Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (6/356)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

We do not deny that Uthman—may Allah be pleased with him—loved the Umayyads, maintained close ties with them, and gave them large sums of money. What he did was among the matters of independent judgment debated by impartial scholars, just as we (1) do not deny that Ali appointed his relatives to office and fought and killed many (2) Muslims who establish prayer, give zakat, fast, and pray (3). Yet among these were some whom he fought on the basis of scriptural text and consensus, while fighting others was among the matters of independent judgment debated by impartial scholars.

The matter of bloodshed is graver than that of wealth, and the evil caused by bloodshed within the Muslim community was many times greater than the evil caused by giving away wealth.

Thus, if we remain loyal to Ali, love him, and recount the virtues (4) that the Quran and Sunnah attest to, even though what occurred during his caliphate was more open to blame than what occurred during Uthman’s caliphate, and although Uthman’s caliphate witnessed good the like of which did not occur during Ali’s, then we have all the more reason (5) to remain loyal to Uthman, love him, and recount what the Quran and Sunnah attest to (6).

We have already stated that Uthman’s handling of the funds may be understood on three grounds:

The first is that he was the official responsible for administering them, and such an official is entitled to a share even if he is wealthy.

(1) N and M read: *kamā annā* (“just as we”). (2) “Many” is omitted from M. (3) N and M read: “and they prayed.” (4) N and M read: “regarding his virtues.” (5) B reads: “Should we not, then…?” (6) N reads: “and mention the one indicated by the Quran and Sunnah”; M reads: “and mention what, from the Quran and Sunnah, points to his virtues.”

وَنَحْنُ لَا نُنْكِرُ أَنَّ عُثْمَانَ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ - كَانَ يُحِبُّ بَنِي أُمَيَّةَ، وَكَانَ يُوَالِيهِمْ وَيُعْطِيهِمْ أَمْوَالًا كَثِيرَةً. وَمَا فَعَلَهُ مِنْ مَسَائِلِ الِاجْتِهَادِ الَّتِي تَكَلَّمَ فِيهَا الْعُلَمَاءُ، الَّذِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُمْ غَرَضٌ كَمَا أَنَّنَا (١) لَا نُنْكِرُ أَنَّ عَلِيًّا وَلَّى أَقَارِبَهُ، وَقَاتَلَ وَقَتَلَ خَلْقًا كَثِيرًا (٢) مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ، وَيَصُومُونَ وَيُصَلُّونَ (٣) . لَكِنْ مِنْ هَؤُلَاءِ مَنْ قَاتَلَهُ بِالنَّصِّ وَالْإِجْمَاعِ، وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ كَانَ قِتَالُهُ مِنْ مَسَائِلِ الِاجْتِهَادِ الَّتِي تَكَلَّمَ فِيهَا الْعُلَمَاءُ الَّذِينَ لَا غَرَضَ لَهُمْ. وَأَمْرُ الدِّمَاءِ أَخْطَرُ مِنْ أَمْرِ الْأَمْوَالِ، وَالشَّرُّ الَّذِي حَصَلَ فِي الدِّمَاءِ بَيْنَ الْأُمَّةِ أَضْعَافُ الشَّرِّ الَّذِي حَصَلَ بِإِعْطَاءِ الْأَمْوَالِ. فَإِذَا كُنَّا نَتَوَلَّى عَلِيًّا وَنُحِبُّهُ وَنَذْكُرُ مَا دَلَّ عَلَيْهِ الْكِتَابُ وَالسُّنَّةُ مِنْ فَضَائِلِهِ (٤) ، مَعَ أَنَّ الَّذِي جَرَى فِي خِلَافَتِهِ أَقْرَبُ إِلَى الْمَلَامِ مِمَّا جَرَى فِي خِلَافَةِ عُثْمَانَ، وَجَرَى فِي خِلَافَةِ عُثْمَانَ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ مَا لَمْ يَجْرِ مِثْلُهُ فِي خِلَافَتِهِ فَلَأَنْ (٥) نَتَوَلَّى عُثْمَانَ وَنُحِبَّهُ، وَنَذْكُرَ مَا دَلَّ عَلَيْهِ الْكِتَابُ وَالسُّنَّةُ (٦) بِطَرِيقِ الْأَوْلَى. وَقَدْ ذَكَرْنَا أَنَّ مَا فَعَلَهُ عُثْمَانُ فِي الْمَالِ فَلَهُ ثَلَاثَةُ مَآخِذَ: أَحَدُهَا: أَنَّهُ عَامِلٌ عَلَيْهِ وَالْعَامِلُ يَسْتَحِقُّ مَعَ الْغِنَى.

(١) ن، م: كَمَا أَنَّا. (٢) كَثِيرًا: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (م) . (٣) ن، م: وَصَلُّوا. (٤) ن، م: عَلَى فَضَائِلِهِ. (٥) ب: أَفَلَا. (٦) ن: وَنَذْكُرَ مَنْ دَلَّ عَلَيْهِ الْكِتَابُ وَالسُّنَّةُ، م: وَنَذْكُرُ مَا دَلَّ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَالسُّنَّةِ عَلَى فَضَائِلِهِ.