Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (1/540)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

and through him Allah will reconcile two great groups(1) of Muslims.”(2)

Thus, he praised al-Hasan for bringing about reconciliation. Had fighting been obligatory or recommended, one who refrained from it would not have been praised.

They said:

Allah did not command that rebellious factions be fought from the outset, nor did He command that every transgressor be fought. Rather, He [the Most High](3) said:

“If two groups of believers fight one another, make peace between them. But if one of them transgresses against the other, then fight the transgressing group until it returns to the command of Allah.”

[Surat al-Hujurāt: 9]

Thus, when believers fought one another, He commanded that peace be made between them. Then, if one of the two transgressed [against the other](4), it was to be fought.

They said:

This is why no benefit resulted from the fighting. Any action Allah commands must necessarily bring benefit that outweighs its harm. In the Sunan of Abū Dāwūd, al-Hasan ibn Alī narrated to us: Yazīd narrated to us: Hishām informed us, from Muhammad—that is, Ibn—

(1) A and B read: “It is established that he—peace and blessings be upon him—said concerning al-Hasan.” (2) A and B read: “believers.” The hadith is narrated from Abū Bakra—may Allah be pleased with him—in al-Bukhārī, 3/186 (*Kitāb al-Sulh* [Book of Reconciliation], chapter “The Prophet’s Statement to al-Hasan ibn ʿAlī—may Allah be pleased with them both—‘This Son of Mine Is a Leader…’”); 4/204–205 (*Kitāb al-Manāqib* [Book of Virtues], chapter “Signs of Prophethood in Islam”); 5/26 (*Kitāb Fadāʾil Ashāb al-Nabī* [Book of the Virtues of the Prophet’s Companions], chapter “The Virtues of al-Hasan and al-Husayn—may Allah be pleased with them both”); and 9/56–57 (*Kitāb al-Fitan* [Book of Tribulations], chapter “The Prophet’s Statement to al-Hasan ibn ʿAlī: ‘This Son of Mine Is Indeed a Leader…’”). Al-Bukhārī’s wording is: “…and perhaps Allah will reconcile through him two great factions.” Another version reads: “two factions of Muslims.” The hadith also appears in the *Sunan* of Abū Dāwūd, 4/299–300 (*Kitāb al-Sunna* [Book of the Sunnah], chapter “Evidence for Refraining from Speaking Concerning Tribulation”); the *Sunan* of al-Tirmidhī, 5/323 (*Kitāb al-Manāqib* [Book of Virtues], chapter “Muhammad ibn Bashshār Narrated to Us…”); and the *Sunan* of al-Nasāʾī, 3/87–88 (*Kitāb al-Jumuʿa* [Book of Friday Prayer], chapter “The Imam Addressing His Congregation from the Pulpit”). (3) “The Most High” is an addition in A and B. (4) “Against the other” is an addition in M.

وَسَيُصْلِحُ اللَّهُ بِهِ بَيْنَ فِئَتَيْنِ (١) عَظِيمَتَيْنِ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ» " (٢) . فَأَثْنَى عَلَى الْحَسَنِ بِالْإِصْلَاحِ، وَلَوْ كَانَ الْقِتَالُ وَاجِبًا أَوْ مُسْتَحَبًّا، لَمَا مُدِحَ تَارِكُهُ. قَالُوا: وَقِتَالُ الْبُغَاةِ لَمْ يَأْمُرِ اللَّهُ بِهِ ابْتِدَاءً، وَلَمْ يَأْمُرْ بِقِتَالِ كُلِّ بَاغٍ، بَلْ قَالَ [تَعَالَى] (٣) {وَإِنْ طَائِفَتَانِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ اقْتَتَلُوا فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَهُمَا فَإِنْ بَغَتْ إِحْدَاهُمَا عَلَى الْأُخْرَى فَقَاتِلُوا الَّتِي تَبْغِي حَتَّى تَفِيءَ إِلَى أَمْرِ اللَّهِ} [سُورَةُ الْحُجُرَاتِ: ٩] ، فَأَمَرَ إِذَا اقْتَتَلَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْإِصْلَاحِ بَيْنَهُمْ، فَإِنْ بَغَتْ إِحْدَاهُمَا [عَلَى الْأُخْرَى] (٤) قُوتِلَتْ. قَالُوا: وَلِهَذَا لَمْ يَحْصُلْ بِالْقِتَالِ مَصْلَحَةٌ، وَالْأَمْرُ الَّذِي يَأْمُرُ اللَّهُ بِهِ لَا بُدَّ أَنْ تَكُونَ مَصْلَحَتُهُ رَاجِحَةً عَلَى مَفْسَدَتِهِ. وَفِي سُنَنِ أَبِي دَاوُدَ، حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ، أَنْبَأَنَا هِشَامٌ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدٍ يَعْنِي ابْنَ

(١) أ، ب: وَقَدْ ثَبَتَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ. (٢) أ، ب: الْمُؤْمِنِينَ. وَالْحَدِيثُ عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرَةَ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ - فِي الْبُخَارِيِّ ٣/١٨٦ (كِتَابُ الصُّلْحِ، بَابُ قَوْلِ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - لِلْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا - إِنَّ ابْنِي هَذَا سَيِّدٌ. . .) ، ٤/٢٠٤ - ٢٠٥ (كِتَابُ الْمَنَاقِبِ، بَابُ عَلَامَاتِ النُّبُوَّةِ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ) ، ٥/٢٦ (كِتَابُ فَضَائِلِ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -، بَابُ مَنَاقِبِ الْحَسَنِ وَالْحُسَيْنِ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا -) ، ٩/٥٦ - ٥٧ (كِتَابُ الْفِتَنِ، بَابُ قَوْلِ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - لِلْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ: إِنَّ ابْنِي هَذَا لَسَيِّدٌ. . .) وَلَفْظُ الْبُخَارِيِّ:. . . وَلَعَلَّ اللَّهَ أَنْ يُصْلِحَ بِهِ بَيْنَ فِئَتَيْنِ عَظِيمَتَيْنِ. وَفِي لَفْظٍ: بَيْنَ فِئَتَيْنِ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ. الْحَدِيثُ أَيْضًا فِي سُنَنِ أَبِي دَاوُدَ ٤/٢٩٩ - ٣٠٠ (كِتَابُ السُّنَّةِ، بَابُ مَا يَدُلُّ عَلَى تَرْكِ الْكَلَامِ فِي الْفِتْنَةِ) ؛ سُنَنِ التِّرْمِذِيِّ ٥/٣٢٣ (كِتَابُ الْمَنَاقِبِ، بَابُ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ. . .) ؛ سُنَنِ النَّسَائِيِّ ٣/٨٧ - ٨٨ (كِتَابُ الْجُمُعَةِ، بَابُ مُخَاطَبَةِ الْإِمَامِ رَعِيَّتَهُ وَهُوَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ) . (٣) تَعَالَى: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (أ) ، (ب) . (٤) عَلَى الْأُخْرَى: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (م) .