Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (1/522)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

its being restricted to a particular clan of Quraysh or vested in anyone outside Quraysh, for none of the Companions transmitted any explicit text concerning that. Nor did anyone even say that among Quraysh there [was] (1) someone who, according to Allah’s religion and revealed law, had a greater right to the caliphate than Abu Bakr.

Whenever a scholar reflects upon such matters, and reflects (2) upon the established texts and the lives (3) of the Companions, he attains inescapable certainties that he cannot banish from his heart: it was well known among the Muslims that Abu Bakr was to be given precedence over all others; that, in their view, he had the greatest right to succeed the Prophet as caliph; and that this was perfectly clear and evident to them, without any uncertainty. This is why [the Messenger of Allah] (4)—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said:

“Allah and the believers will have none but Abu Bakr.”

It is well known that their awareness of his excellence and precedence was derived solely from the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—through matters they had heard and witnessed, [and] through these there arose (5) in them such knowledge that [thereby] (6) they knew that the Truthful One had the greatest right of anyone in the Muslim community to succeed their Prophet as caliph, that he was the best of them in the eyes of their Prophet, and that none among them was comparable to him such that the matter would require debate.

(1) N and M read: “anyone that among Quraysh.” (2) A and B read: “the scholar reflects upon them, he reflects upon.” (3) A and B read: “and the rest.” (4) “The Messenger of Allah” is an addition in A and B. (5) N and M read: “and witnessed them, there arose.” (6) “Thereby” is an addition in A and B.

كَوْنِ الْخِلَافَةِ فِي بَطْنٍ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ أَوْ غَيْرِ قُرَيْشٍ، فَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يَنْقُلْ أَحَدٌ مِنَ الصَّحَابَةِ فِيهِ نَصًّا، بَلْ وَلَا قَالَ أَحَدٌ: إِنَّهُ [كَانَ] فِي قُرَيْشٍ (١) مَنْ هُوَ أَحَقُّ بِالْخِلَافَةِ فِي دِينِ اللَّهِ وَشَرْعِهِ مِنْ أَبِي بَكْرٍ. وَمِثْلُ هَذِهِ الْأُمُورِ كُلَّمَا تَدَبَّرَهَا الْعَالِمُ، وَتَدَبَّرَ (٢) النُّصُوصَ الثَّابِتَةَ وَسِيَرَ (٣) الصَّحَابَةِ، حَصَلَ لَهُ عُلُومٌ ضَرُورِيَّةٌ لَا يُمْكِنُهُ دَفْعُهَا عَنْ قَلْبِهِ أَنَّهُ كَانَ مِنَ الْأُمُورِ الْمَشْهُورَةِ عِنْدَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ أَنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ مُقَدَّمٌ عَلَى غَيْرِهِ، وَأَنَّهُ كَانَ عِنْدَهُمْ أَحَقَّ بِخِلَافَةِ النُّبُوَّةِ، وَأَنَّ الْأَمْرَ فِي ذَلِكَ بَيِّنٌ ظَاهِرٌ عِنْدَهُمْ، لَيْسَ فِيهِ اشْتِبَاهٌ عَلَيْهِمْ؛ وَلِهَذَا قَالَ [رَسُولُ اللَّهِ] (٤) - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -: " «يَأْبَى اللَّهُ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِلَّا أَبَا بَكْرٍ» " . وَمَعْلُومٌ أَنَّ هَذَا الْعِلْمَ الَّذِي عِنْدَهُمْ بِفَضْلِهِ وَتَقَدُّمِهِ، إِنَّمَا اسْتَفَادُوهُ مِنَ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - بِأُمُورٍ سَمِعُوهَا وَعَايَنُوهَا، [وَ] حَصَلَ (٥) بِهَا لَهُمْ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ مَا عَلِمُوا [بِهِ] (٦) أَنَّ الصِّدِّيقَ أَحَقُّ الْأُمَّةِ بِخِلَافَةِ نَبِيِّهِمْ، وَأَفْضَلُهُمْ عِنْدَ نَبِيِّهِمْ وَأَنَّهُ لَيْسَ فِيهِمْ مَنْ يُشَابِهُهُ حَتَّى يَحْتَاجَ فِي ذَلِكَ إِلَى مُنَاظَرَةٍ.

(١) ن، م: أَحَدٌ أَنَّ فِي قُرَيْشٍ. (٢) أ، ب: تَدَبَّرَهَا الْعَالِمُ تَدَبَّرَ. (٣) أ، ب: وَسَائِرَ. (٤) رَسُولُ اللَّهِ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (أ) ، (ب) . (٥) ن، م: وَعَايَنُوهَا حَصَلَ. (٦) بِهِ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (أ) ، (ب) .