Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (8/210)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

is glorification of Allah; investigating it is striving in His cause; and teaching it to those who do not know it is charity. Through it Allah is known and people worship Him; Allah is magnified and His oneness affirmed (1).”

Thus, you find that those who benefit from knowledge purify their souls through it. In pursuing it, they seek to follow the truth, not their desires, and they follow the path of justice and fairness. They love it and delight in it, and they love to see it increase and its people grow in number. Their aspirations are stirred to act upon it and fulfil its demands and implications (2). This is unlike someone who has not tasted its sweetness and seeks only wealth or authority: if he could obtain these by another path, he would take it, and might even prefer it if it were easier for him.

Whoever understands this will see clearly that the aims which Allah loves and approves were realized more fully by Abū Bakr than by ‘Umar, more fully by ‘Umar than by ‘Uthmān, and more fully by ‘Uthmān than by ‘Alī. He will also see that the Companions were the most knowledgeable of all people about the truth, the most faithful in following it, and the most qualified to uphold justice and give everyone their due. Only those profoundly ignorant of the realities on account of which (3) praise and superior rank are deserved, and of the guidance to the straight path that Allah granted them, have disparaged them.

Thus, whoever does not follow in his worship the divinely prescribed path commanded by Allah

(1) The phrase “and Allah is magnified and His oneness affirmed” is absent from (s) and (b). Perhaps the correct reading is: “Through it Allah is known and worshipped, and through it Allah is magnified and His oneness affirmed.” Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr included this report in his Jāmi‘ Bayān al-‘Ilm, 1:54–55, both as marfū‘ (attributed to the Prophet) and as mawqūf (attributed to Mu‘ādh, may Allah be pleased with him), preferring the latter attribution. His version does not contain the phrase “Through it Allah is known…” and the words that follow. (2) s, b read: wa-bi-muqtadāhu (“and according to what it entails”). (3) Bihā (“on account of which”) is absent from (s) and (b).

تَسْبِيحٌ، وَالْبَحْثَ عَنْهُ جِهَادٌ، وَتَعْلِيمَهُ لِمَنْ لَا يَعْلَمُهُ صَدَقَةٌ، بِهِ يُعْرَفُ اللَّهُ وَيَعْبُدُونَهُ، وَيُمَجَّدُ اللَّهُ وَيُوَحَّدُ (١) . وَلِهَذَا تَجِدُ أَهْلَ الِانْتِفَاعِ بِهِ يُزَكُّونَ بِهِ نُفُوسَهُمْ، وَيَقْصِدُونَ فِيهِ اتِّبَاعَ الْحَقِّ لَا اتِّبَاعَ الْهَوَى وَيَسْلُكُونَ فِيهِ سَبِيلَ الْعَدْلِ وَالْإِنْصَافِ، وَيُحِبُّونَهُ وَيَلْتَذُّونَ بِهِ، وَيُحِبُّونَ كَثْرَتَهُ وَكَثْرَةَ أَهْلِهِ، وَتَنْبَعِثُ هِمَمُهُمْ عَلَى الْعَمَلِ بِهِ وَبِمُوجِبِهِ وَمُقْتَضَاهُ (٢) ، بِخِلَافِ مَنْ لَمْ يَذُقْ حَلَاوَتَهُ وَلَيْسَ مَقْصُودُهُ إِلَّا مَالًا أَوْ رِيَاسَةً، فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ لَوْ حَصَلَ لَهُ بِطَرِيقٍ آخَرَ سَلَكَهُ، وَرُبَّمَا رَجَّحَهُ إِذَا كَانَ أَسْهَلَ عَلَيْهِ. وَمَنْ عَرَفَ هَذَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ أَنَّ الْمَقَاصِدَ الَّتِي يُحِبُّهَا اللَّهُ وَيَرْضَاهَا الَّتِي حَصَلَتْ لِأَبِي بَكْرٍ، أَكْمَلُ مِمَّا حَصَلَ لِعُمَرَ، وَالَّتِي حَصَلَتْ لِعُمَرَ أَكْمَلُ مِمَّا حَصَلَ لِعُثْمَانَ، وَالَّتِي حَصَلَتْ لِعُثْمَانَ أَكْمَلُ مِمَّا حَصَلَ لِعَلِيٍّ، وَأَنَّ الصَّحَابَةَ كَانُوا أَعْلَمَ الْخَلْقِ بِالْحَقِّ، وَأَتْبَعَهُمْ لَهُ، وَأَحَقَّهُمْ بِالْعَدْلِ، وَإِيتَاءَ كُلِّ ذِي حَقٍّ حَقَّهُ، وَأَنَّهُ لَمْ يَقْدَحْ فِيهِمْ إِلَّا مُفْرِطٌ فِي الْجَهْلِ بِالْحَقَائِقِ الَّتِي بِهَا (٣) يَسْتَحِقُّ الْمَدْحَ وَالتَّفْضِيلَ، وَبِمَا آتَاهُمُ اللَّهُ مِنَ الْهُدَى إِلَى سَوَاءِ السَّبِيلِ. وَلِهَذَا مَنْ لَمْ يَسْلُكْ فِي عِبَادَتِهِ الطَّرِيقَ الشَّرْعِيَّةَ الَّتِي أَمَرَ اللَّهُ بِهَا

(١) عِبَارَةُ " وَيُمَجَّدُ اللَّهُ وَيُوَحَّدُ " سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (س) ، (ب) وَلَعَلَّ الصَّوَابَ: بِهِ يُعْرَفُ اللَّهُ وَيُعْبَدُ، وَبِهِ يُمَجَّدُ اللَّهُ وَيُوَحَّدُ. وَأَوْرَدَ ابْنُ عَبْدِ الْبَرِّ هَذَا الْأَثَرَ مَرْفُوعًا وَمَوْقُوفًا عَلَى مُعَاذٍ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ - فِي كِتَابِهِ " جَامِعِ بَيَانِ الْعِلْمِ " ١/٥٤ - ٥٥ وَرَجَّحَ وَقْفَهُ، وَلَيْسَ فِيهِ عِبَارَةُ: " بِهِ يُعْرَفُ اللَّهُ. . . إِلَخْ ". (٢) س، ب: وَبِمُقْتَضَاهُ. (٣) بِهَا: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (س) ، (ب) .