Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (5/496)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

When word of this reached Alī, he said:

“Alas for Ibn Umm al-Fadl! How quick he is to seize upon slips.”

Thus, Alī burned a group of people with fire. If what Abū Bakr did was objectionable, then Alī’s action was even more objectionable. But if Alī’s action was of a kind for which leaders are not to be censured, then Abū Bakr has an even greater right not to be censured.

[The Rāfidī’s claim that Abū Bakr was unaware of most of the rulings of Islamic law, and the response to it]

(Chapter)

(1)

The Rāfidī (2) said:

“Most of the rulings of Islamic law were unknown to him. He did not (3) know the ruling on collateral inheritance, and he said: ‘I shall express my own opinion concerning it. If it is (4) correct, it is from Allah; and if it is (5) wrong, it is from me and Satan.’ He also issued seventy different rulings concerning inheritance by a grandfather, which demonstrates his deficient knowledge.”

The response is that this is one of the gravest fabrications. How (6) could most of the rulings of Islamic law have been unknown to him, when no one other than he passed judgment or issued legal opinions in the presence of the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace? The Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—consulted no one among his Companions (7) more than he consulted him and Umar. Nor was anyone more closely associated with the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—than he was, followed by Umar.

(1) The word “Chapter” is omitted from (H) and (R); (Y) reads: “Chapter Twenty-Four.” (2) In (K), p. 134 (M). (3) (H), (B), (N), and (M) read: “and did not.” (4) (H) and (B) read: “be”; (K) reads: “was.” (5) (K) reads: “was.” (6) (B) reads: “and how.” (7) (N) and (M) read: “among the Companions.”

فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ عَلِيًّا، فَقَالَ: وَيْحَ ابْنِ أُمِّ الْفَضْلِ مَا أَسْقَطَهُ عَلَى الْهَنَاتِ. فَعَلِيٌّ حَرَّقَ جَمَاعَةً بِالنَّارِ، فَإِنْ كَانَ مَا فَعَلَهُ أَبُو بَكْرٍ مُنْكَرًا، فَفِعْلُ عَلِيٍّ أَنْكَرُ مِنْهُ، وَإِنْ كَانَ فِعْلُ عَلِيٍّ مِمَّا لَا يُنْكَرُ مِثْلُهُ عَلَى الْأَئِمَّةِ، فَأَبُو بَكْرٍ أَوْلَى أَنْ لَا يُنْكَرَ عَلَيْهِ. [كلام الرافضي أن أبا بكر خفي َلَيْهِ أَكْثَرُ أَحْكَامِ الشَّرِيعَةِ والرد عليه] (فَصْلٌ) (١) قَالَ الرَّافِضِيُّ (٢) : " وَخَفِيَ عَلَيْهِ أَكْثَرُ أَحْكَامِ الشَّرِيعَةِ، فَلَمْ (٣) يَعْرِفْ حُكْمَ الْكَلَالَةِ، وَقَالَ: أَقُولُ فِيهَا بِرَأْيِي، فَإِنْ يَكُ (٤) صَوَابًا فَمِنَ اللَّهِ، وَإِنْ يَكُ (٥) خَطَأً فَمِنِّي وَمِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ، وَقَضَى فِي الْجَدِّ بِسَبْعِينَ قَضِيَّةً، وَهُوَ يَدُلُّ عَلَى قُصُورِهِ فِي الْعِلْمِ " . وَالْجَوَابُ: أَنَّ هَذَا مِنْ أَعْظَمِ الْبُهْتَانِ. كَيْفَ (٦) يَخْفَى عَلَيْهِ أَكْثَرُ أَحْكَامِ الشَّرِيعَةِ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ بِحَضْرَةِ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - مَنْ يَقْضِي وَيُفْتِي إِلَّا هُوَ؟ ! وَلَمْ يَكُنِ النَّبِيُّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - أَكْثَرَ مُشَاوَرَةً لِأَحَدٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ (٧) مِنْهُ لَهُ وَلِعُمَرَ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ أَحَدٌ أَعْظَمَ اخْتِصَاصًا بِالنَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - مِنْهُ ثُمَّ عُمَرُ.

(١) فَصْلٌ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ح) ، (ر) ، وَفِي (ي) : الْفَصْلُ الرَّابِعُ وَالْعِشْرُونَ. (٢) فِي (ك) ص ١٣٤ (م) . (٣) ح، ب، ن، م: وَلَمْ. (٤) ح، ب: يَكُنْ، ك: كَانَ. (٥) ك: كَانَ. (٦) ب: وَكَيْفَ. (٧) ن، م: مِنَ الصَّحَابَةِ.