Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (7/286)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

As for those who are learned in hadith and possess a deep understanding of it, they know this with immediate certainty. Set that aside. There is no doubt that all the Ummah’s scholars and worshippers who enjoy honorable repute agree (1) on giving precedence to Abū Bakr and Umar. As al-Shāfiī—may Allah be pleased with him—said in the report al-Bayhaqī transmitted from him with his chain of transmission:

“No one among the Companions and Successors differed concerning the superiority of Abū Bakr and Umar—may Allah be pleased with them both—and their precedence over all the Companions.” (2)

Likewise, the scholars of Islam did not differ on this. It is the position of Mālik and his followers, Abū Hanīfah and his followers, Ahmad and his followers, Dāwūd and his followers, al-Thawrī and his followers, al-Layth and his followers, al-Awzāī and his followers, Ishāq and his followers, Ibn Jarīr and his followers, and Abū Thawr and his followers, as well as all the other renowned scholars, except anyone whose views carry no weight (3) and merit no consideration.

I know of no scholar qualified to issue fatwas from whom disagreement on this matter has been reported, except for the report that al-Hasan ibn Sālih ibn Hayy gave preference to Alī. It has also been said that this was falsely attributed to him. Even if it were authentically established from him, it would not undermine the consensus reported by al-Shāfiī (4), for al-Hasan ibn Sālih was neither a Successor nor a Companion. Al-Shāfiī cited the consensus of the Companions and Successors on giving precedence to Abū Bakr. Even if al-Hasan did say it, it would hardly be remarkable for one among a hundred thousand leading scholars—or even more—to err.

Among the leading figures of the Rāfidah, there is not a single authority in any of the Islamic disciplines—not in the science of

(1) M reads: yattafiqūn (“they agree”). (2) Al-Shāfiī’s statement will appear again in this volume, Allah willing, on pp. 368–369; see my comments on it there. (3) M reads: man lā yathiqu bihi (“someone he does not trust”), which is a textual corruption. (4) N, S, and B read: “Al-Shāfiī—may Allah be pleased with him.”

وَأَمَّا أَهْلُ الْعِلْمِ بِالْحَدِيثِ الْفُقَهَاءُ فِيهِ فَيَعْلَمُونَ هَذَا عِلْمًا ضَرُورِيًّا. دَعْ هَذَا ; فَلَا رَيْبَ أَنَّ كُلَّ مَنْ لَهُ فِي الْأُمَّةِ لِسَانُ صِدْقٍ مِنْ عُلَمَائِهَا وَعُبَّادِهَا مُتَّفِقُونَ (١) عَلَى تَقْدِيمِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ، كَمَا قَالَ الشَّافِعِيُّ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ - فِيمَا نَقَلَهُ عَنْهُ الْبَيْهَقِيُّ بِإِسْنَادِهِ، قَالَ: " لَمْ يَخْتَلِفْ أَحَدٌ مِنَ الصَّحَابَةِ وَالتَّابِعِينَ فِي تَفْضِيلِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ، وَعُمَرَ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا - وَتَقْدِيمِهِمَا عَلَى جَمِيعِ الصَّحَابَةِ " (٢) . وَكَذَلِكَ أَيْضًا لَمْ يَخْتَلِفْ عُلَمَاءُ الْإِسْلَامِ فِي ذَلِكَ، كَمَا هُوَ قَوْلُ مَالِكٍ وَأَصْحَابِهِ، وَأَبِي حَنِيفَةَ وَأَصْحَابِهِ، وَأَحْمَدَ وَأَصْحَابِهِ، وَدَاوُدَ وَأَصْحَابِهِ، وَالثَّوْرِىِّ وَأَصْحَابِهِ، وَاللَّيْثِ وَأَصْحَابِهِ، وَالْأَوْزَاعِيِّ وَأَصْحَابِهِ، وإِسْحَاقَ وَأَصْحَابِهِ، وَابْنِ جَرِيرٍ وَأَصْحَابِهِ، وَأَبِي ثَوْرٍ وَأَصْحَابِهِ، وَكَمَا هُوَ قَوْلُ سَائِرِ الْعُلَمَاءِ الْمَشْهُورِينَ، إِلَّا مَنْ لَا يَؤْبَهُ لَهُ (٣) وَلَا يُلْتَفَتُ إِلَيْهِ. وَمَا عَلِمْتُ مَنْ نُقِلَ عَنْهُ فِي ذَلِكَ نِزَاعٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْفُتْيَا، إِلَّا مَا نُقِلَ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ صَالِحِ بْنِ حَيٍّ أَنَّهُ كَانَ يُفَضِّلُ عَلِيًّا. وَقِيلَ: إِنَّ هَذَا كَذِبٌ عَلَيْهِ. وَلَوْ صَحَّ هَذَا عَنْهُ لَمْ يُقْدَحْ فِيمَا نَقَلَهُ الشَّافِعِيُّ (٤) مِنَ الْإِجْمَاعِ ; فَإِنَّ الْحَسَنَ بْنَ صَالِحٍ لَمْ يَكُنْ مِنَ التَّابِعِينَ وَلَا مِنَ الصَّحَابَةِ. وَالشَّافِعِيُّ ذَكَرَ إِجْمَاعَ الصَّحَابَةِ وَالتَّابِعِينَ عَلَى تَقْدِيمِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ، وَلَوْ قَالَهُ الْحَسَنُ، فَإِذَا أَخْطَأَ وَاحِدٌ مِنْ مِائَةِ أَلْفِ إِمَامٍ أَوْ أَكْثَرَ، لَمْ يَكُنْ ذَلِكَ بِمُنْكِرٍ. وَلَيْسَ فِي شُيُوخِ الرَّافِضَةِ إِمَامٌ فِي شَيْءٍ مِنْ عُلُومِ الْإِسْلَامِ لَا عِلْمِ

(١) م: يَتَّفِقُونَ. (٢) سَتَرِدُ عِبَارَةُ الشَّافِعِيِّ مَرَّةً أُخْرَى فِي هَذَا الْجُزْءِ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ، ص ٣٦٨ - ٣٦٩ فَانْظُرْ كَلَامِي عَلَيْهَا هُنَاكَ. (٣) م: مَنْ لَا يَثِقُ بِهِ، وَهُوَ تَحْرِيفٌ. (٤) ن، س، ب: الشَّافِعِيُّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ.