Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (7/249)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

the family of Abraham. We then ask Allah to bestow upon him and his household blessings like those He bestowed upon the family of Abraham. His household receives what befits them, while all the remainder goes to Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Thus, the blessing sought for him is what was granted (1) to the prophets among the family of Abraham. The share received by an eminent member of his household is not comparable to what a prophet receives. Accordingly, the blessing invoked upon him is magnified when viewed in this way—may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

It has also been said that the comparison (2) concerns the fact of blessing, not its degree.

Fourth: Allah mentioned in another verse that He released the two seas. He said in Surah al-Furqān:

“It is He who released the two seas, this one fresh and sweet and that one salty and bitter.”

[Surah al-Furqān: 53]

If this were intended to refer to Alī (3) and Fātima, it would disparage one of them. This is false (4) by the consensus of Sunnis and Shi'a.

Fifth: He said:

“Between them is a barrier which neither transgresses.”

If this were intended to refer to Alī and Fātima, then the barrier—whether it is the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, as they claim, or someone else—would be what prevents one of them from wronging the other. This more closely resembles disparagement than praise.

Sixth: The leading Quran commentators agree upon an interpretation contrary to this, as Ibn Jarīr and others have related. Ibn Abbās said, “The sea of the heavens and the sea of the earth meet every year.”

Al-Hasan said, “He released the two seas”—meaning the Sea of Persia and the Sea of Byzantium—“between them is a barrier”: namely, the islands (5).

(1) (M): “what was received.” (2) (N) and (S): “the relation”; (M): “the resemblance.” (3) (N) and (S): “If ʿAlī intended thereby”; (B): “If he intended thereby ʿAlī.” (4) The phrase “and this is false” is absent from (S) and (B). (5) See *Tafsīr al-Tabarī*, Būlāq ed., 27:74–76; *Zād al-Masīr*, 8:112.

آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، ثُمَّ طَلَبْنَا لَهُ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَلِأَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ مِثْلَ مَا صَلَّى عَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، فَيَأْخُذُ أَهْلُ بَيْتِهِ مَا يَلِيقُ بِهِمْ، وَيَبْقَى سَائِرُ ذَلِكَ لِمُحَمَّدٍ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -، فَيَكُونُ قَدْ طُلِبَ لَهُ مِنَ الصَّلَاةِ مَا جُعِلَ (١) لِلْأَنْبِيَاءِ مِنْ آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ. وَالَّذِي يَأْخُذُهُ الْفَاضِلُ مِنْ أَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ لَا يَكُونُ مِثْلَمَا يَحْصُلُ لِنَبِيٍّ، فَتَعْظُمُ الصَّلَاةُ عَلَيْهِ بِهَذَا الِاعْتِبَارِ، - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -. وَقِيلَ: إِنَّ التَّشْبِيهَ (٢) فِي الْأَصْلِ لَا فِي الْقَدْرِ. الرَّابِعُ: أَنَّ اللَّهَ ذَكَرَ أَنَّهُ مَرَجَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ فِي آيَةٍ أُخْرَى، فَقَالَ فِي الْفُرْقَانِ: {وَهُوَ الَّذِي مَرَجَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ هَذَا عَذْبٌ فُرَاتٌ وَهَذَا مِلْحٌ أُجَاجٌ} [سُورَةُ الْفُرْقَانِ: ٥٣] فَلَوْ أُرِيدَ بِذَلِكَ عَلِيٌّ (٣) وَفَاطِمَةُ لَكَانَ ذَلِكَ ذَمًّا لِأَحَدِهِمَا، وَهَذَا بَاطِلٌ (٤) بِإِجْمَاعِ أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ وَالشِّيعَةِ. الْخَامِسُ: أَنَّهُ قَالَ: {بَيْنَهُمَا بَرْزَخٌ لَا يَبْغِيَانِ} فَلَوْ أُرِيدَ بِذَلِكَ عَلِيٌّ وَفَاطِمَةُ ; لَكَانَ الْبَرْزَخُ الَّذِي هُوَ النَّبِيُّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - بِزَعْمِهِمْ - أَوْ غَيْرُهُ هُوَ الْمَانِعُ لِأَحَدِهِمَا أَنْ يَبْغِيَ عَلَى الْآخَرِ. وَهَذَا بِالذَّمِّ أَشْبَهُ مِنْهُ بِالْمَدْحِ. السَّادِسُ: أَنَّ أَئِمَّةَ التَّفْسِيرِ مُتَّفِقُونَ عَلَى خِلَافِ هَذَا، كَمَا ذَكَرَهُ ابْنُ جَرِيرٍ وَغَيْرُهُ. فَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: بَحْرُ السَّمَاءِ وَبَحْرُ الْأَرْضِ يَلْتَقِيَانِ كُلَّ عَامٍ. وَقَالَ الْحَسَنُ: مَرَجَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ، يَعْنِي بَحْرَ فَارِسَ وَالرُّومِ، بَيْنَهُمَا بَرْزَخٌ: هُوَ الْجَزَائِرُ (٥) .

(١) م: مَا حَصَلَ. (٢) ن، س: النِّسْبَةَ، م: التَّشَبُّهَ. (٣) ن، س: فَلَوْ أَرَادَ بِذَلِكَ عَلِيٌّ، ب: فَلَوْ أَرَادَ بِذَلِكَ عَلِيًّا. (٤) عِبَارَةُ وَهَذَا بَاطِلٌ، سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (س) ، (ب) . (٥) انْظُرْ تَفْسِيرَ الطَّبَرِيِّ " ط. بُولَاقَ " ٢٧/٧٤ - ٧٦، زَادَ الْمَسِيرِ ٨/١١٢.