Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (1/6)

[following(1) the messengers, and who neither deem adherence to](2) Islam(3) obligatory nor forbid [adherence to] any other religion(4). Rather, they treat religious creeds as equivalent to schools of thought and systems of governance [that may legitimately be followed, and maintain that prophethood] is a form of just governance instituted for the worldly welfare of the general public.

This group grows numerous and rises to prominence [when ignorance and its adherents abound], and when there is no one among those who possess knowledge of prophethood and adhere to it who will manifest its lights, which dispel the darkness(5) of misguidance, [and expose the falsehood inherent in whatever contradicts it], together with its polytheism and absurdity.

These people do not deny prophethood outright. Rather, they believe in some of its aspects and disbelieve in [other aspects(6), differing among themselves as to what] they believe and disbelieve concerning those characteristics. Consequently, because they profess reverence for the prophetic missions, their true position remains unclear to many of the people(7) [of ignorance.

(1) In (م): *ittibā'* (“following”). (2) In (ن), there is a blank where the bracketed text appears. Hereafter, I shall simply use square brackets without noting the presence of a blank in (ن), if Allah wills. (3) In (ن) and (م): “the religion of the Muslims.” (4) In (ن) and (م): “nor do they forbid any religion other than it.” (5) In (ن) and (م): “the injustice of misguidance.” (6) The word “aspects” is omitted from (م). (7) The word “people” is omitted from (أ) and (ل).

[مُتَابَعَةِ (١) الْمُرْسَلِينَ الَّذِينَ لَا يُوجِبُونَ اتِّبَاعَ] (٢) دِينِ الْإِسْلَامِ (٣) ، وَلَا يُحَرِّمُونَ [اتِّبَاعَ] مَا سِوَاهُ (٤) مِنَ الْأَدْيَانِ، بَلْ يَجْعَلُونَ الْمِلَلَ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْمَذَاهِبِ، وَالسِّيَاسَاتِ [الَّتِي يَسُوغُ اتِّبَاعُهَا، وَأَنَّ النُّبُوَّةَ] نَوْعٌ مِنَ السِّيَاسَةِ الْعَادِلَةِ الَّتِي وُضِعَتْ لِمَصْلَحَةِ الْعَامَّةِ فِي الدُّنْيَا. فَإِنَّ هَذَا الصِّنْفَ يَكْثُرُونَ وَيَظْهَرُونَ [إِذَا كَثُرَتِ الْجَاهِلِيَّةُ، وَأَهْلُهَا] ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ هُنَاكَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ بِالنُّبُوَّةِ، وَالْمُتَابَعَةِ لَهَا مَنْ يُظْهِرُ أَنْوَارَهَا الْمَاحِيَةَ لِظُلْمَةِ (٥) الضَّلَالِ، [وَيَكْشِفُ مَا فِي خِلَافِهَا مِنَ الْإِفْكِ] ، وَالشِّرْكِ، وَالْمِحَالِ. وَهَؤُلَاءِ لَا يُكَذِّبُونَ بِالنُّبُوَّةِ تَكْذِيبًا مُطْلَقًا، بَلْ هُمْ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِبَعْضِ أَحْوَالِهَا، وَيَكْفُرُونَ [بِبَعْضِ الْأَحْوَالِ (٦) ، وَهُمْ مُتَفَاوِتُونَ فِيمَا] يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ، وَيَكْفُرُونَ بِهِ مِنْ تِلْكَ الْخِلَالِ، فَلِهَذَا يَلْتَبِسُ أَمْرُهُمْ بِسَبَبِ تَعْظِيمِهِمْ لِلنُّبُوَّاتِ عَلَى كَثِيرٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ (٧) [الْجَهَالَاتِ.

(١) م: اتِّبَاعِ. (٢) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ مَكَانُهُ بَيَاضٌ فِي (ن) . وَسَأَكْتَفِي فِيمَا يَلِي بِوَضْعِ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ بِدُونِ الْإِشَارَةِ إِلَى وُجُودِ الْبَيَاضِ فِي (ن) إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ. (٣) ن، م: دِينِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ. (٤) ن، م: وَلَا يُحَرِّمُونَ مَا سِوَاهُ. (٥) ن، م: لِظُلْمِ. (٦) الْأَحْوَالِ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (م) . (٧) أَهْلِ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ل) .