Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (8/529)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

included many who never fought him at all. Rather, they refrained from fighting him: they neither fought against him nor fought alongside him. They thus formed a third group: they neither fought him (1), nor fought alongside him, nor obeyed him. Yet they were all Muslims, as established by the Quran, the Sunnah, and the consensus of the Companions, including ‘Alī and others.

Allah Most High says:

“If two groups of believers fight, make peace between them. But if one of them transgresses against the other, fight the group that transgresses until it returns to Allah’s command. Then, if it returns, make peace between them with justice and act equitably. Indeed, Allah loves those who act equitably.” [Surah al-Hujurāt: 9]

He thus described them as believers despite their fighting and transgression, and declared that they are brothers (2), and that such brotherhood exists only between believers, not between a believer and a disbeliever.

In Sahīh al-Bukhārī and elsewhere, Abū Bakrah reports that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said of al-Hasan:

“This son of mine is a leader, and through him Allah will reconcile two great groups of Muslims.” (3)

Allah therefore reconciled ‘Alī’s army and Mu‘āwiyah’s army through him. This demonstrates that both groups were Muslims, that Allah loves reconciliation between them and praises (4) whoever brings it about, and that what al-Hasan did was pleasing to Allah and His Messenger (5). Had fighting been obligatory or recommended, abandoning it would not have been pleasing to Allah and His Messenger.

Furthermore, mass-transmitted reports from the Companions establish that they judged both groups

(1) ن, م: lā qātalū (“they did not fight”). (2) ن, س: wa-akhbarahum annahum ikhwatun (“and He informed them that they were brothers”). (3) This hadith appeared earlier, 1:539–540. (4) س: wa-bayna ‘Alī (“and between ‘Alī”); ب: wa-athnā ‘alā (“and praised”). (5) ن, س: ridā Allāhi wa-rasūlihi (“the approval of Allah and His Messenger”).

فِيهِمْ خَلْقٌ لَمْ يُقَاتِلُوهُ أَلْبَتَّةَ، بَلْ تَرَكُوا قِتَالَهُ فَلَمْ يُقَاتِلُوهُ وَلَمْ يُقَاتِلُوا مَعَهُ، فَكَانُوا صِنْفًا ثَالِثًا: لَا قَاتَلُوهُ (١) وَلَا قَاتَلُوا مَعَهُ وَلَا أَطَاعُوهُ، وَكُلُّهُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ، وَقَدْ دَلَّ عَلَى إِسْلَامِهِمُ الْقُرْآنُ وَالسَّنَةُ وَإِجْمَاعُ الصَّحَابَةِ عَلِيٍّ وَغَيْرِهِ. قَالَ تَعَالَى: {وَإِنْ طَائِفَتَانِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ اقْتَتَلُوا فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَهُمَا فَإِنْ بَغَتْ إِحْدَاهُمَا عَلَى الْأُخْرَى فَقَاتِلُوا الَّتِي تَبْغِي حَتَّى تَفِيءَ إِلَى أَمْرِ اللَّهِ فَإِنْ فَاءَتْ فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَهُمَا بِالْعَدْلِ وَأَقْسِطُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُقْسِطِينَ} [سُورَةُ الْحُجُرَاتِ: ٩] ، فَوَصَفَهُمْ بِالْإِيمَانِ مَعَ الِاقْتِتَالِ وَالْبَغْيِ، وَأَخْبَرَ أَنَّهُمْ إِخْوَةٌ (٢) وَأَنَّ الْأُخُوَّةَ لَا تَكُونُ إِلَّا بَيْنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ لَا بَيْنَ مُؤْمِنٍ وَكَافِرٍ. وَفِي صَحِيحِ الْبُخَارِيِّ وَغَيْرِهِ عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرَةَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ لِلْحَسَنِ: " «إِنَّ ابْنِي هَذَا سَيِّدٌ، وَسَيُصْلِحُ اللَّهُ بِهِ بَيْنَ فِئَتَيْنِ عَظِيمَتَيْنِ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ» " (٣) فَأَصْلَحَ اللَّهُ بِهِ بَيْنَ عَسْكَرِ عَلِيٍّ وَعَسْكَرِ مُعَاوِيَةَ، فَدَلَّ عَلَى أَنَّ كِلَيْهِمَا مُسْلِمُونَ وَدَلَّ عَلَى أَنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْإِصْلَاحَ بَيْنَهُمَا، وَيُثْنِي عَلَى (٤) مَنْ فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ، وَدَلَّ عَلَى أَنَّ مَا فَعَلَهُ الْحَسَنُ كَانَ رِضًى لِلَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ (٥) ، وَلَوْ كَانَ الْقِتَالُ وَاجِبًا أَوْ مُسْتَحَبًّا لَمْ يَكُنْ تَرْكُهُ رِضًى لِلَّهِ وَلِرَسُولِهِ. وَأَيْضًا فَالنَّقْلُ الْمُتَوَاتِرُ عَنِ الصَّحَابَةِ أَنَّهُمْ حَكَمُوا فِي الطَّائِفَتَيْنِ

(١) ن، م: لَا قَاتَلُوا. (٢) ن، س: وَأَخْبَرَهُمْ أَنَّهُمْ إِخْوَةٌ. (٣) سَبَقَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ فِيمَا مَضَى ١/٥٣٩ - ٥٤٠. (٤) س: وَبَيْنَ عَلِيٍّ، ب. وَأَثْنَى عَلَى. (٥) ن، س: رِضَا اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ.