Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (2/61)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

and Uthman—and declared them unbelievers (1). What, then, of the Companions [and the Followers] (2) who withheld their pledge of allegiance to him or fought him? Their argument is stronger than that of those who impugned Abū Bakr, Umar, and Uthman. For they said:

“We can pledge allegiance only to one who treats us justly (3), protects us from those who wrong us, and recovers our rights from those who have wronged us. If he does not do so, he is either incapable or unjust, and we are not obliged to pledge allegiance to an incapable or unjust man (4).”

If this argument is false, then the claim that Abū Bakr and Umar were oppressors seeking wealth and leadership (5) is even more demonstrably false and invalid. No person of insight and knowledge can doubt this. What comparison is there (6) between the grounds of someone like Abū Mūsā al-Asharī (* who agreed with Amr (7) that Ali and Muawiya should be removed and that the matter should be left to consultation among the Muslims *) (8) and the grounds of Abd Allah ibn Saba (9) and his ilk, who claim that Ali is an infallible imam, a god, or a prophet (10)? Indeed, what comparison is there between the grounds of those who believed Muawiya should be appointed to rule and those who claim that Ali is a god or a prophet? The latter are unbelievers by Muslim consensus, unlike the former.

(1) B reads: “They reviled Abū Bakr and Umar and declared them both unbelievers.” (2) “And the Followers” is absent from N and M. (3) N reads: “We treat Ali justly,” which is a corruption. (4) N and M read: “an incapable man, nor an unjust one.” (5) A and B read: “seeking leadership and wealth.” (6) N reads: “And how…” (7) N reads: “Umar,” which is an error. (8) The text between the asterisks is absent from M. (9) N and M read: “Abd Allah ibn Sanan,” which is a corruption. (10) Reference has already been made to Abd Allah ibn Saba and his doctrine. See this work, 1:23–24, 308.

وَعُثْمَانَ وَكَفَّرُوهُمْ (١) ، فَكَيْفَ بِحَالِ الصَّحَابَةِ [وَالتَّابِعِينَ] (٢) الَّذِينَ تَخَلَّفُوا عَنْ بَيْعَتِهِ أَوْ قَاتَلُوهُ؟ فَشُبْهَتُهُمْ أَقْوَى مِنْ شُبْهَةِ مَنْ قَدَحَ فِي أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ وَعُثْمَانَ، فَإِنَّ أُولَئِكَ قَالُوا: مَا يُمْكِنُنَا أَنْ نُبَايِعَ إِلَّا مَنْ يَعْدِلُ عَلَيْنَا (٣) وَيَمْنَعُنَا مِمَّنْ يَظْلِمُنَا وَيَأْخُذُ حَقَّنَا مِمَّنْ ظَلَمَنَا، فَإِذَا لَمْ يَفْعَلْ هَذَا كَانَ عَاجِزًا أَوْ ظَالِمًا وَلَيْسَ عَلَيْنَا أَنْ نُبَايِعَ عَاجِزًا أَوْ ظَالِمًا (٤) . وَهَذَا الْكَلَامُ إِذَا كَانَ بَاطِلًا، فَبُطْلَانُ قَوْلِ مَنْ يَقُولُ: إِنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ كَانَا ظَالِمَيْنِ طَالِبَيْنِ لِلْمَالِ وَالرِّيَاسَةِ (٥) أَبْطَلَ وَأُبْطِلَ. وَهَذَا الْأَمْرُ لَا يَسْتَرِيبُ فِيهِ مَنْ لَهُ بَصَرٌ وَمَعْرِفَةٌ، وَأَيْنَ (٦) شُبْهَةٌ مِثْلُ أَبِي مُوسَى الْأَشْعَرِيِّ (* الَّذِي وَافَقَ عَمْرًا (٧) عَلَى عَزْلِ عَلِيٍّ وَمُعَاوِيَةَ، وَأَنْ يُجْعَلَ الْأَمْرَ شُورَى فِي الْمُسْلِمِينَ *) (٨) مِنْ شُبْهَةِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سَبَأٍ (٩) وَأَمْثَالِهِ الَّذِينَ يَدَّعُونَ أَنَّهُ إِمَامٌ مَعْصُومٌ، أَوْ أَنَّهُ إِلَهٌ أَوْ نَبِيٌّ (١٠) ؟ بَلْ أَيْنَ شُبْهَةُ الَّذِينَ رَأَوْا أَنْ يُوَلُّوا مُعَاوِيَةَ مِنْ شُبْهَةِ الَّذِينَ يَدَّعُونَ أَنَّهُ إِلَهٌ أَوْ نَبِيٌّ؟ فَإِنَّ هَؤُلَاءِ كَفَّارٌ بِاتِّفَاقِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ بِخِلَافِ أُولَئِكَ.

(١) ب: ذَمُّوا أَبَا بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ وَكَفَّرُوهُمَا. (٢) وَالتَّابِعِينَ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٣) ن: نَعْدِلُ عَلِيًّا، وَهُوَ تَحْرِيفٌ. (٤) ن، م: عَاجِزًا وَلَا ظَالِمًا. (٥) أ، ب: لِلرِّيَاسَةِ وَالْمَالِ. (٦) ن: وَأَنَّى. (٧) ن: عُمَرَ، وَهُوَ خَطَأٌ. (٨) : مَا بَيْنَ النَّجْمَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (م) . (٩) ن، م: عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سَنًا، وَهُوَ تَحْرِيفٌ. (١٠) سَبَقَتِ الْإِشَارَةُ مِنْ قَبْلِ إِلَى عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سَبَأٍ وَمَقَالَتِهِ. انْظُرْ هَذَا الْكِتَابَ ١/٢٣ - ٢٤، ٣٠٨.