Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (6/365)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

to the rope of Allah—which means following the Book and the Sunnah—the nearer he was to guidance, unity, sound judgment, and righteousness, and the farther removed from misguidance, division, and strife.

Consider this among the nations: the People of the Scripture are more united and possess greater knowledge and goodness than those who stand outside the revealed scriptures; and the Muslims possess greater unity, guidance, mercy, and goodness than the Jews and Christians. The followers of the two Scriptures before us fell into division, altered what the messengers had brought, promoted falsehood, and showed hostility toward the truth and its adherents.

It is true that our community contains counterparts to what existed among the nations before us. Thus, it is established in both Sahih collections that the Prophet—may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him—said:

“You will surely follow the ways of those before you as precisely as one arrow-feather matches another, so much so that, if they entered a lizard’s burrow, you would enter it too.”

They asked, “O Messenger of Allah, the Jews and Christians?”

He replied, “Who else?” (1)

It is also related in both Sahih collections that the Prophet—may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him—said:

“My community will surely follow the course taken by the nations before it, handspan by handspan and cubit by cubit.”

They asked, “The Persians and Romans?”

He replied, “Who else could they be but those?” (2)

Nevertheless, there will always remain within our community a group victorious upon the truth. Neither those who oppose them nor those who forsake them will harm them until the Hour begins. For this reason, Allah will not grant power over them to an enemy from

(1) This hadith was cited earlier at 2/628. (2) The hadith is narrated from Abū Hurayra—may Allah be pleased with him—in *al-Bukhārī*, 9/102–103 (*The Book of Holding Fast to the Quran and the Sunnah*, chapter “The Prophet’s Statement—peace and blessings be upon him—‘You Will Surely Follow the Ways of Those Who Came before You’”). Its wording is: “The Hour will not come until my community follows the ways of the generations before it, handspan by handspan and cubit by cubit.” He was asked, “O Messenger of Allah, do you mean the Persians and the Romans?” He replied, “Who else could they be?” I did not find this hadith in *Muslim*.

بِحَبْلِ اللَّهِ، وَهُوَ اتِّبَاعُ الْكِتَابِ وَالسُّنَّةِ، كَانَ أَوْلَى بِالْهُدَى وَالِاجْتِمَاعِ وَالرُّشْدِ وَالصَّلَاحِ وَأَبْعَدَ عَنِ الضَّلَالِ وَالِافْتِرَاقِ وَالْفِتْنَةِ. وَاعْتَبِرْ ذَلِكَ بِالْأُمَمِ، فَأَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ أَكْثَرُ اتِّفَاقًا وَعِلْمًا وَخَيْرًا مِنَ الْخَارِجِينَ عَنِ الْكُتُبِ، وَالْمُسْلِمُونَ أَكْثَرُ اتِّفَاقًا وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً وَخَيْرًا مِنَ الْيَهُودِ وَالنَّصَارَى، فَإِنَّ أَهْلَ الْكِتَابَيْنِ قَبْلَنَا تَفَرَّقُوا وَبَدَّلُوا مَا جَاءَتْ بِهِ الرُّسُلُ، وَأَظْهَرُوا الْبَاطِلَ، وَعَادُوا الْحَقَّ وَأَهْلَهُ. وَإِنَّهُ وَإِنْ كَانَ يُوجَدُ فِي أُمَّتِنَا نَظِيرُ مَا يُوجَدُ فِي الْأُمَمِ قَبْلَنَا، كَمَا ثَبَتَ فِي الصَّحِيحَيْنِ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - أَنَّهُ قَالَ: " «لَتَتَّبِعُنَّ سَنَنَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ حَذْوَ الْقُذَّةِ بِالْقُذَّةِ، حَتَّى لَوْ دَخَلُوا جُحْرَ ضَبٍّ لَدَخَلْتُمُوهُ " قَالُوا: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، الْيَهُودُ وَالنَّصَارَى؟ قَالَ: " فَمَنِ النَّاسُ؟» " (١) . وَفِي الصَّحِيحَيْنِ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - أَنَّهُ قَالَ: " «لَتَأْخُذَنَّ أُمَّتِي مَأْخَذَ الْأُمَمِ قَبْلَهَا شِبْرًا بِشِبْرٍ وَذِرَاعًا بِذِرَاعٍ " . قَالُوا: فَارِسَ وَالرُّومَ؟ قَالَ: " فَمَنِ النَّاسُ إِلَّا أُولَئِكَ؟» " (٢) . لَكِنَّ أُمَّتَنَا لَا تَزَالُ فِيهَا طَائِفَةٌ ظَاهِرَةٌ عَلَى الْحَقِّ، لَا يَضُرُّهُمْ مَنْ خَالَفَهُمْ وَلَا مَنْ خَذَلَهُمْ حَتَّى تَقُومَ السَّاعَةُ. وَلِهَذَا لَا يُسَلِّطُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ عَدُوًّا مِنْ

(١) سَبَقَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ فِيمَا مَضَى ٢/٦٢٨ (٢) الْحَدِيثُ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ - فِي الْبُخَارِيِّ ٩/١٠٢ - ١٠٣ (كِتَابِ الِاعْتِصَامِ بِالْكِتَابِ وَالسُّنَّةِ، بَابِ قَوْلِ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -: لَتَتَّبِعُنَّ سَنَنَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ، وَلَفْظُهُ: " لَا تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ حَتَّى تَأْخُذَ أُمَّتِي بِأَخْذِ الْقُرُونِ قَبْلَهَا شِبْرًا بِشِبْرٍ وَذِرَاعًا بِذِرَاعٍ) فَقِيلَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، كَفَارِسَ وَالرُّومِ؟ فَقَالَ: وَمَنِ النَّاسُ إِلَّا أُولَئِكَ؟ وَلَمْ أَجِدِ الْحَدِيثَ فِي مُسْلِمٍ.