Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (5/517)

and we have no established evidence of that. As for Uthmān, it has been established through mass transmission and the explicit texts of the Book and the Sunnah that his life was inviolable. The differences between Uthmān and Mālik ibn Nuwayra are more than can be numbered by anyone but Allah Most High.

Anyone who says, “Uthmān’s blood could lawfully be shed,” cannot then regard Alī’s or al-Husayn’s life as inviolable; for the inviolability of Uthmān’s life was more evident than that of Alī and al-Husayn. Uthmān was further removed (1) from anything that would warrant execution than Alī and al-Husayn, and the semblance of justification available to Uthmān’s killers was far weaker than that available to the killers of Alī and al-Husayn. Uthmān neither killed a Muslim nor fought anyone over his rule [nor did he seek to fight anyone over his rule] (2) at all (3).

If one must say of a person who killed many Muslims over his rule [that he] (4) had an inviolable life and was exercising independent judgment in what he did, then it is all the more fitting and proper to say: Uthmān’s life was inviolable, [and he was exercising independent judgment in what he did regarding financial matters and official appointments (5).

(1) H, R, Y: “from.” (2) The text in brackets is omitted from N and M. (3) “At all” is omitted from R. (4) “That he” is omitted from N, M, and B. (5) H, B: “and governance.”

وَلَمْ يَثْبُتْ ذَلِكَ عِنْدَنَا. وَأَمَّا عُثْمَانُ فَقَدْ ثَبَتَ بِالتَّوَاتُرِ وَنُصُوصِ الْكِتَابِ وَالسُّنَّةِ أَنَّهُ كَانَ مَعْصُومَ الدَّمِ، وَبَيْنَ عُثْمَانَ وَمَالِكِ بْنِ نُوَيْرَةَ مِنَ الْفَرْقِ مَا لَا يُحْصِي عَدَدَهُ إِلَّا اللَّهُ تَعَالَى. وَمَنْ قَالَ: إِنَّ عُثْمَانَ كَانَ مُبَاحَ الدَّمِ، لَمْ يُمْكِنْهُ أَنْ يَجْعَلَ عَلِيًّا مَعْصُومَ الدَّمِ، وَلَا الْحُسَيْنُ ; فَإِنَّ عِصْمَةَ دَمِ عُثْمَانَ أَظْهَرُ مِنْ عِصْمَةِ دَمِ عَلِيٍّ وَالْحُسَيْنِ، وَعُثْمَانُ أَبْعَدُ عَنْ (١) مُوجِبَاتِ الْقَتْلِ مِنْ عَلِيٍّ وَالْحُسَيْنِ، وَشُبْهَةُ قَتَلَةِ عُثْمَانَ أَضْعَفُ بِكَثِيرٍ مِنْ شُبْهَةِ قَتَلَةِ عَلِيٍّ وَالْحُسَيْنِ ; فَإِنَّ عُثْمَانَ لَمْ يَقْتُلْ مُسْلِمًا، وَلَا قَاتَلَ أَحَدًا عَلَى وِلَايَتِهِ [وَلَمْ يَطْلُبْ قِتَالَ أَحَدٍ عَلَى وِلَايَتِهِ] (٢) أَصْلًا (٣) ; فَإِنْ وَجَبَ أَنْ يُقَالَ: مَنْ قَتَلَ خَلْقًا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ عَلَى وِلَايَتِهِ [إِنَّهُ] (٤) مَعْصُومُ الدَّمِ، وَإِنَّهُ مُجْتَهِدٌ فِيمَا فَعَلَهُ، فَلَأَنْ يُقَالَ: عُثْمَانُ مَعْصُومُ الدَّمِ، [وَإِنَّهُ مُجْتَهِدٌ فِيمَا فَعَلَهُ مِنَ الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْوِلَايَاتِ (٥) بِطَرِيقِ الْأَوْلَى وَالْأَحْرَى.

(١) ح، ر، ي: مِنْ. (٢) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٣) أَصْلًا: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ر) . (٤) إِنَّهُ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) (م) ، (ب) . (٥) ح، ب: وَالْوِلَايَةُ.