Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (6/18)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

Nor have the Rāfidah impugned this. Rather, because of their extremism concerning Alī, they regarded Umar’s assumption of the caliphate as his offense and sought some basis by which his injustice could be demonstrated (1), but they were unable to do so.

As for Alī—may Allah be pleased with him—Ahl al-Sunnah love him and remain loyal to him. They testify that he was one of the Rightly Guided Caliphs and rightly guided imams. Yet half of his subjects impugn his justice: the Khawārij declare him an unbeliever, while others from his household [and outside his household] (2) say that he did not treat them fairly. Uthmān’s supporters say that he was among those who wronged Uthmān. In sum, despite the great number and wide dispersal of his subjects, Alī did not display the same degree of justice as Umar, or anything close to it.

Umar did not appoint any of his relatives to office, whereas Alī appointed his relatives, just as Uthmān appointed his. Despite this, Umar feared that he might have wronged his subjects. He was therefore more just and more fearful of Allah than Alī, and this is among the indications that he was superior to Alī.

Although Umar’s subjects were pleased with him, he feared that he might have wronged them. Alī, however, complained about his subjects and their grievances against him (3), invoked Allah against them, and said:

“I detest them, and they detest me (4). I have grown weary of them, and they have grown weary of me (5). O Allah, replace them for me with people better than they, and replace me for them with someone worse than me.”

“Which of the two parties is more entitled to security, if you know?”

(1) “Through him”: thus in (R); in (N), (H), and (Y): “for him.” (2) The text within brackets is omitted from (N). (3) (N), (B): “and he wrongs them,” which is a textual corruption. (4) (R): “and they hate me.” (5) (B): “I weary them, and they weary me”; (N): “and for insulting them, and they insult me,” which is a textual corruption.

وَالرَّافِضَةُ لَمْ تَطْعَنْ فِي ذَلِكَ، بَلْ لَمَّا غَلَتْ فِي عَلِيٍّ جَعَلَتْ ذَنْبَ عُمَرَ كَوْنَهُ تَوَلَّى، وَجَعَلُوا يَطْلُبُونَ لَهُ مَا يَتَبَيَّنُ بِهِ (١) ظُلْمُهُ فَلَمْ يُمْكِنْهُمْ ذَلِكَ. وَأَمَّا عَلِيٌّ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ - فَإِنَّ أَهْلَ السُّنَّةِ يُحِبُّونَهُ وَيَتَوَلَّوْنَهُ، وَيَشْهَدُونَ بِأَنَّهُ مِنَ الْخُلَفَاءِ الرَّاشِدِينَ وَالْأَئِمَّةِ الْمَهْدِيِّينَ، لَكِنَّ نِصْفَ رَعِيَّتِهِ يَطْعَنُونَ فِي عَدْلِهِ؛ فَالْخَوَارِجُ يُكَفِّرُونَهُ، وَغَيْرُ الْخَوَارِجِ مِنْ أَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ [وَغَيْرِ أَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ] (٢) يَقُولُونَ: إِنَّهُ لَمْ يُنْصِفْهُمْ، وَشِيعَةُ عُثْمَانَ يَقُولُونَ: إِنَّهُ مِمَّنْ ظَلَمَ عُثْمَانَ، وَبِالْجُمْلَةِ لَمْ يَظْهَرْ لَعَلِيٍّ مِنَ الْعَدْلِ، مَعَ كَثْرَةِ الرَّعِيَّةِ وَانْتِشَارِهَا، مَا ظَهَرَ لِعُمَرَ، وَلَا قَرِيبٌ مِنْهُ. وَعُمَرُ لَمْ يُوَلِّ أَحَدًا مِنْ أَقَارِبِهِ، وَعَلِيٌّ وَلَّى أَقَارِبَهُ، كَمَا وَلَّى عُثْمَانُ أَقَارِبَهُ، وَعُمَرُ مَعَ هَذَا يَخَافُ أَنْ يَكُونَ ظَلَمَهُمْ، فَهُوَ أَعْدَلُ وَأَخْوَفُ مِنَ اللَّهِ مِنْ عَلِيٍّ، فَهَذَا مِمَّا يَدُلُّ عَلَى أَنَّهُ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ عَلِيٍّ. وَعُمَرُ مَعَ رِضَا رَعِيَّتِهِ عَنْهُ، يَخَافُ أَنْ يَكُونَ ظَلَمَهُمْ، وَعَلِيٌّ يَشْكُو مِنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ وَتَظَلُّمِهِمْ (٣) ، وَيَدْعُو عَلَيْهِمْ وَيَقُولُ: إِنِّي أُبْغِضُهُمْ وَيُبْغِضُونِي (٤) ، وَسَئِمْتُهُمْ وَسَئِمُونِي (٥) . اللَّهُمَّ فَأَبْدِلْنِي بِهِمْ خَيْرًا مِنْهُمْ، وَأَبْدِلْهُمْ بِي شَرًّا مِنِّي. {فَأَيُّ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ أَحَقُّ بِالْأَمْنِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ} ؟

(١) بِهِ: كَذَا فِي (ر) ، وَفِي (ن) ، (ح) ، (ي) : لَهُ. (٢) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) . (٣) ن، ب: وَيَظْلِمُهُمْ، وَهُوَ تَحْرِيفٌ. (٤) ر: وَيُبْغِضُونَنِي. (٥) ب: وَأَسْأَمُهُمْ وَيَسْأَمُونِي، ن: وَلِشَتْمِهِمْ وَيَشْتُمُونِي، وَهُوَ تَحْرِيفٌ.