Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (8/576)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

that is explicit without such emphasis, and sometimes through a text about which some people may develop doubts, according to Allah’s will and wisdom.

All of this falls within conveying the message clearly. It is not (1) a requirement of clear communication that no one should find anything difficult to understand, for no fixed standard can be set for this. People’s minds and inclinations differ greatly. Some receive the knowledge, while others do not, either through their own negligence or because they are unable to do so.

The Messenger’s duty is only to convey the message clearly: to provide such explanation as is possible. This—praise be to Allah—he accomplished, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He conveyed the message clearly and left the community upon a bright path whose night is like its day; none strays from it after him except one doomed to perish. He left nothing that brings people nearer to Paradise without commanding them to do it, and nothing that brings them nearer to the Fire without forbidding it. May Allah reward him on behalf of his community with the finest reward He has ever bestowed upon a prophet on behalf of his community.

Moreover, the Prophet’s (2) instruction to Abū Bakr to lead the people in prayer during his absence, and his approval of him doing so when he was present, had already occurred while he was in good health, before this occasion.

Thus, it is related in the two Sahīh collections, on the authority of Sahl ibn Saʿd:

“The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, went to Banū ʿAmr ibn ʿAwf to reconcile them. When the time for prayer came, the caller to prayer went to Abū Bakr and said, ‘Will you lead the people in prayer, so that I may give the call to commence it?’ He replied, ‘Yes.’ So Abū Bakr led the prayer. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, arrived during the prayer and made his way through until he took his place in the prayer. The people clapped, but Abū Bakr would not turn around during prayer. When the people continued clapping insistently, he turned and saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless

(1) Laysa (“is not”) is omitted in (S) and (B). (2) B: “Fa-amara al-nabiyya Allāhu” (“Then Allah commanded the Prophet”); this appears to be a typographical error.

الْجَلِيِّ الْمُجَرَّدِ، وَتَارَةً بِالنَّصِّ الَّذِي قَدْ يَعْرِضُ لِبَعْضِ النَّاسِ فِيهِ شُبْهَةٌ بِحَسَبِ مَشِيئَةِ اللَّهِ وَحِكْمَتِهِ. وَذَلِكَ كُلُّهُ دَاخِلٌ فِي الْبَلَاغِ الْمُبِينِ، فَإِنَّهُ مَنْ لَيْسَ (١) شَرْطُ الْبَلَاغِ الْمُبِينِ أَنْ لَا يُشْكِلَ عَلَى أَحَدٍ، فَإِنَّ هَذَا لَا يَنْضَبِطُ، وَأَذْهَانُ النَّاسِ وَأَهْوَاؤُهُمْ مُتَفَاوِتَةٌ تَفَاوُتًا عَظِيمًا، وَفِيهِمْ مَنْ يَبْلُغُهُ الْعِلْمُ، وَفِيهِمْ مَنْ لَا يَبْلُغُهُ إِمَّا لِتَفْرِيطِهِ وَإِمَّا لِعَجْزِهِ. وَإِنَّمَا عَلَى الرَّسُولِ الْبَلَاغُ الْمُبِينُ: الْبَيَانُ الْمُمْكِنُ، وَهَذَا - وَلِلَّهِ الْحَمْدُ - قَدْ حَصَلَ مِنْهُ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَإِنَّهُ بَلَّغَ الْبَلَاغَ الْمُبِينَ، وَتَرَكَ الْأُمَّةَ عَلَى الْبَيْضَاءِ لَيْلُهَا كَنَهَارِهَا لَا يَزِيغُ عَنْهَا بَعْدَهُ إِلَّا هَالِكٌ، وَمَا تَرَكَ مِنْ شَيْءٍ يُقَرِّبُ إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ إِلَّا أَمَرَ الْخَلْقَ بِهِ، وَلَا مِنْ شَيْءٍ يُقَرِّبُهُمْ مِنَ النَّارِ إِلَّا نَهَاهُمْ عَنْهُ، فَجَزَاهُ اللَّهُ عَنْ أُمَّتِهِ أَفْضَلَ مَا جَزَى نَبِيًّا عَنْ أُمَّتِهِ. وَأَيْضًا فَأَمْرُ النَّبِيِّ (٢) صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَبَا بَكْرٍ بِالصَّلَاةِ بِالنَّاسِ إِذَا غَابَ، وَإِقْرَارُهُ إِذَا حَضَرَ قَدْ كَانَ فِي صِحَّتِهِ قَبْلَ هَذِهِ الْمَرَّةِ. كَمَا فِي الصَّحِيحَيْنِ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ «أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ذَهَبَ إِلَى بَنِي عَمْرِو بْنِ عَوْفٍ لِيُصْلِحَ بَيْنَهُمْ، فَحَانَتِ الصَّلَاةُ فَجَاءَ الْمُؤَذِّنُ إِلَى أَبِي بَكْرٍ، فَقَالَ: أَتُصَلِّي بِالنَّاسِ فَأُقِيمَ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ، فَصَلَّى أَبُو بَكْرٍ، فَجَاءَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي الصَّلَاةِ فَتَخَلَّصَ حَتَّى وَقَفَ فِي الصَّلَاةِ، فَصَفَّقَ النَّاسُ وَكَانَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ لَا يَلْتَفِتُ فِي الصَّلَاةِ، فَلَمَّا أَكْثَرَ النَّاسُ مِنَ التَّصْفِيقِ الْتَفَتَ، فَرَأَى رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ

(١) لَيْسَ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (س) ، (ب) (٢) ب: فَأَمَرَ النَّبِيَّ اللَّهُ: وَهُوَ خَطَأٌ مَطْبَعِيٌّ فِيمَا يَظْهَرُ.