23 - 'Abd Allah ibn Hanbal informed me, saying: My father narrated to me, saying: My uncle said: "'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz encountered a matter that was obscure, and he illuminated it; he encountered Sunan (traditions) that had been caused to die, and he revived them. He did not fear the blame of any critic for the sake of Allah, nor did he fear anyone for the sake of Allah. He revived traditions that had been caused to die and legislated laws that had worn away; may Allah have mercy upon him." My uncle said: "It is said that every so often, one arises to uphold the command of Allah." He then mentioned al-Mutawakkil and said: "He caused to die away from the people matters that they had innovated regarding the erasure of Islam and the manifestation of evil." I asked: "Do you consider him one of the people of the truth?" He replied: "Did the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, not say: 'Whoever revives a Sunnah of mine that has been caused to die, he has manifested what he has manifested'? And what trial was greater than the Dhimmis? The enemy of Allah and the enemy of Islam had innovated into Islam the causing of the Sunnah to die—meaning the one before al-Mutawakkil—so al-Mutawakkil revived the Sunnah, may the pleasure of Allah be upon him."
٢٣ - وَأَخْبَرَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ حَنْبَلٍ ⦗٨٨⦘، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي قَالَ: قَالَ عَمِّي: " عُمَرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ جَاءَ إِلَى أَمْرٍ مُظْلِمٍ فَأَنَارَهُ، وَإِلَى سُنَنٍ قَدْ أُمِيتَتْ فَأَحْيَاهَا، لَمْ يَخَفْ فِي اللَّهِ لَوْمَةَ لَائِمٍ، وَلَا خَافَ فِي اللَّهِ أَحَدًا، فَأَحْيَا سُنَنًا قَدْ أُمِيتَتْ، وَشَرَّعَ شَرَائِعَ قَدْ دَرَسَتْ، رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ، قَالَ عَمِّي: وَيُقَالَ: إِنَّ فِي كُلِّ كَذَا وَكَذَا يَقُومُ قَائِمٌ بِأَمْرِ اللَّهِ، ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ الْمُتَوَكِّلَ، فَقَالَ: لَقَدْ أماتَ عَنِ النَّاسِ أُمُورًا قَدْ كَانُوا أَحْدَثُوهَا مِنْ دَرْسِ الْإِسْلَامِ، وَإِظْهَارِ الْمُنْكَرِ، قُلْتُ: فَتَرَاهُ مِنْ أُولِي ⦗٨٩⦘ الْحَقِّ؟ قَالَ: أَلَيْسَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: مَنْ أَحْيَا سُنَّةً مِنْ سُنَّتِي قَدْ أُمِيتَتْ فَقَدْ أَظْهَرَ مَا أَظْهَرَ، وَأَيُّ بَلَاءٍ كَانَ أَكْثَرَ مِنَ الذِّمِّيِّ، كَانَ أَحْدَثَ عَدُوُّ اللَّهِ، وَعَدُوُّ الْإِسْلَامِ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ مِنْ إِمَاتَةِ السُّنَّةِ، يَعْنِي الَّذِي قَبْلَ الْمُتَوَكِّلِ، فَأَحْيَا الْمُتَوَكِّلُ السُّنَّةَ، رِضْوَانُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ "
