Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (7/235)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

on its including others, nor is the obligation of some of them to act upon it contingent on its being obligatory for others.

If it is said that he was the best of those whom it concerned, this rests upon the premise that he was the best of all people. If that is established, there is no need to cite this verse as evidence; and if it is not established, the verse cannot be cited as evidence. Thus, citing it as evidence is invalid on either supposition.

The most you can offer is to claim that Ibn Abbās held Alī to be superior—even though this (1) is a lie about Ibn Abbās and contrary to what is known of him. Even supposing that he did say it—despite thereby opposing the majority of the Companions—it would not constitute proof.

Sixth: The assertion, “Allah rebuked Muhammad’s Companions in the Quran but mentioned Alī only favorably,” is a known falsehood. It is not known that Allah ever rebuked Abū Bakr in the Quran. Indeed, neither is it known that he ever displeased Allah’s Messenger (2)—may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Rather, it has been reported that he—peace and blessings be upon him—said in a sermon:

“O people, acknowledge what is due to Abū Bakr, for he never once displeased me.” (3).

Authentically established hadiths show that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—would come to Abū Bakr’s defense and forbid people from opposing him. Nor has it been reported that Abū Bakr ever displeased him, as has been reported of others. For when Alī sought the hand of Abū Jahl’s daughter in marriage, the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—delivered the well-known sermon (4), whereas nothing of this kind ever occurred in Abū Bakr’s case.

(1) S and B read: “and notwithstanding this, it is…”; this is a textual corruption. (2) M reads: “acted badly toward Allah’s Messenger.” (3) I have not found this hadith. (4) This hadith was cited earlier at 4/145. It begins: “The Banū al-Mughīra asked my permission.”

بِشُمُولِهِ لِآخَرِينَ، وَلَا وُجُوبَ الْعَمَلِ عَلَى بَعْضِهِمْ مَشْرُوطٌ عَلَى آخَرِينَ بِوُجُوبِهِ. وَإِنْ قِيلَ: إِنَّهُ أَفْضَلُ مَنْ عُنِيَ بِهَا، فَهَذَا يُبْنَى عَلَى كَوْنِهِ أَفْضَلَ النَّاسِ. فَإِنْ ثَبَتَ ذَلِكَ فَلَا حَاجَةَ إِلَى الِاسْتِدْلَالِ بِهَذِهِ الْآيَةِ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يَثْبُتْ لَمْ يَجُزِ الِاسْتِدْلَالُ بِهَا، فَكَانَ الِاسْتِدْلَالُ بِهَا بَاطِلًا عَلَى التَّقْدِيرَيْنِ. وَغَايَةُ مَا عِنْدَكُمْ أَنْ تَذْكُرُوا أَنَّ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ كَانَ يُفَضِّلُ عَلِيًّا، وَهَذَا مَعَ أَنَّهُ (١) هَذَا كَذِبٌ عَلَى ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، وَخِلَافُ الْمَعْلُومِ عَنْهُ، فَلَوْ قُدِّرَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ ذَلِكَ - مَعَ مُخَالَفَةِ جُمْهُورِ الصَّحَابَةِ - لَمْ يَكُنْ حُجَّةً. السَّادِسُ: أَنَّ قَوْلَ الْقَائِلِ: لَقَدْ عَاتَبَ اللَّهُ أَصْحَابَ مُحَمَّدٍ فِي الْقُرْآنِ وَمَا ذَكَرَ عَلِيًّا إِلَّا بِخَيْرٍ، كَذِبٌ مَعْلُومٌ ; فَإِنَّهُ لَا يُعْرَفُ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَاتَبَ أَبَا بَكْرٍ فِي الْقُرْآنِ، بَلْ وَلَا أَنَّهُ سَاءَ رَسُولَ (٢) اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -، بَلْ رُوِيَ عَنْهُ - عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ - أَنَّهُ قَالَ فِي خُطْبَتِهِ: " «أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، اعْرَفُوا لِأَبِي بَكْرٍ حَقَّهُ ; فَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يَسُؤْنِي يَوْمًا قَطُّ» " (٣) . وَالثَّابِتُ مِنَ الْأَحَادِيثِ الصَّحِيحَةِ يَدُلُّ عَلَى أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - كَانَ يَنْتَصِرُ لِأَبِي بَكْرٍ، وَيَنْهَى النَّاسَ عَنْ مُعَارَضَتِهِ، وَلَمْ يُنْقَلْ أَنَّهُ سَاءَهُ، كَمَا نُقِلَ ذَلِكَ عَنْ غَيْرِهِ، فَإِنَّ عَلِيًّا لَمَّا خَطَبَ بِنْتَ أَبِي جَهْلٍ خَطَبَ النَّبِيُّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - الْخُطْبَةَ الْمَعْرُوفَةَ (٤) ، وَمَا حَصَلَ مِثْلُ هَذَا فِي حَقِّ أَبِي بَكْرٍ قَطُّ.

(١) س، ب: وَمَعَ هَذَا أَنَّهُ، وَهُوَ تَحْرِيفٌ. (٢) م: سَاءَ إِلَى رَسُولِ. (٣) لَمْ أَجِدْ هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ. (٤) سَبَقَ الْحَدِيثُ فِيمَا مَضَى ٤/١٤٥. وَأَوَّلُهُ: إِنَّ بَنِي الْمُغِيرَةِ اسْتَأْذَنُونِي.