Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (5/293)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

that the thief’s hand be amputated (1), while the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings of Allah be upon him—established flogging the one who drinks intoxicants. These texts explicitly establish that the fornicator, the drinker, the thief, and the slanderer are not unbelieving apostates who deserve to be put to death. Whoever declares them unbelievers has therefore contradicted the explicit text of the Quran and the mass-transmitted Sunnah.”

They said to them and to the Mu'tazilah:

“Indeed (2), Allah Most High has said:

‘If two groups of believers fight one another, make peace between them. But if one of them transgresses against the other, fight the transgressing group until it returns to the command of Allah. If it returns, make peace between them with justice and act justly. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly. The believers are but brothers, so make peace between your two brothers and fear Allah, that you may receive mercy.’

[Surah al-Hujurāt: 9–10]

“Thus, He called them believers despite their fighting and transgression. Allah Most High commanded that peace be made between them and made them brothers of the one who made peace (3) between them and had not fought. It is therefore known that transgression does not remove a person from faith or from the brotherhood of faith.”

The Murji'ah said:

“His (4) words, ‘He is not one of us,’ mean that he is not like us or is not among the best of us.”

They were told:

“If he did not (5) cheat or bear arms, would he then be like the Prophet—peace and blessings of Allah be upon him—or would he be among the best of them merely by virtue of this statement?”

The Murji'ah said:

“The texts threatening punishment are general in scope, though some of us deny that there are verbal forms denoting generality.”

(1) N and M read: “He commanded that the fornicator and the slanderer be flogged and that the thief’s hand be amputated.” (2) “Indeed” is added in (W) and (B). (3) B alone reads: “of the one who makes peace.” (4) That is, the Messenger—peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. (5) H and B read: “If he did not.”

بِقَطْعِ السَّارِقِ (١) ، وَمَضَتْ سُنَّةُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - بِجَلْدِ الشَّارِبِ. فَهَذِهِ النُّصُوصُ صَرِيحَةٌ بِأَنَّ الزَّانِيَ وَالشَّارِبَ وَالسَّارِقَ وَالْقَاذِفَ لَيْسُوا كُفَّارًا مُرْتَدِّينَ يَسْتَحِقُّونَ الْقَتْلَ، فَمَنْ جَعَلَهُمْ كُفَّارًا فَقَدْ خَالَفَ نَصَّ الْقُرْآنِ وَالسُّنَّةِ الْمُتَوَاتِرَةِ. وَقَالُوا لَهُمْ وَلِلْمُعْتَزِلَةِ: قَدْ (٢) قَالَ اللَّهُ - تَعَالَى -: {وَإِنْ طَائِفَتَانِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ اقْتَتَلُوا فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَهُمَا فَإِنْ بَغَتْ إِحْدَاهُمَا عَلَى الْأُخْرَى فَقَاتِلُوا الَّتِي تَبْغِي حَتَّى تَفِيءَ إِلَى أَمْرِ اللَّهِ فَإِنْ فَاءَتْ فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَهُمَا بِالْعَدْلِ وَأَقْسِطُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُقْسِطِينَ - إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَ أَخَوَيْكُمْ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ} [سُورَةُ الْحُجُرَاتِ: ٩ - ١٠] قَالُوا: فَقَدْ سَمَّاهُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ مَعَ الِاقْتِتَالِ وَالْبَغْيِ، وَقَدْ أَمَرَ اللَّهُ - تَعَالَى - بِالْإِصْلَاحِ بَيْنَهُمْ، وَجَعَلَهُمْ إِخْوَةَ الْمُصْلِحِ (٣) بَيْنَهُمُ الَّذِي لَمْ يُقَاتِلْ. فَعُلِمَ أَنَّ الْبَغْيَ لَا يُخْرِجُ عَنِ الْإِيمَانِ وَلَا عَنْ أُخُوَّةِ الْإِيمَانِ. قَالَتِ الْمُرْجِئَةُ: وَقَوْلُهُ (٤) : " لَيْسَ مِنَّا " أَيْ لَيْسَ مِثْلَنَا، أَوْ لَيْسَ مِنْ خِيَارِنَا. فَقِيلَ لَهُمْ: فَلَوْ لَمْ (٥) يَغِشَّ وَلَمْ يَحْمِلِ السِّلَاحَ، أَكَانَ يَكُونُ مِثْلَ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -؟ أَوْ كَانَ يَكُونُ مِنْ خِيَارِهِمْ بِمُجَرَّدِ هَذَا الْكَلَامِ؟ . وَقَالَتِ الْمُرْجِئَةُ: نُصُوصُ الْوَعِيدِ عَامَّةٌ، وَمِنَّا مَنْ يُنْكِرُ صِيَغَ الْعُمُومِ.

(١) ن، م: أَمَرَ بِجَلْدِ الزَّانِي وَالْقَاذِفِ وَبِقَطْعِ السَّارِقِ. (٢) قَدْ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (و) ، (ب) . (٣) ب فَقَطْ: لِلْمُصْلِحِ. (٤) أَيِ الرَّسُولِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -. (٥) ح، ب: لَوْ لَمْ.