Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (8/558)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

when he was delayed (1). This constituted his approval of their appointing ‘Abd al-Rahmān to lead them.

Whenever he travelled away from Medina, he appointed someone to lead the Muslims in prayer in his place. On some occasions he appointed Ibn Umm Maktūm, on another he appointed ‘Alī, and on others he appointed someone else.

As for his absence and illness (2), he appointed only Abū Bakr—not ‘Alī or anyone else. His appointment of al-Siddīq (the Truthful) to lead the prayer is established by mass transmission and recorded through multiple chains in the collections of authentic hadith, the Sunan, and the Musnads. Al-Bukhārī, Muslim, Ibn Khuzaymah, Ibn Hibbān, and other compilers of authentic hadith narrated from Abū Mūsā al-Ash‘arī, who said:

“The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, fell ill, and his illness became severe. He said, ‘Tell Abū Bakr to lead the people in prayer.’ ‘Ā’ishah said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, Abū Bakr is a tender-hearted man. Whenever he stands in your place, he will be unable to lead the people in prayer.’ He said, ‘Tell Abū Bakr to lead the people in prayer, for you women are like the women around Joseph.’ So Abū Bakr led them in prayer during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.”

Al-Bukhārī (3) mentioned in this report that ‘Ā’ishah urged the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to reconsider three times (4).

(1) The hadith of al-Mughīrah ibn Shu‘bah, may Allah be pleased with him, appears in Muslim, 1:317–318 (Book of Prayer, chapter on the congregation appointing someone to lead them when the imam is delayed …). It begins: “Al-Mughīrah ibn Shu‘bah informed him that he had accompanied the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, on the expedition to Tabūk …” It includes: “When the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, finished his prayer, he turned towards them and said, ‘You have done well,’ or, ‘You have acted correctly,’ admiring them for having performed the prayer at its appointed time.” The hadith also appears in Sunan Abī Dāwūd, 1:73–74 (Book of Purification, chapter on wiping over leather socks), and al-Musnad (al-Ma‘ārif edition), 3:130–131. (2) S, B: “his absence during his illness.” (3) N: “And it is mentioned in al-Bukhārī in this report …” (4) This hadith appeared earlier, 1:512.

لَمَّا تَأَخَّرَ (١) ، فَهَذَا إِقْرَارٌ مِنْهُ عَلَى تَقْدِيمِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ. وَكَانَ إِذَا سَافَرَ عَنِ الْمَدِينَةِ اسْتَخْلَفَ مَنْ يَسْتَخْلِفُهُ يُصَلِّي بِالْمُسْلِمِينَ، كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ ابْنَ أُمِّ مَكْتُومٍ تَارَةً، وَعَلِيًّا تَارَةً فِي الصَّلَاةِ، وَاسْتَخْلَفَ غَيْرَهُمَا تَارَةً. فَأَمَّا فِي حَالِ غَيْبَتِهِ وَمَرَضِهِ (٢) فَلَمْ يَسْتَخْلِفْ إِلَّا أَبَا بَكْرٍ لَا عَلِيًّا وَلَا غَيْرَهُ وَاسْتِخْلَافُهُ لِلصِّدِّيقِ فِي الصَّلَاةِ مُتَوَاتِرٌ ثَابِتٌ فِي الصِّحَاحِ وَالسُّنَنِ وَالْمَسَانِدِ مِنْ غَيْرِ وَجْهٍ، كَمَا أَخْرَجَ الْبُخَارِيُّ وَمُسْلِمٌ وَابْنُ خُزَيْمَةَ وَابْنُ حِبَّانَ وَغَيْرُهُمْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الصَّحِيحِ عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى الْأَشْعَرِيِّ قَالَ: «مَرِضَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَاشْتَدَّ مَرَضُهُ فَقَالَ: " مُرُوا أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَلْيُصَلِّ بِالنَّاسِ، فَقَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ رَجُلٌ رَقِيقٌ مَتَى يَقُمْ مَقَامَكَ لَا يَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ بِالنَّاسِ، فَقَالَ: " مُرِي أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَلْيُصَلِّ بِالنَّاسِ، فَإِنَّكُنَّ صَوَاحِبُ يُوسُفَ " فَصَلَّى بِهِمْ أَبُو بَكْرٍ فِي حَيَاةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ» ، وَذَكَرَ الْبُخَارِيُّ (٣) فِيهِ مُرَاجَعَةَ عَائِشَةَ لِلنَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ (٤) .

(١) الْحَدِيثُ عَنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ بْنِ شُعْبَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ فِي: مُسْلِمٍ ١/٣١٧ - ٣١٨ (كِتَابُ الصَّلَاةِ، بَابُ تَقْدِيمِ الْجَمَاعَةِ مَنْ يُصَلِّي بِهِمْ إِذَا تَأَخَّرَ الْإِمَامُ. .) وَأَوَّلُهُ. أَنَّ الْمُغِيرَةَ بْنَ شُعْبَةَ أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّهُ غَزَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ تَبُوكَ. . . وَفِيهِ: فَلَمَّا قَضَى النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ صَلَاتَهُ أَقْبَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ ثُمَّ قَالَ: " أَحْسَنْتُمْ " أَوْ قَالَ: " قَدْ أَصَبْتُمْ " يَغْبِطُهُمْ أَنْ صَلَّوُا الصَّلَاةَ لِوَقْتِهَا " وَالْحَدِيثُ فِي: سُنَنِ أَبِي دَاوُدَ ١/٧٣ - ٧٤ (كِتَابُ الطَّهَارَةِ، بَابُ الْمَسْحِ عَلَى الْخُفَّيْنِ) ، الْمُسْنَدِ (ط. الْمَعَارِفِ) ٣/١٣٠ - ١٣١. (٢) س، ب: غَيْبَتِهِ فِي مَرَضِهِ. (٣) ن: وَذُكِرَ بِالْبُخَارِيِّ فِيهِ. . (٤) سَبَقَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ فِيمَا مَضَى ١/٥١٢.