Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (7/365)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

fight. Marhab then came forth seeking battle, so the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) summoned Abū Bakr and told him, “Take the banner.” He took it with a group of the Emigrants (1) (and exerted himself) (2), but accomplished nothing and returned in defeat. The following day, ʿUmar presented himself for the banner. He advanced only a short distance, then returned to report to his companions (3).

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Bring ʿAlī to me.”

He was told, “His eyes are inflamed.”

He said, “Show him to me. Show me (4) a man who loves Allah and His Messenger, and whom Allah and His Messenger love—one who does not flee.”

They brought ʿAlī, and the Prophet spat into his hand and rubbed it over ʿAlī’s eyes (5) and head, whereupon ʿAlī recovered (6). He then gave him (7) the banner, and Allah granted victory at his hands (8), and he killed Marhab.’ (9) The Prophet’s description of him—peace be upon him—in these terms indicates that this description did not apply to anyone else. This proves his superiority, and he is therefore the Imam.”

The answer may be given from several angles:

First, the authenticity of the report must be established. As for his claim, “The majority narrated it,” the reliable narrators who transmitted the report did not transmit it in this form. Rather, what

(1) M reads: *fa-akhadhahā fa-jamaʿa al-muhājirīn* (“He took it and assembled the Emigrants”), which is an error. (2) *Fa-ijtahada* (“and he exerted himself”) appears only in K and is absent from all the other manuscripts. (3) K reads: “He was accusing his companions of cowardice, while his companions were accusing him of cowardice.” (4) K reads: *tarawnī* (“you see me [as]”). (5) N and M read: *ʿaynihi* (“his eye”). (6) S reads: *fa-burʾu*; B reads: *fa-baraʾa* (“then he recovered”). *Lisān al-ʿArab* states: “The people of the Hijāz say *baraʾtu min al-marad burʾan* (‘I recovered from illness’), using the a-vowel, whereas the rest of the Arabs say *bariʾtu min al-marad*.” (7) N and M read: *wa-aʿtāhu* (“and he gave him [the banner]”). (8) M reads: *ʿalā yadayhi Khaybar* (“Khaybar [was conquered] at his hands”). (9) N, M, S, and B read: *wa-qutila Marhabun* (“and Marhab was killed”); the reading adopted in the text is from K.

الْحَرْبِ، وَخَرَجَ مُرَحَّبٌ يَتَعَرَّضُ لِلْحَرْبِ فَدَعَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَبَا بَكْرٍ، فَقَالَ لَهُ خُذِ الرَّايَةَ فَأَخَذَهَا فِي جَمْعٍ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ (١) (فَاجْتَهَدَ) (٢) ، وَلَمْ يُغْنِ شَيْئًا، وَرَجَعَ مُنْهَزِمًا فَلَمَّا كَانَ مِنَ الْغَدِ تَعَرَضَّ لَهَا عُمَرُ فَسَارَ غَيْرَ بَعِيدٍ، ثُمَّ رَجَعَ يُخْبِرُ أَصْحَابَهُ (٣) ، فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: جِيئُونِي بِعَلِيٍّ، فَقِيلَ: إِنَّهُ أَرْمَدُ، فَقَالَ: أَرُونِيهِ أَرُونِي (٤) رَجُلًا يُحِبُّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ، وَيُحِبُّهُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ لَيْسَ بِفَرَّارٍ، فَجَاءُوا بِعَلِيٍّ فَتَفَلَ فِي يَدِهِ، وَمَسَحَهَا عَلَى عَيْنَيْهِ (٥) وَرَأْسِهِ فَبَرِئَ (٦) فَأَعْطَاهُ (٧) الرَّايَةَ فَفَتَحَ اللَّهُ عَلَى يَدَيْهِ (٨) ، وَقَتَلَ مُرَحَّبًا» (٩) ، وَوَصْفُهُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ بِهَذَا الْوَصْفِ يَدُلُّ عَلَى انْتِفَائِهِ عَنْ غَيْرِهِ، وَهُوَ يَدُلُّ عَلَى أَفْضَلِيَّتِهِ فَيَكُونُ هُوَ الْإِمَامَ. وَالْجَوَابُ مِنْ وُجُوهٍ: أَحَدُهَا: الْمُطَالَبَةُ بِتَصْحِيحِ النَّقْلِ، وَأَمَّا قَوْلُهُ: " رَوَاهُ الْجُمْهُورُ " ، فَإِنَّ الثِّقَاتِ الَّذِينَ رَوَوْهُ لَمْ يَرْوُوهُ هَكَذَا، بَلِ الَّذِي

(١) م: فَأَخَذَهَا فَجَمَعَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ، وَهُوَ خَطَأٌ (٢) فَاجْتَهَدَ: فِي (ك) فَقَطْ، وَسَقَطَتْ مِنْ سَائِرِ النُّسَخِ (٣) ك: يُجَبِّنُ أَصْحَابَهُ وَيُجَبِّنُهُ أَصْحَابُهُ (٤) ك: تَرَوْنِي (٥) ن، م: عَيْنِهِ (٦) س: فَبُرْءُ ; ب: فَبَرُأَ، وَفِي " اللِّسَانِ " " وَأَهْلُ الْحِجَازِ يَقُولُونَ: بَرَأْتُ مِنَ الْمَرَضِ بُرْءًا بِالْفَتْحِ، وَسَائِرُ الْعَرَبِ يَقُولُونَ: بَرِئْتُ مِنَ الْمَرَضِ " (٧) ن، م: وَأَعْطَاهُ (٨) م: عَلَى يَدَيْهِ خَيْبَرَ (٩) ن، م، س، ب: وَقُتِلَ مُرَحَّبٌ، وَالْمُثْبَتُ مِنْ (ك)