Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (1/93)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

(1) faith, goodness, and loyalty to Allah, and that whoever believes in the existence of these persons is more perfect [and nobler](2), and superior in Allah’s sight to one who does not believe in their existence. This position is not identical in every respect to that of the Rāfidis; rather, it resembles it in some respects, since its proponents have made the perfection of religion contingent upon this belief.

The response, then, is this:

This position is likewise false by the consensus of Muslim scholars and leading authorities. Knowing the obligatory and recommended acts, and performing all of them, does not depend upon believing in the existence of any one of(3) these persons. Any devout worshipper, ascetic, or ordinary person who supposes that any part of religion—whether obligatory or recommended—depends(4) upon believing in their existence is(5), by the consensus of the people of knowledge and faith who know the Book and the Sunnah, ignorant and astray. For it is known as a matter of necessity in Islam that the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—did not prescribe for his nation belief in the existence of these persons, nor did his Companions regard it as part of religion, [nor did the leading Muslim scholars.

Moreover, none of these designations—the terms al-ghawth (the succor), al-qutb (the pole), al-awtād (the pegs), al-nujabā’ (the nobles)(6), and others—has been transmitted by anyone from the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—with a recognized chain of transmission as something that he

(1) A and B read: “a man thereby grows.” (2) The words “and nobler” are added in A and B. (3) The words “any one of” are omitted in A and B. (4) M reads: “its obligatory and recommended parts—dependent”; B: “whether obligatory or recommended—is dependent.” (5) A and B read: “then this person is.” (6) Ibn Arabī says (*Risāla fī Istilāhāt al-Sūfiyya* [*A Treatise on Sufi Terminology*], p. 35[0–9]): “The *awtād* (Pegs) are four men stationed at the four corners of the world—east, west, north, and south—and each of them holds the station belonging to his direction. The *nujabā* (Nobles) are forty in number. They are occupied with bearing the burdens of creation and act only for the benefit of others.” See also *al-Taʿrīfāt*, pp. 3[0–9], 214.

الرَّجُلُ (١) إِيمَانًا وَخَيْرًا، وَمُوَالَاةً لِلَّهِ، وَأَنَّ الْمُصَدِّقَ بِوُجُودِ هَؤُلَاءِ أَكْمَلُ [وَأَشْرَفُ] (٢) ، وَأَفْضَلُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ مِمَّنْ لَمْ يُصَدِّقْ بِوُجُودِ هَؤُلَاءِ، وَهَذَا الْقَوْلُ لَيْسَ مِثْلَ قَوْلِ الرَّافِضَةِ مِنْ كُلِّ وَجْهٍ، بَلْ هُوَ مُشَابِهٌ لَهُ مِنْ بَعْضِ الْوُجُوهِ لِكَوْنِهِمْ جَعَلُوا كَمَالَ الدَّيْنِ مَوْقُوفًا عَلَى ذَلِكَ. وَحِينَئِذٍ فَيُقَالُ: هَذَا الْقَوْلُ أَيْضًا بَاطِلٌ بِاتِّفَاقِ عُلَمَاءِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، وَأَئِمَّتِهِمْ، فَإِنَّ الْعِلْمَ بِالْوَاجِبَاتِ، وَالْمُسْتَحَبَّاتِ، وَفِعْلَ الْوَاجِبَاتِ، وَالْمُسْتَحَبَّاتِ كُلِّهَا لَيْسَ مَوْقُوفًا عَلَى التَّصْدِيقِ بِوُجُودِ أَحَدٍ مِنْ (٣) هَؤُلَاءِ، وَمَنْ ظَنَّ مِنْ أَهْلِ النُّسُكِ، وَالزُّهْدِ، وَالْعَامَّةِ أَنَّ شَيْئًا مِنَ الدِّينِ - وَاجِبِهِ، أَوْ مُسْتَحَبِّهِ - مَوْقُوفًا (٤) عَلَى التَّصْدِيقِ بِوُجُودِ هَؤُلَاءِ، فَهُوَ (٥) جَاهِلٌ ضَالٌّ بِاتِّفَاقِ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ، وَالْإِيمَانِ الْعَالِمِينَ بِالْكِتَابِ وَالسُّنَّةِ، إِذْ قَدْ عُلِمَ بِالِاضْطِرَارِ مِنْ دِينِ الْإِسْلَامِ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - لَمْ يُشَرِّعْ لِأُمَّتِهِ التَّصْدِيقَ بِوُجُودِ هَؤُلَاءِ، وَلَا أَصْحَابُهُ كَانُوا يَجْعَلُونَ ذَلِكَ مِنَ الدِّينِ، [وَلَا أَئِمَّةُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ. وَأَيْضًا، فَجَمِيعُ هَذِهِ الْأَلْفَاظِ لَفْظُ الْغَوْثِ، وَالْقُطْبِ، وَالْأَوْتَادِ، وَالنُّجَبَاءِ (٦) ، وَغَيْرِهَا لَمْ يَنْقُلْ أَحَدٌ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - بِإِسْنَادِ مَعْرُوفٍ أَنَّهُ

(١) أ، ب: يَزْدَادُ الرَّجُلُ بِهِ. (٢) وَأَشْرَفُ: زِيَادَةٌ فِي (أ) ، (ب) . (٣) عِبَارَةُ " أَحَدٍ مِنْ ": سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) . (٤) م: وَاجِبِهِ وَمُسْتَحَبِّهِ مَوْقُوفًا؛ ب: وَاجِبًا أَوْ مُسْتَحَبًّا مَوْقُوفٌ. (٥) أ، ب: فَهَذَا. (٦) يَقُولُ ابْنُ عَرَبِيٍّ (رِسَالَةً فِي اصْطِلَاحَاتِ الصُّوفِيَّةِ، ص [٠ - ٩] ٣٥) : " الْأَوْتَادُ عِبَارَةٌ عَنْ أَرْبَعَةِ رِجَالٍ مَنَازِلُهُمْ عَلَى مَنَازِلِ أَرْبَعَةِ أَرْكَانٍ مِنَ الْعَالَمِ: شَرْقٌ وَغَرْبٌ وَشَمَالٌ وَجَنُوبٌ مَعَ كُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمْ مَقَامُ تِلْكَ الْجِهَةِ. النُّجَبَاءُ: هُمْ أَرْبَعُونَ، وَهُمُ الْمَشْغُولُونَ بِحَمْلِ أَثْقَالِ الْخَلْقِ فَلَا يَتَصَرَّفُونَ إِلَّا فِي حَقِّ الْغَيْرِ " وَانْظُرِ التَّعْرِيفَاتِ ص [٠ - ٩] ٣، ٢١٤.