Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (7/212)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

‘Allah will bring forth a people He loves and who love Him.’

[Surah al-Mā'idah: 54]

Al-Tha'labī said: ‘This verse was revealed only (1) concerning Alī, and this indicates (2) that he is the most excellent; thus, he is the Imam.’”

The response may be given from several angles:

First: This is a lie about al-Tha'labī. In his commentary, [concerning] this verse (3), he said: “Alī, Qatādah, and al-Hasan said, ‘They are Abū Bakr and his companions.’ Mujāhid said, ‘They (4) are the people of Yemen.’”

He also cited the hadith of Iyād ibn Ghanm stating that they are the people of Yemen, and he cited the hadith: “The people of Yemen have come to you.” Thus, al-Tha'labī reported that Alī interpreted this verse as referring to Abū Bakr and his companions.

As for the leading Quran commentators, al-Tabarī (5) narrated from al-Muthannā: Abd Allāh ibn Hāshim (6) narrated to us; Sayf ibn Umar narrated to us from Abū Rawq, [from al-Dahhāk] (7), from Abū Ayyūb, from Alī [regarding His words, “O you who believe, whoever among you turns back from his religion” (Surah al-Mā'idah: 54)] (8), who said: “Allah knew the believers, and there fell (9) the implication (10) of evil

(1) K reads *innahā* (“indeed, it”). (2) S and B read *dalīl* (“evidence”). (3) N, S, and B read: “and that he said concerning this verse in his commentary.” (4) “They” is omitted from S and B. (5) Al-Tabarī, *Tafsīr*, al-Ma'ārif ed., 10:413–414. (6) Al-Tabarī has: “Al-Muthannā said: Ishāq narrated to us; he said: Abd Allāh ibn Hishām narrated to us.” (7) “From al-Dahhāk” is omitted from N, M, and S. (8) The passage between square brackets is omitted from N, M, and S. (9) B reads *wa-awqa'a* (“and caused [it] to occur”). (10) N, M, and S read *ya'nī* (“that is”).

{فَسَوْفَ يَأْتِي اللَّهُ بِقَوْمٍ يُحِبُّهُمْ وَيُحِبُّونَهُ} [سُورَةُ الْمَائِدَةِ: ٥٤] قَالَ الثَّعْلَبِيُّ: إِنَّمَا (١) نَزَلَتْ فِي عَلِيٍّ، وَهَذَا يَدُلُّ (٢) عَلَى أَنَّهُ أَفْضَلُ، فَيَكُونُ هُوَ الْإِمَامَ ". وَالْجَوَابُ مِنْ وُجُوهٍ: أَحَدُهَا: أَنَّ هَذَا كَذِبٌ عَلَى الثَّعْلَبِيِّ، فَإِنَّهُ قَالَ فِي تَفْسِيرِهِ [فِي] هَذِهِ الْآيَةِ (٣) : " قَالَ عَلِيٌّ وَقَتَادَةُ وَالْحَسَنُ: إِنَّهُمْ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَأَصْحَابُهُ. وَقَالَ مُجَاهِدٌ: هُمْ (٤) أَهْلُ الْيَمَنِ ". وَذَكَرَ حَدِيثَ عِيَاضِ بْنِ غُنْمٍ: أَنَّهُمْ أَهْلُ الْيَمَنِ، وَذَكَرَ الْحَدِيثَ: " «أَتَاكُمْ أَهْلُ الْيَمَنِ» ". فَقَدْ نَقَلَ الثَّعْلَبِيُّ أَنَّ عَلِيًّا فَسَّرَ هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ بِأَنَّهُمْ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَأَصْحَابُهُ. وَأَمَّا أَئِمَّةُ التَّفْسِيرِ، فَرَوَى الطَّبَرِيُّ (٥) عَنِ الْمُثَنَّى، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ هَاشِمٍ (٦) ، حَدَّثَنَا سَيْفُ بْنُ عُمَرَ، عَنْ أَبِي رَوْقٍ، [عَنِ الضَّحَّاكِ] (٧) ، عَنْ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ، عَنْ عَلِيٍّ [فِي قَوْلِهِ: {يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَنْ يَرْتَدَّ مِنْكُمْ عَنْ دِينِهِ} [سُورَةُ الْمَائِدَةِ: ٥٤] (٨) قَالَ: عَلِمَ اللَّهُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، وَوَقَعَ (٩) مَعْنَى (١٠) السُّوءِ

(١) ك: إِنَّهَا. (٢) س، ب: دَلِيلٌ. (٣) ن، س، ب: وَأَنَّهُ قَالَ فِي تَفْسِيرِهِ هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ. (٤) هُمْ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (س) ، (ب) . (٥) فِي تَفْسِيرِهِ " ط. الْمَعَارِفِ " ١٠/٤١٣ - ٤١٤. (٦) الطَّبَرِيُّ: الْمُثَنَّى قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ هِشَامٍ. (٧) عَنِ الضَّحَّاكِ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) ، (س) (٨) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) ، (س) (٩) ب: وَأَوْقَعَ. (١٠)) ن، م، س: يَعْنِي.