Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (5/489)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

It was Abū Bakr al-Siddīq who dispatched Usāma’s army after the death of the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He said:

“I will not untie a banner that the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—had tied.”

More than one person advised him to recall the army out of fear for its members, for they feared that, following the Prophet’s death—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—people would be emboldened against it. Abū Bakr refused to recall the army and ordered it to proceed. When people saw them waging war immediately after the Prophet’s death—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—this became one of the means by which Allah strengthened the religion, fortified the believers’ hearts, and humbled the disbelievers and hypocrites. This demonstrated the consummate understanding, faith, certainty, planning [and judgment] (1) of Abū Bakr al-Siddīq.

[The Rāfidī’s allegation against Abū Bakr—may Allah be pleased with him—that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—never appointed him to any office, and the response to it]

(Chapter) (2)

The Rāfidī (3) said:

“Moreover, the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—never once appointed Abū Bakr to any office during his lifetime. Rather, he placed Amr ibn al-Ās in command over him on one occasion and Usāma on another. When he sent him (4) with Sūrat Barā’a, he recalled him after three days pursuant to revelation from Allah. How can a rational person accept (5) as imam someone whom the Prophet (6)—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—did not, by revelation from Allah, deem fit to deliver ten verses from Sūrat Barā’a?!”

(1) The words “and his judgment” are omitted from (N). (2) The word “Chapter” is omitted from (H) and (R); (Y) reads: “Chapter Twenty-One.” (3) In (K), p. 134: (M). (4) (B) and (K) read *anfadhahu* (“he sent him”); all other manuscripts read *naffadhahu* (“he dispatched him”). (5) (H), (M), (R), (Y), and (B) read *yardā* (“be satisfied with”). (6) (H), (B), (Y), and (R) read: “the Messenger of Allah.”

وَإِنَّمَا أَنْفَذَ جَيْشَ أُسَامَةَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ الصِّدِّيقُ بَعْدَ مَوْتِ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -، وَقَالَ: لَا أَحُلُّ رَايَةً عَقَدَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -، وَأَشَارَ عَلَيْهِ غَيْرُ وَاحِدٍ أَنْ يَرُدَّ الْجَيْشَ خَوْفًا عَلَيْهِمْ، فَإِنَّهُمْ خَافُوا أَنْ يَطْمَعَ النَّاسُ فِي الْجَيْشِ بِمَوْتِ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -، فَامْتَنَعَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ مِنْ رَدِّ الْجَيْشِ وَأَمَرَ بِإِنْفَاذِهِ، فَلَمَّا رَآهُمُ النَّاسُ يَغْزُونَ عَقِبَ مَوْتِ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -، كَانَ ذَلِكَ مِمَّا أَيَّدَ اللَّهُ بِهِ الدِّينَ، وَشَدَّ بِهِ قُلُوبَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، وَأَذَلَّ بِهِ الْكُفَّارَ وَالْمُنَافِقِينَ، وَكَانَ ذَلِكَ مِنْ كَمَالِ مَعْرِفَةِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ الصِّدِّيقِ، وَإِيمَانِهِ وَيَقِينِهِ وَتَدْبِيرِهِ [وَرَأْيِهِ] (١) . [كلام الرافضي على أبي بكر رضي الله عنه أن النبي صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لم يوله أبدا والرد عليه] (فَصْلٌ) (٢) قَالَ الرَّافِضِيُّ (٣) : " وَأَيْضًا لَمْ يُوَلِّ النَّبِيُّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - أَبَا بَكْرٍ أَلْبَتَّةَ عَمَلًا فِي وَقْتِهِ، بَلْ وَلَّى عَلَيْهِ عَمْرَو بْنَ الْعَاصِ تَارَةً وَأُسَامَةَ أُخْرَى، وَلَمَّا أَنْفَذَهُ (٤) بِسُورَةِ " بَرَاءَةَ " رَدَّهُ بَعْدَ ثَلَاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ بِوَحْيٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ، وَكَيْفَ يَرْتَضِي (٥) الْعَاقِلُ إِمَامَةَ مَنْ لَا يَرْتَضِيهِ النَّبِيُّ (٦) - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - بِوَحْيٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ لِأَدَاءِ عَشْرِ آيَاتٍ مِنْ " بَرَاءَةَ "؟ ! " .

(١) وَرَأْيِهِ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) . (٢) سَقَطَتْ كَلِمَةُ فَصْلٌ مِنْ (ح) ، (ر) ، وَفِي (ي) الْفَصْلُ الْحَادِيَ وَالْعِشْرُونَ. (٣) فِي (ك) ص ١٣٤ (م) . (٤) أَنْفَذَهُ كَذَا فِي (ب) ، (ك) وَفِي سَائِرِ النُّسَخِ نَفَّذَهُ. (٥) ح، م، ر، ي، ب: يَرْضَى. (٦) ح، ب، ي، ر: رَسُولُ اللَّهِ.