Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (7/47)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

Abd al-Barr, and the works of Ibn Mandah, Abū Nuaym al-Isfahānī, the hadith master Abū Mūsā, and others. None of them mentioned this man. It is therefore known that he is not mentioned in any transmitted report, for these scholars record only what scholars have narrated; they do not record the tales of itinerant storytellers, such as the lying al-Bakrī’s Tanaqqulāt al-Anwār (1) and similar works.

The third response: It may be said: You claim to have established his imamate through the Quran, yet nothing in the apparent wording of the Quran indicates this at all. Allah says:

“Convey what has been revealed to you from your Lord.”

[Surah al-Māidah: 67]

This wording is general and encompasses everything revealed to him from his Lord; it does not indicate anything specific.

Thus, a claimant’s assertion that Ali’s imamate is (2) among the things he conveyed, or among the things (3) he was commanded to convey, cannot be established merely from the Quran, for the Quran contains no indication of anything specific. If this were established through transmitted evidence, it would be established through a report, not through the Quran. Whoever claims that the Quran indicates [that] (4) Ali’s imamate was among the things he was commanded to convey has fabricated a claim against the Quran, for the Quran indicates no such thing, either generally or specifically.

The fourth response (5): It may be said: This verse, together with what is known of the Prophet’s circumstances—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—indicates the opposite of what they have stated: namely, that Allah did not reveal it to him or command him concerning it (6). Had it been among the things Allah commanded him to convey, he would certainly have conveyed it, for he would not disobey Allah in this matter.

(1) Al-Bakrī and his book *Tanaqqulāt al-Anwār* were discussed previously. (2) *Hiya* (“is”) is omitted from (M). (3) *Mimmā* (“among the things”) is omitted from (S) and (B). (4) *Anna* (“that”) is omitted from (N), N, (M), and (S). (5) (M) reads: “The third,” which is an error. (6) (M) reads: “And He did not command it.”

عَبْدِ الْبَرِّ، وَكِتَابِ ابْنِ مِنْدَهْ، وَأَبِي نُعَيْمٍ الْأَصْبَهَانِيِّ، وَالْحَافِظِ أَبِي مُوسَى، وَنَحْوِ ذَلِكَ. وَلَمْ يَذْكُرْ أَحَدٌ مِنْهُمْ هَذَا الرَّجُلَ، فَعُلِمَ أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ لَهُ ذِكْرٌ فِي شَيْءٍ مِنَ الرِّوَايَاتِ، فَإِنَّ هَؤُلَاءِ لَا يَذْكُرُونَ إِلَّا مَا رَوَاهُ أَهْلُ الْعِلْمِ، لَا يَذْكُرُونَ أَحَادِيثَ الطُّرُقِيَّةِ، مِثْلَ " تَنَقُّلَاتِ الْأَنْوَارِ " لِلْبَكْرِيِّ الْكَذَّابِ (١) وَغَيْرِهِ. الْوَجْهُ الثَّالِثُ: أَنْ يُقَالَ: أَنْتُمُ ادَّعَيْتُمْ أَنَّكُمْ أَثْبَتُّمْ إِمَامَتَهُ بِالْقُرْآنِ، وَالْقُرْآنُ لَيْسَ فِي ظَاهِرِهِ مَا يَدُلُّ عَلَى ذَلِكَ أَصْلًا ; فَإِنَّهُ قَالَ: {بَلِّغْ مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ} [سُورَةُ الْمَائِدَةِ: ٦٧] . وَهَذَا اللَّفْظُ عَامٌّ فِي جَمِيعِ مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ رَبِّهِ، لَا يَدُلُّ عَلَى شَيْءٍ مُعَيَّنٍ. فَدَعْوَى الْمُدَّعَى أَنَّ إِمَامَةَ عَلِيٍّ هِيَ (٢) مِمَّا بَلَّغَهَا، أَوْ مِمَّا (٣) أُمِرَ بِتَبْلِيغِهَا، لَا تَثْبُتُ بِمُجَرَّدِ الْقُرْآنِ، فَإِنَّ الْقُرْآنَ لَيْسَ فِيهِ دَلَالَةٌ عَلَى شَيْءٍ مُعَيَّنٍ، فَإِنْ ثَبَتَ ذَلِكَ بِالنَّقْلِ كَانَ ذَلِكَ إِثْبَاتًا بِالْخَبَرِ لَا بِالْقُرْآنِ. فَمَنِ ادَّعَى أَنَّ الْقُرْآنَ يَدُلُّ عَلَى [أَنَّ] (٤) إِمَامَةَ عَلِيٍّ مِمَّا أُمِرَ بِتَبْلِيغِهِ، فَقَدِ افْتَرَى عَلَى الْقُرْآنِ، فَالْقُرْآنُ لَا يَدُلُّ عَلَى ذَلِكَ عُمُومًا وَلَا خُصُوصًا. الْوَجْهُ الرَّابِعُ (٥) : أَنْ يُقَالَ: هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ، مَعَ مَا عُلِمَ مِنْ أَحْوَالِ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -، تَدُلُّ عَلَى نَقِيضِ مَا ذَكَرُوهُ، وَهُوَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ لَمْ يُنَزِّلْهَا عَلَيْهِ، وَلَمْ يَأْمُرْهُ بِهَا (٦) ، فَإِنَّهَا لَوْ كَانَتْ مِمَّا أَمَرَهُ اللَّهُ بِتَبْلِيغِهِ، لَبَلَّغَهُ ; فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَعْصِي اللَّهَ فِي ذَلِكَ.

(١) سَبَقَ الْكَلَامُ عَلَى الْبَكْرِيِّ وَكِتَابِهِ تَنَقُّلَاتِ الْأَنْوَارِ. (٢) هِيَ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (م) . (٣) مِمَّا: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (س) ، (ب) . (٤) أَنَّ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ن (م) ، (س) . (٥) م: الثَّالِثُ، وَهُوَ خَطَأٌ. (٦) م: وَلَمْ يَأْمُرْ بِهَا.