Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (6/128)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

on behalf of another; for if he is given a choice between one currency and another, between cash and credit, between purchasing one kind of commodity and another, or between selling in one market and another, his choice must be governed by the best interests involved and by considered judgment. He may not depart from what he believes to be most beneficial for the person who entrusted him, unless doing so would entail hardship sufficient to justify leaving it.

The ruler’s exercise of authority over the Muslims belongs to the same category. An example is his decision regarding a captive, where he may choose between execution and enslavement, as well as between release without payment and ransom, according to most scholars.

For this reason, “the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, consulted his Companions about the captives on the day of Badr. Abū Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, advised him to accept ransom, and the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, likened him to Abraham and Jesus. Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, advised execution, and the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, likened him to Noah and Moses. He did not fault either of them for his advice; rather, he praised each of them and likened him to the prophets” (1). Had he been categorically commanded to follow one of the two courses, he would not have consulted them about what he should do.

The same applies to the ruler’s considered judgment concerning whom to appoint: he must choose the person he considers best suited. Such judgments may differ while all of them remain correct. Abū Bakr al-Siddīq, may Allah be pleased with him, believed that Khālid ibn al-Walīd should remain in command during his wars. Umar would advise him to dismiss Khālid, but he would not do so, saying, “He is a sword that Allah has unsheathed against the polytheists.” Then, when Umar assumed the caliphate, he dismissed him and appointed Abū Ubayda ibn al-Jarrāh. What each of them did was more beneficial in his own time, for Abū Bakr was characterized by gentleness, whereas Umar was characterized by

(1) See the text of the hadith and my commentary on it later in this volume, pp. 131–135.

لِغَيْرِهِ؛ فَإِنَّهُ إِذَا كَانَ مُخَيَّرًا بَيْنَ هَذَا النَّقْدِ وَهَذَا النَّقْدِ، أَوْ بَيْنَ النَّقْدِ وَالنَّسِيئَةِ، أَوْ بَيْنَ ابْتِيَاعِ هَذَا الصِّنْفِ وَهَذَا الصِّنْفِ، أَوِ الْبَيْعِ فِي هَذَا السُّوقِ وَهَذَا السُّوقِ، فَهُوَ تَخْيِيرُ مَصْلَحَةٍ وَاجْتِهَادٍ، فَلَيْسَ لَهُ أَنْ يَعْدِلَ عَمَّا يَرَاهُ أَصْلَحَ لِمَنِ ائْتَمَنَهُ، إِذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ عَلَيْهِ فِي ذَلِكَ مَشَقَّةٌ تُسَوِّغُ لَهُ تَرْكَهُ. وَمِنْ هَذَا الْبَابِ تَصَرُّفُ وَلِيِّ الْأَمْرِ لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ، كَالْأَسِيرِ الَّذِي يُخَيَّرُ فِيهِ بَيْنَ الْقَتْلِ وَالِاسْتِرْقَاقِ، وَكَذَلِكَ بَيْنَ الْمَنِّ وَالْفِدَاءِ عِنْدَ أَكْثَرِ الْعُلَمَاءِ. وَلِهَذَا «اسْتَشَارَ النَّبِيُّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - أَصْحَابَهُ فِيهِمْ يَوْمَ بَدْرٍ، فَأَشَارَ عَلَيْهِ أَبُو بَكْرٍ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ - بِأَخْذِ الْفِدَاءِ، وَشَبَّهَهُ النَّبِيُّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - بِإِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعِيسَى، وَأَشَارَ عَلَيْهِ عُمَرُ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ - بِالْقَتْلِ، وَشَبَّهَهُ النَّبِيُّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - بِنُوحٍ وَمُوسَى، وَلَمْ يَعِبْ وَاحِدًا مِنْهُمَا بِمَا أَشَارَ عَلَيْهِ بِهِ، بَلْ مَدَحَهُ وَشَبَّهَهُ بِالْأَنْبِيَاءِ» (١) . وَلَوْ كَانَ مَأْمُورًا بِأَحَدِ الْأَمْرَيْنِ حَتْمًا لَمَا اسْتَشَارَهُمْ فِيمَا يَفْعَلُ. وَكَذَلِكَ اجْتِهَادُ وَلِيِّ الْأَمْرِ فِيمَنْ يُوَلِّي، فَعَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَخْتَارَ أَصْلَحَ مَنْ يَرَاهُ، ثُمَّ إِنَّ الِاجْتِهَادَ يَخْتَلِفُ وَيَكُونُ جَمِيعُهُ صَوَابًا، كَمَا أَنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ الصِّدِّيقَ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ - كَانَ رَأْيُهُ أَنْ يُوَلِّيَ خَالِدَ بْنَ الْوَلِيدِ فِي حُرُوبِهِ، وَكَانَ عُمَرُ يُشِيرُ عَلَيْهِ بِأَنْ يَعْزِلَهُ، فَلَا يَعْزِلُهُ، وَيَقُولُ: إِنَّهُ سَيْفٌ سَلَّهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى الْمُشْرِكِينَ، ثُمَّ إِنَّ عُمَرَ لَمَّا تَوَلَّى عَزَلَهُ وَوَلَّى أَبَا عُبَيْدَةَ بْنَ الْجَرَّاحِ، وَمَا فَعَلَهُ كُلٌّ مِنْهُمَا كَانَ أَصْلَحَ فِي وَقْتِهِ؛ فَإِنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ كَانَ فِيهِ لِينٌ، وَعُمَرَ كَانَ فِيهِ

(١) انْظُرْ نَصَّ الْحَدِيثِ وَتَعْلِيقِي عَلَيْهِ بَعْدَ صَفَحَاتٍ فِي هَذَا الْجُزْءِ ص ١٣١ - ١٣٥