jamāʿah* (the people of the Sunnah and the community).” (6) H and R read: “yet they do not reach”; B reads: “and yet they do not reach.”

يُبْغِضُونَهُ كَعُمَرَ وَعَائِشَةَ وَغَيْرِهِمَا، بِأَنْ (١) يُقَدِّرُوا جَمَادًا كَالْحَيْسِ (٢) ، أَوْ حَيَوَانًا كَالشَّاةِ الْحَمْرَاءِ، أَنَّهُ هُوَ الَّذِي يُعَادُونَهُ، وَيُعَذِّبُونَ تِلْكَ الشَّاةَ تَشَفِّيًا مِنَ الْعَدُوِّ، مِنَ الْجَهْلِ الْبَلِيغِ الَّذِي لَمْ يُعْرَفُ عَنْ غَيْرِهِمْ. وَكَذَلِكَ إِقَامَةُ الْمَآتِمِ وَالنَّوَائِحِ، وَلَطْمُ الْخُدُودِ، وَشَقُّ الْجُيُوبِ، وَفَرْشُ الرَّمَادِ، وَتَعْلِيقُ الْمُسُوحِ، وَأَكْلُ الْمَالِحِ حَتَّى يَعْطَشَ، وَلَا يَشْرَبُ مَاءً، تَشَبُّهًا بِمَنْ ظُلِمَ وَقُتِلَ، وَإِقَامَةُ مَأْتَمٍ (٣) بَعْدَ خَمْسِمِائَةٍ أَوْ سِتِّمِائَةِ سَنَةٍ مِنْ قَتْلِهِ، لَا يُعْرَفُ لِغَيْرِهِمْ مِنْ طَوَائِفِ الْأُمَّةِ. وَمَفَارِيدُ الرَّافِضَةِ الَّتِي تَدُلُّ عَلَى غَايَةِ الْجَهْلِ وَالضَّلَالِ كَثِيرَةٌ لَمْ نَقْصِدْ ذِكْرَهَا هُنَا. لَكِنَّ الْمَقْصُودَ أَنَّ كُلَّ طَائِفَةٍ سِوَى أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ وَالْحَدِيثِ الْمُتَّبِعِينَ لِآثَارِ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - لَا يَنْفَرِدُونَ عَنْ سَائِرِ الطَّوَائِفِ بِحَقٍّ، وَالرَّافِضَةُ أَبْلَغُ فِي ذَلِكَ مِنْ غَيْرِهِمْ. وَأَمَّا الْخَوَارِجُ وَالْمُعْتَزِلَةُ وَالْجَهْمِيَّةِ فَإِنَّهُمْ أَيْضًا لَمْ يَنْفَرِدُوا (٤) عَنْ أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ وَالْجَمَاعَةِ (* بِحَقٍّ، بَلْ كُلُّ مَا مَعَهُمْ مِنَ الْحَقِّ فَفِي أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ (٥) مَنْ يَقُولُ بِهِ، لَكِنْ لَمْ يَبْلُغْ (٦) هَؤُلَاءِ مِنْ قِلَّةِ الْعَقْلِ وَكَثْرَةِ الْجَهْلِ مَا بَلَغَتِ الرَّافِضَةُ.

(١) أ: بَلْ، وَهُوَ تَحْرِيفٌ. (٢) ب فَقَطْ: كَالْجِبْسِ، وَفِي اللِّسَانِ: هُوَ الطَّعَامُ الْمُتَّخَذُ مِنَ التَّمْرِ وَالْأَقِطِ وَالسَّمْنِ. (٣) و: مَأْتَمِهِ. (٤) ح، ب: لَا يَنْفَرِدُونَ. (٥) ب فَقَطْ: أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ وَالْجَمَاعَةِ. (٦) ح، ر: لَكِنْ مَا يَبْلُغُ، ب: وَلَكِنْ مَا يَبْلُغُ.