Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (6/252)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

It is well known that if these interpretations accord with the facts, there is nothing further to say. Even if they are less persuasive (1), the interpretations advanced regarding the bloodshed that occurred at Ali’s hands are no more cogent than these. Indeed, the case for these views is stronger (2) than the case for the position of those who deemed fighting warranted.

[Refutation of the Rāfidī’s claim that Ibn Masūd criticized Uthmān and declared him an unbeliever—may Allah be pleased with them both]

As for his statement:

“Ibn Masūd used to denounce him and declare him an unbeliever.”

The answer is that this is a manifest lie against Ibn Masūd. Scholars versed in transmitted reports know that Ibn Masūd did not declare Uthmān an unbeliever. Rather, when Uthmān became caliph and Ibn Masūd went to Kufa, he said:

“We appointed the best among us—a man of consummate merit—and did not fall short.”

During the early years (3) of Uthmān’s rule, they found no fault with him. In the later years (4), however, they took issue with him over several matters. In some of these they were excusable, while in many of them Uthmān was the one who was excusable.

Among these was the affair involving Ibn Masūd. Ibn Masūd continued to harbor dissatisfaction over the matter of the Quranic codex because Uthmān entrusted its transcription to Zayd rather than to him and ordered the Companions (5) to wash (6) their codices clean. The majority of the Companions sided with Uthmān against Ibn Masūd. Abū Bakr and Umar had previously commissioned Zayd ibn Thābit to compile the codex in the

(1) N and M read: “that if this interpretation is unqualified, there is nothing further to say (M: ‘then there is something to say’); and if it is less persuasive.” (2) N and M read: “more cogent.” (3) H and B read: “in the first year.” (4) N reads: “When he was in the later years”; M: “When he was in the latter years”; H and B: “When the final year came.” (5) H and B read: “and he ordered his companions.” (6) “That they wash [them]”: This is the reading in B, and it is correct. All other manuscripts read: “that they go to excess.” What is meant is that they were to wash the writing from the codices, which were made of leather or bone.

وَمَعْلُومٌ أَنَّ هَذِهِ التَّأْوِيلَاتِ إِنْ كَانَتْ مُطَابَقَةً فَلَا كَلَامَ، وَإِنْ كَانَتْ مَرْجُوحَةً (١) فَالتَّأْوِيلَاتُ فِي الدِّمَاءِ الَّتِي جَرَتْ مِنْ عَلِيٍّ لَيْسَتْ بِأَوْجَهَ مِنْهَا. وَالِاحْتِجَاجُ لِهَذِهِ الْأَقْوَالِ أَقْوَى (٢) مِنَ الِاحْتِجَاجِ لِقَوْلِ مَنْ رَأَى الْقِتَالَ. [الرد على قول الرافضي أن ابن مسعود كان يطعن على عثمان ويكفره رضي الله عنهما] وَأَمَّا قَوْلُهُ: " وَكَانَ ابْنُ مَسْعُودٍ يَطْعَنُ عَلَيْهِ وَيُكَفِّرُهُ " . فَالْجَوَابُ: أَنَّ هَذَا مِنَ الْكَذِبِ الْبَيِّنِ عَلَى ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، فَإِنَّ عُلَمَاءَ أَهْلِ النَّقْلِ يَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ ابْنَ مَسْعُودٍ مَا كَانَ يُكَفِّرُ عُثْمَانَ، بَلْ لَمَّا وَلِيَ عُثْمَانُ وَذَهَبَ ابْنُ مَسْعُودٍ إِلَى الْكُوفَةِ قَالَ: " وَلَّيْنَا أَعْلَانَا ذَا فُوقٍ وَلَمْ نَأْلُ " . وَكَانَ عُثْمَانُ فِي السِّنِينَ الْأُوَلِ (٣) مِنْ وِلَايَتِهِ لَا يَنْقِمُونَ مِنْهُ شَيْئًا، وَلَمَّا كَانَتِ السِّنِينَ الْآخِرَةُ (٤) نَقَمُوا مِنْهُ أَشْيَاءَ، بَعْضُهَا هُمْ مَعْذُورُونَ فِيهِ، وَكَثِيرٌ مِنْهَا كَانَ عُثْمَانُ هُوَ الْمَعْذُورَ فِيهِ. مِنْ جُمْلَةِ ذَلِكَ أَمْرُ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ؛ فَإِنَّ ابْنَ مَسْعُودٍ بَقِيَ فِي نَفْسِهِ مِنْ أَمْرِ الْمُصْحَفِ، لَمَّا فَوَّضَ كِتَابَتَهُ إِلَى زَيْدٍ دُونَهُ، وَأَمَرَ الصَّحَابَةَ (٥) أَنْ يَغْسِلُوا (٦) مَصَاحِفَهُمْ. وَجُمْهُورُ الصَّحَابَةِ كَانُوا عَلَى ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ مَعَ عُثْمَانَ، وَكَانَ زَيْدُ بْنُ ثَابِتٍ قَدِ انْتَدَبَهُ قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرُ لِجَمْعِ الْمُصْحَفِ فِي

(١) ن، م: أَنَّ هَذَا التَّأْوِيلَ إِنْ كَانَ مُطْلَقًا فَلَا كَلَامَ (م: فَالْكَلَامُ) ، وَإِنْ كَانَ مَرْجُوحًا. (٢) ن، م: أَوْجَهُ. (٣) ح، ب: فِي السَّنَةِ الْأُولَى. (٤) ن: وَلَمَّا كَانَ فِي السِّنِينَ الْآخِرَةِ، م: وَلَمَّا كَانَ فِي السِّنِينَ الْآخِرِ، ح، ب: وَلَمَّا كَانَتِ السَّنَةُ الْآخِرَةُ. (٥) ح، ب: وَأَمَرَ أَصْحَابَهُ. (٦) أَنْ يَغْسِلُوا: كَذَا فِي (ب) وَهُوَ الصَّوَابُ، وَفِي سَائِرِ النُّسَخِ: أَنْ يَغْلُوا، وَالْمَقْصُودُ أَنْ يَغْسِلُوا الْمَصَاحِفَ، وَكَانَتْ مِنَ الْجِلْدِ أَوِ الْعَظْمِ، مِنَ الْكِتَابَةِ الَّتِي بِهَا.