Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (2/26)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

Those possessed of knowledge know that it was concerning this event (1) that Allah Most High revealed:

“Indeed, We have granted you a clear victory, so that Allah may forgive you for your past and future sins, perfect His favor upon you, guide you to a straight path, and aid you with a mighty victory.”

[Surah al-Fath: 1–3] (2)

Some Muslims then said, “O Messenger of Allah! This is for you, but what is there for us [O Messenger of Allah]?” (3) Allah Most High therefore revealed:

“He is the One Who sent serenity into the hearts of the believers so that they might increase in faith along with their faith.”

[Surah al-Fath: 4]

This verse explicitly establishes the superiority of those who spent and fought before the victory over those who spent and fought (4) afterward. For this reason, the majority of scholars held that “the first and foremost” in the words of Allah Most High:

“The first and foremost among the Emigrants and the Helpers”

[Surah al-Tawbah: 100]

are those who spent and fought before the victory. All those who took part in the Pledge of al-Ridwān were among them, and they numbered more than 1,400.

Some scholars, however, held that the first and foremost (5) were those who prayed [toward] (6)

(1) N and M read: “People are agreed that it was concerning this event...” (2) The third verse of Surah al-Fath is omitted from N and M. (3) “O Messenger of Allah” is added in A and B. (4) “Those who fought” is omitted from A and B. (5) N reads: “the foremost among the first.” (6) “Toward” is omitted from N and M.

وَأَهْلُ الْعِلْمِ يَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ فِيهِ (١) . أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: {إِنَّا فَتَحْنَا لَكَ فَتْحًا مُبِينًا - لِيَغْفِرَ لَكَ اللَّهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِكَ وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ وَيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْكَ وَيَهْدِيَكَ صِرَاطًا مُسْتَقِيمًا - وَيَنْصُرَكَ اللَّهُ نَصْرًا عَزِيزًا} [سُورَةُ الْفَتْحِ: ١ - ٣] (٢) ، فَقَالَ بَعْضُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ! هَذَا لَكَ فَمَا لَنَا [يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ] ؟ (٣) ; فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: {هُوَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ السَّكِينَةَ فِي قُلُوبِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ لِيَزْدَادُوا إِيمَانًا مَعَ إِيمَانِهِمْ} [سُورَةُ الْفَتْحِ: ٤] . وَهَذِهِ الْآيَةُ نَصٌّ فِي تَفْضِيلِ الْمُنْفِقِينَ الْمُقَاتِلِينَ قَبْلَ الْفَتْحِ عَلَى الْمُنْفِقِينَ الْمُقَاتِلِينَ (٤) بَعْدَهُ، وَلِهَذَا ذَهَبَ جُمْهُورُ الْعُلَمَاءِ إِلَى أَنَّ السَّابِقِينَ فِي قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: {وَالسَّابِقُونَ الْأَوَّلُونَ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنْصَارِ} [سُورَةُ التَّوْبَةِ: ١٠٠] هُمْ هَؤُلَاءِ الَّذِينَ أَنْفَقُوا مِنْ قَبْلِ الْفَتْحِ وَقَاتَلُوا، وَأَهْلُ بَيْعَةِ الرِّضْوَانِ كُلُّهُمْ مِنْهُمْ، وَكَانُوا أَكْثَرَ مَنْ أَلْفٍ وَأَرْبَعِمِائَةٍ. وَقَدْ ذَهَبَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى أَنَّ السَّابِقِينَ الْأَوَّلِينَ (٥) . هُمْ مَنْ صَلَّى [إِلَى] (٦) .

(١) ن، م: وَقَدِ اتَّفَقَ النَّاسُ عَلَى أَنَّ فِيهِ (٢) لَمْ تَرِدِ الْآيَةُ الثَّالِثَةُ مِنْ سُورَةِ الْفَتْحِ فِي (ن) ، (م) (٣) يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (أ) ، (ب) . (٤) الْمُقَاتِلِينَ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) (٥) ن: السَّابِقِينَ مِنَ الْأَوَّلِينَ (٦) إِلَى: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م)