Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (1/551)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

Likewise, if a person who has suffered injustice asks an ignorant, unjust, or less qualified judge to grant him redress and rule in his favor according to his right—so the judge imprisons (1) his debtor on his behalf, [or divides his inheritance for him] (2), or solemnizes his marriage to an unmarried woman whose only guardian is the ruler, or does something similar—what share does he bear of that judge’s sin, or of the sin of the person who appointed him, when he has sought the judge’s assistance only in upholding a right, not in falsehood?

Allah Most High has said:

“So fear Allah as much as you are able.”

[Surah al-Taghābun: 16]

And the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said:

“When I command you to do something, do as much of it as you are able.”

[Narrated by al-Bukhārī and Muslim] (3).

It is well known that the revealed law came to secure and perfect benefits and, as far as possible, to prevent and minimize harms.

Ahl al-Sunnah say: The person best qualified for an office should be appointed to it whenever possible—[either] (4) as an obligation, according to most of them, or as a recommendation, according to some—and that whoever turns away from—

(1) N alone reads: “and so he detained [his debtor].” (2) The passage in square brackets is omitted from N and M. (3) The phrase “Narrated by al-Bukhārī and Muslim” is omitted from N and M. The hadith is narrated from Abū Hurayra—may Allah be pleased with him—in *Sahīh al-Bukhārī*, 9:94–95 (*Holding Fast to the Book and the Sunnah*, “Following the Practices of Allah’s Messenger…”). Its wording is: “Leave me alone regarding matters on which I have left you alone. Those before you were destroyed only because of their questioning and their disagreement with their prophets. When I prohibit you from something, avoid it; and when I command you to do something, do as much of it as you are able.” The hadith, with some variation in wording, also appears in *Sahīh Muslim*, 2:975 (*Hajj*, “The Obligation of Hajj Once in a Lifetime”); *Sunan al-Nasā’ī*, 5:83 (*Rites of Hajj*, “The Obligation of Hajj”); and *Sunan Ibn Mājah*, 1:3 (*Introduction*, “Following the Sunnah of Allah’s Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace”). (4) The word “either” is omitted from N alone.

وَكَذَلِكَ الْحَاكِمُ الْجَاهِلُ أَوِ الظَّالِمُ أَوِ الْمَفْضُولُ إِذَا طَلَبَ الْمَظْلُومُ مِنْهُ أَنْ يُنْصِفَهُ وَيَحْكُمَ لَهُ بِحَقِّهِ: فَيَحْبِسُ (١) لَهُ غَرِيمَهُ، [أَوْ يُقَسِّمُ لَهُ مِيرَاثَهُ] (٢) ، أَوْ يُزَوِّجُهُ بِأَيِّمٍ لَا وَلِيَّ لَهَا غَيْرُ السُّلْطَانِ أَوْ نَحْوُ ذَلِكَ، فَأَيُّ شَيْءٍ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ إِثْمِهِ، أَوْ إِثْمِ مَنْ وَلَّاهُ وَهُوَ لَمْ يَسْتَعِنْ بِهِ إِلَّا عَلَى حَقٍّ لَا عَلَى بَاطِلٍ؟ . وَقَدْ قَالَ تَعَالَى: {فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ} [سُورَةُ التَّغَابُنِ: ١٦] وَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - " «إِذَا أَمَرْتُكُمْ بِأَمْرٍ فَأْتُوا مِنْهُ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ» " [رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ وَمُسْلِمٌ] (٣) . وَمَعْلُومٌ أَنَّ الشَّرِيعَةَ جَاءَتْ بِتَحْصِيلِ الْمَصَالِحِ وَتَكْمِيلِهَا، وَتَعْطِيلِ الْمَفَاسِدِ وَتَقْلِيلِهَا، بِحَسْبِ الْإِمْكَانِ. وَأَهْلُ السُّنَّةِ يَقُولُونَ: يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يُوَلَّى الْأَصْلَحُ لِلْوِلَايَةِ إِذَا أَمْكَنَ: [إِمَّا] (٤) وُجُوبًا عِنْدَ أَكْثَرِهِمْ، وَإِمَّا اسْتِحْبَابًا عِنْدَ بَعْضِهِمْ، وَأَنَّ مَنْ عَدَلَ عَنِ

(١) ن (فَقَطْ) : فَحَبَسَ. (٢) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٣) عِبَارَةُ " رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ وَمُسْلِمٌ " سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . وَالْحَدِيثُ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ - فِي الْبُخَارِيِّ ٩/٩٤ - ٩٥ (كِتَابُ الِاعْتِصَامِ بِالْكِتَابِ وَالسُّنَّةِ، بَابُ الِاقْتِدَاءِ بِسُنَنِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ. . .) وَنَصُّهُ: " دَعُونِي مَا تَرَكْتُكُمْ، إِنَّمَا هَلَكَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ بِسُؤَالِهِمْ وَاخْتِلَافِهِمْ عَلَى أَنْبِيَائِهِمْ، فَإِذَا نَهَيْتُكُمْ عَنْ شَيْءٍ فَاجْتَنِبُوهُ، وَإِذَا أَمَرْتُكُمْ بِأَمْرٍ فَأْتُوا مِنْهُ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ " وَالْحَدِيثُ - مَعَ اخْتِلَافٍ فِي اللَّفْظِ - فِي مُسْلِمٍ ٢/٩٧٥ (كِتَابُ الْحَجِّ، بَابُ فَرْضِ الْحَجِّ مَرَّةً فِي الْعُمْرِ) ؛ سُنَنِ النَّسَائِيِّ ٥/٨٣ (كِتَابُ الْمَنَاسِكِ، بَابُ وُجُوبِ الْحَجِّ) ؛ سُنَنِ ابْنِ مَاجَهْ ١/٣ (الْمُقَدِّمَةُ، بَابُ اتِّبَاعِ سُنَّةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -) . (٤) إِمَّا: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) فَقَطْ.