Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (6/54)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

can number except Allah, drawn from every class of Muslim scholars; all of them defer to Umar’s justice and knowledge.

[Statements of the Scholars on the Virtues of Umar, may Allah be pleased with him]

Scholars have devoted separate works to Umar’s virtues, for nothing comparable to his conduct is known in human history. Abū al-Maālī al-Juwaynī said the same. He said (1):

“The heavens have never revolved over his like. Aisha—may Allah be pleased with her—said: ‘Umar was decisive and energetic in his affairs, a man without peer, with measures commensurate with every eventuality at the ready.’

She would also say:

‘Adorn your gatherings with the mention of Umar’ (2).

Ibn Masūd said:

‘The three people with the keenest discernment were: the daughter (3) of the man of Midian, when she said, “O my father, hire him. Indeed, the best man you can hire is one who is strong and trustworthy” [Surah al-Qasas: 26]; Khadīja in her judgment concerning the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace; and Abū Bakr when he appointed Umar as his successor.’” (4).

All these scholars whom we have mentioned knew that Umar’s justice was more perfect than that of those who ruled after him, and that his knowledge was more complete than the knowledge of those who ruled after him.

(1) I have not found the following passage in al-Juwaynī’s published works, nor do I know where his words end. I consider it most likely that they end with the phrase “appointed Umar as his successor.” Dr. Abd al-Azīm al-Dīb states in *Imām al-Haramayn* (Kuwait: Dār al-Qalam, 1401/1981, p. 59) that the sources indicate that *al-Shāmil* comprised five volumes. I believe that the published portion does not constitute the entire work; perhaps the passage quoted by Ibn Taymiyya comes from it or from another work. (2) Aisha’s statement concerning Umar will appear shortly, on p. 62. (3) B reads: *bint*. (4) Al-Hākim related this report from Ibn Masūd—may Allah be pleased with him—with different wording in *al-Mustadrak*, 3/90. It reads: “The three people with the keenest discernment were al-Azīz (the Egyptian dignitary), when he discerned Joseph’s qualities and said to his wife, ‘Treat him well’; the woman who discerned Moses’ qualities—peace be upon him—and said to her father, ‘Father, hire him’; and Abū Bakr, when he appointed Umar as his successor—may Allah be pleased with them both.” Al-Hākim remarked: “May Allah be pleased with Ibn Masūd! He did well to group them together in this way.” The chain of transmission is sound, and al-Dhahabī concurred.

يُحْصِي عَدَدَهُمْ إِلَّا اللَّهُ مِنْ أَصْنَافِ عُلَمَاءِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، كُلُّهُمْ خَاضِعُونَ لِعَدْلِ عُمَرَ وَعِلْمِهِ. [كلام العلماء في مناقب عمر رضي الله عنه] وَقَدْ أَفْرَدَ الْعُلَمَاءُ مَنَاقِبَ عُمَرَ؛ فَإِنَّهُ لَا يُعْرَفُ فِي سِيَرِ النَّاسِ كَسِيرَتِهِ، كَذَلِكَ قَالَ أَبُو الْمَعَالِي الْجُوَيْنِيُّ، قَالَ (١) : " مَا دَارَ الْفَلَكُ عَلَى شَكْلِهِ، قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا -: كَانَ عُمَرُ أَحْوَذِيًّا نَسِيجَ وَحْدِهِ، قَدْ أَعَدَّ لِلْأُمُورِ أَقْرَانَهَا، وَكَانَتْ تَقُولُ: زَيِّنُوا مَجَالِسَكُمْ بِذِكْرِ عُمَرَ (٢) . وَقَالَ ابْنُ مَسْعُودٍ: أَفَرَسُ النَّاسِ ثَلَاثَةً: ابْنَةُ (٣) صَاحِبِ مَدْيَنَ إِذْ قَالَتْ: {يَاأَبَتِ اسْتَأْجِرْهُ إِنَّ خَيْرَ مَنِ اسْتَأْجَرْتَ الْقَوِيُّ الْأَمِينُ} [سُورَةُ الْقَصَصِ: ٢٦] وَخَدِيجَةُ فِي النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَأَبُو بَكْرٍ حِينَ اسْتَخْلَفَ عُمَرَ " (٤) . وَكُلُّ هَؤُلَاءِ الْعُلَمَاءِ الَّذِينَ ذَكَرْنَاهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ عَدْلَ عُمَرَ كَانَ أَتَمَّ مِنْ عَدْلِ مَنْ وَلِيَ بَعْدَهُ، وَعِلْمَهُ كَانَ أَتَمَّ مِنْ عِلْمِ مَنْ وَلِيَ بَعْدَهُ.

(١) لَمْ أَجِدِ الْكَلَامَ التَّالِيَ فِي كُتُبِ الْجُوَيْنِيِّ الْمَطْبُوعَةِ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ أَيْنَ يَنْتَهِي كَلَامُهُ، وَرَجَّحْتُ أَنْ يَكُونَ آخِرُهُ عِبَارَةَ اسْتَخْلَفَ عُمَرُ، وَيَذْكُرُ الدُّكْتُورُ عَبْدُ الْعَظِيمِ الدِّيبُ فِي كِتَابِهِ " إِمَامِ الْحَرَمَيْنِ " ط. دَارِ الْقَلَمِ الْكُوَيْتِ ١٤٠١ ١٩٨١ ص ٥٩ أَنَّ الْمَصَادِرَ تُشِيرُ إِلَى أَنَّ كِتَابَ الشَّامِلِ يَقَعُ فِي خَمْسَةِ مُجَلَّدَاتٍ، وَأَحْسَبُ أَنَّ الْمَطْبُوعَ مِنْهُ لَيْسَ كُلَّ الْكِتَابِ، وَلَعَلَّ الْكَلَامَ الَّذِي نَقَلَهُ ابْنُ تَيْمِيَةَ مِنْهُ أَوْ مِنْ غَيْرِهِ. (٢) سَيَأْتِي كَلَامُ عَائِشَةَ عَنْ عُمَرَ بَعْدَ قَلِيلٍ ص ٦٢ (٣) ب: بِنْتُ. (٤) ذَكَرَ هَذَا الْأَثَرَ بِأَلْفَاظٍ مُخْتَلِفَةٍ عَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ الْحَاكِمُ فِي: الْمُسْتَدْرَكِ ٣/٩٠ وَنَصُّهُ: إِنَّ أَفَرَسَ النَّاسِ ثَلَاثَةٌ: الْعَزِيزُ حِينَ تَفَرَّسَ فِي يُوسُفَ فَقَالَ لِامْرَأَتِهِ: أَكْرِمِي مَثْوَاهُ، وَالْمَرْأَةُ الَّتِي رَأَتْ مُوسَى عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ فَقَالَتْ لِأَبِيهَا: يَا أَبَتِ اسْتَأْجِرْهُ، وَأَبُو بَكْرٍ حِينَ اسْتَخْلَفَ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا، قَالَ الْحَاكِمُ: فَرَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، لَقَدْ أَحْسَنَ فِي الْجَمْعِ بَيْنَهُمْ بِهَذَا) الْإِسْنَادُ صَحِيحٌ، وَوَافَقَهُ الذَّهَبِيُّ.