16
as [this] is established (1) in the Sahih (2). Alī showed him leniency and flogged him (3) forty lashes; had he flogged him eighty, Uthmān would not have objected.
As for the Rāfidī’s statement:
“Alī said, ‘No prescribed punishment ordained by Allah shall lapse (4) while I am present,’”
it is a lie. Even if it were true, it would constitute one of the greatest commendations of Uthmān, for Uthmān accepted Alī’s judgment and did not prevent him from carrying out the prescribed punishment, although Uthmān could have prevented him had he wished. Indeed, whenever Uthmān wanted something done, he did it, and Alī was unable to prevent him. Otherwise,
(1) “That” is omitted from N and M.
(2) The report of Hudayn ibn al-Mundhir is recorded in Muslim, 3/1331–1332 (Book of Prescribed Punishments, chapter on the prescribed punishment for drinking wine). Its wording is: Hudayn said, “I witnessed Uthmān ibn Affān when al-Walīd was brought before him. He had performed the dawn prayer in two units and then asked, ‘Shall I give you more?’ Two men testified against him: one of them, Humrān, testified that he had drunk wine, while the other testified that he had seen him vomiting. Uthmān said, ‘He would not have vomited unless he had drunk it.’ He then said, ‘Alī, rise and flog him.’ Alī said, ‘Hasan, rise and flog him.’ Hasan replied, ‘Let whoever undertook its easy part undertake its difficult part.’ Alī appeared displeased with him…” The report continues. It is also recorded in *Sunan Abī Dāwūd*, 4/227–228 (Book of Prescribed Punishments, chapter on the prescribed punishment for drinking wine), and *Sunan Ibn Mājah*, 2/858 (Book of Prescribed Punishments, chapter on the prescribed punishment of an intoxicated person). Muhibb al-Dīn al-Khatīb discusses this report in *al-Awāsim min al-Qawāsim*, pp. 94–99, 100. He argues that the two witnesses against al-Walīd were aggrieved men whose rancor toward him is attested by numerous indications. He states: “As for the account that he performed the dawn prayer in two units and then said, ‘Shall I give you more?’ these are Hudayn’s own words. Hudayn was not among the witnesses and was not in Kufa at the time of the alleged incident. Moreover, he did not attribute this element of the accusation to any known individual…” See the remainder of al-Khatīb’s discussion, as well as his reasons for deeming it unlikely that Allah’s statement, “If a wicked person brings you news,” was revealed concerning al-Walīd ibn Uqba (*al-Awāsim*, pp. 90–93).
(3) N and M read: “He reduced his flogging.”
(4) H reads: “Allah’s prescribed punishments shall not lapse”; R reads: “Do not annul Allah’s prescribed punishment”; B reads: “Allah’s prescribed punishments shall not be suspended.”
كَمَا ثَبَتَ
[ذَلِكَ]
(١)
فِي الصَّحِيحِ
(٢)
، وَعَلِيٌّ خَفَّفَ عَنْهُ وَجَلَدَهُ
(٣)
أَرْبَعِينَ، وَلَوْ جَلَدَهُ ثَمَانِينَ لَمْ يُنْكِرْ عَلَيْهِ عُثْمَانُ.
وَقَوْلُ الرَّافِضِيِّ:
" إِنَّ عَلِيًّا قَالَ: لَا يَبْطُلُ حَدُّ اللَّهِ
(٤)
وَأَنَا حَاضِرٌ "
فَهُوَ كَذِبٌ. وَإِنْ كَانَ صِدْقًا فَهُوَ مِنْ أَعْظَمِ الْمَدْحِ لِعُثْمَانَ ; فَإِنَّ عُثْمَانَ قَبِلَ قَوْلَ عَلِيٍّ وَلَمْ يَمْنَعْهُ مِنْ إِقَامَةِ الْحَدِّ، مَعَ قُدْرَةِ عُثْمَانَ عَلَى مَنْعِهِ لَوْ أَرَادَ، فَإِنَّ عُثْمَانَ كَانَ إِذَا أَرَادَ شَيْئًا فَعَلَهُ، وَلَمْ يَقْدِرْ عَلِيٌّ عَلَى مَنْعِهِ. وَإِلَّا
(١) ذَلِكَ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) .
(٢) الْأَثَرُ عَنْ حُضَيْنِ بْنِ الْمُنْذِرِ فِي مُسْلِمٍ ٣/١٣٣١ - ١٣٣٢ (كِتَابِ الْحُدُودِ، بَابِ حَدِّ الْخَمْرِ، وَنَصُّهُ قَالَ: شَهِدْتُ عُثْمَانَ بْنَ عَفَّانَ، وَأُتِيَ بِالْوَلِيدِ قَدْ صَلَّى الصُّبْحَ رَكْعَتَيْنِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: أَزِيدُكُمْ؟ فَشَهِدَ عَلَيْهِ رَجُلَانِ أَحَدُهُمَا حُمْرَانُ أَنَّهُ شَرِبَ الْخَمْرَ، وَشَهِدَ آخَرُ أَنَّهُ رَآهُ يَتَقَيَّأُ. فَقَالَ عُثْمَانُ: إِنَّهُ لَمْ يَتَقَيَّأْ حَتَّى شَرِبَهَا، فَقَالَ: يَا عَلِيُّ قُمْ فَاجْلِدْهُ. فَقَالَ عَلِيٌّ: قُمْ يَا حَسَنُ فَاجْلِدْهُ. فَقَالَ الْحَسَنُ: وَلِّ حَارَّهَا مَنْ تَوَلَّى قَارَّهَا. فَكَأَنَّهُ وَجَدَ عَلَيْهِ. . إِلَخِ الْأَثَرَ، وَهُوَ فِي سُنَنِ أَبِي دَاوُدَ ٤/٢٢٧ - ٢٢٨ (كِتَابِ الْحُدُودِ، بَابِ الْحَدِّ مِنَ الْخَمْرِ) ، سُنَنِ ابْنِ مَاجَهْ ٢/٨٥٨ (كِتَابِ الْحُدُودِ، بَابِ حَدِّ السَّكْرَانِ) ، وَقَدْ نَاقَشَ الْأُسْتَاذُ مُحِبُّ الدِّينِ الْخَطِيبُ هَذَا الْخَبَرَ فِي الْعَوَاصِمِ مِنَ الْقَوَاصِمِ ص ٩٤ - ٩٩، ١٠٠ وَهُوَ يَرَى: أَنَّ الشُّهُودَ عَلَى الْوَلِيدِ اثْنَانِ مِنَ الْمَوْتُورِينَ الَّذِينَ تَعَدَّدَتْ شَوَاهِدُ غِلِّهِمْ عَلَيْهِ، وَيَقُولُ: أَمَّا صَلَاةُ الصُّبْحِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَكَلِمَةُ أَزِيدُكُمْ فَهِيَ مِنْ كَلَامِ حُضَيْنٍ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ حُضَيْنٌ مِنَ الشُّهُودِ، وَلَا كَانَ فِي الْكُوفَةِ وَقْتَ الْحَادِثِ الْمَزْعُومِ، ثُمَّ إِنَّهُ لَمْ يُسْنِدْ هَذَا الْعُنْصُرَ مِنْ عَنَاصِرِ الِاتِّهَامِ إِلَى إِنْسَانٍ مَعْرُوفٍ. . . . . إِلَخْ. وَانْظُرْ بَاقِي كَلَامِ الْأُسْتَاذِ الْخَطِيبِ، وَانْظُرْ كَلَامَهُ عَنِ اسْتِبْعَادِهِ أَنْ يَكُونَ قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: إِنْ جَاءَكُمْ فَاسْقٌ بِنَبَأٍ قَدْ نَزَلَتْ فِي الْوَلِيدِ بْنِ عُقْبَةَ. (الْعَوَاصِمِ ص ٩٠ - ٩٣)
(٣) ن، م: خَفَّفَ عَنْهُ جَلْدَهُ.
(٤) ح: لَا تَبْطُلُ حُدُودُ اللَّهِ، ر: لَا تُبْطِلْ حَدَّ اللَّهِ، ب: لَا تُعَطَّلُ حُدُودُ اللَّهِ.