Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (7/49)

Yet not one (1) of them, whether at that gathering or elsewhere, related anything indicating Ali’s imamate.

The Muslims pledged allegiance to Abū Bakr. Most of Banū Abd Manāf—including Banū Umayya, Banū Hāshim, and others—were strongly inclined toward Ali ibn Abī Tālib and would have preferred his leadership, yet none of them mentioned this explicit designation. The matter proceeded in the same way (2) during the reigns of Umar and Uthmān, and during Ali’s own reign as well, once he came to hold authority. He did not mention (3) this designation, nor did anyone from his household or any of the well-known Companions. It appeared only afterward.

Scholars versed in hadith and the sunnah who are loyal to Ali and love him, and who maintain (4) that he was the caliph after Uthmān—such as Ahmad ibn Hanbal and other leading imams—have been opposed (5) on this point by groups of scholars and others. They said:

“His era was one of civil strife and division (6) within the Muslim community. During it, the community agreed neither upon him nor upon anyone else.”

(1) (N) and (M) read: “one.” (2) (N), (S), and (B) read: “The same held true of the explicit designation.” (3) (N) and (B) read: “did not mention”; (S): “did not mention it.” (4) (B) reads: “they say.” (5) (S) reads: “and groups had contended with them”; (B): “groups had opposed them”; (M): “groups contended with them.” (6) (N), (M), and (S) read: “and the division.”

وَلَمْ يَرْوِ وَاحِدٌ (١) مِنْهُمْ: لَا فِي ذَلِكَ الْمَجْلِسِ وَلَا غَيْرِهِ، مَا يَدُلُّ عَلَى إِمَامَةِ عَلِيٍّ. وَبَايَعَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ أَبَا بَكْرٍ، وَكَانَ أَكْثَرُ بَنِي عَبْدِ مُنَافٍ - مِنْ بَنِي أُمَيَّةَ وَبَنِي هَاشِمٍ وَغَيْرِهِمْ - لَهُمْ مَيْلٌ قَوِيٌّ إِلَى عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ يَخْتَارُونَ وَلَايَتَهُ، وَلَمْ يَذْكُرْ أَحَدٌ مِنْهُمْ هَذَا النَّصَّ. وَهَكَذَا أُجْرِيَ الْأَمْرُ (٢) فِي عَهْدِ عُمَرَ وَعُثْمَانَ، وَفِي عَهْدِهِ أَيْضًا لَمَّا صَارَتْ لَهُ وَلَايَةٌ، وَلَمْ يَذْكُرْ (٣) هُوَ وَلَا أَحَدٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ وَلَا مِنَ الصَّحَابَةِ الْمَعْرُوفِينَ هَذَا النَّصَّ، وَإِنَّمَا ظَهَرَ هَذَا النَّصُّ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ. وَأَهْلُ الْعِلْمِ بِالْحَدِيثِ وَالسُّنَّةِ الَّذِينَ يَتَوَلُّونَ عَلِيًّا وَيُحِبُّونَهُ، وَيَقُولُونَ (٤) : إِنَّهُ كَانَ الْخَلِيفَةَ بَعْدَ عُثْمَانَ، كَأَحْمَدَ بْنِ حَنْبَلٍ وَغَيْرِهِ مِنَ الْأَئِمَّةِ، قَدْ نَازَعَهُمْ (٥) فِي ذَلِكَ طَوَائِفُ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ وَغَيْرِهِمْ، وَقَالُوا: كَانَ زَمَانُهُ زَمَانَ فِتْنَةٍ وَاخْتِلَافٍ (٦) بَيْنَ الْأُمَّةِ، لَمْ تَتَّفِقِ الْأُمَّةُ فِيهِ لَا عَلَيْهِ وَلَا عَلَى غَيْرِهِ.

(١) ن، م: أَحَدٌ. (٢) ن، س، ب: وَهَكَذَا جَرَى النَّصُّ. (٣) ن، ب: لَمْ يَذْكُرْ، س: لَمْ يَذْكُرْهُ. (٤) ب: يَقُولُونَ. (٥) س: وَقَدْ تَنَازَعَهُمْ، ب: قَدْ نَازَعَهُمْ، م: تَنَازَعَهُمْ. (٦) ن، م، س: وَالِاخْتِلَافُ.