Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (2/34)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

There is no [greater] (1) fabrication [of lies] (2) against Allah or denial of the truth among the sects affiliated with Islam than among those affiliated with Shiism (3). Hence, extremism is found in no sect to a greater degree than among them. Some of them have ascribed divinity to human beings, attributed prophethood to someone other than the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and claimed infallibility for the imams, along with similar things (4), which are graver than anything found among the other sects. The scholars agree that lying is more prevalent among them than in any other sect (5) affiliated with Islam.

Allah Most High says:

{Say, “Praise be to Allah, and peace be upon His servants whom He has chosen.”}

[Surah al-Naml: 59]

A group of the early Muslims said, “They are the Companions of Muhammad [may Allah bless him and grant him peace] (6).”

There is no doubt that they are the best of those chosen from this community, concerning which Allah says:

{Then We gave the Book as an inheritance to those of Our servants whom We chose. Some of them wrong themselves, some follow a middle course, and some are foremost in good deeds by Allah’s permission. That is the great bounty. Gardens of Eternity they shall enter, where they will be adorned with bracelets of gold and pearls, and their garments will be of silk. They will say, “Praise be to Allah, who has removed all sorrow from us. Our Lord is truly All-Forgiving, Most Appreciative—the One who, out of His grace, has settled us in the Home of Everlasting Residence, where no fatigue touches us, nor does any weariness touch us.”}

[Surah Fātir: 32–35] (7)

Thus, the community of Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—comprises (8)

(1) “Greater” is absent from N alone. (2) “Of lies” is absent from N and M. (3) N reads: “the Shia.” (4) N reads: “and other things.” (5) “The sects” is absent from A and B. (6) “May Allah bless him and grant him peace” is an addition in A and B. Al-Tabarī also cited this in his *Tafsīr* (20/3), on the authority of Sufyān al-Thawrī. (7) N and M read: “By Allah’s permission…” through His words: “nor does any weariness touch us therein.” (8) “They” is absent from A and B.

وَلَيْسَ فِي الطَّوَائِفِ الْمُنْتَسِبَةِ إِلَى الْقِبْلَةِ [أَعْظَمُ] (١) . افْتِرَاءٍ [لِلْكَذِبِ] (٢) . عَلَى اللَّهِ، وَتَكْذِيبًا بِالْحَقِّ مِنَ الْمُنْتَسِبِينَ إِلَى التَّشَيُّعِ (٣) ، وَلِهَذَا لَا يُوجَدُ الْغُلُوُّ فِي طَائِفَةٍ أَكْثَرَ مِمَّا يُوجَدُ فِيهِمْ. وَمِنْهُمْ مَنِ ادَّعَى إِلَهِيَّةِ الْبَشَرِ، وَادَّعَى النُّبُوَّةَ فِي غَيْرِ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَادَّعَى الْعِصْمَةَ فِي الْأَئِمَّةِ، وَنَحْوَ ذَلِكَ (٤) . مِمَّا هُوَ أَعْظَمُ مِمَّا يُوجَدُ فِي سَائِرِ الطَّوَائِفِ، وَاتَّفَقَ أَهْلُ الْعِلْمِ عَلَى أَنَّ الْكَذِبَ لَيْسَ فِي طَائِفَةٍ مِنَ الطَّوَائِفِ (٥) . الْمُنْتَسِبِينَ إِلَى الْقِبْلَةِ أَكْثَرَ مِنْهُ فِيهِمْ. قَالَ تَعَالَى: {قُلِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَسَلَامٌ عَلَى عِبَادِهِ الَّذِينَ اصْطَفَى} [سُورَةُ النَّمْلِ: ٥٩] . قَالَ طَائِفَةٌ مِنَ السَّلَفِ: هُمْ أَصْحَابُ مُحَمَّدٍ [صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ] (٦) . . وَلَا رَيْبَ أَنَّهُمْ أَفْضَلُ الْمُصْطَفِينَ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ الَّتِي قَالَ اللَّهُ فِيهَا: {ثُمَّ أَوْرَثْنَا الْكِتَابَ الَّذِينَ اصْطَفَيْنَا مِنْ عِبَادِنَا فَمِنْهُمْ ظَالِمٌ لِنَفْسِهِ وَمِنْهُمْ مُقْتَصِدٌ وَمِنْهُمْ سَابِقٌ بِالْخَيْرَاتِ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ ذَلِكَ هُوَ الْفَضْلُ الْكَبِيرُ - جَنَّاتُ عَدْنٍ يَدْخُلُونَهَا يُحَلَّوْنَ فِيهَا مِنْ أَسَاوِرَ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ وَلُؤْلُؤًا وَلِبَاسُهُمْ فِيهَا حَرِيرٌ - وَقَالُوا الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَذْهَبَ عَنَّا الْحَزَنَ إِنَّ رَبَّنَا لَغَفُورٌ شَكُورٌ - الَّذِي أَحَلَّنَا دَارَ الْمُقَامَةِ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ لَا يَمَسُّنَا فِيهَا نَصَبٌ وَلَا يَمَسُّنَا فِيهَا لُغُوبٌ} [سُورَةُ فَاطِرٍ: ٣٢ - ٣٥] (٧) ، فَأُمَّةُ مُحَمَّدٍ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - هُمُ (٨) .

(١) أَعْظَمُ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) فَقَطْ (٢) لِلْكَذِبِ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) (٣) ن: الشِّيَعِ (٤) ن: وَغَيْرَ ذَلِكَ (٥) الطَّوَائِفِ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) (٦) صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (أ) ، (ب) . وَذَكَرَهُ الطَّبَرِيُّ فِي تَفْسِيرِهِ (٢٠/٣) عَنْ سُفْيَانَ الثَّوْرِيِّ (٧) ن، م: بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ. . إِلَى قَوْلِهِ: وَلَا يَمَسُّنَا فِيهَا لُغُوبٌ (٨) هُمْ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب)