Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (2/71)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

to him. This sin is graver than taking human lives, for it constitutes disbelief; and if he never repented of it, he remained an apostate. Fitna (religious trial and turmoil) is graver than killing.

This is a pattern that holds consistently: you will find no one whom the Shia condemn, whether rightly or wrongly, without there being someone among them who is worse; nor will you find anyone whom the Shia praise without there being, among those praised by the Kharijites, someone better. For the Rāfidis are worse than the Nāsibis, and those whom the Rāfidis declare unbelievers or flagrant sinners are better than those whom the Nāsibis declare unbelievers or flagrant sinners.

As for Ahl al-Sunnah, they are loyal to all believers and speak with knowledge and justice. They are neither people of ignorance nor people governed by caprice. They disavow the way of the Rāfidis and the Nāsibis [alike] (1), and they are loyal to the first and foremost [all of them] (2). They recognize the standing, merits, and virtues of the Companions and observe the rights that Allah has prescribed for the Prophet’s household. They approve neither of what al-Mukhtār and other liars like him did, nor of what was done (3) by al-Hajjāj and tyrants like him. Alongside this, they recognize the respective ranks of the first and foremost. They know that Abū Bakr and Umar possessed a degree of precedence and virtue in which no one shared with them (4) [among the Companions] (5)—neither Uthmān nor Alī [nor anyone else] (6).

(1) “Alike” is omitted from N and M. (2) N and M read: “and they say, ‘the first and foremost,’” and omit “all of them.” (3) A and B read: “nor what he did.” (4) N and M read: “shared with them.” (5) “Among the Companions” is omitted from N and M. (6) “Nor anyone else” is omitted from N and M.

إِلَيْهِ، وَهَذَا الذَّنْبُ أَعْظَمُ مِنْ قَتْلِ النُّفُوسِ، فَإِنَّ هَذَا كُفْرٌ، وَإِنْ كَانَ لَمْ يَتُبْ مِنْهُ كَانَ مُرْتَدًّا، وَالْفِتْنَةُ أَعْظَمُ مِنَ الْقَتْلِ. وَهَذَا بَابٌ مُطَّرِدٌ، لَا تَجِدُ أَحَدًا مِمَّنْ تَذُمُّهُ الشِّيعَةُ بِحَقٍّ أَوْ بَاطِلٍ إِلَّا وَفِيهِمْ مَنْ هُوَ شَرٌّ مِنْهُ، وَلَا تَجِدُ أَحَدًا مِمَّنْ تَمْدَحُهُ الشِّيعَةُ إِلَّا وَفِيمَنْ تَمْدَحُهُ الْخَوَارِجُ مَنْ هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِنْهُ، فَإِنَّ الرَّوَافِضَ شَرٌّ مِنَ النَّوَاصِبِ، وَالَّذِينَ تُكَفِّرُهُمْ أَوْ تُفَسِّقُهُمُ الرَّوَافِضُ هُمْ أَفْضَلُ مِنَ الَّذِينَ تُكَفِّرُهُمْ أَوْ تُفَسِّقُهُمُ النَّوَاصِبُ. وَأَمَّا أَهْلُ السُّنَّةِ فَيَتَوَلَّوْنَ جَمِيعَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، وَيَتَكَلَّمُونَ بِعِلْمٍ وَعَدْلٍ، لَيْسُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَهْلِ وَلَا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْأَهْوَاءِ، وَيَتَبَرَّءُونَ مِنْ طَرِيقَةِ الرَّوَافِضِ وَالنَّوَاصِبِ [جَمِيعًا] (١) ، وَيَتَوَلَّوْنَ السَّابِقِينَ وَالْأَوَّلِينَ [كُلَّهُمْ] (٢) ، وَيَعْرِفُونَ قَدْرَ الصَّحَابَةِ وَفَضْلَهُمْ وَمَنَاقِبَهُمْ، وَيَرْعَوْنَ حُقُوقَ أَهْلِ الْبَيْتِ الَّتِي شَرَعَهَا اللَّهُ لَهُمْ، وَلَا يَرْضَوْنَ بِمَا فَعَلَهُ الْمُخْتَارُ وَنَحْوُهُ مِنَ الْكَذَّابِينَ، وَلَا مَا فَعَلَهُ (٣) . الْحَجَّاجُ وَنَحْوُهُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ، وَيَعْلَمُونَ مَعَ هَذَا مَرَاتِبَ السَّابِقِينَ الْأَوَّلِينَ، فَيَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ لِأَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ مِنَ التَّقَدُّمِ وَالْفَضَائِلِ مَا لَمْ يُشَارِكْهُمَا (٤) فِيهَا أَحَدٌ [مِنَ الصَّحَابَةِ] (٥) ، لَا عُثْمَانُ وَلَا عَلِيٌّ [وَلَا غَيْرُهُمَا] (٦) .

(١) جَمِيعًا: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٢) ن، م: وَيَقُولُونَ السَّابِقِينَ الْأَوَّلِينَ، وَسَقَطَتْ " كُلَّهُمْ ". (٣) أ، ب: وَلَا مَا فَعَلَ (٤) ن، م: يَشْرَكْهُمَا. (٥) مِنَ الصَّحَابَةِ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٦) وَلَا غَيْرُهُمَا: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) .