Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (7/471)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

It is replied:

“More people pledged allegiance to him than pledged allegiance (1) to Abū Bakr and ʿUmar and others like them (2). His enemy was weaker and closer to Islam than the enemy of Abū Bakr and ʿUmar, yet he accomplished nothing comparable to what they accomplished, let alone anything better.”

And if someone says:

“The followers of Abū Bakr and ʿUmar—may Allah be pleased with them both—had greater faith and piety, so Allah granted them victory for that reason,”

it is replied:

“This demonstrates the falsity of the Rāfidah’s claim, for they say: ‘The followers of Abū Bakr and ʿUmar were apostates or transgressors.’ If the victory and support they received were due to their faith and piety, this demonstrates that those who pledged allegiance to them both (3) were superior to the Shiites who pledged allegiance (4) to ʿAlī. And if (5) those who acknowledged the imamate of Abū Bakr and ʿUmar were superior to those who acknowledged the imamate of ʿAlī, this demonstrates that they were superior to him.”

And if they say:

“ʿAlī failed to prevail only because his followers hated him and opposed him,”

it is replied:

“This likewise demonstrates the falsity of the Shiite claim: (that) (6) those who pledged allegiance to ʿAlī and acknowledged his imamate were superior to those who pledged allegiance to Abū Bakr and ʿUmar and acknowledged their imamate. If those Shiites who pledged allegiance to (ʿAlī) (7) were disobedient to the infallible imam, they were among the very worst (8)

(1) In (م): *tābaʿahu aktharu mimman tābaʿahu* (“More people followed him than those who followed him”). In (ب): *bāyaʿahu aktharu man bāyaʿa* (“Most of those who pledged allegiance pledged allegiance to him”). (2) In (ن): *aw nahwahum* (“or others like them”); in (س) and (ب): *wa-nahwahum* (“and others like them”). (3) In (م): *tābaʿūhumā* (“followed them both”). (4) In (م): *tābaʿū* (“followed”). I shall limit myself to noting this variant, which will recur later, Allah willing. (5) *Wa-idhā* (“and if”) is omitted from (م). (6) *Inna* (“that”) is omitted from (ن) and (م). (7) The name ʿAlī is added in (م). (8) In (ن): *sharr* (“worst”).

فَيُقَالُ: قَدْ بَايَعَهُ أَكْثَرُ مِمَّنْ بَايَعَ (١) أَبَا بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ وَنَحْوَهُمَا (٢) ، وَعَدُوُّهُ أَضْعَفُ وَأَقْرَبُ إِلَى الْإِسْلَامِ مِنْ عَدُوِّ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ، وَلَمْ يَفْعَلْ مَا يُشْبِهُ فِعْلَهُمَا، فَضْلًا عَنْ أَنْ يَفْعَلَ أَفْضَلَ مِنْهُ. وَإِذَا قَالَ الْقَائِلُ: إِنَّ أَتْبَاعَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا أَعْظَمُ إِيمَانًا وَتَقْوًى، فَنَصَرَهُمُ اللَّهُ لِذَلِكَ. قِيلَ: هَذَا يَدُلُّ عَلَى فَسَادِ قَوْلِ الرَّافِضَةِ، فَإِنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ: إِنَّ أَتْبَاعَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ كَانُوا مُرْتَدِّينَ أَوْ فَاسِقِينَ، وَإِذَا كَانَ نَصْرُهُمْ وَتَأْيِيدُهُمْ لِإِيمَانِهِمْ وَتَقْوَاهُمْ، دَلَّ ذَلِكَ عَلَى أَنَّ الَّذِينَ بَايَعُوهُمَا (٣) أَفْضَلُ مِنَ الشِّيعَةِ الَّذِينَ بَايَعُوا (٤) عَلِيًّا. وَإِذَا (٥) كَانَ الْمُقِرُّونَ بِإِمَامَتِهِمَا أَفْضَلَ مِنَ الْمُقِرِّينَ بِإِمَامَةِ عَلِيٍّ، دَلَّ ذَلِكَ عَلَى أَنَّهُمَا أَفْضَلُ مِنْهُ. وَإِنْ قَالُوا: إِنَّ عَلِيًّا إِنَّمَا لَمْ يَنْتَصِرْ ; لِأَنَّ أَتْبَاعَهُ كَانُوا يُبْغِضُونَهُ وَيَخْتَلِفُونَ عَلَيْهِ. قِيلَ: هَذَا أَيْضًا يَدُلُّ عَلَى فَسَادِ قَوْلِ الشِّيعَةِ: (إِنَّ) (٦) الَّذِينَ بَايَعُوا عَلِيًّا وَأَقَرُّوا بِإِمَامَتِهِ أَفْضَلُ مِمَّنْ بَايَعَ أَبَا بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ وَأَقَرَّ بِإِمَامَتِهِمَا، فَإِذَا كَانَ أُولَئِكَ الشِّيعَةُ الَّذِينَ بَايَعُوا (عَلِيًّا) (٧) عُصَاةً لِلْإِمَامِ الْمَعْصُومِ كَانُوا مِنْ أَشَرِّ (٨)

(١) م: تَابَعَهُ أَكْثَرُ مِمَّنْ تَابَعَهُ. وَفِي (ب) : بَايَعَهُ أَكْثَرُ مَنْ بَايَعَ. (٢) ن: أَوْ نَحْوَهُمْ س، ب: وَنَحْوَهُمْ (٣) م: تَابَعُوهُمَا (٤) م: تَابَعُوا. وَسَأَكْتَفِي بِالْإِشَارَةِ إِلَى هَذَا الْخِلَافِ الَّذِي سَيَتَكَرَّرُ فِيمَا بَعْدُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ (٥) وَإِذَا: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (م) (٦) إِنَّ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) (٧) عَلِيًّا: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (م) (٨) ن، شَرِّ