Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (6/193)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

and placed him in charge of Sanaa in Yemen; he remained there (1) until Allah’s Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—died. He appointed Uthmān ibn Saīd ibn al-Ās over Taymā, Khaybar, and the villages of Urayna. He placed Abān ibn Saīd ibn al-Ās in command of several expeditions, then appointed him over Bahrain; he remained in that post after al-Alā ibn al-Hadramī until the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—passed away. He appointed (2) al-Walīd ibn Uqba ibn Abī Muayt, until [Allah] revealed concerning him: (3) ‘If an evildoer comes to you with news, verify it, lest you harm people unknowingly’—to the end of the verse [Surah al-Hujurāt: 6].”

Thus Uthmān says: “I appointed only men whom the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—had appointed (4) from among them (5), or men of their stock and tribe. Abū Bakr and Umar likewise did so after him. [Abū Bakr appointed Yazīd ibn Abī Sufyān ibn Harb during the conquests of Syria, and Umar retained him in office; Umar then appointed his brother Muāwiya after him] (6).”

This body of reports concerning the Prophet’s appointment of these men is firmly established and well known [as coming from him] (7); indeed, it is mass-transmitted among (8) the people of knowledge. Some of its reports are themselves mass-transmitted among hadith scholars (9), while others are known to their scholars, and none of them denies them.

Accordingly, citing the established report from the Prophet as proof of the permissibility of appointing members of Banū Umayya

(1) “Over it” is omitted in (H), (B), and (M). (2) (N) and (M) read: “until he appointed.” (3) (N) and (M) read: “until it was revealed concerning him.” (4) (H) and (R) read: “whom [the Prophet] appointed.” (5) “From among them” is omitted in (H), (B), and (M). (6) The passage in square brackets is omitted in (N) and (M). (7) “From him” is omitted in (N) and (M). (8) (N) reads: “from.” (9) (N) reads: “the scholars among the people of hadith.”

وَعَلَى صَنْعَاءَ الْيَمَنِ، فَلَمْ يَزَلْ عَلَيْهَا (١) حَتَّى مَاتَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَاسْتَعْمَلَ عُثْمَانَ بْنَ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْعَاصِ عَلَى تَيْمَاءَ وَخَيْبَرَ وَقُرَى عُرَيْنَةَ، وَاسْتَعْمَلَ أَبَانَ بْنَ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْعَاصِ عَلَى بَعْضِ السَّرَايَا، ثُمَّ اسْتَعْمَلَهُ عَلَى الْبَحْرِينِ فَلَمْ يَزَلْ عَلَيْهَا بَعْدَ الْعَلَاءِ بْنِ الْحَضْرَمِيِّ حَتَّى تُوُفِّيَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَاسْتَعْمَلَ (٢) الْوَلِيدَ بْنَ عُقْبَةَ بْنِ أَبِي مُعَيْطٍ حَتَّى أَنْزَلَ [اللَّهُ] فِيهِ: (٣) {إِنْ جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ فَتَبَيَّنُوا أَنْ تُصِيبُوا قَوْمًا بِجَهَالَةٍ} الْآيَةَ [سُورَةُ الْحُجُرَاتِ: ٦] . فَيَقُولُ عُثْمَانُ: أَنَا لَمْ أَسْتَعْمِلْ إِلَّا مَنِ اسْتَعْمَلَهُ (٤) النَّبِيُّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - مِنْهُمْ (٥) وَمِنْ جِنْسِهِمْ وَمِنْ قَبِيلَتِهِمْ، وَكَذَلِكَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرُ بَعْدَهُ، [فَقَدْ وَلَّى أَبُو بَكْرٍ يَزِيدَ بْنَ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ بْنِ حَرْبٍ فِي فُتُوحِ الشَّامِ، وَأَقَرَّهُ عُمَرُ، ثُمَّ وَلَّى عُمَرُ بَعْدَهُ أَخَاهُ مُعَاوِيَةَ] (٦) . وَهَذَا النَّقْلُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - فِي اسْتِعْمَالِ هَؤُلَاءِ ثَابِتٌ مَشْهُورٌ [عَنْهُ] (٧) ، بَلْ مُتَوَاتِرٌ عِنْدَ (٨) أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ، وَمِنْهُ مُتَوَاتِرٌ عِنْدَ عُلَمَاءِ الْحَدِيثِ (٩) ، وَمِنْهُ مَا يَعْرِفُهُ الْعُلَمَاءُ مِنْهُمْ، وَلَا يُنْكِرُهُ أَحَدٌ مِنْهُمْ. فَكَانَ الِاحْتِجَاجُ عَلَى جَوَازِ الِاسْتِعْمَالِ مِنْ بَنِي أُمَيَّةَ بِالنَّصِّ الثَّابِتِ عَنِ

(١) عَلَيْهَا: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ح) ، (ب) ، (م) . (٢) ن، م: حَتَّى اسْتَعْمَلَ. (٣) ن، م: حَتَّى أُنْزِلَ فِيهِ. (٤) ح، ر: مَنِ اسْتَعْمَلَ. (٥) مِنْهُمْ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ح) ، (ب) ، (م) . (٦) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٧) عَنْهُ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٨) ن: عَنْ. (٩) ن: عُلَمَاءُ أَهْلِ الْحَدِيثِ.