Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (1/74)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

the most important matters concerning the rulings of religion and the noblest questions of the Muslims. It is the question of the Imamate, through whose comprehension the rank of honor is attained. It is one of the pillars of faith, by virtue of which one merits eternal life in the Gardens and deliverance from the wrath of the Most Merciful. [For indeed] the Messenger of Allah (1)—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said:

“Whoever dies without knowing the imam of his age dies a death of the Age of Ignorance.”

I have offered it in service to the library of the greatest Sultan, sovereign of the nations, King of the kings of the Arab and non-Arab peoples, bestower of blessings and dispenser (2) of goodness and generosity, the revered Shāhanshāh (3), the Succor of the Religious Community, Truth, and Religion, al-Jāytū Khudābandah (4). I have distilled in it the essence of the proofs and indicated the principal issues (5), and I have entitled it Minhāj al-Karāmah fī Marifat al-Imāmah (The Path of Honor in Knowing the Imamate) (6).

I arranged it into chapters:

Chapter One: “A Presentation of the Various Positions on This Question.”

He then mentioned Chapter Two:

“On Why the Doctrine of the Imāmiyyah Must Be—

(1) K (*Minhāj al-Karāmah*) reads: “And the Messenger of Allah said”; N and M read: “The Messenger said.” (2) K reads: “supporter of [goodness and generosity].” (3) K reads: “the exalted.” (4) *Al-Jāytū Khudābandah*: thus in K, and this is the correct reading. B reads *Ūljāyū Khudābandah*; N reads *Ūlhānū Hadābandā*; M reads *Walahāhbūhadhābandā*. K also contains the following addition: “Al-Jāytū Khudābandah Muhammad—may Allah perpetuate his sovereignty, establish the foundations of his realm, strengthen its pillars, extend to him His care and gracious favors, support him with His munificent aid, and cause his dynasty to endure until the Day of Resurrection.” (5) K contains the following addition after this: “without wearisome prolixity or brevity that compromises the meaning.” (6) K contains the following addition after this: “Allah is the One who grants success in attaining what is right; to Him is the return and the final destination.”

أَهَمِّ الْمَطَالِبِ فِي أَحْكَامِ الدِّينِ، وَأَشْرَفِ مَسَائِلِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، وَهِيَ مَسْأَلَةُ الْإِمَامَةِ الَّتِي يَحْصُلُ بِسَبَبِ إِدْرَاكِهَا نَيْلُ دَرَجَةِ الْكَرَامَةِ، وَهِيَ أَحَدُ أَرْكَانِ الْإِيمَانِ الْمُسْتَحَقِّ بِسَبَبِهِ الْخُلُودُ فِي الْجِنَانِ، وَالتَّخَلُّصُ مِنْ غَضَبِ الرَّحْمَنِ، [فَقَدْ قَالَ] رَسُولُ اللَّهِ. (١) - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -: «مَنْ مَاتَ وَلَمْ يَعْرِفْ إِمَامَ زَمَانِهِ مَاتَ مِيتَةً جَاهِلِيَّةً» . خَدَمْتُ بِهَا خِزَانَةَ السُّلْطَانِ الْأَعْظَمِ مَالِكِ رِقَابِ الْأُمَمِ مَلِكِ مُلُوكِ طَوَائِفِ الْعَرَبِ، وَالْعَجَمِ مَوْلَى النِّعَمِ، وَمُسْدِي (٢) الْخَيْرِ، وَالْكَرْمِ شَاهِنْشَاهِ الْمُكَرَّمُ (٣) ، غَيَّاثُ الْمِلَّةِ وَالْحَقِّ. وَالدِّينُ الْجَايْتُو خَدَابَنْدَهْ (٤) قَدْ لَخَّصْتُ فِيهِ خُلَاصَةَ الدَّلَائِلِ، وَأَشَرْتُ إِلَى رُءُوسِ الْمَسَائِلِ (٥) ، وَسَمَّيْتُهَا (مِنْهَاجَ الْكَرَامَةِ فِي مَعْرِفَةِ الْإِمَامَةِ.) (٦) . وَرَتَّبْتُهَا عَلَى فُصُولٍ: الْفَصْلُ الْأَوَّلُ: فِي نَقْلِ الْمَذَاهِبِ فِي هَذِهِ الْمَسْأَلَةِ.) . ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ الْفَصْلَ الثَّانِيَ: (فِي أَنَّ مَذْهَبَ الْإِمَامِيَّةِ. وَاجِبُ.

(١) ك (مِنْهَاجَ الْكَرَامَةِ) : وَقَدْ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ؛ ن، م: قَالَ رَسُولُ. (٢) ك: مُسْنِدِ. (٣) ك: الْمُعَظَّمُ. (٤) الْجَايْتُوخَدَابَنْدَهْ: كَذَا فِي (ك) وَهُوَ الصَّوَابُ. وَفِي (ب) : أُولْجَايُوخَدَابَنْدَهْ، وَفِي (ن) : أُولْحَانُوحَدَابَنْدَا؛ (م) : وَلَحَاهْبُوحَذَابَنْدَا. وَفِي (ك؛ تُوجَدُ هَذِهِ الزِّيَادَةُ. الْجَايْتُوخَدَابَنْدَةَ مُحَمَّدُ خَلَّدَ اللَّهُ سُلْطَانَهُ وَثَبَّتَ قَوَاعِدَ مُلْكِهِ وَشَيَّدَ أَرْكَانَهُ، وَأَمَدَّ بِعِنَايَتِهِ وَأَلْطَافِهِ، وَأَيَّدَهُ بِجَمِيلِ إِسْعَافِهِ، وَقَرَنَ دَوْلَتَهُ بِالدَّوَامِ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ. (٥) تُوجَدُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ هَذِهِ الزِّيَادَةُ فِي (ك) : مِنْ غَيْرِ تَطْوِيلٍ مُمِلٍّ، وَلَا إِيجَازٍ مُخِلٍّ. (٦) تُوجَدُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ هَذِهِ الزِّيَادَةُ فِي (ك) : وَاللَّهُ الْمُوَفِّقُ لِلصَّوَابِ، وَإِلَيْهِ الْمَرْجِعُ وَالْمَآبُ.