Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (8/385)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

The two Sahīh collections also report from ‘Imrān that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said:

“The best of you are my generation, then those who follow them, then those who follow them.” ‘Imrān said: “I do not know whether the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—mentioned (1) two generations after his own or three.” “Then after them there will be people (2) who testify without being asked to testify, betray trusts and are not trusted, and make vows but do not fulfil them” (3).

Another narration states: “And they swear oaths without being asked to swear” (4). Thus, ‘Imrān (5) was uncertain about the fourth generation.

Some scholars understood his words, “They testify without being asked to testify,” as referring to testimony generally. They therefore considered it objectionable for a man to testify truthfully before the person in whose favour he would testify requests it, if he knows of that testimony. In this way, they reconciled this statement with his saying:

“Shall I tell you who is the best witness? The one who gives his testimony before being asked for it” (6).

Another group said that the intent is only to condemn them for lying; that is, they testify

(1) m: qāla (he said). (2) n, m, s: qarn (a generation). (3) This hadith, narrated by ʿImrān ibn Husayn—may Allah be pleased with him—is recorded, with variations in wording, in al-Bukhārī, 5:3–4 (Book of the Merits of the Prophet’s Companions…, first chapter), 8:19 (Book of Softening the Hearts, chapter on what to beware of concerning worldly splendour…), and 8:141–142 (Book of Oaths and Vows, chapter on the sin of failing to fulfil a vow); and Muslim, 4:1964 (Book of the Merits of the Companions, chapter on the merits of the Companions, then those who follow them…), hadith no. 214. (4) This hadith is recorded in Muslim, in the section cited above, 4:1965, hadith no. 215. (5) s, b: ʿUmar, which is an error. (6) This hadith, narrated by Zayd ibn Khālid al-Juhanī—may Allah be pleased with him—is recorded in Muslim, 3:1344 (Book of Judicial Decisions, chapter explaining who the best witnesses are); Sunan Abī Dāwūd, 3:414 (Book of Judicial Decisions, chapter on testimony); and Sunan al-Tirmidhī, 3:373 (Book of Testimony, first chapter).

وَفِي الصَّحِيحَيْنِ عَنْ عِمْرَانَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - قَالَ: " «إِنَّ خَيْرَكُمْ قَرْنِي، ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ، ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ؛ قَالَ عِمْرَانُ: فَلَا أَدْرِي أَقَالَ (١) رَسُولُ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - بَعْدَ قَرْنِهِ قَرْنَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلَاثَةً، ثُمَّ يَكُونُ بَعْدَهُمْ قَوْمٌ (٢) يَشْهَدُونَ وَلَا يُسْتَشْهَدُونَ، وَيَخُونُونَ وَلَا يُؤْتَمَنُونَ وَيَنْذُرُونَ وَلَا يُوفُونَ» " (٣) وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ: " وَيَحْلِفُونَ وَلَا يُسْتَحْلَفُونَ " (٤) فَقَدْ شَكَّ عِمْرَانُ (٥) فِي الْقَرْنِ الرَّابِعِ. وَقَوْلُهُ: " يَشْهَدُونَ وَلَا يُسْتَشْهَدُونَ " حَمَلَهُ طَائِفَةٌ مِنَ الْعُلَمَاءِ عَلَى مُطْلَقِ الشَّهَادَةِ حَتَّى كَرِهُوا أَنْ يَشْهَدَ الرَّجُلُ بِحَقٍّ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَطْلُبَ مِنْهُ الْمَشْهُودُ لَهُ إِذَا عَلِمَ الشَّهَادَةَ وَجَمَعُوا بِذَلِكَ بَيْنَ هَذَا وَبَيْنَ قَوْلِهِ: " «أَلَا أُخْبِرُكُمْ بِخَيْرِ الشُّهَدَاءِ؟ الَّذِي يَأْتِي بِالشَّهَادَةِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُسْأَلَهَا» " (٦) . وَقَالَ طَائِفَةٌ أُخْرَى: إِنَّمَا الْمُرَادُ ذَمُّهُمْ عَلَى الْكَذِبِ، أَيْ يَشْهَدُونَ

(١) م: قَالَ (٢) ن، م، س: قَرْنٌ (٣) الْحَدِيثُ عَنْ عِمْرَانَ بْنِ حُصَيْنٍ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ - مَعَ اخْتِلَافٍ فِي الْأَلْفَاظِ - فِي: الْبُخَارِيِّ ٥/٣ - ٤ (كِتَابُ فَضَائِلِ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ. . .) الْبَابُ الْأَوَّلُ ٨/١٩ (كِتَابُ الرِّقَاقِ، بَابُ مَا يُحْذَرُ مِنْ زَهْرَةِ الدُّنْيَا. . .) ٨/١٤١ - ١٤٢ (كِتَابُ الْأَيْمَانِ وَالنُّذُورِ، بَابُ إِثْمِ مَنْ لَا يَفِي بِالنَّذْرِ) ، مُسْلِمٍ ٤/١٩٦٤ (كِتَابُ فَضَائِلِ الصَّحَابَةِ، بَابُ فَضْلِ الصَّحَابَةِ، ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ. . .) حَدِيثٌ رَقْمُ ٢١٤ (٤) الْحَدِيثُ فِي مُسْلِمٍ فِي الْمَوْضِعِ السَّابِقِ ٤/١٩٦٥ (حَدِيثٌ رَقْمُ ٢١٥. (٥) س، ب: عُمَرُ، وَهُوَ خَطَأٌ. (٦) الْحَدِيثُ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ الْجُهَنِيِّ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ - فِي: مُسْلِمٍ ٣/١٣٤٤ (كِتَابُ الْأَقْضِيَةِ، بَابُ بَيَانِ خَيْرِ الشُّهُودِ) سُنَنِ أَبِي دَاوُدَ ٣/٤١٤ (كِتَابُ الْأَقْضِيَةِ، بَابٌ فِي الشَّهَادَاتِ) ، سُنَنِ التِّرْمِذِيِّ ٣/٣٧٣ (كِتَابُ الشَّهَادَاتِ، الْبَابُ الْأَوَّلُ) .