Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (7/376)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

him and grant him peace.” (1) ʿUmar said this in the presence of the Emigrants and the Helpers, and no one objected.

Moreover, the Prophet’s love—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—follows Allah’s love. Abū Bakr was the one among them most beloved to Allah Most High and, therefore, the one among them most beloved to His Messenger.

He attained this distinction because he was the most God-fearing of them (and the noblest of them) (2). According to the Quran and the Sunnah, the noblest of creation in the sight of (3) Allah Most High are those who are most God-fearing. He was the most God-fearing of them because Allah Most High said:

“But the most God-fearing will be kept far from it—the one who gives his wealth to purify himself, not to repay anyone for a favor, but only seeking the Face of his Lord, the Most High. And he will surely be pleased.”

(Sūrat al-Layl: 18–21)

The leading authorities in Quranic exegesis (4) say that this refers to Abū Bakr (5).

We shall demonstrate the soundness of their view with evidence. We say: “The most God-fearing” may denote either a class or a particular individual. If it denotes a class, it encompasses multiple individuals.

If it is said that there is no one person among them who is the most God-fearing, this would be false, for there is no doubt that some people are more God-fearing than others. Moreover, such a claim contradicts the position of both Ahl al-Sunnah and the Shia. The former say that the most God-fearing member of this ummah after the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—is Abū Bakr, while the latter say that it is ʿAlī. Some people have said that it is ʿUmar, and other views are also reported from some people. Whoever suspends judgment or harbors doubt does not say:

(1) This hadith was cited earlier at 1/518. (2) “And the noblest of them” is omitted from (N) and (M). (3) M: “to.” (4) N: “and the leading authorities among the Quranic exegetes.” (5) Ibn Kathīr said in his commentary on these verses: “More than one exegete has mentioned that these verses were revealed concerning Abū Bakr al-Siddīq, may Allah be pleased with him. Some even reported a consensus among the exegetes to that effect.”

عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ " (١) يَقُولُهُ عُمَرُ بَيْنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنْصَارِ، وَلَا يُنْكِرُ ذَلِكَ مُنْكِرٌ. وَأَيْضًا فَالنَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَحَبَّتُهُ تَابِعَةٌ لِمَحَبَّةِ اللَّهِ، وَأَبُو بَكْرٍ أَحَبُّهُمْ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى فَهُوَ أَحَبُّهُمْ إِلَى رَسُولِهِ. وَإِنَّمَا كَانَ كَذَلِكَ ; لِأَنَّهُ أَتْقَاهُمْ (وَأَكْرَمُهُمْ) (٢) وَأَكْرَمُ الْخَلْقِ عَلَى (٣) اللَّهِ تَعَالَى أَتْقَاهُمْ بِالْكِتَابِ وَالسُّنَّةِ، وَإِنَّمَا كَانَ أَتْقَاهُمْ ; لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى قَالَ: {وَسَيُجَنَّبُهَا الْأَتْقَى - الَّذِي يُؤْتِي مَالَهُ يَتَزَكَّى - وَمَا لِأَحَدٍ عِنْدَهُ مِنْ نِعْمَةٍ تُجْزَى - إِلَّا ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِ رَبِّهِ الْأَعْلَى - وَلَسَوْفَ يَرْضَى} (سُورَةُ اللَّيْلِ: ١٨ - ٢١) . وَأَئِمَّةُ التَّفْسِيرِ (٤) يَقُولُونَ: إِنَّهُ أَبُو بَكْرٍ (٥) . وَنَحْنُ نُبَيِّنُ صِحَّةَ قَوْلِهِمْ بِالدَّلِيلِ فَنَقُولُ الْأَتْقَى قَدْ يَكُونُ نَوْعًا، وَقَدْ يَكُونُ شَخْصًا، وَإِذَا كَانَ نَوْعًا فَهُوَ يَجْمَعُ أَشْخَاصًا، فَإِنْ قِيلَ: إِنَّهُمْ لَيْسَ فِيهِمْ شَخْصٌ هُوَ أَتْقَى كَانَ هَذَا بَاطِلًا ; لِأَنَّهُ لَا شَكَّ أَنَّ بَعْضَ النَّاسِ أَتْقَى مِنْ بَعْضٍ، مَعَ أَنَّ هَذَا خِلَافُ قَوْلِ أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ وَالشِّيعَةِ، فَإِنَّ هَؤُلَاءِ يَقُولُونَ: إِنَّ أَتْقَى الْخَلْقِ بَعْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ هُوَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ، وَهَؤُلَاءِ يَقُولُونَ: هُوَ عَلِيٌّ، وَقَدْ قَالَ بَعْضُ النَّاسِ: هُوَ عُمَرُ، وَيُحْكَى عَنْ بَعْضِ النَّاسِ غَيْرُ ذَلِكَ، وَمَنْ تَوَقَّفَ أَوْ شَكَّ لَمْ يَقُلْ:

(١) سَبَقَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ فِيمَا مَضَى ١/٥١٨ (٢) وَأَكْرَمُهُمْ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) (٣) م: إِلَى (٤) ن: وَأَئِمَّةُ أَهْلِ التَّفْسِيرِ (٥) قَالَ ابْنُ كَثِيرٍ فِي تَفْسِيرِ هَذِهِ الْآيَاتِ: وَقَدْ ذَكَرَ غَيْرُ وَاحِدٍ مِنَ الْمُفَسِّرِينَ أَنَّ هَذِهِ الْآيَاتِ نَزَلَتْ فِي أَبِي بَكْرٍ الصِّدِّيقِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ: حَتَّى إِنْ بَعْضَهُمْ حَكَى الْإِجْمَاعَ مِنَ الْمُفَسِّرِينَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ