Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (7/350)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

that duty whenever a single individual cannot carry it out alone. Whatever knowledge he lacks is explained to him by those who possess it; whatever capability he needs is supplied through the assistance of those able to help; and whenever he departs from what is right, they restore him to it, as far as possible, by their words and deeds (1). The Messenger is not responsible for what they have been charged with, just as they are not responsible for what he has been charged with.

It is thus clear that the Prophet’s refraining—may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him—from appointing a successor for the period after his death was more perfect in the Messenger’s case than making such an appointment. Whoever used the obligation of appointing deputies during his lifetime as an analogy for the obligation of appointing a successor after his death was among the most ignorant of people.

When the Messenger knew that one member of the community had the strongest claim to the caliphate—as he knew that Abū Bakr had a stronger claim than anyone else—his indicating to the community that he was the most deserving, together with his knowledge that they would appoint him, was sufficient to make a direct appointment unnecessary. The community itself would thereby discharge the obligation and earn a greater reward for doing so than would result from the Messenger’s objective simply being attained.

As for Abū Bakr, he knew that no one in the community was comparable to Umar and feared that, because of Umar’s sternness, they would not appoint him unless Abū Bakr designated him as his successor (2). He therefore appointed Umar himself, and that was what served the community’s best interests.

The Prophet—may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him—knew that the community would appoint Abū Bakr, so this made it unnecessary for him to appoint Abū Bakr himself, although he had indicated to them that Abū Bakr was the member of the community most entitled to be appointed. Abū Bakr, however, did not know that the community would appoint Umar if he did not designate him as his successor. Thus, what the Prophet—may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him—did was fitting for him in view of his superior knowledge, and what the community’s Siddīq did was fitting for him, since he did not (3) know what the Prophet—may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him—knew.

(1) M: “and their knowledge.” (2) M: “if he did not appoint a successor.” (3) “If he did not” is omitted from S and B; M reads: “if he did not.”

بِذَلِكَ إِذَا كَانَ الْوَاحِدُ لَا يُمْكِنُهُ الْقِيَامُ بِذَلِكَ، فَمَا فَاتَهُ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ بَيَّنَهُ لَهُ مَنْ يَعْلَمُهُ، وَمَا احْتَاجَ إِلَيْهِ مِنَ الْقُدْرَةِ عَاوَنَهُ عَلَيْهِ مَنْ يُمْكِنُهُ الْإِعَانَةُ، وَمَا خَرَجَ فِيهِ عَنِ الصَّوَابِ أَعَادُوهُ إِلَيْهِ بِحَسَبِ الْإِمْكَانِ بِقَوْلِهِمْ وَعَمَلِهِمْ (١) ، وَلَيْسَ عَلَى الرَّسُولِ مَا حُمِّلُوهُ، كَمَا أَنَّهُمْ لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِمْ مَا حُمِّلَ. فَعُلِمَ أَنَّ تَرْكَ الِاسْتِخْلَافِ مِنَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بَعْدَ الْمَوْتِ أَكْمَلُ فِي حَقِّ الرَّسُولِ مِنَ الِاسْتِخْلَافِ، وَأَنَّ مَنْ قَاسَ وُجُوبَ الِاسْتِخْلَافِ بَعْدَ الْمَمَاتِ عَلَى وُجُوبِهِ فِي الْحَيَاةِ كَانَ مِنْ أَجْهَلِ النَّاسِ. وَإِذَا عَلِمَ الرَّسُولُ أَنَّ الْوَاحِدَ مِنَ الْأُمَّةِ هُوَ أَحَقُّ بِالْخِلَافَةِ، كَمَا كَانَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ هُوَ أَحَقُّ بِالْخِلَافَةِ مِنْ غَيْرِهِ، كَانَ فِي دَلَالَتِهِ لِلْأُمَّةِ عَلَى أَنَّهُ أَحَقُّ مَعَ عِلْمِهِ بِأَنَّهُمْ يُوَلُّونَهُ مَا يُغْنِيهِ عَنِ اسْتِخْلَافِهِ لِتَكُونَ الْأُمَّةُ هِيَ الْقَائِمَةَ بِالْوَاجِبِ، وَيَكُونَ ثَوَابُهَا عَلَى ذَلِكَ أَعْظَمَ مِنْ حُصُولِ مَقْصُودِ الرَّسُولِ. وَأَمَّا أَبُو بَكْرٍ فَلَمَّا عَلِمَ أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ فِي الْأُمَّةِ مِثْلُ عُمَرَ، وَخَافَ أَنْ لَا يُوَلُّوهُ إِذَا لَمْ يَسْتَخْلِفْهُ (٢) لِشِدَّتِهِ، فَوَلَّاهُ هُوَ - كَانَ ذَلِكَ هُوَ الْمَصْلَحَةَ لِلْأُمَّةِ. فَالنَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَلِمَ أَنَّ الْأُمَّةَ يُوَلُّونَ أَبَا بَكْرٍ، فَاسْتَغْنَى بِذَلِكَ عَنْ تَوْلِيَتِهِ، مَعَ دَلَالَتِهِ لَهُمْ عَلَى أَنَّهُ أَحَقُّ الْأُمَّةِ بِالتَّوْلِيَةِ، وَأَبُو بَكْرٍ لَمْ يَكُنْ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّ الْأُمَّةَ يُوَلُّونَ عُمَرَ إِذَا لَمْ يَسْتَخْلِفْهُ أَبُو بَكْرٍ، فَكَانَ مَا فَعَلَهُ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ هُوَ اللَّائِقَ بِهِ لِفَضْلِ عِلْمِهِ، وَمَا فَعَلَهُ صِدِّيقُ الْأَمَةِ هُوَ اللَّائِقُ بِهِ إِذْ لَمْ (٣) يَعْلَمْ مَا عَلِمَهُ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ

(١) م: وَعِلْمِهِمْ (٢) م: إِذَا لَمْ يَسْتَخْلِفْ (٣) إِذَا لَمْ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (س) ، (ب) .، فِي (م) : إِذَا لَمْ