Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (6/247)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

Uthmān, and Uthmān enlarged the territory under his governorship. Muāwiya’s conduct toward his subjects was among the finest examples of conduct (1) displayed by governors, and his subjects loved him (2).

[It is established] in the Sahīh (3) that the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—said:

“The best of your rulers are those whom you love and who love you, for whom you pray and who pray for you. The worst of your rulers are those whom you hate and who hate you, whom you curse and who curse you.” (4)

Only after Uthmān was killed did objectionable conduct on Muāwiya’s part emerge amid the civil strife. When Uthmān was killed, civil strife engulfed most people; it was not peculiar to Muāwiya. Indeed, Muāwiya was more intent than many of them on taking the safer course and was further removed (5) from evil than many of them.

Muāwiya was better than al-Ashtar al-Nakhaī, Muhammad ibn Abī Bakr, Ubayd Allah (6) ibn Umar ibn al-Khattāb, Abū al-Awar al-Sulamī, [Hāshim ibn Hāshim ibn Hāshim al-Mirqāl] (7), al-Ashath ibn Qays al-Kindī, Busr (8) ibn Abī Artāh, and others among those who were with him and with Alī ibn Abī Tālib—may Allah be pleased with them both.

(1) N has the singular: “conduct.” (2) See *al-Muntaqā min Minhāj al-I‘tidāl*, pp. 231, 234, 259, 262, and 387–389. (3) N and M read: “and in the *Sahīh*”; H and B read: “and it is established in the two *Sahīhs*.” (4) This hadith was cited earlier at 1/116 and 1/565. (5) H and B read: “from.” (6) N reads: “Abd Allah,” which is incorrect. (7) The text between square brackets is absent from N and M. (8) N and M read: “Bishr,” which is a textual corruption. His status as a Companion is disputed. He was one of Mu‘āwiya’s commanders, was born in Mecca before the Hijra, and died in 86 AH. See his biography in *al-Isāba*, 1/152, and *al-A‘lām*, 2/23–24.

عُثْمَانَ، وَزَادَهُ عُثْمَانُ فِي الْوِلَايَةِ. وَكَانَتْ سِيرَةُ مُعَاوِيَةَ مَعَ رَعِيَّتِهِ مِنْ خِيَارِ سِيَرِ (١) الْوُلَاةِ، وَكَانَتْ رَعِيَّتُهُ يُحِبُّونَهُ (٢) . وَ [قَدْ ثَبَتَ] فِي الصَّحِيحِ (٣) عَنِ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - أَنَّهُ قَالَ: " «خِيَارُ أَئِمَّتِكُمُ الَّذِينَ تُحِبُّونَهُمْ وَيُحِبُّونَكُمْ، وَتُصَلُّونَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَيُصَلُّونَ عَلَيْكُمْ، وَشَرَارُ أَئِمَّتِكُمُ الَّذِينَ تُبْغِضُونَهُمْ وَيُبْغِضُونَكُمْ، وَتَلْعَنُونَهُمْ وَيَلْعَنُونَكُمْ» " (٤) . وَإِنَّمَا ظَهَرَ الْإِحْدَاثُ مِنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ فِي الْفِتْنَةِ لَمَّا قُتِلَ عُثْمَانُ، وَلَمَّا قُتِلَ عُثْمَانُ كَانْتِ الْفِتْنَةُ شَامِلَةً لِأَكْثَرِ النَّاسِ، لَمْ يَخْتَصَّ بِهَا مُعَاوِيَةُ، بَلْ كَانَ مُعَاوِيَةُ أَطْلَبَ لِلسَّلَامَةِ مِنْ كَثِيرٍ مِنْهُمْ، وَأَبْعَدَ عَنِ (٥) الشَّرِّ مِنْ كَثِيرٍ مِنْهُمْ. وَمُعَاوِيَةُ كَانَ خَيْرًا مِنَ الْأَشْتَرِ النَّخَعِيِّ، وَمِنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ، وَمِنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ (٦) بْنِ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ، وَمِنْ أَبِي الْأَعْوَرِ السُّلَمِيِّ، [وَمِنْ هَاشِمِ بْنِ هَاشِمِ بْنِ هَاشِمٍ الْمِرْقَالِ] (٧) ، وَمِنَ الْأَشْعَثِ بْنِ قَيْسٍ الْكِنْدِيِّ، وَمِنْ بُسْرِ (٨) بْنِ أَبِي أَرْطَاةَ، وَغَيْرِ هَؤُلَاءِ مِنَ الَّذِينَ كَانُوا مَعَهُ وَمَعَ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا -.

(١) ن: سِيرَةِ. (٢) انْظُرِ: الْمُنْتَقَى مِنْ مِنْهَاجِ الِاعْتِدَالِ، ص ٢٣١، ٢٣٤، ص ٢٥٩، ٢٦٢، ٣٨٧ - ٣٨٩. (٣) ن، م: وَفِي الصَّحِيحِ، ح، ب: وَقَدْ ثَبَتَ فِي الصَّحِيحَيْنِ. (٤) سَبَقَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ فِيمَا مَضَى ١/١١٦، ١/٥٦٥ (٥) ح، ب: مِنَ. (٦) ن: عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، وَهُوَ خَطَأٌ. (٧) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٨) ن، م: بِشْرِ، وَهُوَ تَحْرِيفٌ، وَقَدِ اخْتُلِفَ فِي صُحْبَتِهِ، وَكَانَ مِنْ قُوَّادِ مُعَاوِيَةَ، وُلِدَ بِمَكَّةَ قَبْلَ الْهِجْرَةِ وَتُوُفِّيَ سَنَةَ ٨٦، انْظُرْ تَرْجَمَتَهُ فِي: الْإِصَابَةِ ١/١٥٢، الْأَعْلَامِ ٢/٢٣ - ٢٤.