Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (7/190)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

but rather everyone encompassed by its general wording comes under its ruling. There is no doubt that Abū Bakr, ʿUmar, ʿUthmān, and ʿAlī have the strongest claim among this community to be included in it, but it is not exclusive to them.

Allah, Exalted is He, says:

“Who, then, is more unjust than one who lies against Allah and denies the truth when it comes to him? Is there not in Hell an abode for the disbelievers? But the one who brought the truth and believed in it—it is such people who are the God-fearing.”

[Surah al-Zumar: 32–33]

In this passage, Allah—Glorified and Exalted is He—condemns the one who lies against Allah and the one who denies the truth; this condemnation is general.

Among the adherents of religious innovation, the Rāfidah fall most fully under this condemned description. No group fabricates more lies against Allah, denies more of the truth concerning what (1) has come to them, or is further removed from bringing the truth and believing in it.

Those who adhere purely to the Sunnah have the strongest claim of all groups to this description, for they speak truthfully and affirm the truth regarding everything he brought, and their only inclination is toward the truth.

Allah, Exalted is He, has praised the one who is truthful in what he brings and the one who affirms this truth. This is therefore praise for the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and for everyone who believes in him and in what he brought.

He—Glorified is He—did not say, “the one who brought the truth and the one who believed in it.” He did not make them two classes; rather, He made them both (2) a single class. What is intended is to praise the kind of person who brings the truth and believes in the truth. Such a person is praised for combining both qualities: it is characteristic of him to bring nothing but the truth, and it is characteristic of him to affirm the truth.

His words, “brought the truth,” are generic, encompassing every truth, although the Quran is more deserving than anything else of being included therein. Accordingly, “believed in it” means believing in truth as such (3). And it may be that

(1) S and B read *li-l-sidqi wa-li-mā* (“of the truth and of what [came to them]”). (2) N, M, and S read *bal jaʿalahum* (“rather, He made them”), using the plural pronoun. (3) B reads *man yuhsinu al-sidqa* (“one who excels in speaking truthfully”).

بَلْ كُلُّ مَنْ دَخَلَ فِي عُمُومِهَا دَخَلَ فِي حُكْمِهَا. وَلَا رَيْبَ أَنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ وَعُثْمَانَ وَعَلِيًّا أَحَقُّ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ بِالدُّخُولِ فِيهَا، لَكِنَّهَا لَا تَخْتَصُّ بِهِمْ. وَقَدْ قَالَ تَعَالَى: {فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنْ كَذَبَ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَكَذَّبَ بِالصِّدْقِ إِذْ جَاءَهُ أَلَيْسَ فِي جَهَنَّمَ مَثْوًى لِلْكَافِرِينَ - وَالَّذِي جَاءَ بِالصِّدْقِ وَصَدَّقَ بِهِ أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُتَّقُونَ} [سُورَةُ الزُّمَرِ: ٣٢ - ٣٣] الْآيَةَ، فَقَدْ ذَمَّ اللَّهُ - سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى - الْكَاذِبَ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَالْمُكَذِّبَ بِالصِّدْقِ، وَهَذَا ذَمٌّ عَامٌّ. وَالرَّافِضَةُ أَعْظَمُ أَهْلِ الْبِدَعِ دُخُولًا فِي هَذَا الْوَصْفِ الْمَذْمُومِ ; فَإِنَّهُمْ أَعْظَمُ الطَّوَائِفِ افْتِرَاءً لِلْكَذِبِ عَلَى اللَّهِ، وَأَعْظَمُهُمْ تَكْذِيبًا بِالصِّدْقِ لِمَا (١) جَاءَهُمْ، وَأَبْعَدُ الطَّوَائِفِ عَنِ الْمَجِيءِ بِالصِّدْقِ وَالتَّصْدِيقِ بِهِ. وَأَهْلُ السُّنَّةِ الْمَحْضَةِ أَوْلَى الطَّوَائِفِ بِهَذَا ; فَإِنَّهُمْ يَصْدُقُونَ وَيُصَدِّقُونَ بِالْحَقِّ فِي كُلِّ مَا جَاءَ بِهِ، وَلَيْسَ لَهُمْ هُوًى إِلَّا مَعَ الْحَقِّ. وَاللَّهُ تَعَالَى مَدَحَ الصَّادِقَ فِيمَا يَجِيءُ بِهِ وَالْمُصَدِّقَ بِهَذَا الْحَقِّ. فَهَذَا مَدْحٌ لِلنَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -، وَلِكُلِّ مَنْ آمَنَ بِهِ وَبِمَا جَاءَ بِهِ. وَهُوَ سُبْحَانَهُ لَمْ يَقُلْ: وَالَّذِي جَاءَ بِالصِّدْقِ وَالَّذِي صَدَّقَ بِهِ، فَلَمْ يَجْعَلْهُمَا صِنْفَيْنِ، بَلْ جَعَلَهُمَا (٢) صِنْفًا وَاحِدًا ; لِأَنَّ الْمُرَادَ مَدْحُ النَّوْعِ الَّذِي يَجِيءُ بِالصِّدْقِ وَيُصَدِّقُ بِالصِّدْقِ، فَهُوَ مَمْدُوحٌ عَلَى اجْتِمَاعِ الْوَصْفَيْنِ، عَلَى أَنْ لَا يَكُونَ مِنْ شَأْنِهِ إِلَّا أَنْ يَجِيءَ بِالصِّدْقِ، وَمِنْ شَأْنِهِ أَنْ يُصَدِّقَ بِالصِّدْقِ. وَقَوْلُهُ: {جَاءَ بِالصِّدْقِ} اسْمُ جِنْسٍ لِكُلِّ صِدْقٍ، وَإِنْ كَانَ الْقُرْآنُ أَحَقَّ بِالدُّخُولِ فِي ذَلِكَ مِنْ غَيْرِهِ، وَلِذَلِكَ صَدَّقَ بِهِ أَيْ بِجِنْسِ الصِّدْقِ (٣) . وَقَدْ

(١) س، ب: لِلصِّدْقِ وَلِمَا. (٢) ن، م، س: بَلْ جَعَلَهُمْ. (٣) ب: مَنْ يُحْسِنُ الصِّدْقَ.