Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (7/93)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

If, however, he means thereby what is distinctive to mosques—such as the remembrance of Allah in the five daily prayers and the like—then it applies exclusively to mosques. The houses of the prophets do not possess the distinctive features of mosques, even though they possess merit because the prophets dwelt in them.

Seventh:

It may be said: If by “the houses of the prophets” he means those in which the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—resided, then the only houses of prophets in Medina are the houses of the Prophet’s wives—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and Ali’s house is not among them. If he means houses entered by prophets, the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—did indeed (1) enter the houses of many Companions. However the hadith is construed, it is impossible to single out Ali’s house as being (2) one of the houses of the prophets, to the exclusion of the houses of Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and others like them. If it is not distinguished in this respect, then the men described are found both in it and in other houses.

Eighth:

It may be said regarding his statement that the men mentioned are described as those whom neither trade nor sale distracts from the remembrance of Allah: there is nothing (3) in the verse to indicate that they are superior to others, nor does it mention the good that Allah has promised them, though it does praise them (4). Yet not (5) everyone who is praised or promised (6) Paradise is necessarily superior to others. Accordingly, it did not follow (7) that he was superior to the prophets.

(1) “Indeed” is absent from (S) and (B). (2) (M) reads: “restricting it to Ali’s house on the grounds that it…” (3) (N), (M), and (S) read: “and there is nothing,” which is incorrect. (4) (S) and (B) read: “and it contains some praise of them.” (5) (N), (S), and (B) read: “and not.” (6) (N): “and was promised”; (S): (S): “and He made him a promise”; (B): “and He promised him.” (7) (S) reads: “did not follow”; (B) reads: “therefore, it does not follow.”

وَإِنْ أَرَادَ بِذَلِكَ مَا يَخْتَصُّ بِهِ الْمَسَاجِدُ مِنْ وُجُودِ الذِّكْرِ فِي الصَّلَوَاتِ الْخَمْسِ وَنَحْوِ ذَلِكَ، كَانَتْ مُخْتَصَّةً بِالْمَسَاجِدِ. وَأَمَّا بُيُوتُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ فَلَيْسَ فِيهَا خُصُوصِيَّةُ الْمَسَاجِدِ، وَإِنْ كَانَ لَهَا فَضْلٌ بِسُكْنَى الْأَنْبِيَاءِ فِيهَا. الْوَجْهُ السَّابِعُ: أَنْ يُقَالَ: إِنْ أُرِيدَ بِبُيُوتِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ مَا سَكَنَهُ النَّبِيُّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -، فَلَيْسَ فِي الْمَدِينَةِ مِنْ بُيُوتِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ إِلَّا بُيُوتُ أَزْوَاجِ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -، فَلَا يَدْخُلُ فِيهَا بَيْتُ عَلِيٍّ. وَإِنْ أُرِيدَ مَا دَخَلَهُ الْأَنْبِيَاءُ، فَالنَّبِيُّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - قَدْ (١) دَخَلَ بُيُوتَ كَثِيرٍ مِنَ الصَّحَابَةِ. وَأَيُّ تَقْدِيرٍ قُدِّرَ فِي الْحَدِيثِ لَا يُمْكِنُ تَخْصِيصُ بَيْتِ عَلِيٍّ بِأَنَّهُ (٢) مِنْ بُيُوتِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ، دُونَ بَيْتِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ وَعُثْمَانَ وَنَحْوِهِمْ. وَإِذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ اخْتِصَاصٌ، فَالرِّجَالُ مُشْتَرِكُونَ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ غَيْرِهِ. الْوَجْهُ الثَّامِنُ: أَنْ يُقَالَ: قَوْلُهُ: الرِّجَالُ الْمَذْكُورُونَ مَوْصُوفُونَ بِأَنَّهُمْ لَا تُلْهِيهِمْ تِجَارَةٌ وَلَا بَيْعٌ عَنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ، لَيْسَ (٣) فِي الْآيَةِ مَا يَدُلُّ عَلَى أَنَّهُمْ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ غَيْرِهِمْ، وَلَيْسَ فِيهَا ذِكْرُ مَا وَعَدَهُمُ اللَّهُ بِهِ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ، وَفِيهَا الثَّنَاءُ عَلَيْهِمْ (٤) ، وَلَكِنْ لَيْسَ (٥) كُلُّ مَنْ أُثْنِيَ عَلَيْهِ أَوْ وُعِدَ (٦) بِالْجَنَّةِ يَكُونُ أَفْضَلَ مِنْ غَيْرِهِ، وَلِهَذَا لَمْ يَلْزَمْ (٧) أَنْ يَكُونَ هُوَ أَفْضَلُ مِنَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ.

(١) قَدْ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (س) ، (ب) . (٢) م: تَخْصِيصُهُ بِبَيْتِ عَلِيٍّ بِأَنَّهُ. . . (٣) ن، م، س: وَلَيْسَ، وَهُوَ خَطَأٌ. (٤) س، ب: وَفِيهَا مِنَ الثَّنَاءِ عَلَيْهِمْ. (٥) ن، س، ب: وَلَيْسَ. (٦) ن: وَأُوْعِدَ ; س: س: وَأَوْعَدَهُ، ب: وَوَعَدَهُ. (٧) س: لَمْ يَلْزَمْ، ب: فَلَا يَلْزَمُ.