Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (6/149)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

the Muslims, and so he was obliged to appoint over them the most suitable person he could. After his death, however, he was not obliged to appoint (* a particular individual if they would unite around the worthiest among them. Likewise, when the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—knew that they would unite around Abū Bakr, this spared him from writing the document that he had resolved to write in Abū Bakr’s favor.

Moreover, there is no evidence that a caliph is obliged to appoint *)(1) a successor after him. Umar therefore did not neglect any obligation. This is why he was pressed about appointing a particular successor.

He was asked:

“What if you were to appoint someone to take charge?”

He replied:

“Allah Most High would not allow (2) His religion, His caliphate, or that with which He sent His Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—to be lost. If death should suddenly overtake me, the caliphate shall be a matter of consultation among these [six] (3) with whom the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—was pleased when he died.”

It should also be known that Allah Most High sent the messengers and revealed the scriptures (4) so that people might attain the greatest possible degree of righteousness, not so that corruption would be eradicated altogether. That is impossible within human nature, for some corruption must inevitably remain within it.

For this reason, He Most High said:

“Indeed, I am placing upon the earth a vicegerent.” They said, “Will You place upon it one who will spread corruption there and shed blood, while we glorify You with praise and sanctify You?”—the verse [Surah al-Baqarah: 30].

Thus, there has never been a nation without evil and corruption. And the most exemplary

(1) The passage between the two asterisks is absent from (H). (2) (N) and (M) read *mudayyiʿun* (“one who would allow [them] to be lost”). (3) “The six” is absent from (N) and (M). (4) (H) reads: “sent the Messenger and revealed the Scripture”; (R) reads: “sent the messengers and revealed the scriptures.”

الْمُسْلِمِينَ، فَيَجِبُ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يُوَلِّيَ عَلَيْهِمْ أَصْلَحَ مَنْ يُمْكِنُهُ، وَأَمَّا بَعْدَ الْمَوْتِ فَلَا يَجِبُ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَسْتَخْلِفَ (* مُعَيَّنًا إِذَا كَانُوا يَجْتَمِعُونَ عَلَى أَمْثَلِهِمْ. كَمَا أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - لَمَّا عَلِمَ أَنَّهُمْ يَجْتَمِعُونَ عَلَى أَبِي بَكْرٍ اسْتَغْنَى بِذَلِكَ عَنْ كِتَابَةِ الْكِتَابِ الَّذِي كَانَ قَدْ عَزَمَ عَلَى أَنْ يَكْتُبَهُ لِأَبِي بَكْرٍ. وَأَيْضًا فَلَا دَلِيلَ عَلَى أَنَّهُ يَجِبُ عَلَى الْخَلِيفَةِ أَنْ يَسْتَخْلِفَ *) (١) بَعْدَهُ، فَلَمْ يَتْرُكْ عُمَرُ وَاجِبًا. وَلِهَذَا رُوجِعَ فِي اسْتِخْلَافِ الْمُعَيَّنِ. وَقِيلَ لَهُ: أَرَأَيْتَ لَوْ أَنَّكَ اسْتَرْعَيْتَ؟ فَقَالَ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى لَمْ يَكُنْ يُضَيِّعُ (٢) دِينَهُ وَلَا خِلَافَتَهُ وَلَا الَّذِي بَعَثَ بِهِ نَبِيَّهُ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَإِنْ عُجِّلَ بِي أَمْرٌ، فَالْخِلَافَةُ شُورَى بَيْنَ هَؤُلَاءِ [السِّتَّةِ] (٣) الَّذِينَ تُوُفِّيَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - وَهُوَ عَنْهُمْ رَاضٍ. وَمِمَّا يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يُعْلَمَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى بَعَثَ الرُّسُلَ وَأَنْزَلَ الْكُتُبَ (٤) لِيَكُونَ النَّاسُ عَلَى غَايَةِ مَا يُمْكِنُ مِنَ الصَّلَاحِ، لَا لِرَفْعِ الْفَسَادِ بِالْكُلِّيَّةِ؛ فَإِنَّ هَذَا مُمْتَنِعٌ فِي الطَّبِيعَةِ الْإِنْسَانِيَّةِ؛ إِذْ لَا بُدَّ فِيهَا مِنْ فَسَادٍ. وَلِهَذَا قَالَ تَعَالَى: {إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً قَالُوا أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَنْ يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ الدِّمَاءَ وَنَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ} الْآيَةَ [سُورَةُ الْبَقَرَةِ: ٣٠] . وَلِهَذَا لَمْ تَكُنْ أُمَّةٌ مِنَ الْأُمَمِ إِلَّا وَفِيهَا شَرٌّ وَفَسَادٌ. وَأَمْثَلُ

(١) مَا بَيْنَ النَّجْمَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ح) . (٢) ن، م: مُضَيِّعٌ. (٣) السِّتَّةُ سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٤) ح: بَعَثَ الرَّسُولَ وَأَنْزَلَ الْكِتَابَ، ر: أَرْسَلَ الرُّسُلَ وَأَنْزَلَ الْكُتُبَ.