Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (1/84)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

the reply is:

Yes. Obedience to him in analogous cases remains obligatory until the Day of Resurrection, unlike obedience to the imams. However, the line of reasoning [as applied to an analogous case] (1) may sometimes be unclear, just as the relevant knowledge may be hidden from someone who was absent from him. One who was present knows better what he said and understands it better than one who was absent—although, among those who were absent and to whom his command was conveyed, there may be someone who grasps it better than some who heard it directly. This is due to people’s differing levels of knowledge of his commands and prohibitions, not [because they differ] (2) in the obligation to obey him.

Accordingly, obedience to the ruler (3) after him is obligatory only in the same manner as obedience to governors was obligatory during his lifetime. Obedience to the Messenger is obligatory (4) and encompasses all servants equally, even though the ways in which his teachings reach them, are heard by them, and are understood by them may vary. Some receive commands from him that do not reach others; some hear commands from him that others do not hear; and some understand commands from him that others do not understand.

Whoever commands what the Messenger commanded must be obeyed as an act of obedience to Allah and His Messenger, not for his own sake. When the people have a capable ruler possessed of might (5), who commands what the Messenger commands (6) and judges as the Messenger judges, affairs are thereby brought into order, and it is not permissible to appoint anyone else. After the Messenger, no single individual can be his equal; there can only be someone who resembles him more closely than others do. The person most entitled to the caliphate succeeding his prophethood is the one who comes closest to commanding what he commands and forbidding what he prohibited. Yet his command cannot receive manifest, prevailing obedience except through power and authority sufficient to secure obedience, just as his command was not obeyed—

(1) The phrase “as applied to an analogous case” is omitted from N and M. (2) The phrase “because they differ” is omitted from N and M. (3) A and B read: “a command.” (4) “Obligatory” is added only in N. (5) N and M read: “capable and [possessed of] might.” (6) N reads: “he commands it and commands”; M reads: “he commands it by a command.”

قِيلَ: نَعَمْ وَطَاعَتُهُ وَاجِبَةٌ فِي نَظِيرِ ذَلِكَ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ بِخِلَافِ الْأَئِمَّةِ لَكِنْ قَدْ يَخْفَى الِاسْتِدْلَالُ [عَلَى نَظِيرِ ذَلِكَ] (١) ، كَمَا يَخْفَى الْعِلْمُ عَلَى مَنْ غَابَ عَنْهُ، فَالشَّاهِدُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا قَالَ. وَأَفْهَمُ لَهُ مِنَ الْغَائِبِ، وَإِنْ كَانَ، فِيمَنْ غَابَ، وَبَلَّغَ أَمْرَهُ مَنْ هُوَ أَوْعَى لَهُ مِنْ بَعْضِ السَّامِعِينَ لَكِنَّ هَذَا لِتَفَاضُلِ النَّاسِ فِي مَعْرِفَةِ أَمْرِهِ، وَنَهْيِهِ لَا [لِتَفَاضُلِهِمْ.] (٢) فِي وُجُوبِ طَاعَتِهِ عَلَيْهِمْ، فَمَا تَجِبُ طَاعَةُ وَلِيِّ الْأَمْرِ (٣) بَعْدَهُ إِلَّا كَمَا تَجِبُ طَاعَةُ وُلَاةِ الْأُمُورِ فِي حَيَاتِهِ، فَطَاعَتُهُ. وَاجِبَةٌ (٤) شَامِلَةٌ لِجَمِيعِ الْعِبَادِ شُمُولًا وَاحِدًا، وَإِنْ تَنَوَّعَتْ طُرُقُهُمْ فِي الْبَلَاغِ، وَالسَّمَاعِ، وَالْفَهْمِ، فَهَؤُلَاءِ يُبَلِّغُهُمْ مِنْ أَمْرُهُ لَمْ يَبْلُغْ هَؤُلَاءِ، وَهَؤُلَاءِ يَسْمَعُونَ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ مَا لَمْ يَسْمَعْهُ هَؤُلَاءِ، وَهَؤُلَاءِ يَفْهَمُونَ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ مَا لَمْ يَفْهَمْهُ هَؤُلَاءِ. وَكُلُّ مَنْ أَمَرَ بِمَا أَمَرَ بِهِ الرَّسُولُ وَجَبَتْ طَاعَتُهُ طَاعَةَ اللَّهِ، وَرَسُولِهِ لَا لَهُ، وَإِذَا كَانَ لِلنَّاسِ وَلِيُّ أَمْرٍ قَادِرٌ ذُو شَوْكَةٍ (٥) ، فَيَأْمُرُ بِمَا يَأْمُرُ (٦) ، وَيَحْكُمُ بِمَا يَحْكُمُ انْتَظَمَ الْأَمْرُ بِذَلِكَ، وَلَمْ يَجُزْ أَنْ يُوَلَّى غَيْرُهُ، وَلَا يُمْكِنُ بَعْدَهُ أَنْ يَكُونَ شَخْصٌ وَاحِدٌ مِثْلَهُ إِنَّمَا يُوجَدُ مَنْ هُوَ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ غَيْرِهِ، فَأَحَقُّ النَّاسِ بِخِلَافَةِ نُبُوَّتِهِ أَقْرَبُهُمْ إِلَى الْأَمْرِ بِمَا يَأْمُرُ بِهِ، وَالنَّهْيِ عَمَّا نَهَى عَنْهُ، وَلَا يُطَاعُ أَمْرُهُ طَاعَةً ظَاهِرَةً غَالِبَةً إِلَّا بِقُدْرَةٍ، وَسُلْطَانٍ يُوجِبُ الطَّاعَةَ، كَمَا لَمْ يُطَعْ أَمْرُهُ

(١) عَلَى نَظِيرِ ذَلِكَ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٢) لِتَفَاضُلِهِمْ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . (٣) أ، ب: أَمْرٍ. (٤) وَاجِبَةٌ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (ن) فَقَطْ. (٥) ن، م: قَادِرٌ وَشَوْكَةٌ. (٦) ن: يَأْمُرُ بِهَا وَيَأْمُرُ؛ م: يَأْمُرُ بِهَا بِأَمْرٍ.