Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (7/208)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

and weaker, and less (1) hostile to the truth (2) than those disbelievers had been at the beginning of the Prophet’s mission. Likewise, at the time Uthmān was killed, they were fewer and weaker than those disbelievers and less hostile to the truth (3) than those disbelievers had been when Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was sent. For the entirety of the truth for which Alī fought was only part of the truth for which the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) fought. Whoever denied the truth with which Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was sent and fought him on account of it also denied that part of it for which Alī fought.

Thus, if Alī, under these circumstances, was weak and incapable of supporting the truth and repelling falsehood, what would his condition have been at the beginning of the Prophet’s mission (4), when he was even weaker and less capable, while the enemies of the truth were more formidable, more numerous, and more intensely hostile?!

In this respect, the Rāfidah are like the Christians: they ascribe divinity to the Messiah, claiming that he is the Lord and Sovereign of all things and has power over all things. Yet they portray his enemies as slapping him, placing thorns upon his head, and crucifying him, and say that he began crying out for help but they gave him none. Thus, they did not [succeed], either by claiming (5) such overwhelming power or by affirming such utter humiliation.

If they say:

“This took place with his consent (6),”

the reply is:

“The Lord is pleased only to be obeyed, not disobeyed. If his killing and crucifixion occurred with his consent (7), that would constitute worship and obedience to Allah, and the Jews who crucified him would thus be worshippers

(1) “And less [hostile]” is omitted from S and B. (2) “Toward him” occurs only in N and is omitted from M, S, and B. (3) “Toward him” occurs only in N and is omitted from M, S, and B. (4) B reads: “the sending forth.” (5) S and B read: “so let them not leave [it]”; N reads: “thus, not by claiming.” I supplied the word “succeeded” to make the sentence coherent. (6) N, S, and B read: “This was something he approved of.” The expression “with his consent” is unpointed in M; the reading adopted here is probably correct. (7) N, S, and B read: “he approves of it”; the corresponding word in M is unpointed.

وَأَضْعَفَ، وَأَقَلَّ (١) عَدَاوَةً مِنْهُمْ لَهُ (٢) عِنْدَ مَبْعَثِهِ، وَكَذَلِكَ كَانُوا عِنْدَ مَقْتَلِ عُثْمَانَ أَقَلَّ مِنْهُمْ وَأَضْعَفَ، وَأَقَلَّ عَدَاوَةً مِنْهُمْ لَهُ (٣) حِينَ بُعِثَ مُحَمَّدٌ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - ; فَإِنَّ جَمِيعَ الْحَقِّ الَّذِي كَانَ يُقَاتِلُ عَلَيْهِ عَلِيٌّ، هُوَ جُزْءٌ مِنَ الْحَقِّ الَّذِي قَاتَلَ عَلَيْهِ النَّبِيُّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -، فَمَنْ كَذَّبَ بِالْحَقِّ الَّذِي بُعِثَ بِهِ مُحَمَّدٌ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - وَقَاتَلَهُ عَلَيْهِ، كَذَّبَ بِمَا قَاتَلَ عَلَيْهِ عَلِيٌّ مِنْ ذَلِكَ. فَإِذَا كَانَ عَلِيٌّ فِي هَذِهِ الْحَالِ قَدْ ضَعُفَ وَعَجَزَ عَنْ نَصْرِ الْحَقِّ وَدَفْعِ الْبَاطِلِ، فَكَيْفَ يَكُونُ حَالُهُ حِينَ الْمَبْعَثِ (٤) ، وَهُوَ أَضْعَفُ وَأَعْجَزُ، وَأَعْدَاءُ الْحَقِّ أَعْظَمُ وَأَكْثَرُ وَأَشَدُّ عَدَاوَةً؟ ! وَمِثْلُ الرَّافِضَةِ فِي ذَلِكَ مِثْلُ النَّصَارَى: ادَّعَوْا فِي الْمَسِيحِ الْإِلَهِيَّةَ، وَأَنَّهُ رَبُّ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَمَلِيكُهُ، وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ. ثُمَّ يَجْعَلُونَ أَعْدَاءَهُ صَفَعُوهُ وَوَضَعُوا الشَّوْكَ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ وَصَلَبُوهُ، وَأَنَّهُ جَعَلَ يَسْتَغِيثُ فَلَا يُغِيثُوهُ، فَلَا [أَفْلَحُوا] بِدَعْوَى (٥) تِلْكَ الْقُدْرَةِ الْقَاهِرَةِ، وَلَا بِإِثْبَاتِ هَذِهِ الذِّلَّةِ التَّامَّةِ. وَإِنْ قَالُوا: كَانَ هَذَا بِرِضَاهُ (٦) . قِيلَ: فَالرَّبُّ إِنَّمَا يَرْضَى بِأَنْ يُطَاعَ لَا بِأَنْ يُعْصَى. فَإِنْ كَانَ قَتْلُهُ وَصَلْبُهُ بِرِضَاهُ (٧) ، كَانَ ذَلِكَ عِبَادَةً وَطَاعَةً لِلَّهِ، فَيَكُونُ الْيَهُودُ الَّذِينَ صَلَبُوهُ عَابِدِينَ

(١) وَأَقَلَّ سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (س) ، (ب) . (٢) فِي (ن) فَقَطْ، وَسَقَطَ مِنْ (م) ، (س) (ب) . (٣) فِي (ن) فَقَطْ، وَسَقَطَ مِنْ (م) ، (س) (ب) . (٤) ب: الْبَعْثِ. (٥) س، ب: فَلَا يَدَعُوا، ن: فَلَا بِدَعْوَى، وَزِدْتُ كَلِمَةَ " أَفْلَحُوا " لِتَسْتَقِيمَ الْعِبَارَةُ. (٦) ن، س، ب: هَذَا كَانَ يَرْضَاهُ، وَكَلِمَةُ " بِرِضَاهُ " لَيْسَتْ مَنْقُوطَةً فِي (م) وَلَعَلَّ الصَّوَابَ مَا أَثْبَتُّهُ. (٧) ن، س، ب: يَرْضَاهُ، وَالْكَلِمَةُ غَيْرُ مَنْقُوطَةٍ فِي (م) .