Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (5/463)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

Safiyya at night, he said, ‘Take it easy, both of you. She is Safiyya (1) [daughter of Huyayy] (2).’ He then said, ‘I feared that Satan might cast something into your hearts, for Satan circulates through the son of Adam as blood does.’” (3)

What al-Siddīq meant by this was: “I am not protected from error as the Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—was.” This is true.

As for the objection, “How can the leadership of someone who relies upon his subjects to set him straight be valid?” it is the statement of one who is ignorant of the true nature of leadership. The ruler is not the lord of his subjects (4), such that he has no need of them; nor is he Allah’s Messenger to them, such that he is the intermediary between them and Allah. Rather, he and his subjects are partners who cooperate in furthering the welfare of religion and worldly life. He therefore needs their assistance, just as they need his.

He is like the leader of a caravan who guides them along the road: if he leads them along the road, they follow him; if he strays from the road (5), they alert and guide him; and if an assailant comes out against them and attacks them, he and they cooperate in repelling him. Yet if he is the most accomplished among them in knowledge, ability, and mercy, that is more conducive to their well-being.

(1) (H) and (B) read: “la-Safiyyatu.” (2) “Daughter of Huyayy” is omitted from (N) and (M). (3) The hadith narrated by Safiyya bint Huyayy, Mother of the Believers—may Allah be pleased with her—is found in al-Bukhārī, 4/124 (Book of the Beginning of Creation, chapter “Description of Iblīs and His Troops”). It also appears in al-Bukhārī, 3/50 (Book of I‘tikāf, chapters “A Woman Visiting Her Husband During His I‘tikāf” and “May a Person in I‘tikāf Ward Suspicion from Himself?”), and 9/70 (Book of Legal Rulings, chapter “Testimony Given Before the Ruler…”). The hadith is also found in Sunan Abī Dāwūd, Sunan Ibn Mājah, Sunan al-Dārimī, and Musnad Ahmad. (4) (H) and (B) read: “the lord of the subjects.” (5) (H) and (R) read: “on the road.”

صَفِيَّةَ لَيْلًا، قَالَ: " عَلَى رِسْلِكُمَا، إِنَّهَا صَفِيَّةُ (١) [بِنْتُ حُيَيٍّ] (٢) " ثُمَّ قَالَ: " إِنِّي خَشِيتُ أَنْ يَقْذِفَ الشَّيْطَانُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمَا شَيْئًا، إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يَجْرِي مِنِ ابْنِ آدَمَ مَجْرَى الدَّمِ» " (٣) . وَمَقْصُودُ الصِّدِّيقِ بِذَلِكَ: إِنِّي لَسْتُ مَعْصُومًا كَالرَّسُولِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - وَهَذَا حَقٌّ. وَقَوْلُ الْقَائِلِ: كَيْفَ تَجُوزُ إِمَامَةُ مَنْ يَسْتَعِينُ عَلَى تَقْوِيمِهِ بِالرَّعِيَّةِ؟ كَلَامُ جَاهِلٍ بِحَقِيقَةِ الْإِمَامَةِ، فَإِنَّ الْإِمَامَ لَيْسَ هُوَ رَبًّا لِرَعِيَّتِهِ (٤) حَتَّى يَسْتَغْنِيَ عَنْهُمْ، وَلَا هُوَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْهِمْ حَتَّى يَكُونَ هُوَ الْوَاسِطَةَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَ اللَّهِ. وَإِنَّمَا هُوَ وَالرَّعِيَّةُ شُرَكَاءُ يَتَعَاوَنُونَ هُمْ وَهُوَ عَلَى مَصْلَحَةِ الدِّينِ وَالدُّنْيَا، فَلَا بُدَّ لَهُ مِنْ إِعَانَتِهِمْ، وَلَا بُدَّ لَهُمْ مِنْ إِعَانَتِهِ، كَأَمِيرِ الْقَافِلَةِ الَّذِي يَسِيرُ بِهِمْ فِي الطَّرِيقِ: إِنْ سَلَكَ بِهِمُ الطَّرِيقَ اتَّبَعُوهُ، وَإِنْ أَخْطَأَ عَنِ الطَّرِيقِ (٥) نَبَّهُوهُ وَأَرْشَدُوهُ، وَإِنْ خَرَجَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَائِلٌ يَصُولُ عَلَيْهِمْ تَعَاوَنَ هُوَ وَهُمْ عَلَى دَفْعِهِ، لَكِنْ إِذَا كَانَ أَكْمَلَهُمْ عِلْمًا وَقُدْرَةً وَرَحْمَةً كَانَ ذَلِكَ أَصْلَحَ لِأَحْوَالِهِمْ.

(١) ح، ب: لَصَفِيَّةُ. (٢) بِنْتُ حُيَيٍّ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٣) الْحَدِيثُ عَنْ صَفِيَّةَ بِنْتِ حُيَيٍّ أُمِّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا فِي الْبُخَارِيِّ ٤/١٢٤ (كِتَابُ بَدْءِ الْخَلْقِ بَابُ صِفَةِ إِبْلِيسَ وَجُنُودِهِ) ، وَجَاءَ الْحَدِيثُ أَيْضًا فِي الْبُخَاريِّ ٣/٥٠ (كِتَابُ الِاعْتِكَافِ، بَابُ زِيَارَةِ الْمَرْأَةِ زَوْجَهَا فِي اعْتِكَافِهِ، بَابُ هَلْ يَدْرَأُ الْمُعْتَكِفُ عَنْ نَفْسِهِ) ٩/٧٠ (كِتَابُ الْأَحْكَامِ، بَابُ الشَّهَادَةِ تَكُونُ عِنْدَ الْحَاكِمِ. .) . وَالْحَدِيثُ فِي سُنَنِ أَبِي دَاوُدَ وَسُنَنِ ابْنِ مَاجَهْ وَالدَّارِمِيِّ وَمُسْنَدِ أَحْمَدَ. (٤) ح، ب: رَبَّ الرَّعِيَّةِ. (٥) ح، ر: فِي الطَّرِيقِ.