Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (7/7)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

Muhammad asked (1), ‘What (2) shall I recite?’ Gabriel replied:

‘Recite:

“Your only guardian is Allah, His Messenger, and those who believe—those who establish prayer and give the prescribed alms while bowing down.”

[Surah al-Mā'idah: 55]’”

The jurist Ibn al-Maghāzilī (3), the Wāsitī Shāfi‘i, reported that this verse was revealed concerning Ali (4). A guardian is one vested with authority, and the verse affirmed such authority (5) for him (6), just as Allah Most High affirmed it for Himself and His Messenger (7).”

The response may be given from several perspectives.

The first is to say: “Nothing he has mentioned is fit to be accepted even as probable. Rather, everything he has mentioned is false and baseless, and is a form of sophistry. Even if it yielded probable conclusions (8), his calling them (9) proofs would be an objectionable use of the term, for in the Quran and elsewhere, a proof denotes that which yields knowledge and certainty. Allah Most High says:

‘They say, “None will enter Paradise unless he is a Jew or a Christian.” Such are their wishes. Say, “Produce your proof, if you are truthful.”’

[Surah al-Baqarah: 111]

And Allah Most High says:

“Or who originates creation, then repeats it, and who provides for you from heaven

(1) M reads: “Then he said.” (2) S reads: “What.” (3) S, M, and B read: “Ibn al-Maghāzī.” (4) K: p. 149. M reads: “that this verse was revealed concerning Ali, peace be upon him.” (5) S and B read: “muwālāt (loyal allegiance).” (6) K reads: “the community.” (7) K reads: “Allah for Himself and for His Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family.” (8) N reads: “wa-huwa (with a masculine pronoun), even if it yielded conjectures”; M: “wa-hiya (with a feminine pronoun), even if it yielded conjectures.” (9) N, S, and M read: “he calls it,” which is a corruption.

قَالَ (١) : وَمَا (٢) أَقْرَأُ؟ قَالَ: اقْرَأْ: {إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَهُمْ رَاكِعُونَ} [سُورَةُ الْمَائِدَةِ: ٥٥] » . وَنَقَلَ الْفَقِيهُ ابْنُ الْمَغَازِلِيِّ (٣) الْوَاسِطِيُّ الشَّافِعِيُّ أَنَّ هَذِهِ نَزَلَتْ فِي عَلِيٍّ (٤) ، وَالْوَلِيُّ هُوَ الْمُتَصَرِّفُ، وَقَدْ أَثْبَتَ لَهُ الْوِلَايَةَ (٥) فِي الْآيَةِ (٦) ، كَمَا أَثْبَتَهَا اللَّهُ تَعَالَى لِنَفْسِهِ وَلِرَسُولِهِ (٧) ". وَالْجَوَابُ مِنْ وُجُوهٍ: أَحَدُهَا: أَنْ يُقَالَ: " لَيْسَ فِيمَا ذَكَرَهُ مَا يَصْلُحُ أَنْ يُقْبَلَ ظَنًّا، بَلْ كُلُّ مَا ذَكَرَهُ كَذِبٌ وَبَاطِلٌ، مِنْ جِنْسِ السَّفْسَطَةِ. وَهُوَ لَوْ أَفَادَهُ ظُنُونًا (٨) كَانَ تَسْمِيَتُهُ (٩) بَرَاهِينَ تَسْمِيَةٌ مُنْكَرَةٌ ; فَإِنَّ الْبُرْهَانَ فِي الْقُرْآنِ وَغَيْرِهِ يُطْلَقُ عَلَى مَا يُفِيدُ الْعِلْمَ وَالْيَقِينَ، كَقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: {وَقَالُوا لَنْ يَدْخُلَ الْجَنَّةَ إِلَّا مَنْ كَانَ هُودًا أَوْ نَصَارَى تِلْكَ أَمَانِيُّهُمْ قُلْ هَاتُوا بُرْهَانَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ} [سُورَةُ الْبَقَرَةِ: ١١١] . وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: {أَمَّنْ يَبْدَأُ الْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُ وَمَنْ يَرْزُقُكُمْ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ

(١) م: فَقَالَ. (٢) س: مَا. (٣) س، م، ب: ابْنُ الْمُغَازِيِّ. (٤) ك: ص ١٤٩ م: أَنَّ هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ نَزَلَتْ فِي عَلِيٍّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ. (٥) س، ب: الْمُوَالَاةَ. (٦) ك: الْأُمَّةِ. (٧) ك: اللَّهُ لِنَفْسِهِ وَلِرَسُولِهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ. (٨) ن: وَهُوَ لَوْ أَفَادَتْ ظُنُونًا، م: وَهِيَ لَوْ أَفَادَتْ ظُنُونًا. (٩) ن، س، م: يُسَمِّيهِ، وَهُوَ تَحْرِيفٌ.