Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (8/531)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

midday. I entered upon people whose diligence in worship I had never seen surpassed. Their hands were like the calloused pads of camels (1), and their faces were marked (2) by prostration.

“When I entered, they said, ‘Welcome, Ibn ‘Abbās! What brings you here?’

“I replied, ‘I have come to speak to you. Revelation descended among (3) the Companions of Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, and they know best its meaning.’

“Some of them said, ‘Do not speak to him,’ while others said, ‘We will certainly speak to him.’

“I said, ‘Tell me, what grievances do you have against the cousin and son-in-law (4) of Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, the first to believe in him, when the Companions of Allah’s Messenger are with him?’

“They said, ‘We have three grievances against him.’

“I asked, ‘What are they?’

“They said, ‘First, he appointed men to arbitrate in Allah’s religion, although the Most High has said:

“‘Judgment belongs to Allah alone.’ [Surah al-An‘ām: 57]

“I asked, ‘What else?’

“They said, ‘He fought but neither enslaved captives nor took spoils. If they were disbelievers, their property was lawful for him to take; but if they were believers, then surely (5) it was forbidden for him to shed their blood.’

“I asked, ‘What else?’

“They said, ‘He also erased his own designation as (6) Commander of the Believers. If he is not Commander of the Believers, then he is commander of the disbelievers.’

“I said, ‘Tell me: if I recite to you Allah’s clear Book (7) and relate to you

(1) ن: nafinu al-ibil. Hilyat al-awliyā’: thafinu ibil (“camels’ calloused pads”). Al-Mu‘jam al-wasīt defines thafinah as “the knee and the part of an animal’s body that touches the ground, becoming thick and hard.” (2) ن, س: mu‘lanah (“made manifest”); Hilyat al-awliyā’: muqlabah. (3) ن, م, س, ب: ‘an (“from/about”). The correction is from Hilyat al-awliyā’. (4) ن, س, ب: wa-amīnihi (“and his trusted confidant”). The adopted reading is from م and Hilyat al-awliyā’. (5) Hilyat al-awliyā’: laqad (“certainly”). (6) Hilyat al-awliyā’: ‘an (“from”). (7) Hilyat al-awliyā’: min kitāb Allāh (“from Allah’s Book”).

الظَّهِيرَةِ، فَدَخَلْتُ عَلَى قَوْمٍ لَمْ أَرَ قَوْمًا أَشَدَّ اجْتِهَادًا مِنْهُمْ، أَيْدِيَهُمْ كَأَنَّهَا ثَفِنُ الْإِبِلِ (١) وَوُجُوهُهُمْ مُعَلَّمَةٌ (٢) مِنْ آثَارِ السُّجُودِ، قَالَ: فَدَخَلْتُ فَقَالُوا: مَرْحَبًا بِكَ يَا ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ مَا جَاءَ بِكَ؟ قَالَ: جِئْتُ أَحَدِّثُكُمْ عَلَى (٣) أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ نَزَلَ الْوَحْيُ، وَهُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِتَأْوِيلِهِ، فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ: لَا تُحَدِّثُوهُ، وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ: لَنُحَدِّثَنَّهُ، قَالَ: قُلْتُ: أَخْبِرُونِي مَا تَنْقِمُونَ عَلَى ابْنِ عَمِّ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَخَتَنِهِ (٤) وَأَوَّلُ مَنْ آمَنَ بِهِ، وَأَصْحَابُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ مَعَهُ؟ قَالُوا: نَنْقِمُ عَلَيْهِ ثَلَاثًا، قُلْتُ: مَا هُنَّ؟ قَالُوا: أَوَّلُهُنَّ أَنَّهُ حَكَّمَ الرِّجَالَ فِي دِينِ اللَّهِ، وَقَدْ قَالَ تَعَالَى: {إِنِ الْحُكْمُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ} [سُورَةُ الْأَنْعَامِ: ٥٧] قَالَ: قُلْتُ: وَمَاذَا؟ قَالُوا: قَاتَلَ وَلَمْ يَسْبِ وَلَمْ يَغْنَمْ لَئِنْ كَانُوا كُفَّارًا لَقَدْ حَلَّتْ لَهُ أَمْوَالُهُمْ، وَإِنْ كَانُوا مُؤْمِنِينَ فَقَدَ (٥) حَرُمَتْ عَلَيْهِ دِمَاؤُهُمْ، قَالَ: قُلْتُ: وَمَاذَا؟ قَالُوا: وَمَحَا نَفْسَهُ مِنْ (٦) أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، فَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَهُوَ أَمِيرُ الْكَافِرِينَ. قَالَ: قُلْتُ: أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِنْ قَرَأَتُ عَلَيْكُمْ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ (٧) الْمُحْكَمَ، وَحَدَّثْتُكُمْ

(١) ن: نَفِنُ الْإِبِلِ. وَفِي " حِيلَةِ الْأَوْلِيَاءِ: ثَفِنُ إِبِلٍ. وَفِي " الْمُعْجَمِ الْوَسِيطِ ": " الثَّفِنَةُ: الرُّكْبَةُ وَالْجُزْءُ مِنْ جِسْمِ الدَّابَّةِ تَلْقَى بِهِ الْأَرْضَ فَيَغْلُظُ وَيَجْمُدُ ". (٢) ن، س: مُعْلَنَةٌ، حِلْيَةُ الْأَوْلِيَاءِ: مُقْلَبَةٌ. (٣) ن، م، س، ب: عَنْ وَالتَّصْوِيبُ مِنْ " الْحِلْيَةِ ". (٤) ن، س، ب: وَأَمِينِهِ. وَالْمُثْبَتُ مِنْ (م) ، " الْحِلْيَةِ ". (٥) الْحِلْيَةِ: لَقَدْ. (٦) الْحِلْيَةِ: عَنْ (٧) الْحِلْيَةِ: مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ. .