Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (5/238)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

In Ubayy’s recitation:

“And he is a father to them” (1).

The well-known recitation also indicates this: his wives were mothers of the believers only by virtue of him. Had he not been like a father, his wives would not have been like mothers. The prophets are physicians of the religion, and Allah sent down the Quran as a healing for what is in the hearts. Thus, whoever imposes upon people a punishment prescribed by Islamic law merely acts in his stead (2) and as his successor. He must therefore act as he did and in the same manner.

For this reason, Allah Most High said:

“You are the best nation ever raised for humanity: you enjoin what is right, forbid what is wrong, and believe in Allah.”

[Surah Āl ʿImrān: 110]

Abū Hurayrah said: “You are the best people for other people (3): you bring them in fetters and chains, causing them to enter Paradise” (4).

Allah declares that this nation is the best of all nations for the children of Adam: its members punish them by putting them to death (5) and taking them captive, while their aim thereby is to do good to them and lead them to the honor of

(1) Al-Tabarī records this recitation in his *Tafsīr*, 21/77; al-Qurtubī in his *Tafsīr*, 14/123; and Ibn Kathīr, 6/382. (2) Manuscripts hā and bā read: “a deputy on his behalf.” (3) Manuscripts alif and bā read: “You are the best nation raised for humanity.” Manuscript hā reads: “You are the best for humanity.” (4) This report is recorded in *Sahīh al-Bukhārī*, 6/37–38, Book of Tafsīr, Surah Āl Imrān, chapter “You Are the Best Nation Raised for Humanity.” Its wording is: “Regarding ‘You are the best nation raised for humanity,’ Abū Hurayrah—may Allah be pleased with him—said: ‘The best people for other people: you bring them in chains around their necks until they enter Islam.’” See also Ibn Kathīr’s *Tafsīr* on this verse, 2/77, Dār al-Shab ed. (5) Manuscripts nūn, mīm, wāw, alif, and rā read: “by fighting.”

وَفِي قِرَاءَةِ أُبَيٍّ: وَهُوَ أَبٌ لَهُمْ (١) . وَالْقِرَاءَةُ الْمَشْهُورَةُ تَدُلُّ عَلَى ذَلِكَ: فَإِنَّ نِسَاءَهُ إِنَّمَا كُنَّ أُمَّهَاتِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ تَبَعًا لَهُ، فَلَوْلَا أَنَّهُ كَالْأَبِ لَمْ يَكُنْ نِسَاؤُهُ كَالْأُمَّهَاتِ. وَالْأَنْبِيَاءُ أَطِبَّاءُ الدِّينِ، وَالْقُرْآنُ أَنْزَلَهُ اللَّهُ شِفَاءً لِمَا فِي الصُّدُورِ، فَالَّذِي يُعَاقِبُ النَّاسَ عُقُوبَةً شَرْعِيَّةً إِنَّمَا هُوَ نَائِبٌ عَنْهُ (٢) وَخَلِيفَةٌ لَهُ، فَعَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَفْعَلَ كَمَا يَفْعَلُ عَلَى الْوَجْهِ الَّذِي فَعَلَ. وَلِهَذَا قَالَ تَعَالَى: {كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ} [سُورَةُ آلِ عِمْرَانَ: ١١٠] قَالَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ: كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ النَّاسِ لِلنَّاسِ (٣) تَأْتُونَ بِهِمْ فِي الْأَقْيَادِ وَالسَّلَاسِلِ تُدْخِلُونَهُمُ الْجَنَّةَ (٤) . أَخْبَرَ أَنَّ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةَ خَيْرُ الْأُمَمِ لِبَنِي آدَمَ: فَإِنَّهُمْ يُعَاقِبُونَهُمْ بِالْقَتْلِ (٥) وَالْأَسْرِ، وَمَقْصُودُهُمْ بِذَلِكَ الْإِحْسَانُ إِلَيْهِمْ، وَسَوْقُهُمْ إِلَى كَرَامَةِ

(١) أَوْرَدَ هَذِهِ الْقِرَاءَةَ الطَّبَرِيُّ فِي تَفْسِيرِهِ ٢١/٧٧ وَالْقُرْطُبِيُّ فِي تَفْسِيرِهِ ١٤/١٢٣ وَابْنُ كَثِيرٍ ٦/٣٨٢. (٢) ح، ب: نَائِبٌ لَهُ. (٣) أ، ب: كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ، ح: كُنْتُمْ خَيْرًا لِلنَّاسِ. (٤) وَرَدَ هَذَا الْأَثَرُ فِي: الْبُخَارِيِّ ٦/٣٧ - ٣٨ كِتَابُ التَّفْسِيرِ، سُورَةُ آلِ عِمْرَانَ، بَابُ كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ وَنَصُّهُ فِيهِ: عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ، قَالَ: خَيْرُ النَّاسِ لِلنَّاسِ، تَأْتُونَ بِهِمْ فِي السَّلَاسِلِ فِي أَعْنَاقِهِمْ حَتَّى يَدْخُلُوا فِي الْإِسْلَامِ. وَانْظُرْ تَفْسِيرَ ابْنِ كَثِيرٍ لِلْآيَةِ ٢/٧٧ ط. دَارِ الشَّعْبِ. (٥) ن، م، و، أ، ر: بِالْقِتَالِ.