Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (6/413)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

Banū Ubayriq, alleging that they had stolen food and armor belonging to them. Some people then came forward and exonerated the accused. The Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—believed that those who exonerated them were telling the truth, until Allah Most High revealed to him (1):

“Indeed, We have revealed the Book to you in truth so that you may judge between people according to what Allah has shown you. Do not be an advocate for the treacherous.”
*
“And seek forgiveness from Allah. Indeed, Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
*
“And do not argue on behalf of those who betray themselves. Indeed, Allah does not love anyone who is treacherous and sinful.”

—these verses [Surah al-Nisā: 105–107] (2).

Broadly speaking, matters are of two kinds: universal and general, or particular and specific. As for particular, specific matters—such as an individual case whose very conception precludes its being shared by more than one, like the inheritance of this deceased person, the uprightness of this witness, the maintenance owed to this wife, the occurrence of divorce by this husband, the imposition of the prescribed punishment upon this evildoer, and similar matters—neither a prophet, an Imam, nor anyone else in creation can explicitly address each and every individual case. The particular instances of the deeds and individual persons of the children of Adam cannot all be encompassed by the knowledge of any one human being or articulated in his words. No human being (3) can know all of that through Allah addressing him. The utmost that is possible is to set forth universal, general matters.

As the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said:

“I was sent with concise yet comprehensive speech.” (4)

Thus, the Imam cannot

(1) The word *alayhi* (“to him”) is omitted from B. (2) See Ibn Kathīr’s *Tafsīr* on these verses, and *Umdat al-Tafsīr an Ibn Kathīr*, 3/264–265. (3) B reads: *basharan* (“a human being”). (4) This hadith, narrated from Abū Hurayra—may Allah be pleased with him—is found in al-Bukhārī, 4/54, Book of Jihad and Military Campaigns, chapter “The Prophet’s Statement: ‘I Was Granted Victory through Awe.’” Its wording is: “I was sent with concise yet comprehensive speech, and I was granted victory through awe. While I was sleeping, the keys to the treasures of the earth were brought to me and placed in my hand.” Abū Hurayra said: “The Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—has passed away, while you are extracting them.” With some variation in wording, the hadith is also found in al-Bukhārī, 9/36–37, Book of Dream Interpretation, chapter “Keys in the Hand”; 9/91–92, Book of Holding Fast to the Book and the Sunnah, chapter “The Prophet’s Statement: ‘I Was Sent with Concise yet Comprehensive Speech’”; Muslim, 1/371–372, Book of Mosques and Places of Prayer, at the beginning of the book; Sunan al-Nasā’ī, 6/3–4, Book of Jihad, at the beginning of the book; and al-Musnad, al-Maārif ed., 14/20–53. Abū Hurayra’s words, “while you are extracting them,” mean that you are bringing them forth. The pronoun refers here to wealth and to the worldly riches opened up to them through conquest.

بَنُو أُبَيْرِقٍ، أَنَّهُمْ سَرَقُوا لَهُمْ طَعَامًا وَدُرُوعًا، فَجَاءَ قَوْمٌ فَبَرَّأُوا أُولَئِكَ الْمُتَّهَمِينَ، فَظَنَّ النَّبِيُّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - صِدْقَ أُولَئِكَ الْمُبَرِّئِينَ لَهُمْ، حَتَّى أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ (١) : {إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ لِتَحْكُمَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِمَا أَرَاكَ اللَّهُ وَلَا تَكُنْ لِلْخَائِنِينَ خَصِيمًا} * {وَاسْتَغْفِرِ اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا} * {وَلَا تُجَادِلْ عَنِ الَّذِينَ يَخْتَانُونَ أَنْفُسَهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ مَنْ كَانَ خَوَّانًا أَثِيمًا} الْآيَاتِ [سُورَةُ النِّسَاءِ: ١٠٥ - ١٠٧] (٢) . وَبِالْجُمْلَةِ الْأُمُورُ نَوْعَانِ: كُلِّيَّةٌ عَامَّةٌ، وَجُزْئِيَّةٌ خَاصَّةٌ. فَأَمَّا الْجُزْئِيَّاتُ الْخَاصَّةُ، كَالْجُزْئِيِّ الَّذِي يَمْنَعُ تَصَوُّرَهُ مِنْ وُقُوعِ الشَّرِكَةِ فِيهِ، مِثْلُ مِيرَاثِ هَذَا الْمَيِّتِ، وَعَدْلِ هَذَا الشَّاهِدِ، وَنَفَقَةِ هَذِهِ الزَّوْجَةِ، وَوُقُوعِ الطَّلَاقِ بِهَذَا الزَّوْجِ، وَإِقَامَةِ الْحَدِّ عَلَى هَذَا الْمُفْسِدِ، وَأَمْثَالِ ذَلِكَ. فَهَذَا مِمَّا لَا يُمْكِنُ لَا نَبِيًّا وَلَا إِمَامًا وَلَا أَحَدًا مِنَ الْخَلْقِ أَنْ يَنُصَّ عَلَى كُلِّ فَرْدٍ فَرْدٍ مِنْهُ؛ لِأَنَّ أَفْعَالَ بَنِي آدَمَ وَأَعْيَانَهُمْ يَعْجَزُ عَنْ مَعْرِفَةِ أَعْيَانِهَا الْجُزْئِيَّةِ عِلْمُ وَاحِدٍ مِنَ الْبَشَرِ وَعِبَارَتِهِ، لَا يُمْكِنُ بَشَرٌ (٣) أَنْ يَعْلَمَ ذَلِكَ كُلَّهُ بِخِطَابِ اللَّهِ لَهُ، وَإِنَّمَا الْغَايَةُ الْمُمْكِنَةُ ذِكْرُ الْأُمُورِ الْكُلِّيَّةِ الْعَامَّةِ. كَمَا قَالَ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -: " «بُعِثْتُ بِجَوَامِعِ الْكَلِمِ» " (٤) . فَالْإِمَامُ لَا

(١) عَلَيْهِ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ب) . (٢) انْظُرْ تَفْسِيرَ ابْنِ كَثِيرٍ لِهَذِهِ الْآيَاتِ، وَانْظُرْ عُمْدَةَ التَّفْسِيرِ عَنِ ابْنِ كَثِيرٍ ٣/٢٦٤ - ٢٦٥. (٣) ب: بَشَرًا. (٤) الْحَدِيثَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ فِي الْبُخَارِيِّ ٤/٥٤ كِتَابُ الْجِهَادِ وَالسِّيَرِ، بَابُ قَوْلِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: نُصِرْتُ بِالرُّعْبِ، وَنَصُّهُ: بُعِثْتُ بِجَوَامِعِ الْكَلِمِ، وَنُصِرْتُ بِالرُّعْبِ، فَبَيْنَمَا أَنَا نَائِمٌ أُتِيتُ بِمَفَاتِيحِ خَزَائِنِ الْأَرْضِ فَوُضِعَتْ فِي يَدِي، قَالَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ: وَقَدْ ذَهَبَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَأَنْتُمْ تَنْتَثِلُونَهَا. وَالْحَدِيثُ مَعَ اخْتِلَافٍ فِي الْأَلْفَاظِ فِي الْبُخَارِيِّ ٩/٣٦ - ٣٧ كِتَابُ التَّعْبِيرِ بَابُ الْمَفَاتِيحِ فِي الْيَدِ، ٩/٩١ - ٩٢ كِتَابُ الِاعْتِصَامِ بِالْكِتَابِ وَالسُّنَّةِ، بَابُ قَوْلِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بُعِثْتُ بِجَوَامِعِ الْكَلِمِ، مُسْلِمٍ ١/٣٧١ - ٣٧٢ كِتَابُ الْمَسَاجِدِ وَمَوَاضِعِ الصَّلَاةِ، أَوَّلُ الْكِتَابِ، سُنَنِ النَّسَائِيِّ ٦/٣ - ٤ كِتَابُ الْجِهَادِ، أَوَّلُ الْكِتَابِ، الْمُسْنَدِ ط. الْمَعَارِفِ ١٤/٢٠ - ٥٣، وَقَوْلُ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ: وَأَنْتُمْ تَنْتَثِلُونَهَا: أَيْ تَسْتَخْرِجُونَهَا، وَالضَّمِيرُ هُنَا يُرَادُ بِهِ الْأَمْوَالُ وَمَا فُتِحَ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ زَهْرَةِ الدُّنْيَا.