Manuscript volume 8 · Page 100

الشرع قد قرر حكم المجتهد. ورسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ما نهى أحدا من أمرائه أن يأخذ من هٰذا الشخص صدقته وقد ورد الأمر الإلهي بإيتاء الزكاة وحكم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم في مثل هٰذا قد يفارق حكم غيره.

فإنه قد يختص رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بأمور لا تكون لغيره لخصوص وصف إما تقتضيه النبوة مطلقا أو نبوته صلى الله عليه وسلم فإن الله يقول لنبيه صلى الله عليه وسلم في أخذ الصدقة: ﴿تُطَهِّرُهُمْ وتُزَكِّيهِمْ بِها﴾ [التوبة: ١٠٣] وما قال: يتطهرون ولا يتزكون بها فقد يكون هٰذا من خصوص وصفه وهو رءوف رحيم بأمته فلو لا ما علم أن أخذه يطهره ويزكيه بها وقد أخبره الله أن ثعلبة بن حاطب يلقاه منافقا فامتنع أدبا مع الله.

فمن شاء وقف لوقوفه صلى الله عليه وسلم، كأبي بكر وعمر؛ ومن شاء لم يقف، كعثمان لأمر الله بها العام وما يلزم غير النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أن يطهر ويزكي مؤدي الزكاة بها.

والخليفة فيها إنما هو وكيل من عينت له هذه الزكاة أعني الأصناف الذين يستحقونها إذ كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ما نهى أحدا ولا أمره فيما توقف فيه واجتنبه فساغ الاجتهاد وراعى كل مجتهد

the revealed Law has recognized the ruling of the jurist who exercises independent judgment. The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, did not forbid any of his governors to take this person’s charity. The divine command to give almsgiving has come, and the ruling for the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, in such a case may differ from that for another.

The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, may be singled out for matters that do not apply to others, on account of a particular quality required either by prophethood in general or by his own prophethood, may God bless him and grant him peace. God tells His Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, concerning taking charity, “You cleanse and purify them by it” [al-Tawbah 9:103]. He did not say that they cleanse or purify themselves by it. This may be a quality particular to him. He is kind and merciful toward his community. Had he not known that taking it would cleanse and purify the man, while God had told him that Thaʿlabah ibn Ḥāṭib would meet Him as a hypocrite, he would not have refused out of proper conduct toward God.

Whoever wishes may stop where he, may God bless him and grant him peace, stopped, as Abū Bakr and ʿUmar did. Whoever wishes may continue, as ʿUthmān did, on account of God’s general command concerning it. A person other than the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, is not required to cleanse and purify the giver of almsgiving by it.

The caliph in this matter is simply an agent for those to whom this almsgiving is assigned, by which I mean the classes entitled to it. Since the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, neither forbade nor commanded anyone concerning what he refrained from and avoided, independent judgment was permissible. Each jurist attended to