Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (7/501)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

for that is set forth at length in its proper place. No one other than Abū Bakr—may Allah be pleased with him—would pass judgment, deliver sermons, and issue legal opinions in the presence of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. Whenever anything concerning their religion became unclear to the people, Abū Bakr would clarify it. When they were uncertain whether the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, had died, Abū Bakr made it clear to them. They then became uncertain about where he should be buried, and he clarified that. They were then uncertain whether to fight those who withheld zakat, and Abū Bakr clarified that as well.

He also explained to them the import of Allah Most High’s words:

“You will surely enter the Sacred Mosque, if Allah wills, in safety.”

(Surah al-Fath: 27)

He likewise explained to them the statement, “Allah had given a servant the choice between this world and the Hereafter,” and other matters of that kind. He explained kalālah (collateral inheritance), and they did not disagree with him about it.

Alī and others would transmit hadith from Abū Bakr. As recorded in the Sunan collections, Alī said:

“Whenever I heard a hadith from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, Allah benefited me through it however He willed. If anyone else narrated to me, I would ask him to swear an oath (1). If he swore to me, I would believe him. Abū Bakr narrated to me—and Abū Bakr spoke truthfully—saying: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, ‘No Muslim commits a sin, then performs ablution, prays two units of prayer, and seeks forgiveness from Allah Most High, without Allah forgiving him.’” (2).

(1) In (S) and (B): “I ask him to swear an oath.” (2) The hadith—with some variation in wording—is narrated by Alī from Abū Bakr al-Siddīq, may Allah be pleased with them both, in *Sunan Abī Dāwūd*, 2:114–15 (Book of Prayer, Chapter on Seeking Forgiveness). It begins with Alī’s words: “I was a man who, whenever I heard [a hadith] from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him…” It also affirms that Abū Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, spoke truthfully when he related that he had heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say: “No servant commits a sin, performs ablution properly, and then rises to pray…”—to the end of the hadith. It is also found in *Sunan al-Tirmidhī*, 4:296 (Book of Quranic Exegesis, Commentary on Sūrat Āl Imrān); *Sunan Ibn Mājah*, 1:446 (Book of Establishing Prayer, Chapter on the Report That Prayer Is an Expiation); and *al-Musnad* (al-Maʿārif ed.), 1:153–54, 178. Shaykh Ahmad Shākir states in his commentary: “Its chain of transmission is sound…” His commentary further cites al-Hāfiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalānī’s extended discussion of this hadith in *al-Tahdhīb*, 1:267–68, and the assessment: “This hadith has a good chain of transmission.” Al-Bukhārī also refers to it in *al-Tārīkh al-Kabīr*, 2/1:55.

ذَلِكَ مَبْسُوطَةٌ فِي مَوْضِعِهَا، فَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يَكُنْ أَحَدٌ يَقْضِي وَيَخْطُبُ وَيُفْتِي بِحَضْرَةِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِلَّا أَبُو بَكْرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ، وَلَمْ يَشْتَبِهْ عَلَى النَّاسِ شَيْءٌ مِنْ أَمْرِ دِينِهِمْ إِلَّا فَصَّلَهُ أَبُو بَكْرٍ، فَإِنَّهُمْ شَكُّوا فِي مَوْتِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَبَيَّنَهُ أَبُو بَكْرٍ، ثُمَّ شَكُّوا فِي مَدْفَنِهِ فَبَيَّنَهُ، ثُمَّ شَكُّوا فِي قِتَالِ مَانِعِي الزَّكَاةِ، فَبَيَّنَهُ أَبُو بَكْرٍ، وَبَيَّنَ لَهُمُ النَّصَّ فِي قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: {لَتَدْخُلُنَّ الْمَسْجِدَ الْحَرَامَ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ آمِنِينَ} (سُورَةِ الْفَتْحِ: ٢٧) ، وَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ «أَنَّ عَبْدًا خَيَّرَهُ اللَّهُ بَيْنَ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ» ، وَنَحْوَ ذَلِكَ، وَفَسَّرَ الْكَلَالَةَ فَلَمْ يَخْتَلِفُوا عَلَيْهِ. وَكَانَ عَلِيٌّ وَغَيْرُهُ يَرْوُونَ عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرٍ، كَمَا فِي السُّنَنِ «عَنْ عَلِيٍّ قَالَ: كُنْتُ إِذَا سَمِعْتُ مِنَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَدِيثًا نَفَعَنِي اللَّهُ بِمَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَنْفَعَنِي مِنْهُ، فَإِذَا حَدَّثَنِي غَيْرُهُ اسْتَحْلَفْتُهُ (١) ، فَإِذَا حَلَفَ لِي صَدَّقْتُهُ، وَحَدَّثَنِي أَبُو بَكْرٍ - وَصَدَقَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ - قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: " مَا مِنْ مُسْلِمٍ يُذْنِبُ ذَنْبًا ثُمَّ يَتَوَضَّأُ وَيُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ يَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى إِلَّا غَفَرَ لَهُ» (٢) .

(١) س، ب: أَسْتَحْلِفُهُ (٢) الْحَدِيثُ مَعَ اخْتِلَافٍ فِي بَعْضِ الْأَلْفَاظِ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرٍ الصِّدِّيقِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا فِي: سُنَنِ أَبِي دَاوُدَ ٢/١١٤ ١١٥ (كِتَابُ الصَّلَاةِ، بَابٌ فِي الِاسْتِغْفَارِ) وَأَوَّلُهُ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ: كُنْتُ رَجُلًا إِذَا سَمِعْتُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ. . . وَفِيهِ: وَصَدَقَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَيَقُولُ: مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ يُذْنِبُ ذَنْبًا فَيُحْسِنُ الطَّهُورَ ثُمَّ يَقُومُ فَيُصَلِّي. . . . الْحَدِيثَ. وَهُوَ فِي سُنَنِ التِّرْمِذِيِّ ٤/٢٩٦ (كِتَابُ تَفْسِيرِ الْقُرْآنِ، تَفْسِيرُ سُورَةِ آلِ عِمْرَانَ) ; سُنَنِ ابْنِ مَاجَهْ ١/٤٤٦ (كِتَابُ إِقَامَةِ الصَّلَاةِ، بَابُ مَا جَاءَ فِي أَنَّ الصَّلَاةَ كَفَّارَةٌ) ; الْمُسْنَدِ (ط. الْمَعَارِفِ) ١/١٥٣ ١٥٤، ١٧٨، وَقَالَ الشَّيْخُ أَحْمَد شَاكِر فِي تَعْلِيقِهِ: " إِسْنَادُهُ صَحِيحٌ. . . وَقَالَ: أَطَالَ الْحَافِظُ ابْنُ حَجَرٍ الْعَسْقَلَانِيُّ فِي التَّهْذِيبِ الْكَلَامَ عَلَى هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ ١: ٢٦٧ ٢٦٨. . . وَقَالَ: " هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ جَيِّدُ الْإِسْنَادِ " وَأَشَارَ إِلَيْهِ الْبُخَارِيُّ فِي التَّارِيخِ الْكَبِيرِ ٢/١ \ ٥٥ "