Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (2/7)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

[THE SECOND CHAPTER: ON THE OBLIGATION TO FOLLOW THE IMĀMIYYAH SCHOOL]
[INTRODUCTION TO THE SECOND CHAPTER]

PART TWO

The Rāfidī said:

(1)

THE SECOND CHAPTER

(2)

ON THE OBLIGATION TO FOLLOW THE IMĀMIYYAH SCHOOL.

The substance of his statement is that people differed after the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him— (3), so it is necessary to investigate the truth and adhere to fairness. The Imāmiyyah school must be followed for four reasons: because it is the school most deserving of adherence and the truest; because its adherents differ from every other sect regarding the fundamentals of belief; because they are certain of their own salvation; and because they (4) received their religion from the infallible imams. (5)

Here are his words verbatim:

The Rāfidī said:

(1) M reads: “The Rāfidī said: Part Two”; A and B read: “The Rāfidī author said.” (2) The words “The Second Chapter” are omitted from M. (3) In A and B, the formula invoking blessings upon the Prophet is consistently: “May Allah Most High bless him and grant him peace.” Hereafter, the formula found in N or Ayn will be retained: “May Allah bless him and grant him peace.” (4) N and M read: “and that they.” (5) In the foregoing passage, Ibn Taymiyya summarizes the introduction to the second chapter and four of the six arguments presented by Ibn al-Mutahhar to demonstrate that following the Imāmiyyah school is obligatory. His purpose was to summarize the most important material in the chapter; he then began quoting Ibn al-Mutahhar’s exact words.

[الْفَصْلُ الثَّانِي فِي أَنَّ مَذْهَبَ الْإِمَامِيَّةِ وَاجِبُ الِاتِّبَاعِ] [مقدمة الْفَصْلُ الثَّانِي] الْبَابُ الثَّانِي قَالَ الرَّافِضِيُّ: (١) الْفَصْلُ الثَّانِي (٢) فِي أَنَّ مَذْهَبَ الْإِمَامِيَّةِ وَاجِبُ الِاتِّبَاعِ. وَمَضْمُونُ مَا ذَكَرَهُ: أَنَّ النَّاسَ اخْتَلَفُوا بَعْدَ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ (٣) ، فَيَجِبُ النَّظَرُ فِي الْحَقِّ وَاعْتِمَادِ الْإِنْصَافِ، وَمَذْهَبُ الْإِمَامِيَّةِ وَاجِبُ الِاتِّبَاعِ لِأَرْبَعَةِ أَوْجُهٍ: لِأَنَّهُ أَحَقُّهَا وَأَصْدَقُهَا ; وَلِأَنَّهُمْ بَايَنُوا جَمِيعَ الْفِرَقِ فِي أُصُولِ الْعَقَائِدِ ; وَلِأَنَّهُمْ جَازِمُونَ بِالنَّجَاةِ لِأَنْفُسِهِمْ ; وَلِأَنَّهُمْ (٤) أَخَذُوا دِينَهُمْ عَنِ الْأَئِمَّةِ الْمَعْصُومِينَ (٥) وَهَذَا حِكَايَةُ لَفْظِهِ: قَالَ الرَّافِضِيُّ:

(١) م: قَالَ الرَّافِضِيُّ، الْبَابُ الثَّانِي ; أ، ب: قَالَ الْمُصَنِّفُ الرَّافِضِيُّ. (٢) الْفَصْلُ الثَّانِي: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (م) . (٣) صِيغَةُ الصَّلَاةِ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ فِي (أ) ، (ب) دَائِمًا: صَلَّى اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَسَتَثْبُتُ فِيمَا يَلِي الصِّيغَةُ الْمَوْجُودَةُ فِي (ن) أَوْ (ع) وَهِيَ: صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ. (٤) ن، م: وَأَنَّهُمْ. (٥) يُلَخِّصُ ابْنُ تَيْمِيَّةَ بِمَا سَبَقَ مُقَدِّمَةَ الْفَصْلِ الثَّانِي وَأَرْبَعَةَ أَوْجَهٍ مِنْ سِتَّةٍ أَوْرَدَهَا ابْنُ الْمُطَهَّرِ لِلدَّلَالَةِ عَلَى وُجُوبِ اتِّبَاعِ مَذْهَبِ الْإِمَامِيَّةِ، عَلَى أَنَّهُ أَرَادَ بِذَلِكَ تَلْخِيصَ أَهَمِّ مَا فِي هَذَا الْفَصْلِ، ثُمَّ بَدَأَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ يَنْقُلُ أَلْفَاظَ ابْنِ الْمُطَهَّرِ بِنَصِّهَا.