16
the Muhājirūn (Emigrants) and the Ansār (Helpers).
[All the other leading authorities of the Sunnah give Uthmān precedence. This is the position of the great majority of hadith scholars, and it is supported by scriptural evidence, consensus, and reasoned consideration] (1).
As for reports that some early authorities gave precedence to Jafar, Talha, or others, this concerned particular respects, not overall precedence. [The same applies to what is transmitted from some of them regarding Alī] (2).
(1) The passage in brackets is omitted from N and M.
(2) The passage in brackets is omitted from N and M. In his book *Lawāih al-Anwār al-Bahiyya*, also known as *Sharh Aqīdat al-Saffārīnī*, 2/340, Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Saffārīnī states that the scholars of the Muslim community unanimously agreed on the superiority of Abū Bakr, followed by Umar. He then says: “They subsequently differed. The majority—including Imam Ahmad and Imam al-Shāfiī, and this is also the well-known position of Imam Mālik, may Allah be pleased with them—held that the most excellent after Abū Bakr and Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, was Uthmān ibn Affān, followed by Alī ibn Abī Tālib, may Allah be pleased with them both. The Kufan scholars—including Sufyān al-Thawrī—decisively held that Alī was superior to Uthmān. It was also said that judgment should be suspended as to which of the two was superior; this is one report from Mālik. Abū Abd Allāh al-Māzirī related from *al-Mudawwana* that Mālik was asked, ‘Who are the best people after their Prophet?’ He replied, ‘Abū Bakr, then Umar.’ He then said, ‘Is there any doubt about that?’ He was asked, ‘And what of Alī and Uthmān?’ He replied, ‘I did not encounter anyone whom I followed who regarded either of them as superior to the other.’ However, Qādī Iyād related that Imam Mālik later abandoned his suspension of judgment and affirmed Uthmān’s superiority. Al-Qurtubī said, ‘This is the sounder position, Allah Most High willing.’ Ibn Abd al-Barr also reported the suspension of judgment from a group of the early Muslims, including Imam Mālik, Yahyā al-Qattān, and Ibn Maīn.” On the question of the relative superiority of Uthmān and Alī, may Allah be pleased with them both, see *Fath al-Bārī*, 7/14–15; Ibn Abd al-Barr, *al-Istīāb* (printed with *al-Isāba*), 3/51–54; Ibn Tāhir al-Baghdādī, *Usūl al-Dīn*, p. 304; Ibn Hazm, *al-Fisal*, 4/223–224; Alī ibn Muhammad ibn Abī al-Izz al-Hanafī, *Sharh al-Tahāwiyya* (Dār al-Bayān ed.), p. [0–9] 85; al-Asharī, *Maqālāt al-Islāmiyyīn*, 2/131; al-Juwaynī, *al-Irshād*, p. [0–9] 31; and al-Ījī, *al-Aqāid al-Adudiyya*, with al-Dawānī’s commentary, ed. Dr. Sulaymān Dunyā, 2/636–647, 1958.
بِالْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنْصَارِ.
[وَسَائِرُ أَئِمَّةِ السُّنَّةِ عَلَى تَقْدِيمِ عُثْمَانَ، وَهُوَ مَذْهَبُ جَمَاهِيرِ أَهْلِ الْحَدِيثِ، وَعَلَيْهِ يَدُلُّ النَّصُّ وَالْإِجْمَاعُ وَالِاعْتِبَارُ]
(١)
.
وَأَمَّا مَا يُحْكَى عَنْ بَعْضِ الْمُتَقَدِّمِينَ مِنْ تَقْدِيمِ جَعْفَرٍ أَوْ تَقْدِيمِ طَلْحَةَ أَوْ نَحْوَ ذَلِكَ، فَذَلِكَ فِي أُمُورٍ مَخْصُوصَةٍ لَا تَقْدِيمًا عَامًّا،
[وَكَذَلِكَ مَا يُنْقَلُ عَنْ بَعْضِهِمْ فِي عَلِيٍّ]
(٢)
.
(١) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) .
(٢) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . وَقَدْ ذَكَرَ الشَّيْخُ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ السَّفَارِينِيُّ فِي كِتَابِهِ " لَوَائِحُ الْأَنْوَارِ الْبَهِيَّةِ " الْمَعْرُوفُ بِشَرْحِ عَقِيدَةِ السَّفَارِينِيِّ ٢/٣٤٠ اتِّفَاقَ عُلَمَاءِ الْأُمَّةِ عَلَى تَفْضِيلِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ ثُمَّ عُمَرَ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: " ثُمَّ اخْتَلَفُوا فَالْأَكْثَرُونَ وَمِنْهُمُ الْإِمَامُ أَحْمَدُ وَالْإِمَامُ الشَّافِعِيُّ، وَهُوَ الْمَشْهُورُ عَنِ الْإِمَامِ مَالِكٍ، رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ، أَنَّ الْأَفْضَلَ بَعْدَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا - عُثْمَانُ بْنُ عَفَّانَ ثُمَّ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا، وَجَزَمَ الْكُوفِيُّونَ - وَمِنْهُمْ سُفْيَانُ الثَّوْرِيُّ - بِتَفْضِيلِ عَلِيٍّ عَلَى عُثْمَانَ، وَقِيلَ بِالْوَقْفِ عَنِ التَّفْضِيلِ بَيْنَهُمَا، وَهُوَ رِوَايَةٌ عَنْ مَالِكٍ، فَقَدْ حَكَى أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْمَازِرِيُّ عَنِ الْمُدَوَّنَةِ أَنَّ مَالِكًا سُئِلَ: أَيُّ النَّاسِ أَفْضَلُ بَعْدَ نَبِيِّهِمْ؟ فَقَالَ: أَبُو بَكْرٍ ثُمَّ عُمَرُ. ثُمَّ قَالَ: أَوَ فِي ذَلِكَ شَكٌّ؟ فَقِيلَ لَهُ: وَعَلِيٌّ وَعُثْمَانُ؟ فَقَالَ: مَا أَدْرَكْتُ أَحَدًا مِمَّنْ أَقْتَدِي بِهِ يُفَضِّلُ أَحَدَهُمَا عَلَى الْآخَرِ. . نَعَمْ حَكَى الْقَاضِي عِيَاضٌ عَنِ الْإِمَامِ مَالِكٍ أَنَّهُ رَجَعَ عَنِ التَّوَقُّفِ إِلَى تَفْضِيلِ عُثْمَانَ. قَالَ الْقُرْطُبِيُّ: وَهُوَ الْأَصَحُّ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى. وَقَدْ نَقَلَ التَّوَقُّفَ ابْنُ عَبْدِ الْبَرِّ عَنْ جَمَاعَةٍ مِنَ السَّلَفِ مِنْهُمُ الْإِمَامُ مَالِكٌ وَيَحْيَى الْقَطَّانُ وَابْنُ مَعِينٍ ". وَانْظُرْ فِي أَمْرِ الْمُفَاضَلَةِ بَيْنَ عُثْمَانَ وَعَلِيٍّ، رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا: فَتْحِ الْبَارِّي ٧/١٤ - ١٥ ; الِاسْتِيعَابِ لِابْنِ عَبْدِ الْبَرِّ (الْمَطْبُوعِ مَعَ الْإِصَابَةِ) ٣/٥١ - ٥٤ ; ابْنُ طَاهِرٍ الْبَغْدَادِيُّ: أُصُولِ الدِّينِ، ص ٣٠٤ ; ابْنُ حَزْمٍ: الْفِصَلَ ٤/٢٢٣ - ٢٢٤ ; عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي الْعِزِّ الْحَنَفِيُّ: شَرْحِ الطَّحَاوِيَّةِ (ط. دَارِ الْبَيَانِ) ، ص [٠ - ٩] ٨٥ ; الْأَشْعَرِيُّ: مَقَالَاتِ الْإِسْلَامِيِّينَ ٢/١٣١ ; الْجُوَيْنِيُّ: الْإِرْشَادِ، ص [٠ - ٩] ٣١ ; الْعَقَائِدِ الْعَضُدِيَّةِ لِلْإِيجِيِّ بِشَرْحِ الدَّوَانِيِّ (تَحْقِيقُ د. سُلَيْمَان دُنْيَا) ٢/٦٣٦ - ٦٤٧، ١٩٥٨.