Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (6/456)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

to authority,” because (1) the Arabs, in their pre-Islamic ignorance, [used] (2) to give precedence to the households of their leaders, just as the Persians gave precedence to the royal household.

Hence, statements alluding to this view were reported from certain individuals—for example, from Abū Sufyān (3). A person holding this view did not (4) have Ali specifically in mind; rather, by the logic of his own view, al-Abbās had a stronger claim than Ali. Even if he did give preference to Ali, it was because he knew (5) that Islam gives precedence to faith and piety over lineage. He thus sought to combine the standards of pre-Islamic ignorance and Islam.

As for those who judged solely according to the pure standard of Islam—namely, giving precedence on the basis of faith and piety—not even two of them differed concerning Abū Bakr. Nor did anyone from the former group (6) or the latter dispute that no one among them possessed greater faith and piety (7) than Abū Bakr. They therefore put him forward, willingly choosing him and obeying him. This (8) demonstrated the fullness of their faith and piety and their adherence to what Allah had sent their Prophet with: giving precedence to the most pious, then the next most pious. What Allah chose for their Prophet (9)—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and for them was best for them. Praise be to Allah for guiding this nation and for making us among their followers.

(1) B reads: “because.” (2) B reads: “in its pre-Islamic ignorance, it used to.” The word “used to” is omitted from N. (3) All the manuscripts read: “from Abū Uthmān.” I hope that the reading I have adopted is correct. (4) The phrase “did not” is omitted from M. (5) B reads: “his action,” which is a corruption. N and M read: “so he taught him.” I hope that the reading I have adopted is correct. (6) M reads: “anyone from among these concerning his authority.” (7) M reads: “or piety.” (8) The word “this” is omitted from B. (9) B reads: “for His Prophet.”

بِالْوِلَايَةِ. لِكَوْنِ (١) الْعَرَبَ [كَانَتْ] فِي جَاهِلِيَّتِهَا (٢) تُقَدِّمُ أَهْلَ بَيْتِ الرُّؤَسَاءِ، وَكَذَلِكَ الْفُرْسُ يُقَدِّمُونَ أَهْلَ بَيْتِ الْمَلِكِ. فَنُقِلَ عَمَّنْ نُقِلَ عَنْهُ كَلَامٌ يُشِيرُ بِهِ إِلَى هَذَا، كَمَا نُقِلَ عَنْ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ (٣) . وَصَاحِبُ هَذَا الرَّأْيِ لَمْ يَكُنْ (٤) لَهُ غَرَضٌ فِي عَلِيٍّ ; بَلْ كَانَ الْعَبَّاسُ عِنْدَهُ بِحُكْمِ رَأْيِهِ أَوْلَى مِنْ عَلِيٍّ، وَإِنْ قُدِّرَ أَنَّهُ رَجَّحَ عَلِيًّا، فَلِعِلْمِهِ (٥) بِأَنَّ الْإِسْلَامَ يُقَدِّمُ الْإِيمَانَ وَالتَّقْوَى عَلَى النَّسَبِ، فَأَرَادَ أَنْ يَجْمَعَ بَيْنَ حُكْمِ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ وَالْإِسْلَامِ. فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ كَانُوا لَا يَحْكُمُونَ إِلَّا بِحُكْمِ الْإِسْلَامِ الْمَحْضِ، وَهُوَ التَّقْدِيمُ بِالْإِيمَانِ وَالتَّقْوَى، فَلَمْ يَخْتَلِفْ مِنْهُمُ اثْنَانِ فِي أَبِي بَكْرٍ، وَلَا خَالَفَ أُحَدٌ مِنْ هَؤُلَاءِ (٦) وَلَا مِنْ هَؤُلَاءِ فِي أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ فِي الْقَوْمِ أَعْظَمُ إِيمَانًا وَتَقْوًى (٧) مِنْ أَبِي بَكْرٍ، فَقَدَّمُوهُ مُخْتَارِينَ لَهُ مُطِيعِينَ، فَدَلَّ ذَلِكَ (٨) عَلَى كَمَالِ إِيمَانِهِمْ وَتَقْوَاهُمْ، وَاتِّبَاعِهِمْ لِمَا بَعَثَ اللَّهُ بِهِ نَبِيَّهُمْ مِنْ تَقْدِيمِ الْأَتْقَى فَالْأَتْقَى، وَكَانَ مَا اخْتَارَهُ اللَّهُ لِنَبِيِّهِمْ (٩) - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - وَلَهُمْ أَفْضَلَ لَهُمْ، وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ عَلَى أَنْ هَدَى هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةَ، وَعَلَى أَنْ جَعَلَنَا مِنْ أَتْبَاعِهِمْ.

(١) ب: لِأَنَّ. (٢) ب: فِي جَاهِلِيَّتِهَا كَانَتْ. وَسَقَطَتْ كَانَتْ مِنْ (ن) . (٣) فِي جَمِيعِ النُّسَخِ: عَنْ أَبِي عُثْمَانَ، وَأَرْجُو أَنْ يَكُونَ الصَّوَابُ مَا أَثْبَتُّهُ. (٤) عِبَارَةُ " لَمْ يَكُنْ " سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (م) . (٥) ب: فِعْلُهُ، وَهُوَ تَحْرِيفٌ، وَفِي (ن) ، (م) : فَعَلَّمَهُ، وَأَرْجُو أَنْ يَكُونَ الصَّوَابُ مَا أَثْبَتُّهُ. (٦) م: أَحَدٌ لِأَمْرِهِ مِنْ هَؤُلَاءِ. (٧) م: أَوْ تَقْوًى. (٨) ذَلِكَ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ب) . (٩) ب: لِنَبِيِّهِ.