Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (1/558)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

this good, any evil?”

He replied:

“Yes.”

I asked: (1) “Will there then be any good after that evil?”

He replied:

“Yes, but it will be tainted.”

I asked, “What will taint it?”

He replied:

“People will follow a practice other than my Sunnah (2) and seek guidance other than my guidance. You will approve of some of what they do and disapprove of some.”

I then asked, “Will there be any evil after that good?”

He replied:

“Yes—callers at the gates of Hell. Whoever answers their call, they will cast him into it.”

I said, “O Messenger of Allah, describe them to us.”

He said, “Yes. They will be people of our own stock who speak our language.”

I asked, “O Messenger of Allah, what do you instruct me to do if I live to see that?”

He replied:

“Adhere to the united Muslim community and [their] leader.”

I asked, “What if they have (3) neither a united community nor a leader?”

He replied:

“Then keep away from all those factions, even if you must bite onto the root of a tree until death overtakes you while you remain in that state.” (4)

In [another] (5) wording: “I asked, ‘[And will] (6) there be any (7) evil beyond that good?’

He replied:

(1) N and M read: “He said:” (2) N and M read: “follow my Sunnah.” (3) “They have” is omitted from N and M. (4) The hadith narrated from Abū Hudhayfa—may Allah be pleased with him—is found in *Sahīh Muslim*, 3:1475–1476, where it reads: “They will guide according to guidance other than mine” (the *Commentary of al-Nawawī*, 12:236, reads: “They will seek guidance [other than mine]”). The hadith is also found in *Sahīh al-Bukhārī*, 4:199–200 (Book of Virtues, chapter: The Signs of Prophethood in Islam), and 9:51–52 (Book of Tribulations, chapter: What Is to Be Done When There Is No United Community?); and, in abridged form, in *Sunan Ibn Mājah*, 2:1317 (Book of Tribulations, chapter on Seclusion). Regarding *dakhan* (taint), the *Commentary of al-Nawawī*, 12:236–237, states: “Abū Ubayda and others said: Its original meaning is a dusky discoloration tending toward black in an animal’s coat. Here it means that people’s hearts will not be wholly sincere toward one another, that their malice will not disappear, and that they will not return to their former purity.” (5) “Another” is added in A and B. (6) “And will” is omitted from N and M. (7) “Any” is omitted from A and B.

هَذَا الْخَيْرِ مِنْ شَرٍّ؟ قَالَ: " نَعَمْ " . قُلْتُ: (١) فَهَلْ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ الشَّرِّ مِنْ خَيْرٍ؟ قَالَ: " نَعَمْ، وَفِيهِ دَخَنٌ " . قُلْتُ: وَمَا دَخَنُهُ؟ قَالَ: " قَوْمٌ يَسْتَنُّونَ بِغَيْرِ سُنَّتِي (٢) ، وَيَهْتَدُونَ بِغَيْرِ هَدْيِي، تَعْرِفُ مِنْهُمْ وَتُنْكِرُ " . فَقُلْتُ: هَلْ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ الْخَيْرِ مِنْ شَرٍّ؟ قَالَ: " نَعَمْ دُعَاةٌ عَلَى أَبْوَابِ جَهَنَّمَ، مَنْ أَجَابَهُمْ إِلَيْهَا قَذَفُوهُ فِيهَا " . فَقُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صِفْهُمْ لَنَا. " قَالَ نَعَمْ، قَوْمٌ مِنْ جِلْدَتِنَا وَيَتَكَلَّمُونَ بِأَلْسِنَتِنَا " . قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، فَمَا تَرَى إِنْ أَدْرَكَنِي ذَلِكَ؟ قَالَ: " تَلْزَمُ جَمَاعَةَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَإِمَامَهُمْ " . قُلْتُ: فَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ [لَهُمْ] (٣) جَمَاعَةٌ وَلَا إِمَامٌ؟ قَالَ: " فَاعْتَزِلْ تِلْكَ الْفِرَقَ كُلَّهَا، وَلَوْ أَنْ تَعَضَّ عَلَى أَصْلِ شَجَرَةٍ حَتَّى يُدْرِكَكَ الْمَوْتُ وَأَنْتَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ» " (٤) . وَفِي لَفْظٍ [آخَرَ] (٥) «قُلْتُ: [وَهَلْ] (٦) وَرَاءَ ذَلِكَ الْخَيْرِ مِنْ (٧) شَرٍّ؟ قَالَ:

(١) ن، م: قَالَ: (٢) ن، م: بِسُنَّتِي. (٣) لَهُمْ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٤) الْحَدِيثُ عَنْ أَبِي حُذَيْفَةَ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ - فِي صَحِيحِ مُسْلِمٍ ٣/١٤٧٥ - ١٤٧٦، وَفِيهِ: وَيَهْدُونَ بِغَيْرِ هَدْيِي (وَفِي شَرْحِ النَّوَوِيِّ ١٢/٢٣٦: يَهْتَدُونَ) ، وَالْحَدِيثُ أَيْضًا فِي الْبُخَارِيِّ ٤/١٩٩ - ٢٠٠ (كِتَابُ الْمَنَاقِبِ، بَابُ عَلَامَاتِ النُّبُوَّةِ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ) ، ٩/٥١ - ٥٢ (كِتَابُ الْفِتَنِ، بَابُ كَيْفَ الْأَمْرُ إِذَا لَمْ تَكُنْ جَمَاعَةٌ) ؛ سُنَنِ ابْنِ مَاجَهْ ٢/١٣١٧ (كِتَابُ الْفِتَنِ، بَابُ الْعُزْلَةِ) وَجَاءَ مُخْتَصَرًا. وَالدَّخَنُ (شَرْحُ النَّوَوِيِّ ١٢/٢٣٦ - ٢٣٧) : " قَالَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ وَغَيْرُهُ. . .: أَصْلُهُ أَنْ تَكُونَ فِي لَوْنِ الدَّابَّةِ كُدُورَةٌ إِلَى سَوَادٍ. قَالُوا: وَالْمُرَادُ هُنَا أَنْ لَا تَصْفُوَ الْقُلُوبُ بَعْضُهَا لِبَعْضٍ، وَلَا يَزُولَ خُبْثُهَا، وَلَا تَرْجِعَ إِلَى مَا كَانَتْ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الصَّفَاءِ ". (٥) آخَرَ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (أ) ، (ب) . (٦) وَهَلْ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٧) مِنْ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) .