Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (8/334)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

the family of Muhammad receive their sustenance from this property. By Allah, I shall not change anything concerning the charitable property of the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—from how it was in his lifetime. I shall continue every practice that the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—observed. Indeed, I fear that if I abandon anything he prescribed, I may go astray.” Fātimah became angry with Abū Bakr and withdrew from him, not speaking to him until she died. She lived for six months after the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace. When she died, Alī buried her at night without informing Abū Bakr, and Alī offered the funeral prayer over her.

Alī enjoyed standing among the people during Fātimah’s lifetime. After she died, he noticed a change in their attitude towards him, so he sought reconciliation with Abū Bakr and wished to pledge allegiance to him, having not pledged allegiance during those months. He sent word to Abū Bakr: “Come to us, but let no one accompany you,” because he did not wish Umar to be present.

Umar said to Abū Bakr, “By Allah, you must not go to them alone.”

Abū Bakr replied, “What could they possibly do to me? By Allah, I shall go to them.” Abū Bakr went to them, and Alī pronounced the testimony of faith, then said:

“We recognize your merit, Abū Bakr, and what Allah has granted you. We have not begrudged you any good that Allah has bestowed upon you. You assumed authority to our exclusion, while we believed that we had a right in this matter because of our kinship with the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace.” He continued speaking to Abū Bakr until Abū Bakr’s eyes overflowed with tears.

When Abū Bakr spoke, he said:

“By Him in whose hand is my soul, maintaining ties with the relatives of the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—is dearer to me than maintaining ties with my own relatives. As for the dispute between me and you concerning this property (1), I have spared no effort to uphold what is right concerning it. I have carried out every practice that I saw the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—observe concerning it.”

Then Alī said

(1) S, B: al-umūr (“matters”).

يَأْكُلُ آلُ مُحَمَّدٍ مِنْ هَذَا الْمَالِ، وَإِنِّي وَاللَّهِ لَا أُغَيِّرُ شَيْئًا مِنْ صَدَقَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - عَنْ حَالِهَا الَّتِي كَانَتْ عَلَيْهِ فِي عَهْدِهِ، وَإِنِّي لَسْتُ تَارِكًا شَيْئًا كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - يَعْمَلُ بِهِ إِلَّا عَمِلْتُ بِهِ، وَإِنِّي أَخْشَى إِنْ تَرَكْتُ شَيْئًا مِنْ أَمْرِهِ أَنْ أَزِيغَ "، فَوَجَدَتْ فَاطِمَةُ عَلَى أَبِي بَكْرٍ فَهَجَرَتْهُ، فَلَمْ تُكَلِّمْهُ حَتَّى تُوُفِّيَتْ، وَعَاشَتْ بَعْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - سِتَّةَ أَشْهُرٍ، فَلَمَّا تُوُفِّيَتْ دَفَنَهَا عَلِيٌّ لَيْلًا وَلَمْ يُؤْذِنْ بِهَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ وَصَلَّى عَلَيْهَا عَلِيٌّ. وَكَانَ لِعَلِيٍّ وَجْهٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ حَيَاةَ فَاطِمَةَ، فَلَمَّا مَاتَتِ اسْتَنْكَرَ عَلِيٌّ وُجُوهَ النَّاسِ فَالْتَمَسَ مُصَالَحَةَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَمُبَايَعَتَهُ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ بَايَعَ تِلْكَ الْأَشْهُرَ فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَى أَبِي بَكْرٍ أَنِ ائْتِنَا، وَلَا يَأْتِنَا مَعَكَ أَحَدٌ كَرَاهَةَ مَحْضَرِ عُمَرَ، فَقَالَ عُمَرُ لِأَبِي بَكْرٍ: وَاللَّهِ لَا تَدْخُلُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَحْدَكَ، فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ: مَا عَسَاهُمْ أَنْ يَفْعَلُوا بِي؟ وَاللَّهِ لَآتِيَنَّهُمْ فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ أَبُو بَكْرٍ فَتَشَهَّدَ عَلِيٌّ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: إِنَّا قَدْ عَرَفْنَا فَضِيلَتَكَ يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ وَمَا أَعْطَاكَ اللَّهُ وَلَمْ نُنَفِّسْ عَلَيْكَ خَيْرًا سَاقَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَيْكَ اسْتَبْدَدْتَ بِالْأَمْرِ عَلَيْنَا وَكُنَّا نَرَى أَنَّ لَنَا فِيهِ حَقًّا لِقَرَابَتِنَا مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -، فَلَمْ يَزَلْ يُكَلِّمُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ حَتَّى فَاضَتْ عَيْنَا أَبِي بَكْرٍ؛ فَلَمَّا تَكَلَّمَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ قَالَ: وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَقَرَابَةُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ أَنْ أَصِلَ مِنْ قَرَابَتِي، وَأَمَّا الَّذِي شَجَرَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكُمْ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْأَمْوَالِ (١) فَإِنِّي لَمْ آلُ فِيهَا عَنِ الْحَقِّ، وَلَمْ أَتْرُكْ أَمْرًا رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - يَصْنَعُهُ فِيهَا إِلَّا صَنَعْتُهُ، فَقَالَ: عَلِيٌّ

(١) س، ب: الْأُمُورِ