Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (8/214)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

and his paternal aunt is in Paradise (1), and his brother is in Paradise *) (2), and he is in Paradise, and those who love him (3) are in Paradise, and those who love their lovers are in Paradise.’”

Hudhayfa (4) also said: “I spent a night with the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and saw a figure beside him (5). He asked me, ‘Did you see (6)?’ I replied, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘This (7) is an angel who has never descended to me since I was sent as a prophet. He came to me from Allah and brought me the glad tidings that al-Hasan and al-Husayn are the leaders of the young men of Paradise.’”

There are many reports concerning this. Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyya was virtuous and learned, so much so that some people claimed the imamate for him.”

The response is as follows:

As for matters external (8) to faith and piety themselves, they confer no merit in the sight of Allah Most High. They confer merit in His sight only when they help foster faith and piety, for they are means rather than ends. Such matters include wealth, authority, strength, health, and the like. They give a person no superiority in Allah’s sight unless they help him obey Allah, and then only to the extent that they help him do so.

Allah Most High says:

“O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you.” [Surah al-Hujurāt: 13].

(1) k: “And his grandmother is in Paradise, his father is in Paradise, his mother is in Paradise, his paternal uncle is in Paradise, his paternal aunt is in Paradise, his maternal uncle is in Paradise, and his maternal aunt is in Paradise.” (2) The passage between the two asterisks is omitted in m. (3) k: “And those who love them.” (4) k: “And on the authority of Hudhayfa ibn al-Yamānī.” (5) “Beside him” is omitted in s and b. (6) k: “Did you see him?” (7) k: “I said: ‘Yes, O Messenger of Allah.’ Then he—may Allah bless him and his family—said: ‘This…’” (8) b: “al-khārija (external).”

وَعَمَّتُهُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ (١) ، وَأَخُوهُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ *) (٢) ، وَهُوَ فِي الْجَنَّةِ، وَمُحِبُّوهُ (٣) فِي الْجَنَّةِ، وَمُحِبُّو مُحِبِّيهِمْ فِي الْجَنَّةِ» . وَعَنْ حُذَيْفَةَ (٤) قَالَ: «بِتُّ عِنْدَ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ، فَرَأَيْتُ عِنْدَهُ (٥) شَخْصًا، فَقَالَ لِي: هَلْ رَأَيْتَ (٦) ؟ قُلْتُ: نَعَمْ. قَالَ: هَذَا (٧) مَلَكٌ لَمْ يَنْزِلْ إِلَيَّ مُنْذُ بُعِثْتُ، أَتَانِي مِنَ اللَّهِ، فَبَشَّرَنِي أَنَّ الْحَسَنَ وَالْحُسَيْنَ سَيِّدَا شَبَابِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ» . وَالْأَخْبَارُ فِي ذَلِكَ كَثِيرَةٌ، وَكَانَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَنَفِيَّةِ فَاضِلًا عَالِمًا، حَتَّى ادَّعَى قَوْمٌ فِيهِ الْإِمَامَةَ ". وَالْجَوَابُ: أَمَّا الْأُمُورُ الْخَارِجِيَّةُ (٨) عَنْ نَفْسِ الْإِيمَانِ وَالتَّقْوَى، فَلَا يَحْصُلُ بِهَا فَضِيلَةٌ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى، وَإِنَّمَا يَحْصُلُ بِهَا الْفَضِيلَةُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ إِذَا كَانَتْ مُعِينَةً عَلَى ذَلِكَ ; فَإِنَّهَا مِنْ بَابِ الْوَسَائِلِ لَا الْمَقَاصِدِ، كَالْمَالِ وَالسُّلْطَانِ، وَالْقُوَّةِ وَالصِّحَّةِ وَنَحْوِ ذَلِكَ، فَإِنَّ هَذِهِ الْأُمُورَ لَا يُفَضَّلُ بِهَا الرَّجُلُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ إِلَّا إِذَا أَعَانَتْهُ عَلَى طَاعَةِ اللَّهِ بِحَسَبِ مَا يُعِينُهُ. قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: {يَاأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ مِنْ ذَكَرٍ وَأُنْثَى وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ} [سُورَةُ الْحُجُرَاتِ: ١٣] .

(١) ك: وَجَدَّتُهُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ، وَأَبُوهُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ، وَأُمُّهُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ، وَعَمُّهُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ، وَعَمَّتُهُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ، وَخَالُهُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ، وَخَالَتُهُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ. . (٢) مَا بَيْنَ النَّجْمَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (م) . (٣) ك: وَمُحِبُّوهُمْ. (٤) ك: وَعَنْ حُذَيْفَةَ بْنِ الْيَمَانِيِّ (٥) عِنْدَهُ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (س) ، (ب) (٦) ك: هَلْ رَأَيْتَهُ؟ (٧) ك: قُلْتُ: نَعَمْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ. هَذَا. . . (٨) ب: الْخَارِجَةُ.