Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (6/305)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

from them are examined, some of those teachings are found to contradict those reports about them. This is akin to the transmission of historical chronicles, biographies, and similar material through reports lacking complete chains (1), reports ending at authorities below the Prophet, and other such accounts, among which are both sound and weak.

Given this, [we say:] (2) what is known through the Quran, the Sunnah, and mass transmission concerning the Companions’ virtues and merits cannot be dismissed on the basis of reports, some of which have interrupted chains, some of which have been distorted (3), and some of which do not impugn what is known. Certainty is not removed by doubt. We have attained certainty concerning what is established by the Quran, the Sunnah, and the consensus of the early generations before us, and corroborated by mass-transmitted reports and rational proofs (4): namely, that the Companions—may Allah be pleased with them—are the best of creation after the prophets. Doubtful matters cannot undermine this, so how could matters known to be false do so?!

[Response to the Rāfidī’s Claim That al-Shahrastānī Was One of the Most Fanatical Opponents of the Imāmīs]

As for his statement:

“Al-Shahrastānī was one of the most fanatical opponents of the Imāmīs,”

that is not so. Rather, he was strongly inclined toward some of their doctrines. Indeed, he sometimes cited material (5) from the discourse of the esoteric Ismailis among them and argued in its favor (6). For this reason, some people accused him [of being] (7) an Ismaili, though that was not in fact the case. His accuser cited evidence from his words and conduct.

It may be said that, in one respect, he sided with the Shiites and, in another, with the followers of al-Asharī.

(1) B reads: “correspondence.” (2) “We say” is omitted from N and B. (3) N reads: “torn.” (4) B reads the preposition *an* (“from/about”). (5) “Things” is omitted from B. (6) N reads *wa-bi-wajhihi* (literally, “and in his/its aspect”); B reads: “and his interpretation of it.” (7) “That he was” is omitted from N and M.

عَنْهُمْ، وُجِدَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ مَا يُخَالِفُ تِلْكَ النُّقُولَ عَنْهُمْ. وَهَذَا مِنْ جِنْسِ نَقْلِ التَّوَارِيخِ وَالسِّيَرِ وَنَحْوِ ذَلِكَ مِنَ الْمُرْسَلَاتِ (١) وَالْمَقَاطِيعِ وَغَيْرِهِمَا، مِمَّا فِيهِ صَحِيحٌ وَضَعِيفٌ. وَإِذَا كَانَ كَذَلِكَ [فَنَقُولُ:] (٢) مَا عُلِمَ بِالْكِتَابِ وَالسُّنَّةِ وَالنَّقْلِ الْمُتَوَاتِرِ، مِنْ مَحَاسِنِ الصَّحَابَةِ وَفَضَائِلِهِمْ، لَا يَجُوزُ أَنْ يُدْفَعَ بِنُقُولٍ بَعْضُهَا مُنْقَطِعٌ، وَبَعْضُهَا مُحَرَّفٌ (٣) ، وَبَعْضُهَا لَا يَقْدَحُ فِيمَا عُلِمَ، فَإِنَّ الْيَقِينَ لَا يَزُولُ بِالشَّكِّ، وَنَحْنُ قَدْ تَيَقَّنَا مَا دَلَّ عَلَيْهِ الْكِتَابُ وَالسُّنَّةُ وَإِجْمَاعُ السَّلَفِ قَبْلَنَا، وَمَا يُصَدِّقُ ذَلِكَ مِنَ الْمَنْقُولَاتِ الْمُتَوَاتِرَةِ مِنْ (٤) أَدِلَّةِ الْعَقْلِ، مِنْ أَنَّ الصَّحَابَةَ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ - أَفْضَلُ الْخَلْقِ بَعْدَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ، فَلَا يَقْدَحُ فِي هَذَا أُمُورٌ مَشْكُوكٌ فِيهَا فَكَيْفَ إِذَا عُلِمَ بُطْلَانُهَا؟ ! . [الرد على زعم الرافضي أن الشهرستاني من أشد المتعصبين على الإمامية] وَأَمَّا قَوْلُهُ: " إِنَّ الشَّهْرَسْتَانِيَّ مِنْ أَشَدِّ الْمُتَعَصِّبِينَ عَلَى الْإِمَامِيَّةِ " . فَلَيْسَ كَذَلِكَ، بَلْ يَمِيلُ كَثِيرًا إِلَى أَشْيَاءَ مِنْ أُمُورِهِمْ، بَلْ يَذْكُرُ أَحْيَانًا أَشْيَاءً (٥) مِنْ كَلَامِ الْإِسْمَاعِيلِيَّةِ الْبَاطِنِيَّةِ مِنْهُمْ وَيُوَجِّهُهُ (٦) . وَلِهَذَا اتَّهَمَهُ بَعْضُ النَّاسِ [بِأَنَّهُ] (٧) مِنَ الْإِسْمَاعِيلِيَّةِ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنِ الْأَمْرُ كَذَلِكَ، وَقَدْ ذَكَرَ مَنِ اتَّهَمَهُ شَوَاهِدَ مِنْ كَلَامِهِ وَسِيرَتِهِ. وَقَدْ يُقَالُ: هُوَ مَعَ الشِّيعَةِ بِوَجْهٍ، وَمَعَ أَصْحَابِ الْأَشْعَرِيِّ بِوَجْهٍ.

(١) ب: الْمُرَاسَلَاتِ. (٢) فَنَقُولُ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (ب) . (٣) ن: مُخَرَّقٌ. (٤) ب: عَنْ. (٥) أَشْيَاءً: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ب) . (٦) ن: وَبِوَجْهِهِ، ب: وَتَوْجِيهُهُ. (٧) بِأَنَّهُ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) .