Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (6/251)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

the public treasury to the extent of their entitlement, because they were the ruler’s near relatives. Supporting and defending the ruler is an incumbent duty, and his relatives support and defend him in ways that others do not.

In short, anyone vested with authority (1) must have people whom he can trust with his personal safety and who will protect him from those intent on harming him. If the people do not stand with their ruler as they stood with Abū Bakr and Umar, he will need a trusted inner circle in whom he can repose confidence, and they must be adequately provided for. This is the first of the two interpretations.

The second interpretation is that he administered the funds. Allah Most High says:

“and those employed to administer it”

[Surah al-Tawbah: 60].

A wealthy administrator of zakat (2) may receive compensation for his work, by the consensus of the Muslims.

Regarding one who manages an orphan’s property, Allah Most High says:

“Whoever is self-sufficient should abstain, but whoever is poor may consume in a reasonable manner”

[Surah al-Nisā: 6].

There are two views as to whether the command that the wealthy person abstain is obligatory or merely recommended.

(3 Is the custodian of the public treasury and the supervisor of an endowment like a zakat administrator 3) (3) (* or like the guardian of an orphan? There are two views. If the ruler is treated like a zakat administrator, he is entitled to compensation even if he is wealthy. *) (4). If he is treated like the guardian of an orphan (5), the same two views apply. Thus, there are three positions in all. Under two of them, Uthmān was entitled to take from the treasury despite being wealthy. This is a position held by the jurists; it is not akin to the self-serving aims of kings, which no scholar has endorsed.

(1) N, M, and R read: “for everyone vested with authority.” (2) N reads: “the person concerned may”; M: “the person appointed to it may.” (3) The passage marked (3–3) is absent only from H. (4) The text between the two asterisks is absent from H and B. (5) N reads: “and if he is appointed guardian of the orphan.”

بَيْتِ الْمَالِ مَا يَسْتَحِقُّونَهُ، لِكَوْنِهِمْ أُولِي قُرْبَى الْإِمَامِ. وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ نَصْرَ وَلِيِّ الْأَمْرِ وَالذَّبَّ عَنْهُ مُتَعَيَّنٌ، وَأَقَارِبُهُ يَنْصُرُونَهُ وَيَذُبُّونَ عَنْهُ مَا لَا يَفْعَلُهُ غَيْرُهُمْ. وَبِالْجُمْلَةِ، فَلَا بُدَّ لِكُلِّ ذَوِي أَمْرٍ (١) مِنْ أَقْوَامٍ يَأْتَمِنُهُمْ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ، وَيَدْفَعُونَ عَنْهُ مَنْ يُرِيدُ ضَرَرَهُ. فَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنِ النَّاسُ مَعَ إِمَامِهِمْ كَمَا كَانُوا مَعَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ، احْتَاجَ الْأَمْرُ إِلَى بِطَانَةٍ يَطْمَئِنُّ إِلَيْهِمْ، وَهُمْ لَا بُدَّ لَهُمْ مِنْ كِفَايَةٍ. فَهَذَا أَحَدُ التَّأْوِيلَيْنِ. وَالتَّأْوِيلُ الثَّانِي: أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَعْمَلُ فِي الْمَالِ. وَقَدْ قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: {وَالْعَامِلِينَ عَلَيْهَا} [سُورَةُ التَّوْبَةِ: ٦٠] . وَالْعَامِلُ عَلَى الصَّدَقَةِ الْغَنِيُّ لَهُ (٢) أَنْ يَأْخُذَ بِعِمَالَتِهِ بِاتِّفَاقِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ. وَالْعَامِلُ فِي مَالِ الْيَتِيمِ قَدْ قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى فِيهِ: {وَمَنْ كَانَ غَنِيًّا فَلْيَسْتَعْفِفْ وَمَنْ كَانَ فَقِيرًا فَلْيَأْكُلْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ} [سُورَةُ النِّسَاءِ: ٦] . وَهَلِ الْأَمْرُ لِلْغَنِيِّ بِالِاسْتِعْفَافِ أَمْرُ إِيجَابٍ أَوْ أَمْرُ اسْتِحْبَابٍ؟ عَلَى قَوْلَيْنِ. (٣ وَوَلِيُّ بَيْتِ الْمَالِ وَنَاظِرُ الْوَقْفِ هَلْ هُوَ كَعَامِلِ الصَّدَقَةِ ٣) (٣) (* أَوْ كَوَلِيِّ الْيَتِيمِ؟ عَلَى قَوْلَيْنِ. وَإِذَا جُعِلَ وَلِيُّ الْأَمْرِ كَعَامِلِ الصَّدَقَةِ اسْتَحَقَّ مَعَ الْغِنَى *) (٤) . وَإِذَا جُعِلَ كَوَلِيِّ الْيَتِيمِ (٥) فَفِيهِ الْقَوْلَانِ. فَهَذِهِ ثَلَاثَةُ أَقْوَالٍ، وَعُثْمَانُ عَلَى قَوْلَيْنِ: كَانَ لَهُ الْأَخْذُ مَعَ الْغِنَى. وَهَذَا مَذْهَبُ الْفُقَهَاءِ، لَيْسَتْ كَأَغْرَاضِ الْمُلُوكِ الَّتِي لَمْ يُوَافِقْ عَلَيْهَا أَحَدٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ.

(١) ن، م، ر: لِكُلِّ ذِي أَمْرٍ. (٢) ن، الْمَعْنِيُّ لَهُ، م: الْمُعَيَّنُ لَهُ. (٣) (٣ - ٣) سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ح) فَقَطْ. (٤) - مَا بَيْنَ النَّجْمَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ح) ، (ب) . (٥) ن: وَإِذَا جُعِلَ وَلِيَّ الْيَتِيمِ.