Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (8/76)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

the means by which the life of the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—was preserved. Safety was thereby secured, and the purpose of calling people to the faith was brought to fulfillment. When morning came and the men resolved to assassinate him (1), he sprang at them. They scattered from him when they recognized him (2), and they departed with their schemes foiled (3) and their plan undone.”

The response:

There is no doubt that Ali—may Allah be pleased with him—was one of the valiant Companions, one of those through whose jihad Allah granted victory to Islam, one of the most eminent of the earliest forerunners among the Emigrants and Helpers (4), one of the leading figures among those who believed in Allah and the Last Day and strove in Allah’s cause, and one of those who slew a number of disbelievers with his sword. Yet this was not unique to him; rather, a number of the Companions shared this distinction with him. This therefore does not establish that he surpassed many of the Companions in jihad, still less that he was superior to the caliphs, and still less that he was designated (5) for the imamate.

As for his statement, “He was the bravest of men,” this is a lie. Rather, the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—was the bravest (6) of all people, as related in the two Sahih collections from Anas, who said:

“The Prophet—may Allah send blessings upon him

(1) K: “and they intended [to kill him].” (2) N, M, S, and B: “when he recognized them.” The corrected reading is from K. (3) N, S, and B: “their stratagem.” (4) “and the Helpers” is absent from M. (5) B only: “his designation.” (6) M: “was the bravest”; S and B: “rather, the bravest.”

سَبَبَ حِفْظِ دَمِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - وَتَمَّتِ السَّلَامَةُ، وَانْتَظَمَ بِهِ الْغَرَضُ فِي الدُّعَاءِ إِلَى الْمِلَّةِ، فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ الْقَوْمُ، وَرَأَوْا (١) الْفَتْكَ بِهِ، ثَارَ إِلَيْهِمْ، فَتَفَرَّقُوا عَنْهُ حِينَ عَرَفُوهُ (٢) ، وَانْصَرَفُوا وَقَدْ ضَلَّتْ حِيَلُهُمْ (٣) ، وَانْتَقَضَ تَدْبِيرُهُمْ ". وَالْجَوَابُ: أَنَّهُ لَا رَيْبَ أَنَّ عَلِيًّا - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ - كَانَ مِنْ شُجْعَانِ الصَّحَابَةِ، وَمِمَّنْ نَصَرَ اللَّهُ الْإِسْلَامَ بِجِهَادِهِ، وَمِنْ كِبَارِ السَّابِقِينَ الْأَوَّلِينَ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنْصَارِ (٤) ، وَمِنْ سَادَاتِ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَجَاهَدَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ، وَمِمَّنْ قَتَلَ بِسَيْفِهِ عَدَدًا مِنَ الْكُفَّارِ، لَكِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ هَذَا مِنْ خَصَائِصِهِ، بَلْ غَيْرُ وَاحِدٍ مِنَ الصَّحَابَةِ شَارَكَهُ فِي ذَلِكَ، فَلَا يَثْبُتُ بِهَذَا فَضْلُهُ فِي الْجِهَادِ عَلَى كَثِيرٍ مِنَ الصَّحَابَةِ، فَضْلًا عَنْ أَفْضَلِيَّتِهِ عَلَى الْخُلَفَاءِ، فَضْلًا عَنْ تَعْيِينٍ (٥) لِلْإِمَامَةِ. وَأَمَّا قَوْلُهُ: " إِنَّهُ كَانَ أَشْجَعَ النَّاسِ ". فَهَذَا كَذِبٌ، بَلْ كَانَ أَشْجَعَ (٦) النَّاسِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -. كَمَا فِي الصَّحِيحَيْنِ عَنْ أَنَسٍ قَالَ: «كَانَ النَّبِيُّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ

(١) ك: وَأَرَادُوا. (٢) ن، م، س، ب: حِينَ عَرَفَهُمْ. وَالتَّصْوِيبُ مِنْ (ك) . (٣) ن، س، ب: حِيلَتُهُمْ. (٤) وَالْأَنْصَارِ: لَيْسَتْ فِي (م) . (٥) ب (فَقَطْ) : تُعَيُّنِهِ. (٦) م: كَانَ أَشْجَعَ، س، ب: بَلْ أَشْجَعُ.