Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (7/242)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

Likewise, His statement:

“Peace be upon Yāsīn’s family.”

[Surah al-Sāffāt: 130]

[Thus] Yāsīn himself was included in the salutation (1).

Likewise, when the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said:

“O Allah, send blessings upon the family of Abū Awfā,”

Abū Awfā himself was included in this (2).

Likewise, his statement:

“This man has indeed been granted a voice like one of the flutes of the family of David” (3).

It does not follow from Alī’s being the best member of the household after the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—that he must be the best of all people after him. Banū Hāshim are superior to others because the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—is one of them. Once he is excluded from consideration, however, it does not follow that their best member after him must be superior to everyone else.

Likewise, even if the Followers are superior to the Followers of the Followers, and one individual among them ranks above all others, it does not follow that the next in rank is superior to the best of the Followers of the Followers.

Rather, when one group is deemed superior to another, and the best member of the two groups (4) surpasses everyone in the other group, the intended collective superiority is established. Anything (5) beyond that depends upon evidence.

Indeed, it may even be said that, without evidence, it does not follow that the best member of one group is superior to a distinguished member of the other.

(1) (N) and (M): “Yāsīn (the family of Yāsīn was included in the salutation”; (S): “upon Il Yāsīn) in the salutation.” (2) This hadith was cited earlier at 4/607. (3) This hadith, with some variation in wording, is narrated from Abū Mūsā al-Asharī—may Allah be pleased with him—in al-Bukhārī, 6/195 (*Book of the Virtues of the Quran*, chapter “A Beautiful Voice in Recitation”). Its wording is: “O Abū Mūsā, you have indeed been given one of the flutes of the family of David.” The hadith also appears in Muslim, 1/546 (*Book of Travelers’ Prayer*, chapter “The Recommendation to Beautify One’s Voice when Reciting the Quran”); *Sunan al-Tirmidhī*, 5/355–356 (*Book of Virtues*, chapter “The Virtues of Abū Mūsā al-Asharī”); *Sunan al-Nasāī*; *Sunan Ibn Mājah*; and *Musnad Ahmad*. (4) (B): “Thus its best member was…” (5) (N), (S), and (B): “As for…”

وَكَذَلِكَ قَوْلُهُ: {سَلَامٌ عَلَى إِلْ يَاسِينَ} [سُورَةُ الصَّافَّاتِ: ١٣٠] [فَقَدَ] دَخَلَ يَاسِينُ فِي السَّلَامِ (١) . وَكَذَلِكَ قَوْلُ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -: " «اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى آلِ أَبِي أَوْفَى» " دَخَلَ فِي ذَلِكَ أَبُو أَوْفَى. (٢) وَكَذَلِكَ قَوْلُهُ: " «لَقَدْ أُوتِيَ هَذَا مِزْمَارًا مِنْ مَزَامِيرِ آلِ دَاوُدَ» " (٣) . وَلَيْسَ إِذَا كَانَ عَلِيٌّ أَفْضَلَ أَهْلِ الْبَيْتِ بَعْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - يَجِبُ أَنْ يَكُونَ أَفْضَلَ النَّاسِ بَعْدَهُ ; لِأَنَّ بَنِي هَاشِمٍ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ غَيْرِهِمْ، فَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - مِنْهُمْ، وَأَمَّا إِذَا خَرَجَ مِنْهُمْ فَلَا يَجِبُ أَنْ يَكُونَ أَفْضَلُهُمْ بَعْدَهُ أَفْضَلَ مِمَّنْ سِوَاهُمْ. كَمَا أَنَّ التَّابِعِينَ إِذَا كَانُوا أَفْضَلَ مِنْ تَابِعِي التَّابِعِينَ، وَكَانَ فِيهِمْ وَاحِدٌ أَفْضَلُ، لَمْ يَجِبْ أَنْ يَكُونَ الثَّانِي أَفْضَلَ مِنْ أَفْضَلِ تَابِعِي التَّابِعِينَ. بَلِ الْجُمْلَةُ إِذَا فُضِّلَتْ عَلَى الْجُمْلَةِ، فَكَانَ أَفْضَلُهُمَا (٤) أَفْضَلَ مِنَ الْجُمْلَةِ الْأُخْرَى، حَصَلَ مَقْصُودُ التَّفْضِيلِ، وَمَا (٥) بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَمَوْقُوفٌ عَلَى الدَّلِيلِ. بَلْ قَدْ يُقَالُ: لَا يَلْزَمُ أَنْ يَكُونَ أَفْضَلُهَا أَفْضَلَ مِنْ فَاضَلِ الْأُخْرَى إِلَّا بِدَلِيلٍ.

(١) ن، م: يَاسِينُ (دَخَلَ آلُ يَاسِينَ فِي السَّلَامِ، س: عَلَى إِلْ يَاسِينَ) فِي السَّلَامِ. (٢) سَبَقَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ فِيمَا مَضَى ٤/٦٠٧ (٣) الْحَدِيثُ مَعَ اخْتِلَافٍ فِي اللَّفْظِ - عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى الْأَشْعَرِيِّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ فِي: الْبُخَارِيِّ ٦/١٩٥ (كِتَابُ فَضَائِلِ الْقُرْآنِ، بَابُ حُسْنِ الصَّوْتِ بِالْقِرَاءَةِ) ، وَنَصُّهُ: " يَا أَبَا مُوسَى لَقَدْ أُوتِيتَ مِزْمَارًا مِنْ مَزَامِيرِ آلِ دَاوُدَ "، وَالْحَدِيثُ فِي مُسْلِمٍ ١/٥٤٦ (كِتَابُ صَلَاةِ الْمُسَافِرِينَ، بَابُ اسْتِحْبَابِ تَحْسِينِ الصَّوْتِ بِالْقُرْآنِ) ، سُنَنِ التِّرْمِذِيِّ ٥/٣٥٥ - ٣٥٦ (كِتَابُ الْمَنَاقِبِ، بَابُ مَنَاقِبِ أَبِي مُوسَى الْأَشْعَرِيِّ) ، وَالْحَدِيثُ فِي سُنَنِ النَّسَائِيِّ وَابْنِ مَاجَهْ وَمُسْنَدِ أَحْمَدَ. (٤) ب: فَكَانَ أَفْضَلُهَا. (٥) ن، س، ب: وَأَمَّا.