Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (8/106)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

Quraysh, led by Abū Sufyān, together with Kināna and the people of Tihāma, numbering ten thousand; and Ghatafān advanced with those from Najd who followed them. They encamped above and below the Muslims, as Allah Most High says:

‘When they came at you from above you and from below you’

[Surah al-Ahzāb: 10]

The Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—then went out with the Muslims, who numbered three thousand (1), and they placed the trench between themselves and the enemy. The polytheists joined forces with the Jews and were emboldened by their great numbers and the Jews’ cooperation. Amr ibn [Abd] Wudd (2) and Ikrima ibn Abū Jahl rode forward, passed through a narrow section of the trench, and reached the Muslims. They challenged (3) them to single combat, whereupon Ali stood and answered him. The Prophet (4)—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said, ‘That is Amr,’ so he remained silent. Amr then issued the challenge a second and a third time. Each (5) time, Ali stood, and the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said to him, ‘That is Amr.’ On the fourth occasion, he gave Ali permission. [Amr said to him, ‘Go back, my nephew, for I do not wish to kill you.’] (6)

Ali replied, ‘You had made a covenant with Allah that if any man of Quraysh invited you to either of two courses (7), you would accept it from him—and I now call you

(1) (ك): “the Prophet—may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace—with the Muslims, who numbered three thousand.” (2) (ن), (م), (س), and (ب): “Amr ibn Wudd.” The adopted reading is from (ك), and it is correct. (3) (ك): “and he challenged…” (4) The phrase *fa-qāla* (“then he said”) is omitted from (س) and (ب). (ك) reads: “Then the Prophet said to him…” (5) (ك): “and on each…” (6) The passage between square brackets is an addition from the margin of (ك) and is absent from all the manuscript texts. (7) (ن) and (س): *ahad jibillatayn* (“one of two innate dispositions”); (م): *ahad khallatayn* (“one of two courses”); (ك): *bi-ihdā khaslatayn* (“with one of two courses”). The adopted reading is from (ب).

قُرَيْشٌ يَقْدُمُهَا أَبُو سُفْيَانَ وَكِنَانَةُ وَأَهْلُ تِهَامَةَ فِي عَشَرَةِ آلَافٍ، وَأَقْبَلَتْ غَطَفَانُ وَمَنْ تَبِعَهَا مِنْ أَهْلِ نَجْدٍ، وَنَزَلُوا مِنْ فَوْقِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَمِنْ تَحْتِهِمْ، كَمَا قَالَ تَعَالَى: {إِذْ جَاءُوكُمْ مِنْ فَوْقِكُمْ وَمِنْ أَسْفَلَ مِنْكُمْ} [سُورَةُ الْأَحْزَابِ: ١٠] ، فَخَرَجَ - عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ - بِالْمُسْلِمِينَ مَعَ ثَلَاثَةِ آلَافٍ (١) ، وَجَعَلُوا الْخَنْدَقَ بَيْنَهُمْ، وَاتَّفَقَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ مَعَ الْيَهُودِ، وَطَمِعَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ بِكَثْرَتِهِمْ وَمُوَافَقَةِ الْيَهُودِ، وَرَكِبَ عَمْرُو بْنُ [عَبْدِ] وُدٍّ (٢) وَعِكْرِمَةُ بْنُ أَبِي جَهْلٍ، وَدَخَلَا مِنْ مَضِيقٍ فِي الْخَنْدَقِ إِلَى الْمُسْلِمِينَ، وَطَلَبَا (٣) الْمُبَارَزَةَ فَقَامَ عَلِيٌّ وَأَجَابَهُ، فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ (٤) - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: إِنَّهُ عَمْرٌو، فَسَكَتَ. ثُمَّ طَلَبَ الْمُبَارَزَةَ ثَانِيًا وَثَالِثًا، وَكُلُّ (٥) ذَلِكَ يَقُومُ عَلِيٌّ، وَيَقُولُ لَهُ النَّبِيُّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: إِنَّهُ عَمْرٌو، فَأَذِنَ لَهُ فِي الرَّابِعَةِ، [فَقَالَ لَهُ عَمْرٌو: ارْجِعْ يَا ابْنَ أَخِي فَمَا أُحِبُّ أَنْ أَقْتُلَكَ] (٦) . فَقَالَ لَهُ عَلِيٌّ: كُنْتُ عَاهَدْتُ اللَّهَ أَنْ لَا يَدْعُوَكَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ إِلَى إِحْدَى خَلَّتَيْنِ (٧) إِلَّا أَخَذْتَهَا مِنْهُ، وَأَنَا أَدْعُوكَ

(١) ك: النَّبِيُّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَآلِهِ - بِالْمُسْلِمِينَ وَهُمْ ثَلَاثَةُ آلَافٍ. (٢) ن، م، س، ب: عَمْرُو بْنُ وُدٍّ. وَالْمُثْبَتُ مِنْ (ك) وَهُوَ الصَّوَابُ. (٣) ك: وَطَلَبَ. (٤) فَقَالَ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (س) ، (ب) . وَفِي (ك) : فَقَالَ لَهُ النَّبِيُّ. . (٥) ك: وَفِي كُلِّ. . . (٦) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ زِيَادَةٌ مِنْ هَامِشِ (ك) وَسَقَطَتْ مِنْ جَمِيعِ النُّسَخِ. (٧) ن، س: أَحَدِ جِبِلَّتَيْنِ، م: أَحَدِ خَلَّتَيْنِ، ك: بِإِحْدَى خَصْلَتَيْنِ. وَالْمُثْبَتُ مِنْ (ب) .