Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (8/483)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

and we shall describe them to you later. Make solemn pledges, emphatic oaths and binding covenants your shield and fortress. Do not confront your recruit abruptly with grave matters (1) that they would find abhorrent. First raise them to the highest ranks, stage by stage and degree by degree, as we shall explain later. Stop each group at the limit of what they can bear.

For one person, go no further than adherence to Shiism, acceptance of Muhammad ibn Ismā‘īl as imam, and belief that he is alive. Do not take him beyond this limit, especially if his presence and the standing of his name can swell your ranks. Show him that you have no desire for dirhams or dinars, and ease your pressure on him on occasion through the prayer (2) of seventy. Warn him against lying, unlawful sexual intercourse, sodomy and drinking nabīdh. Deal with him gently and tactfully, show him affection, and be patient with him. If his inclinations accord with yours, you will gain favour (3) with him, and he will help you withstand the hardships of your time and anyone among the followers of other religions who might oppose you (4). Do not assume that some of your companions will never turn against you.

Do not lead him away (5) from worshipping his God, practising the religious law of his prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, or affirming the imamate of ‘Alī and his descendants down to Muhammad ibn Ismā‘īl. Present him only with the proofs concerning the sevens, and wear him down thoroughly with fasting, prayer and strenuous religious exertion. Then, if you so much as indicate a desire for what he holds dearest (6), let alone his wealth, he will not refuse you. If death overtakes him, he will entrust what he leaves behind to you and make you his heir, seeing no one in the world as more trustworthy than you.

Another person you may advance to accepting the abrogation of Muhammad’s religious law, that the Seventh is the last of the messengers, that he speaks as they speak and brings something new, and that Muhammad is the master of

(1) س: bi-l-istinā; ب: bi-l-istinādāt (“with supports”). (2) م: min salāti (“from the prayer of …”). (3) س: bi-khatt (“in writing”). (4) ن، م: yu‘āniduka (“opposes you”). (5) ن، م، س: wa-lā tukhrijhum (“and do not lead them away”). (6) ن، م، س: ilā karīmihi (“toward what he holds dear”).

وَسَنَصِفُ لَكَ عَنْهُمْ مِنْ بَعْدُ، وَاتَّخِذْ غَلِيظَ الْعُهُودِ، وَتَوْكِيدَ الْأَيْمَانِ وَشِدَّةَ الْمَوَاثِيقِ جُنَّةً لَكَ وَحِصْنًا، وَلَا تَهْجِمْ عَلَى مُسْتَجِيبِكَ بِالْأَشْيَاءِ (١) الْكِبَارِ الَّتِي يَسْتَبْشِعُونَهَا حَتَّى تُرَقِّيَهُمْ إِلَى أَعْلَى الْمَرَاتِبِ: حَالًا فَحَالَا، وَتُدَرِّجَهُمْ دَرَجَةً دَرَجَةً عَلَى مَا سَنُبَيِّنُهُ مِنْ بَعْدُ، وَقِفْ بِكُلِّ فَرِيقٍ حَيْثُ احْتِمَالُهُمْ، فَوَاحِدٌ لَا تَزِيدُهُ عَلَى التَّشَيُّعِ وَالِائْتِمَامِ بِمُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، وَأَنَّهُ حَيٌّ، لَا تُجَاوِزُ بِهِ هَذَا الْحَدَّ، لَا سِيَّمَا إِنْ كَانَ مِثْلُهُ مِمَّنْ يَكْثُرُ بِهِ وَبِمَوْضِعِ اسْمِهِ وَأَظْهِرْ لَهُ الْعَفَافَ عَنِ الدِّرْهَمِ وَالدِّينَارِ، وَخَفِّفْ عَلَيْهِ وَطْأَتَكَ مَرَّةً بِصَلَاةِ (٢) السَّبْعِينَ، وَحَذِّرْهُ الْكَذِبَ وَالزِّنَا وَاللُّوَاطَ وَشُرْبَ النَّبِيذِ، وَعَلَيْكَ فِي أَمْرِهِ بِالرِّفْقِ وَالْمُدَارَاةِ لَهُ وَالتَّوَدُّدِ وَتَصَبَّرْ لَهُ إِنْ كَانَ هَوَاهُ مُتَّبِعًا لَكَ تَحْظَ (٣) عِنْدَهُ، وَيَكُونُ لَكَ عَوْنًا عَلَى دَهْرِكَ، وَعَلَى مَنْ لَعَلَّهُ يُعَادِيكَ (٤) مِنْ أَهْلِ الْمِلَلِ، وَلَا تَأْمَنْ أَنْ يَتَغَيَّرَ عَلَيْكَ بَعْضُ أَصْحَابِكَ وَلَا تُخْرِجْهُ (٥) عَنْ عِبَادَةِ إِلَهِهِ، وَالتَّدَيُّنِ بِشَرِيعَةِ مُحَمَّدٍ نَبِيِّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَالْقَوْلِ بِإِمَامَةِ عَلِيٍّ وَبَنِيهِ إِلَى مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، وَأَقِمْ لَهُ دَلَائِلِ الْأَسَابِيعِ فَقَطْ وَدُقَّهُ بِالصَّوْمِ وَالصَّلَاةِ دَقًّا وَشِدَّةِ الِاجْتِهَادِ فَإِنَّكَ يَوْمَئِذٍ إِنْ أَوْمَأْتَ إِلَى كَرِيمَتِهِ (٦) فَضْلًا عَنْ مَالِهِ لَمْ يَمْنَعْكَ، وَإِنْ أَدْرَكَتْهُ الْوَفَاةُ فَوَّضَ إِلَيْكَ مَا خَلَّفَهُ، وَوَرَّثَكَ إِيَّاهُ وَلَمْ يَرَ فِي الْعَالَمِ مَنْ هُوَ أَوْثَقُ مِنْكَ، وَآخَرُ تُرَقِّيهِ إِلَى نَسْخِ شَرِيعَةِ مُحَمَّدٍ، وَأَنَّ السَّابِعَ هُوَ الْخَاتَمُ لِلرُّسُلِ، وَأَنَّهُ يَنْطِقُ كَمَا يَنْطِقُونَ وَيَأْتِي بِأَمْرٍ جَدِيدٍ، وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا صَاحِبُ

(١) س: بِالِاسْتِنَا، ب: بِالْاسْتِنَادَاتِ (٢) م: مِنْ صَلَاةِ. . (٣) س: بِخَطٍ. (٤) ن، م: يُعَانِدُكَ. (٥) ن، م، س: وَلَا تُخْرِجْهُمْ. (٦) ن، م، س: إِلَى كَرِيمِهِ.