Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (7/337)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

appoint someone else over Medina while Alī himself was there, just as he appointed someone other than Alī over Medina in the year of Khaybar. Alī was there suffering from inflamed eyes until he caught up with the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—whereupon the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—gave him the banner when he arrived. Before that, he had given the banner to a man and then said (1): “Tomorrow, I shall certainly give the banner to a man who loves Allah and His Messenger, and whom Allah and His Messenger love.” (2)

As for his statement, “For he was his deputy (3) even though the Prophet was alive and absent for only a short time; after (4) his death and the prolonged period of his absence (5), he has an even stronger claim to be his successor (6).”

The response is that, while the Prophet was alive but absent, he appointed people other than Alī as deputies in capacities more consequential than Alī’s appointment. He also appointed (7) those men over people who were superior to those over whom he appointed Alī. After Tabūk, during the Farewell Pilgrimage, he appointed someone other than Alī over Medina. Thus, making Alī his successor after him on the ground that he had appointed him over Medina is no more warranted than doing so for those whom he likewise appointed over Medina—and in capacities more consequential than Alī’s. The final appointment of a deputy over Medina was (8) in the year of the Farewell Pilgrimage. Alī was (9) in Yemen and joined him for the pilgrimage season, yet during the Farewell Pilgrimage he appointed someone other than Alī over Medina.

(1) M reads: “and he had said.” (2) The hadith was cited previously: 4/289. (3) N, M, and S read: “the deputy”; B reads: “a deputy.” The adopted reading is the one previously attested in K. (4) N, S, and B read: “then, upon.” (5) N, M, S, and B read: “the absence becomes prolonged, he would have a stronger claim.” The adopted reading is the one we previously established from K. (6) N, M, S, and B read: “a successor.” The adopted reading is from K. (7) M has the nominal form: “the appointment as deputy.” (8) The second occurrence of “was” is omitted from S and B. (9) N and M read: “was.”

يَسْتَخْلِفُ عَلَى الْمَدِينَةِ غَيْرَهُ وَهُوَ فِيهَا، كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ عَلَى الْمَدِينَةِ عَامَ خَيْبَرَ غَيْرَ عَلِيٍّ، وَكَانَ عَلِيٌّ بِهَا أَرْمَدَ حَتَّى لَحِقَ بِالنَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَأَعْطَاهُ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الرَّايَةَ حِينَ قَدِمَ، وَكَانَ قَدْ أَعْطَى الرَّايَةَ رَجُلًا فَقَالَ (١) : " «لَأُعْطِيَنَّ الرَّايَةَ غَدًا رَجُلًا يُحِبُّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ، وَيُحِبُّهُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ» " (٢) . وَأَمَّا قَوْلُهُ: " لِأَنَّهُ خَلِيفَتُهُ (٣) مَعَ وُجُودِهِ وَغَيْبَتِهِ مُدَّةً يَسِيرَةً، فَبَعْدَ (٤) مَوْتِهِ وَطُولِ مُدَّةِ الْغَيْبَةِ (٥) أَوْلَى بِأَنْ يَكُونَ خَلِيفَتَهُ (٦) . فَالْجَوَابُ أَنَّهُ مَعَ وُجُودِهِ وَغَيْبَتِهِ قَدِ اسْتَخْلَفَ غَيْرَ عَلِيٍّ اسْتِخْلَافًا أَعْظَمَ مِنِ اسْتِخْلَافِ عَلِيٍّ، وَاسْتَخْلَفَ (٧) أُولَئِكَ عَلَى أَفْضَلَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ اسْتَخْلَفَ عَلَيْهِمْ عَلِيًّا، وَقَدِ اسْتَخْلَفَ بَعْدَ تَبُوكَ عَلَى الْمَدِينَةِ غَيْرَ عَلِيٍّ فِي حَجَّةِ الْوَدَاعِ، فَلَيْسَ جَعْلُ عَلِيٍّ هُوَ الْخَلِيفَةُ بَعْدَهُ لِكَوْنِهِ اسْتَخْلَفَهُ عَلَى الْمَدِينَةِ بِأَوْلَى مِنْ هَؤُلَاءِ الَّذِينَ اسْتَخْلَفَهُمْ عَلَى الْمَدِينَةِ كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَهُ، وَأَعْظَمَ مِمَّا اسْتَخْلَفَهُ، وَآخِرُ الِاسْتِخْلَافِ كَانَ عَلَى الْمَدِينَةِ كَانَ (٨) عَامَ حَجَّةِ الْوَدَاعِ، وَكَانَ (٩) عَلِيٌّ بِالْيَمَنِ، وَشَهِدَ مَعَهُ الْمَوْسِمَ لَكِنِ اسْتَخْلَفَ عَلَيْهَا فِي حَجَّةِ الْوَدَاعِ غَيْرَ عَلِيٍّ.

(١) م: وَكَانَ قَدْ قَالَ. (٢) سَبَقَ الْحَدِيثُ: ٤/٢٨٩ (٣) ن، م، س: الْخَلِيفَةُ. ب: خَلِيفَةٌ، وَالْمُثْبَتُ هُوَ الَّذِي سَبَقَ وُرُودُهُ فِي (ك) . (٤) ن، س، ب: فَعِنْدَ. (٥) ن، م، س، ب: تَطُولُ الْغَيْبَةُ يَكُونُ أَوْلَى، وَالْمُثْبَتُ هُوَ الَّذِي سَبَقَ أَنْ أَثْبَتْنَاهُ مِنْ (ك) . (٦) ن، م، س، ب: خَلِيفَةً، وَالْمُثْبَتُ مِنْ (ك) . (٧) م: وَاسْتِخْلَافُ. (٨) كَانَ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (س) ، (ب) . (٩) ن، م: كَانَ.