16
discussed this at length elsewhere](1).
The third aspect: It may be said that among those who maintain these things are some who attribute to one of these figures what may not lawfully be attributed to [any] human being(2). An example is the claim made by some of them that the ghawth (supreme helper), or the qutb (spiritual pole), channels guidance, aid, and provision to the inhabitants of the earth, and that none of this reaches anyone on earth(3) except through its descent upon that person. This is false by the consensus of the Muslims and is akin to what the Christians say in this regard.
The same applies to the claim made by some of them that one such figure may(4) know every friend of Allah who has ever existed or ever will, together with his name(5), his father’s name, his standing with Allah, and other such examples of—
(1) The text between square brackets is omitted in N and M. The weak hadith to which Ibn Taymiyya refers appears in the *Musnad* (al-Maʿārif ed.), 2:171, among the narrations of ʿAlī ibn Abī Tālib—may Allah be pleased with him. Shaykh Ahmad Shākir—may Allah have mercy on him—comments: “Its *isnād* (chain of transmission) is weak because it is interrupted. Another hadith concerning them will appear among the narrations of ʿUbāda ibn al-Sāmit, 5:322.” Ahmad states there: “It is *munkar* (an objectionable narration).”
Al-Albānī included both hadiths in *Daʿīf al-Jāmiʿ al-Saghīr*, 2:275, and classified each as weak. The first reads: “The *abdāl* are in al-Shām, and they are forty men. Whenever one man dies, Allah appoints another in his place. Through them rain is bestowed, victory is granted over enemies, and punishment is averted from the people of al-Shām.” The second reads: “The *abdāl* in my nation are thirty. Through them the earth is sustained, rain is bestowed upon you, and victory is granted to you.”
See also al-Albānī, *Silsilat al-Ahādīth al-Daʿīfa wa-l-Mawdūʿa* (Damascus ed., 1399 AH), 2:339–341, hadiths nos. 935 and 936. Ibn Taymiyya discusses the terms mentioned in this passage, including *abdāl*, in several places in his treatises. See, for example, *Majmūʿat al-Rasāʾil wa-l-Masāʾil*, 1:46–51.
(2) N and M read: “to a human being.”
(3) The phrase “from the inhabitants of the earth” is omitted in A and B.
(4) The word “may” is omitted in A and B.
(5) A reads: “has existed, will exist, his name”; B reads: “has existed or will exist, his name.”
بَسَطْنَا الْكَلَامَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ فِي غَيْرِ هَذَا الْمَوْضِعِ]
(١)
.
الْوَجْهُ الثَّالِثُ:
أَنْ يُقَالَ: الْقَائِلُونَ بِهَذِهِ الْأُمُورِ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ يُنْسَبُ إِلَى أَحَدِ هَؤُلَاءِ مَا لَا تَجُوزُ نِسْبَتُهُ إِلَى
[أَحَدٍ مِنَ]
الْبَشَرِ
(٢)
مِثْلُ دَعْوَى بَعْضِهِمْ أَنَّ الْغَوْثَ، أَوِ الْقُطْبَ هُوَ الَّذِي يَمُدُّ أَهْلَ الْأَرْضِ فِي هُدَاهُمْ، وَنَصْرِهِمْ، وَرِزْقِهِمْ، فَإِنَّ هَذَا لَا يَصِلُ إِلَى أَحَدٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ
(٣)
إِلَّا بِوَاسِطَةِ نُزُولِهِ عَلَى ذَلِكَ الشَّخْصِ، وَهَذَا بَاطِلٌ بِإِجْمَاعِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، وَهُوَ مِنْ جِنْسِ قَوْلِ النَّصَارَى فِي الْبَابِ.
وَكَذَلِكَ مَا يَدَّعِيهِ بَعْضُهُمْ مِنْ أَنَّ الْوَاحِدَ مِنْ هَؤُلَاءِ قَدْ
(٤)
يَعْلَمُ كُلَّ وَلِيٍّ لِلَّهِ كَانَ، وَيَكُونُ، وَاسْمَهُ
(٥)
، وَاسْمَ أَبِيهِ، وَمَنْزِلَتَهُ مِنَ اللَّهِ، وَنَحْوِ ذَلِكَ مِنَ
(١) مَا بَيْنَ الْمَعْقُوفَتَيْنِ سَاقِطٌ مِنْ (ن) ، (م) . وَالْحَدِيثُ الضَّعِيفُ الَّذِي. يُشِيرُ إِلَيْهِ ابْنُ تَيْمِيَّةَ جَاءَ فِي الْمُسْنَدِ (ط. الْمَعَارِفِ) ٢/١٧١ مِنْ مُسْنَدِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ - وَعَلَّقَ عَلَيْهِ الشَّيْخُ أَحْمَد شَاكِر - رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ - بِقَوْلِهِ: " إِسْنَادُهُ ضَعِيفٌ لِانْقِطَاعِهِ. وَسَيَأْتِي فِي شَأْنِهِمْ حَدِيثٌ آخَرُ فِي مُسْنَدِ عُبَادَةَ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ ٥/٣٢٢ قَالَ فِيهِ أَحْمَدُ هُنَاكَ: " وَهُوَ مُنْكَرٌ ". وَأَوْرَدَ الْأَلْبَانِيُّ الْحَدِيثَيْنِ فِي " ضَعِيفِ الْجَامِعِ الصَّغِيرِ ٢/٢٧٥ وَقَالَ عَنْ كُلٍّ مِنْهُمَا: " ضَعِيفٌ " وَالْأَوَّلُ هُوَ: " الْأَبْدَالُ بِالشَّامِ، وَهُمْ أَرْبَعُونَ رَجُلًا، كُلَّمَا مَاتَ رَجُلٌ أَبْدَلَ اللَّهُ مَكَانَهُ رَجُلًا، يُسْقَى بِهِمُ الْغَيْثُ، وَيُنْتَصَرُ بِهِمْ عَلَى الْأَعْدَاءِ، وَيُصْرَفُ عَنْ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ بِهِمُ الْعَذَابُ ". وَالثَّانِي: " الْأَبْدَالُ فِي أُمَّتِي ثَلَاثُونَ، بِهِمْ تَقُومُ الْأَرْضُ، وَبِهِمْ تُمْطَرُونَ، وَبِهِمْ تُنْصَرُونَ ". وَانْظُرْ سِلْسِلَةَ الْأَحَادِيثِ الضَّعِيفَةِ وَالْمَوْضُوعَةِ لِلْأَلْبَانِيِّ (ط. دِمَشْقَ ١٣٩٩) ، ٢/٣٣٩ - ٣٤١ الْحَدِيثَانِ رَقْمُ ٩٣٥، ٩٣٦. وَقَدْ تَكَلَّمَ ابْنُ تَيْمِيَّةَ عَلَى الْأَلْفَاظِ الْمَذْكُورِ فِي هَذِهِ الْفِقْرَةِ، وَمِنْهَا لَفْظُ " الْأَبْدَالِ " فِي أَكْثَرَ مِنْ مَوْضِعٍ مِنْ رَسَائِلِهِ. انْظُرْ مَثَلًا: مَجْمُوعَةَ الرَّسَائِلِ وَالْمَسَائِلِ ١/٤٦ - ٥١.
(٢) ن، م: إِلَى بَشَرٍ.
(٣) عِبَارَةُ " مِنْ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ ": سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) .
(٤) قَدْ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) .
(٥) أ: كَانَ يَكُونُ اسْمَهُ؛ ب: كَانَ أَوْ يَكُونُ اسْمَهُ.