Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (7/94)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

Ninth:

It may be said: Grant that this indicates that, in this respect, they are superior to those who do not possess this quality. But why do you claim that this quality is exclusive to Ali? Rather, everyone (1) whom neither trade nor sale distracts from the remembrance of Allah, the establishment of prayer, and the giving of zakāt, and who fears the Day of Resurrection, possesses this quality. Why, then, do you claim (2) that no one other than Ali possesses it? The wording of the verse indicates that they are men, not a single man. This proves that the quality is not exclusive to Ali; rather, he and others share it. It therefore does not follow that he is superior to those who share it with him.

Tenth:

Even if it were conceded that Ali surpassed others in this quality, why do you claim that this would necessarily confer the imamate upon him? Even if one concedes that the less excellent may not be given precedence over the more excellent, this applies only to (3) the aggregate of qualities relevant to the imamate. Otherwise, not everyone who excels in one virtuous quality thereby deserves to be the imam.

Were this reasoning valid, it could be said: Among the Companions were those who killed more disbelievers than Ali did; those who spent more of their wealth than Ali did; and those who prayed and fasted more than Ali did. (4) Among them were those who suffered more harm for the sake of Allah than Ali did; those who were older than Ali (5); and those who possessed knowledge that Ali did not possess. In sum, no single prophet (6) can possess everything that every other prophet (7) possesses in every respect, nor can any one Companion possess everything that every single one

(1) “Every” is absent from (S) and (B). (2) (M) reads: “If you say.” (3) (M) reads: “from.” (4) Absent from (B) and (S). (5) Absent from (B) and (S). (6) Absent from (S). (7) Absent from (S).

الْوَجْهُ التَّاسِعُ: أَنْ يُقَالَ: هَبْ أَنَّ هَذَا يَدُلُّ عَلَى أَنَّهُمْ أَفْضَلُ مِمَّنْ لَيْسَ كَذَلِكَ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ، لَكِنْ لِمَ قُلْتَ: إِنَّ هَذِهِ الصِّفَةَ مُخْتَصَّةٌ بِعَلِيٍّ؟ بَلْ كُلُّ (١) مَنْ كَانَتْ لَا تُلْهِيهِ التِّجَارَةُ وَالْبَيْعُ عَنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَإِقَامِ الصَّلَاةِ وَإِيتَاءِ الزَّكَاةِ وَيَخَافُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، فَهُوَ مُتَّصِفٌ بِهَذِهِ الصِّفَةِ. فَلِمَ قُلْتَ (٢) : إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ مُتَّصِفٌ بِذَلِكَ إِلَّا عَلِيًّا؟ وَلَفْظُ الْآيَةِ يَدُلُّ عَلَى أَنَّهُمْ رِجَالٌ لَيْسُوا رَجُلًا وَاحِدًا، فَهَذَا دَلِيلٌ عَلَى أَنَّ هَذَا لَا يَخْتَصُّ بِعَلِيٍّ، بَلْ هُوَ وَغَيْرُهُ مُشْتَرِكُونَ فِيهَا. وَحِينَئِذٍ فَلَا يَلْزَمُ أَنْ يَكُونَ أَفْضَلَ مِنَ الْمُشَارِكِينَ لَهُ فِيهَا. الْوَجْهُ الْعَاشِرُ: أَنَّهُ لَوْ سُلِّمَ أَنَّ عَلِيًّا أَفْضَلُ مِنْ غَيْرِهِ فِي هَذِهِ الصِّفَةِ، فَلِمَ قُلْتَ: إِنَّ ذَلِكَ يُوجِبُ الْإِمَامَةَ؟ . وَأَمَّا امْتِنَاعُ تَقْدِيمِ الْمَفْضُولِ عَلَى الْفَاضِلِ إِذَا سُلِّمَ، فَإِنَّمَا هُوَ فِي (٣) مَجْمُوعِ الصِّفَاتِ الَّتِي تُنَاسِبُ الْإِمَامَةَ، وَإِلَّا فَلَيْسَ كُلُّ مَنْ فُضِّلَ فِي خَصْلَةٍ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ اسْتَحَقَّ أَنْ يَكُونَ هُوَ الْإِمَامُ. وَلَوْ جَازَ هَذَا لَقِيلَ: فَفِي الصَّحَابَةِ مَنْ قَتَلَ مِنَ الْكُفَّارِ أَكْثَرَ مِمَّا قَتَلَ عَلِيٌّ، وَفِيهِمْ مَنْ أَنْفَقَ مِنْ مَالِهِ أَكْثَرَ مِمَّا أَنْفَقَ عَلِيٌّ، وَفِيهِمْ مَنْ كَانَ أَكْثَرَ صَلَاةً وَصِيَامًا مِنْ عَلِيٍّ، (٤) وَفِيهِمْ مَنْ أُوذِيَ فِي اللَّهِ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ عَلِيٍّ، وَفِيهِمْ مَنْ كَانَ أَسَنُّ مِنْ عَلِيٍّ (٥) ، وَفِيهِمْ مَنْ كَانَ عِنْدَهُ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ مَا لَيْسَ عِنْدَ عَلِيٍّ. وَبِالْجُمْلَةِ لَا يُمْكِنُ أَنْ يَكُونَ وَاحِدٌ مِنَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ (٦) لَهُ مِثْلُ مَا لِكُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِنَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ (٧) مِنْ كُلِّ وَجْهٍ، وَلَا أَحَدٌ مِنَ الصَّحَابَةِ يَكُونُ لَهُ مِثْلُ مَا لِكُلِّ أَحَدٍ

(١) كُلُّ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (س) ، (ب) . (٢) م: فَإِنْ قُلْتَ. (٣) م: مِنْ. (٤) سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ب) ، (س) (٥) سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ب) ، (س) (٦) سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (س) (٧) سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (س)