Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (1/555)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

and learn (1); whereas if he entrusted him to the other, the boy would run away and flee. Would it not be better to entrust him to the former? Even supposing the latter to be superior, what benefit is there in his superiority if the boy derives no benefit from him because he recoils from him?

Suppose two men sought a woman’s hand in marriage. One was superior to the other, but the woman hated him; if she were married to him (2), she would not obey him but would quarrel with him and harm him. Thus, neither would she benefit from him nor would [he] (3) benefit from her. She loves the other man, however, and he loves her, and through him the purposes of marriage would be fulfilled. Would not marrying her to this less excellent man be preferable, by the agreement of all rational people? And would not an express stipulation by anyone who stipulates [that] (4) she marry this less excellent man (5) be preferable to an express stipulation that she marry the former?

How, then, can there be ascribed to Allah and His Messenger something that none but an ignorant or unjust person (6) would approve?

This and similar considerations establish the falsity of the claim of explicit designation, even on the supposition that Alī was the most excellent and the most entitled to rule (7), but that his rule could produce nothing beyond what actually occurred, while another man, despite being unjust, could bring about the benefits that did occur. How much more so when the matter was not as supposed in either respect?

(1) A and B read: “would learn and acquire good manners.” (2) N, A, and B read: “and if she married him.” (3) “He” is added in A and B. (4) “That” is omitted from N and M. (5) “The less excellent man” is added in N alone. (6) A and B read: “unjust or ignorant.” (7) A and B read: “to rulership.”

وَتَعَلَّمَ (١) ، وَإِذَا أَسْلَمَهُ إِلَى الْآخَرِ فَرَّ وَهَرَبَ، أَفَلَيْسَ إِسْلَامُهُ إِلَى ذَاكَ أَوْلَى؟ وَلَوْ قُدِّرَ أَنَّ ذَاكَ أَفْضَلُ فَأَيُّ مَنْفَعَةٍ فِي فَضِيلَتِهِ إِذَا لَمْ يَحْصُلْ لِلْوَلَدِ بِهِ مَنْفَعَةٌ لِنُفُورِهِ عَنْهُ؟ . وَلَوْ خَطَبَ الْمَرْأَةَ رَجُلَانِ، أَحَدُهُمَا أَفْضَلُ مِنَ الْآخَرِ لَكِنَّ الْمَرْأَةَ تَكْرَهُهُ، وَإِنْ زُوِّجَتْ بِهِ (٢) لَمْ تُطِعْهُ، بَلْ تُخَاصِمُهُ وَتُؤْذِيهِ، فَلَا تَنْتَفِعُ بِهِ وَلَا يَنْتَفِعُ [هُوَ] (٣) بِهَا، وَالْآخَرُ تُحِبُّهُ وَيُحِبُّهَا وَيَحْصُلُ بِهِ مَقَاصِدُ النِّكَاحِ، أَفَلَيْسَ تَزْوِيجُهَا بِهَذَا الْمَفْضُولِ أَوْلَى بِاتِّفَاقِ الْعُقَلَاءِ، وَنَصُّ مَنْ يَنُصُّ [عَلَى] (٤) تَزْوِيجِهَا بِهَذَا الْمَفْضُولِ (٥) أَوْلَى مِنَ النَّصِّ عَلَى تَزْوِيجِهَا بِهَذَا؟ . فَكَيْفَ يُضَافُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ مَا لَا يَرْضَاهُ إِلَّا جَاهِلٌ أَوْ ظَالِمٌ (٦) ؟ . وَهَذَا وَنَحْوُهُ مِمَّا يُعْلَمُ بِهِ بُطْلَانُ النَّصِّ بِتَقْدِيرِ أَنْ يَكُونَ عَلِيٌّ هُوَ الْأَفْضَلَ الْأَحَقَّ بِالْأَمْرِ (٧) لَكِنْ لَا يَحْصُلُ بِوِلَايَتِهِ إِلَّا مَا حَصَلَ، وَغَيْرُهُ ظَالِمًا يَحْصُلُ بِهِ مَا حَصَلَ مِنَ الْمَصَالِحِ، فَكَيْفَ إِذَا لَمْ يَكُنِ الْأَمْرُ كَذَلِكَ لَا فِي هَذَا وَلَا فِي هَذَا؟ .

(١) أ، ب: تَعَلَّمَ وَتَأَدَّبَ. (٢) ن، أ، ب: وَإِنْ تَزَوَّجَتْ بِهِ. (٣) هُوَ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (أ) ، (ب) . (٤) عَلَى: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٥) الْمَفْضُولِ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (ن) فَقَطْ. (٦) أ، ب: ظَالِمٌ أَوْ جَاهِلٌ. (٧) أ، ب: بِالْإِمَارَةِ.