Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (8/250)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

group. These men were, according to them, united in their allegiance to Ali and in agreement on that allegiance.

Thus, the reports of a small group whose members could collude in transmitting them (1) do not constitute mass transmission, since they could agree to lie. If the Rāfidah consider it possible for the vast majority of the Companions—despite their great numbers—to apostatize from Islam and conceal something that, under ordinary circumstances, could not be concealed by collusion, then they should all the more readily consider it possible for a few of them to lie deliberately (2).

They explicitly accuse the Companions of lying whenever they transmit something contrary to their own inclinations (3). How, then, can they believe them in a matter like this if those transmitting [it] (4) are themselves biased?

It is well known that Ali’s supporters are predisposed to support him. How, then, can they be believed when they transmit an explicit designation of him? Moreover, people of sound judgment and scholars versed in transmitted reports know that no Muslim sect is more prone to deliberate lying and denying the truth than the Shīʿah. Other groups are different: the Khawārij (5), although they have departed from religion, tell the truth and do not deliberately lie. Likewise, the Muʿtazilah regard truthfulness as a religious duty. As for the Shīʿah, lying has predominated among them ever since they first appeared.

(1) S, B: lā yahsulu bihā (“does not result from it”). (2) N: ta‘ammudan li-l-kadhib (“deliberate lying”). (3) The phrase idhā naqalū mā yukhālifu hawāhum (“when they transmit what contradicts their own inclinations”) is omitted in S and B. (4) Lahū (“it”) is omitted in N and M. (5) S, B: bi-khilāfi ghayrihim mina l-khawārij (“unlike others, namely the Khawārij …”).

الطَّائِفَةِ. وَهَؤُلَاءِ كَانُوا - عِنْدَهُمْ - مُجْتَمِعِينَ عَلَى مُوَالَاةِ عَلِيٍّ، مُتَوَاطِئِينَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ. وَحِينَئِذٍ فَالطَّائِفَةُ الْقَلِيلَةُ الَّتِي يُمْكِنُ تَوَاطُؤُهَا عَلَى النَّقْلِ لَا يَحْصُلُ بِنَقْلِهَا (١) تَوَاتُرٌ ; لِجَوَازِ اجْتِمَاعِهِمْ عَلَى الْكَذِبِ. فَإِذَا كَانَتِ الرَّافِضَةُ تُجَوِّزُ عَلَى جَمَاهِيرِ الصَّحَابَةِ - مَعَ كَثْرَتِهِمْ - الِارْتِدَادَ عَنِ الْإِسْلَامِ، وَكِتْمَانَ مَا يَتَعَذَّرُ فِي الْعَادَةِ التَّوَاطُؤُ عَلَى كِتْمَانِهِ، فَلَأَنْ يَجُوزَ عَلَى قَلِيلٍ مِنْهُمْ تَعَمُّدُ الْكَذِبِ (٢) بِطَرِيقِ الْأَوْلَى وَالْأَحْرَى. وَهُمْ يُصَرِّحُونَ بِكَذِبِ الصَّحَابَةِ إِذَا نَقَلُوا مَا يُخَالِفُ هَوَاهُمْ (٣) ، فَكَيْفَ يُمْكِنُهُمْ مَعَ ذَلِكَ تَصْدِيقُهُمْ فِي مِثْلِ هَذَا، إِذَا كَانَ النَّاقِلُونَ [لَهُ] (٤) مِمَّنْ لَهُ هَوًى؟ وَمَعْلُومٌ أَنَّ شِيعَةَ عَلِيٍّ لَهُمْ هَوًى فِي نَصْرِهِ، فَكَيْفَ يُصَدَّقُونَ فِي نَقْلِ النَّصِّ عَلَيْهِ، هَذَا مَعَ أَنَّ الْعُقَلَاءَ وَأَهْلَ الْعِلْمِ بِالنَّقْلِ يَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ فِي فِرَقِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ أَكْثَرُ تَعَمُّدًا لِلْكَذِبِ وَتَكْذِيبًا لِلْحَقِّ مِنَ الشِّيعَةِ، بِخِلَافِ غَيْرِهِمْ ; فَإِنَّ الْخَوَارِجَ (٥) - وَإِنْ كَانُوا مَارِقِينَ - فَهُمْ يُصَدِّقُونَ، لَا يَتَعَمَّدُونَ الْكَذِبَ، وَكَذَلِكَ الْمُعْتَزِلَةُ يَتَدَيَّنُونَ بِالصِّدْقِ، وَأَمَّا الشِّيعَةُ فَالْكَذِبُ عَلَيْهِمْ غَالِبٌ مِنْ حِينِ ظَهَرُوا.

(١) س، ب: لَا يَحْصُلُ بِهَا (٢) ن: تَعَمُّدًا لِلْكَذِبِ (٣) عِبَارَةُ إِذَا نَقَلُوا مَا يُخَالِفُ هَوَاهُمْ " سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (س) ، (ب) . (٤) لَهُ سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٥) س، ب: بِخِلَافِ غَيْرِهِمْ مِنَ الْخَوَارِجِ. . .