Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (8/365)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

concerning the Cave, and His words, exalted is He:

‘But the most righteous will be kept away from it.’
[Sūrah al-Layl: 17],

and His words:

‘Say to the Bedouins who stayed behind, “You will be called against a people of great might.”’
[Sūrah al-Fath: 16]

The one who called them was Abū Bakr. He was the companion of the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—in the shelter on the day of Badr; he spent his wealth on the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and led the prayer.”

He said (1): “The answer is that his presence in the Cave confers no virtue upon him, for the Prophet may have taken him along out of fear of him, lest his situation become known.

Moreover, the verse indicates the opposite (2), because of his words, ‘Do not grieve.’ This indicates his weakness (3), his lack of patience (4), his lack of certainty in Allah Most High, and his dissatisfaction with being on equal terms (5) with the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and with Allah’s decree and predestination. Furthermore, if grief were an act of obedience, the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—could not possibly have forbidden it; but if it were an act of disobedience, then what they claimed as a virtue would be a vice (6).

Furthermore, wherever the Quran mentions the sending down of tranquility upon the Messenger of Allah

(1) Immediately after his preceding remarks, p. 199 (م). (2) ك: ‘alā naqsihi (“to his deficiency”). (3) ن، س، ب: ‘alā khawfihi (“to his fear”). (4) ك: ‘alā khawarihi wa-naqsihi wa-qillati sabrihi (“to his weakness, deficiency, and lack of patience”). (5) ك: bi-musāwāti (“with equality”). (6) ك: kāna mā idda‘awhu fadīlatan radhīlatan (“what they claimed to be a virtue would be a vice”).

الْغَارِ وَقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: {وَسَيُجَنَّبُهَا الْأَتْقَى} [سُورَةُ اللَّيْلِ: ١٧] ، وَقَوْلُهُ: {قُلْ لِلْمُخَلَّفِينَ مِنَ الْأَعْرَابِ سَتُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى قَوْمٍ أُولِي بَأْسٍ شَدِيدٍ} [سُورَةُ الْفَتْحِ: ١٦] وَالدَّاعِي هُوَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ: وَكَانَ أَنِيسَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - فِي الْعَرِيشِ يَوْمَ بَدْرٍ، وَأَنْفَقَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -، وَتَقَدَّمَ فِي الصَّلَاةِ ". قَالَ (١) : " وَالْجَوَابُ أَنَّهُ لَا فَضِيلَةَ لَهُ فِي الْغَارِ لِجَوَازِ أَنْ يَسْتَصْحِبَهُ حَذَرًا مِنْهُ لِئَلَّا يَظْهَرَ أَمْرُهُ. وَأَيْضًا فَإِنَّ الْآيَةَ تَدُلُّ عَلَى نَقِيضِهِ (٢) لِقَوْلِهِ: {لَا تَحْزَنْ} فَإِنَّهُ يَدُلُّ عَلَى خَوَرِهِ (٣) وَقِلَّةِ صَبْرِهِ (٤) ، وَعَدَمِ يَقِينِهِ بِاللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَعَدَمِ رِضًا بِمُسَاوَاتِهِ (٥) النَّبِيَّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - وَبِقَضَاءِ اللَّهِ وَقَدَرِهِ ; وَلِأَنَّ الْحُزْنَ إِنْ كَانَ طَاعَةً اسْتَحَالَ أَنْ يَنْهَى عَنْهُ النَّبِيُّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -، وَإِنْ كَانَ مَعْصِيَةً كَانَ مَا ادَّعُوهُ مِنَ الْفَضِيلَةِ رَذِيلَةً (٦) . وَأَيْضًا فَإِنَّ الْقُرْآنَ حَيْثُ ذَكَرَ إِنْزَالَ السِّكِّينَةِ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ

(١) بَعْدَ كَلَامِهِ السَّابِقِ مُبَاشَرَةً ص ١٩٩ (م) (٢) ك: عَلَى نَقْصِهِ. (٣) ن، س، ب: عَلَى خَوْفِهِ. (٤) ك: عَلَى خَوَرِهِ وَنَقْصِهِ وَقِلَّةِ صَبْرِهِ. (٥) ك: بِمُسَاوَاةِ. (٦) ك: كَانَ مَا ادَّعُوهُ فَضِيلَةً رَذِيلَةً.