Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (5/209)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

Second: If an act were negated because a recommended element had been omitted, most people would have neither prayer nor fasting, for recommended perfection varies in degree, and no one prays as the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—prayed. Is everyone who fails to perfect his prayer as the Messenger perfected his to be told, “He has no prayer”?

If it is said: Those who omit an obligatory element of prayer or any other act are instructed to repeat the prayer, whereas when some of the obligations of faith are omitted, a person is not instructed to repeat his faith.

The response is: The command to repeat an act does not apply unconditionally. Rather, a person is instructed to do whatever is possible. If he can repeat the act, he does so; if he cannot, he is instructed to perform other good deeds. For example, if someone misses the Friday prayer, then although he is instructed to perform the noon prayer, it does not take the place of the Friday prayer. Rather, all the sin incurred by missing the Friday prayer is removed by the noon prayer.

Likewise, if someone deliberately omits obligatory rites of Hajj, he is instructed to perform them so long as it remains possible to do so within their prescribed time. Once that time has passed, he is instructed to offer a compensatory sacrifice. This does not relieve him at all of the sin of having allowed the opportunity to pass (* Rather, this is the substitute within his power, and he must repent with a repentance that washes away the sin of having allowed it to pass *)(1), just as one who commits a prohibited act must repent from it with a repentance that washes away his sin. Part of this is to perform good deeds that erase it. The same applies to one who allows an obligation to pass and cannot (2) make it up. If he can make it up, however, he must perform that very obligation.

This is also what we say (3) concerning anyone who omits some of the obligations of faith. Indeed, whenever a person neglects any commanded act, he has neglected a part of his faith. He must therefore make it up to the extent possible. If its time has passed, he must repent and perform other good deeds instead.

(1) The text between the two asterisks is absent from manuscript hā’. (2) Manuscripts hā’ and bā’ read: lam (“did not”). (3) Manuscripts nūn, mīm, and wāw read: yaqūlu (“he says”).

الثَّانِي: أَنَّهُ لَوْ نُفِيَ بِتَرْكِ مُسْتَحَبٍّ، لَكَانَ عَامَّةُ النَّاسِ لَا صَلَاةَ لَهُمْ وَلَا صِيَامَ. فَإِنَّ الْكَمَالَ الْمُسْتَحَبَّ مُتَفَاوِتٌ، وَلَا أَحَدَ يُصَلِّي كَصَلَاةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - أَفَكُلُّ مَنْ لَمْ يُكْمِلْهَا كَتَكْمِيلِ الرَّسُولِ يُقَالُ: لَا صَلَاةَ لَهُ. فَإِنْ قِيلَ: فَهَؤُلَاءِ الَّذِينَ يَتْرُكُونَ فَرْضًا مِنَ الصَّلَاةِ أَوْ غَيْرِهَا يُؤْمَرُونَ بِإِعَادَةِ الصَّلَاةِ، وَالْإِيمَانُ إِذَا تُرِكَ بَعْضُ فَرَائِضِهِ لَا يُؤْمَرُ بِإِعَادَتِهِ؟ . قِيلَ: لَيْسَ الْأَمْرُ بِالْإِعَادَةِ مُطْلَقًا، بَلْ يُؤْمَرُ بِالْمُمْكِنِ ; فَإِنْ أَمْكَنَ الْإِعَادَةُ أَعَادَ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يُمْكِنْ أُمِرَ أَنْ يَفْعَلَ حَسَنَاتٍ غَيْرَ ذَلِكَ، كَمَا لَوْ تَرَكَ الْجُمُعَةَ ; فَإِنَّهُ وَإِنْ أُمِرَ بِالظُّهْرِ فَلَا تَسُدُّ مَسَدَّ الْجُمُعَةِ، بَلِ الْإِثْمُ الْحَاصِلُ بِتَرْكِ الْجُمُعَةِ يَزُولُ جَمِيعُهُ بِالظُّهْرِ. وَكَذَلِكَ مَنْ تَرَكَ وَاجِبَاتِ الْحَجِّ عَمْدًا ; فَإِنَّهُ يُؤْمَرُ بِهَا مَا دَامَ يُمْكِنُ فِعْلُهَا فِي الْوَقْتِ، فَإِذَا فَاتَ الْوَقْتُ أُمِرَ بِالدَّمِ الْجَابِرِ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ ذَلِكَ مُسْقِطًا عَنْهُ إِثْمَ التَّفْوِيتِ (* مُطْلَقًا، بَلْ هَذَا الَّذِي يُمَكِّنُهُ مِنَ الْبَدَلِ، وَعَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَتُوبَ تَوْبَةً تَغْسِلُ إِثْمَ التَّفْوِيتِ *) (١) ، كَمَنْ فَعَلَ مُحَرَّمًا فَعَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَتُوبَ مِنْهُ تَوْبَةً تَغْسِلُ إِثْمَهُ، وَمِنْ ذَلِكَ أَنْ يَأْتِيَ بِحَسَنَاتٍ تَمْحُوهُ. وَكَذَلِكَ مَنْ فَوَّتَ وَاجِبًا لَا (٢) يُمْكِنُهُ اسْتِدْرَاكُهُ، وَأَمَّا إِذَا أَمْكَنَهُ اسْتِدْرَاكُهُ فَعَلَهُ بِنَفْسِهِ. وَهَكَذَا نَقُولُ (٣) فِيمَنْ تَرَكَ بَعْضَ وَاجِبَاتِ الْإِيمَانِ، بَلْ كُلَّ مَأْمُورٍ تَرَكَهُ فَقَدْ تَرَكَ جُزْءًا مِنْ إِيمَانِهِ، فَيَسْتَدْرِكُهُ بِحَسْبِ الْإِمْكَانِ، فَإِنْ فَاتَ وَقْتُهُ تَابَ وَفَعَلَ حَسَنَاتٍ أُخَرَ غَيْرَهُ.

(١) مَا بَيْنَ النَّجْمَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ح) . (٢) ح، ب: لَمْ. (٣) ن، م، و: يَقُولُ.