Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (7/107)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

It is also related in the Sahih that, on the Day of al-Saqīfa, Umar said to Abu Bakr—may Allah be pleased with them both:

“Rather, you are our master, the best of us, and the one among us most beloved to the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace.” (1)

This is confirmed by the widely transmitted reports found through multiple chains in the Sahih collections, according to which the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said:

“Were I to take an intimate friend from among the people of the earth, I would take Abu Bakr as my intimate friend; but instead, there is the bond of affection in Islam.” (2)

This shows that, among all the people of the earth, no one had a greater claim than Abu Bakr to his love and affection. Whoever was dearest to the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—was dearest to Allah; and whoever was dearest to Allah and His Messenger has the greatest claim to the believers’ love, for they love what Allah and His Messenger love [just as Allah and His Messenger love it] (3). The proofs that Abu Bakr has the greatest claim to such love are numerous—quite apart from the claim that one of lesser merit must be loved while one of greater merit need not be loved.

As for his statement:

“Opposing him is incompatible with love for him, while complying (4) with his commands constitutes love for him (5). He must therefore be obeyed, and that is what (6) the imamate means.”

The response may be given in several ways:

First: If love entails obedience, then love for the Prophet’s near relatives is obligatory, and obedience to them must likewise be obligatory. Fatima would therefore also have to be an imam. If this is false, then this (7) is equally false.

Second: Love does not necessarily entail the imamate at the time when that love is obligatory. It does not follow that

(1) This hadith was cited previously at 1/518. (2) This hadith was cited previously at 1/512. (3) The text in square brackets appears only in (M). (4) (B) reads: “and by complying with.” (5) (M) reads: “through loving him”; (B) reads: “loving him is.” (6) (M) reads: “and the meaning.” (7) (N) and (M) read: “And if this is false, then so is that.”

وَفِي الصَّحِيحِ أَنَّ عُمَرَ قَالَ لِأَبِي بَكْرٍ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا - يَوْمَ السَّقِيفَةِ: «بَلْ أَنْتَ سَيِّدُنَا وَخَيْرُنَا وَأَحَبُّنَا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ» - (١) . وَتَصْدِيقُ ذَلِكَ مَا اسْتَفَاضَ فِي الصِّحَاحِ مِنْ غَيْرِ وَجْهٍ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - قَالَ: " «لَوْ كُنْتُ مُتَّخِذًا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ خَلِيلًا لَاتَّخَذْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ خَلِيلًا، وَلَكِنْ مَوَدَّةُ الْإِسْلَامِ» " (٢) . فَهَذَا يُبَيِّنُ أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ فِي أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ أَحَقُّ بِمَحَبَّتِهِ وَمَوَدَّتِهِ مِنْ أَبِي بَكْرٍ، وَمَا كَانَ أَحَبَّ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - فَهُوَ أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللَّهِ، وَمَا كَانَ أَحَبَّ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ فَهُوَ أَحَقُّ أَنْ يَكُونَ أَحَبَّ إِلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، الَّذِينَ يُحِبُّونَ مَا أِحَبَّهُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ [كَمَا أَحَبَّ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ] (٣) . وَالدَّلَائِلُ الدَّالَّةُ عَلَى أَنَّهُ أَحَقُّ بِالْمَوَدَّةِ كَثِيرَةٌ، فَضْلًا عَنْ أَنْ يُقَالَ: إِنَّ الْمَفْضُولَ تَجِبُ مَوَدَّتُهُ، وَإِنَّ الْفَاضِلَ لَا تَجِبُ مَوَدَّتُهُ. وَأَمَّا قَوْلُهُ: " إِنَّ مُخَالَفَتَهُ تُنَافِي الْمَوَدَّةَ، وَامْتِثَالُ (٤) أَوَامِرِهِ هُوَ مَوَدَّتُهُ (٥) ، فَيَكُونُ وَاجِبَ الطَّاعَةِ، وَهُوَ مَعْنَى (٦) الْإِمَامَةِ " . فَجَوَابُهُ مِنْ وُجُوهٍ: أَحَدُهَا: إِنْ كَانَ الْمَوَدَّةُ تُوجِبُ الطَّاعَةَ فَقَدْ وَجَبَتْ مَوَدَّةُ ذَوِي الْقُرْبَى فَتَجِبُ طَاعَتُهُمْ، فَيَجِبُ أَنْ تَكُونَ فَاطِمَةُ أَيْضًا إِمَامًا، وَإِنْ كَانَ هَذَا بَاطِلًا فَهَذَا (٧) مِثْلُهُ. الثَّانِي: أَنَّ الْمَوَدَّةَ لَيْسَتْ مُسْتَلْزِمَةً لِلْإِمَامَةِ فِي حَالِ وُجُوبِ الْمَوَدَّةِ، فَلَيْسَ

(١) سَبَقَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ فِيمَا مَضَى ١/٥١٨ (٢) سَبَقَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ فِيمَا مَضَى ١/٥١٢ (٣) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ فِي (م) فَقَطْ. (٤) ب: وَبِامْتِثَالِ. (٥) م: بِمَوَدَّتِهِ ; ب: تَكُونُ مَوَدَّتُهُ (٦) م: وَمَعْنَى. (٧) ن، م: وَإِذَا كَانَ هَذَا بَاطِلًا فَذَاكَ.