Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (2/89)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

but that he was unable to attain it. Even if this were true, it would not support their position, for he neither sought authority for himself nor did anyone pledge allegiance to him (1) on that basis. How, then, could it support them when it is false?

Likewise, his statement:

“The few pledged allegiance to him”

is a lie about the Companions. None of them pledged allegiance to Alī (2) during the reigns of the three caliphs, nor can anyone (3) claim otherwise. The most that anyone can say is that some among them would have preferred to pledge allegiance to him.

We know that when Alī assumed authority, many people favored Muāwiyah’s rule, while others favored the rule of someone other than either of them (4). Likewise, when allegiance was pledged to Uthmān, some people were inclined toward someone else. Such attitudes inevitably occur (5). Allah’s Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—was in Medina, yet there were hypocrites both within it and in its surroundings, as Allah Most High says:

“Among the Bedouins around you are hypocrites, as are some of the people of Medina. They have persisted in hypocrisy. You do not know them, but We know them.”

[Surah al-Tawbah: 101]

Allah Most High said (6) of the polytheists:

“They said, ‘Why was this Quran not sent down to some great man from one of the two cities?’”

[Surah al-Zukhruf: 31]

They wanted the Quran (7) to be sent down to someone whom they held in high esteem among the people of Mecca and Tāif. Allah Most High said:

(1) A and B read “followed him.” (2) A and B read “Alī” in the accusative. (3) B reads “anyone.” (4) N and M read “would prefer the rule of Muāwiyah or of someone other than either of them.” (5) N reads “Such a thing is never absent from existence”; M reads “and it is never absent from existence.” (6) N and M read “And He said.” (7) N and M read “that Allah should send down the Quran.”

لَكِنْ كَانَ عَاجِزًا عَنْهُ. وَهَذَا لَوْ كَانَ حَقًّا لَمْ يُفِدْهُمْ، فَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يَطْلُبِ الْأَمْرَ لِنَفْسِهِ وَلَا بَايَعَهُ (١) أَحَدٌ عَلَى ذَلِكَ، فَكَيْفَ إِذَا كَانَ بَاطِلًا؟ . وَكَذَلِكَ قَوْلُهُ: " بَايَعَهُ الْأَقَلُّونَ " كَذِبٌ عَلَى الصَّحَابَةِ، فَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يُبَايِعْ مِنْهُمْ أَحَدٌ لَعَلِيٍّ فِي (٢) عَهْدِ الْخُلَفَاءِ الثَّلَاثَةِ، وَلَا يُمْكِنُ أَحَدٌ (٣) أَنَّ يَدَّعِيَ هَذَا، وَلَكِنْ غَايَةَ مَا يَقُولُ الْقَائِلُ: إِنَّهُ كَانَ فِيهِمْ مَنْ يَخْتَارُ مُبَايَعَتَهُ. وَنَحْنُ نَعْلَمُ أَنَّ عَلِيًّا لَمَّا تَوَلَّى، كَانَ كَثِيرٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ يَخْتَارُ وِلَايَةَ مُعَاوِيَةَ وَوِلَايَةَ غَيْرِهِمَا (٤) ، وَلَمَّا بُويِعَ عُثْمَانُ كَانَ فِي نُفُوسِ بَعْضِ النَّاسِ مَيْلٌ إِلَى غَيْرِهِ، فَمِثْلُ هَذَا لَا يَخْلُو مِنَ الْوُجُودِ (٥) ، وَقَدْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - بِالْمَدِينَةِ وَبِهَا وَمَا حَوْلَهَا مُنَافِقُونَ، كَمَا قَالَ تَعَالَى: {وَمِمَّنْ حَوْلَكُمْ مِنَ الْأَعْرَابِ مُنَافِقُونَ وَمِنْ أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ مَرَدُوا عَلَى النِّفَاقِ لَا تَعْلَمُهُمْ نَحْنُ نَعْلَمُهُمْ} [سُورَةُ التَّوْبَةِ: ١٠١] . وَقَدْ قَالَ (٦) تَعَالَى عَنِ الْمُشْرِكِينَ: {وَقَالُوا لَوْلَا نُزِّلَ هَذَا الْقُرْآنُ عَلَى رَجُلٍ مِنَ الْقَرْيَتَيْنِ عَظِيمٍ} [سُورَةُ الزُّخْرُفِ: ٣١] ، فَأَحَبُّوا أَنْ يَنْزِلَ الْقُرْآنُ (٧) عَلَى مَنْ يُعَظِّمُونَهُ مِنْ أَهْلِ مَكَّةَ وَالطَّائِفِ، قَالَ تَعَالَى:

(١) أ، ب: تَابَعَهُ. (٢) أ، ب: عَلِيًّا. (٣) ب: أَحَدٌ (٤) ن، م: يَخْتَارُ وِلَايَةَ مُعَاوِيَةَ أَوْ غَيْرَهُمَا. (٥) ن: وَمِثْلُ هَذَا لَا يَخْلُو مِنْهُ الْوُجُودُ ; م: وَهُوَ لَا يَخْلُو مِنْهُ الْوُجُودُ. (٦) ن، م: وَقَالَ. (٧) ن، م: أَنْ يُنَّزِلَ اللَّهُ الْقُرْآنَ.