The Complete Picture of Ibnu Taymiyah

Ibn Taymiyyah was born in Harran (an old city between Sham and Iraq) on the 10th of Rabi al-Awwal 661H. His family was renowned for their knowledge and excellence. When he was six years old, his family fled to Damascus under the threat of an imminent Mongol attack on their hometown. In Damascus, his father Shahabud-Din Abu al-Mahasin Abd al-Halim established himself as a respectable scholar and later became the professor of Hadeeth and the khateeb of the great Ummayyad mosque.

From an early age, Ibn Taymiyyah was noted for his memory, comprehension and strict observance of time - qualities that would later cause the rest of his life to be filled with actions such as teaching, commanding the good, forbidding the evil, authoring books and refuting innovators. He memorized the Qur'aan and studied Hadeeth with his father, who was a specialist in this field.
He learned the laws of Sharee'ah, Jurisprudence and studied the Hanbali system of law under his own father. He had a particular liking for the Tafseer (explanation) of the Qur'aan as Ibn Taymiyyah, himself mentions, 'Sometimes, I have gone through as many as hundred commentaries of a single verse of the Qur'aan. After I have dipped into these pages, I have supplicated to Allah to enlighten me about the true content and significance of the verse. I pray to Allah thus on these occasions, 'You are the Exalted Teacher of Adam and Ibraheem. Favor me with the essence of this verse.' [al-Uqood ad-Durriyah (p. 24)]
In addition, Ibn Taymiyyah also studied secular sciences of his time like history, calligraphy, mathematics, astronomy, medicine, dialect, logic, philosophy and different Islamic sects. These early intellectual pursuits contributed a great deal to his future lectures and writings. Any subject, Ibn Taymiyyah tackled and wrote about, left the reader under the impression that this was his specific field of expertise. The total number of scholars from whom he took knowledge exceeds two hundred including four female teachers.
Ibn Taymiyyah started issuing legal verdicts at the age of nineteen and after his father's death assumed the respected teaching position formerly held by his father in Dar al Hadeeth as-Sukriyyah at the age of 22.
Kamalud-Din al-Zamalkaani (d.727), whom Shaikhul-Islam debated a number of times says accepting his merits, 'Whenever Shaikhul-Islam was asked any question concerning any field of knowledge, he replied in a way which caused the audience to conclude that he had no knowledge of any other field (i.e., he had spent his whole life in learning that particular branch of knowledge) and acknowledged him as the greatest authority on the subject. Scholars subscribing to different groups attended his discourses and each one of them learnt something that he had not known earlier. It never happened that he debated any point whereby the discussion came to a standstill. Whatever be the subject he spoke about, whether religious or discursive, he excelled all the authorities of that subject�.' [Quoted from the book, 'Dawah Shaikhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah wa-Athruha fi al-Harakat al-Islamiyyah al-Mu'asirah' by Salahud-Din Maqbool Ahmad]

Shaikhul-Islam had many direct students and multitudes were influenced by his teachings. He nurtured a strong and educated generation that escorted him in good times and in ordeals, whether it was in fighting the Tartars, or actions that forwarded the correct teachings of the religion like, the authoring of beneficial books, giving legal ruling and in commanding the good and forbidding evil. From the most prominent of his students were;

Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, Muhammad Ibn Abee Bakr (d. 751H), a close student of Shaikhul-Islam, who authored monumental books like Madarij as-Salikeen, Zaad al-M'aad, A'laam al-Mu'aqqieen, and others. Hafidh Ibn Hajr al-Asqalani (d.852) the author of Fath al-Baree says, 'If there was no other virtue of Shaikhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah other than his famous student Shaikh Shams ad-Deen Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah author of beneficial books, from which have benefited friends and opponents - then it would have been enough to establish his noble status�' [Ar-Radd al-Waafir (pg. 231)]

Ibn Katheer, Imad al-Din Ismaa'eel (d. 774), who is considered one of the greatest historians and is the author of the renowned book, al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah, and the famous most-authentic Tafseer of the Qur'aan; Tafseer Ibn Katheer.

Adh-Dhahabee, Muhammad Ibn Ahmad, (d.748H) he was a master in the science of Hadeeth and a great historian. He authored nearly a hundred works, some of them of considerable size, like his twenty-three volume Siyar a`lam an-nubula (The Lives of Noble Figures), his thirty-six volume Tareekh al-Islam al-kabir (Major History of Islam).

Al-Hafidh Ibn Katheer says about Ibn Taymiyyah, 'It was rare for him to hear something and not memorize it and he occupied himself with the sciences. He was intelligent, had committed much to memory, and thus, became an Imam in Tafseer and what pertained to it. He had (comprehensive) knowledge of Fiqh, it was said that he had more knowledge of Fiqh of the madhhabs than the followers of those very same madhhabs in his time and other times. He was fully aware of the different opinions of scholars. He was a scholar in Usool, the branches of the religion, grammar and language and other textual and intellectual sciences. He was never overcome in a sitting and no noble (scholar) would speak to him on a particular science except that he thought that this science was the specialty of Ibn Taymiyyah and he would see him as being well versed in it and having perfected it� As for hadeeth, then he was the carrier of its flag, a Hafidh in hadeeth and able to distinguish the weak from the strong, fully acquainted with the narrators and being proficient in this�' [See, Bidayah wan-Nihayah (14/157)]
Al-Hafidh Badr ad-Deen al-Aynee al-Hanafee said, 'He is the Imam, the noble, the masterful, the pious, the pure, the devout, the proficient in the two sciences of Hadeeth and Tafseer, Fiqh and the two fundamentals (i.e., the Book and the Sunnah) with determination and precision. He is the sharp sword against the innovators, the authority, who established the matters of the religion and the great commander of the good and forbidder of evil. He possessed (noble) concern, bravery and embarked upon that which frightened and deterred. He was of much remembrance, fasting, prayer and worship.' [Ar-Radd al-Waafir, (pg. 159)]
Al-Hafidh al-Bazzaar said, �I have not seen him mention any of the pleasures and attractions of this world, he did not delve into worldly conversations and he never asked for any of its livelihood. Instead, he directed his attentions and conversations to seeking the Hereafter and what could get him closer to Allah.� [Al-A'laam al-Uliyyah (pg.52) of al-Bazzaar]

Ibn Taymiyyah's popularity caused him to be a target of envy from various jurist and scholars who could not reach his level in knowledge, nor could they equal the love and respect that Ibn Taymiyyah enjoyed with the common masses. In addition to this, his bold stances against various innovative and heretical practices put him in direct conflict with many innovators, who repeatedly devised plots against him. The enviers and deviants found common cause in spreading lies or misinterpreting the writings of Ibn Taymiyyah.

Ibn Katheer writes, 'A group of the theologians was jealous of Shaikh Taqi ud-Din Ibn Taymiyyah because of his position in the court of the governor and also for his acting as a public censor who had taken upon himself the responsibility of enforcing what was lawful and preventing what was prohibited. They were envious of his growing popularity and of the love and respect accorded to him as well as of his learning and zeal for religion.' [Ibn Katheer, p. 37]

Al-Hafidh al-Bazzaar said depicting the opponents of Ibn Taymiyyah, 'You would not see a scholar opposing him (Ibn Taymiyyah), dissuading from him, filled with hatred for him, except that he was the most greedy of them in gathering the worldly goods, the most cunning of them in acquiring them, the most ostentatious of them, the most desirous for reputation�and the most prolific of them in having lies on his tongue.' [Al-A`laam al-Uliyyah (pg. 82)]

Some false beliefs that were attributed to Ibn Taymiyyah were those that he, himself refuted in his books. His fatawa and Ijtihads were misinterpreted and given conclusions that were far away from the truth. Ibn Taymiyyah's enemies also succeeded occasionally in inciting the rulers against him, leading to his imprisonment several times between 693H-728H and he passed away while in prison in the year 728H.
Ibn Taymiyyah was first arrested after he took a stance against a Christian who cursed the Prophet (salallahu alaihe wa-sallam) and violated his honor. Ibn Taymiyyah's enemies accused him with disturbing the peace, and complained to the sultan. This incident shows the extent of their aversion for Ibn Taymiyyah, that they gave priority to harming him over defending the right and honor of Allah's Messenger. It was in response to this incident that Ibn Taymiyyah wrote his book, 'Al-Saarim al-Maslool 'ala Shaatim al-Rasool' [see. Al-Bidaayah wan-Nihaayah 14/335] Among the other charges fabricated or exaggerated against Ibn Taymiyyah were the following;

Accusation 1: Tajseem/Tashbih: The allegation that Ibn Taymiyyah's writings approved of Allah having a body with parts. In truth, Ibn Taymiyyah's writings show the contrary, as he says, �Indeed the term al-Jism (body), al-Arad (organs), al-Mutahayyiz (extent) are newly invented terminologies. We have mentioned many a time before that the Salaf and the Imaams have not spoken about such things - neither by way of negation, nor by way of affirmation. Rather they declared those who spoke about such matter to be innovators, and went to great lengths to censure them.� [See, Sharh Hadeeth an-Nuzool (pg. 69-76), Majmoo al-Fatawa Shaikhul-Islam (3/306-310, 13/304-305), Minhaj as-Sunnah an-Nabawiyyah (2/134-135, 192, 198-200, 527)]

In 'Sharh Hadeeth an-Nuzool', Shaikhul-Islam said that ascribing Allah with the term jism (meaning body) is, �an innovation in the Sharee'ah, a corruption of the language, and a contradiction to the [sound] intellect. Rather, it is repudiated by the Sharee'ah, the language and the [sound] intellect.�

Shaikhul-Islam's belief concerning the Names and Attributes of Allah is the same as that of the Salafus-Saleh as he writes in Al-Aqeedatil-Waastiyyah, p. 3, 'From Eeman in Allah is Eeman in what He has described Himself with and what His Messenger Muhammad (salallahu alaihe wa-sallam) has described Him with without alteration/distortions (in words/meaning) and denial, and without description and comparison��
It is an obligation to believe in the Names and Attributes of Allah according to their literal meaning and to affirm their reality for Allah in a manner that suits Him, and that is for two reasons:

(i) Changing its literal meaning would be in contradiction to the way of the Prophet Muhammad (salallahu alaihe wa-sallam) and his companions.

(ii) Changing it to a figurative meaning would be speaking about Allah without knowledge and that is prohibited. [Notes on Aqeedah al-Wasitiyah by Allamah Ibn Uthaimeen (eng. trans. pg.63)]

For example, Allah says in the Qur'aan, '(Allah) said, 'O Iblees! What prevents you from prostrating yourself to one whom I have created with both My Hands? Are you too proud (to fall prostrate to Adam) or are you one of the highly exalted?' [Soorah Saad (38): 75]
This verse mentions the 'Hands of Allah', so we must believe in and affirm 'Hands' for Allah without describing them or comparing them with the Hands of the creation or doing Taweel (i.e. giving them a meaning other than their apparent meaning like saying that the 'Hands' mean 'Power'). Affirming Hands for Allah does not amount to Tashbeeh (resembling Allah to His creation).

Those who levied the charge of anthropomorphism on Ibn Taymiyyah did so because they found him opposed to their innovative way of Taweel in understanding the Attributes of Allah.

Whereas, the soundness of Ibn Taymiyyah's views and their conformity with Ahlus-Sunnah were well established even during his life-time. Ibn Katheer mentioned that when the scholars of his time gathered for a sitting with Ibn Taymiyyah to discuss his work 'Aqeedah al-Hamawiyyah' (in 698H) that his replies to their accusations could not be rebutted. [Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah' (14/5)] The council concluded that al-Hamawiyyah contained nothing contrary to the Qur�aan or the Sunnah and therefore, vindicated him of any wrongdoing. [See. The Political Thought of Ibn Taymiyyah by Qamar-ud-deen Khan, p.3-4]

Similarly Ibn Katheer mentioned that when the scholars sat to argue with him with regards to his Aqeedah al-Wasitiyyah (in 705H) the argument ended with them accepting all that was contained in the book. [Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah (vol. 14 under the heading 'Aqd al-Majaalis ath-Thalaatha)]
Yet, despite being vindicated, Ibn Taymiyyah was summoned again, but this time by the authorities in Egypt. A council, headed by one of the fiercest opponents of Ibn Taymiyyah, Qadhi Ibn Mukhluk Maliki, met him and Ibn Taymiyyah was not allowed to defend himself. A decree issued by the council resulted in his imprisonment (705H). Many pleaded incessantly for his release until, after a year had passed and he was offered to be set free if he renounced his creed. The offer was made to him as many as six times, but he always refused saying, 'The prison is dearer to me than what I am asked to affirm.' [Ibn Katheer, (14/42)]

Accusation 2: Ibn Taymiyyah forbids visiting the Prophet's Grave. The reality of this accusation is that Shaikhul-Islam held the view that one should not travel specifically to visit a certain place or grave intending worship with it. This opinion of Ibn Taymiyyah was based upon the Hadeeth of Allah's Messenger, 'Do not travel except to three Masjids, al-Masjid al-Haraam (in Mecca), the Prophet's (salallahu alaihe wa-sallam) Masjid and Masjid al-Aqsa.' [Saheeh al-Bukharee (Eng. Trans.) vol.2, p.157, no.281, Saheeh Muslim (Eng. Trans.) vol.2, p.699, no.3218), Sunan Abu Dawood (Eng. Trans.) vol.2, p.540, no.2028, Sunan at-Tirmidhee, Sunan an-Nisaee and Sunan Ibn Majah]

Ibn Taymiyyah writes, 'Whoever travels to al-Masjid al-Haraam (in Makkah), al-Masjid al-Aqsa (in Jerusalem), or the Messenger's masjid and at Masjid Qiba (close to Medina) and visits grave in that vincity will be performing righteous acts that conform to established the Prophetic Sunnah� As for whosoever travels for the sole purpose of visiting the Prophet's grave, not for the purpose of praying at his Masjid� so he visits the grave and then goes back home, then he is a deviant Mubtadi (innovator) who stands in defiance of the Prophet's Sunnah and the consensus of his companions and the scholars of this Ummah (Muslim nation)� This action was rejected by Imam Malik and other Imams and it is not recommended by any scholar� When the companions traveled to the Prophet's Masjid (after his death), they used to pray in it and meet the Prophet's successors, Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthmaan and then Ali. They recited the Salaam (Islamic greeting) and the Salaat (invoking Allah to honor and bless his Prophet) on the Prophet in the prayer (during the Tashahhud sitting) and upon entering and leaving the Masjid (as the Sunnah legislates); but they did not go near his grave. This practice is so widely reported from them that nothing to the contrary was reported of any of them.' [Majmoo al-Fatawa, vol.27, pg. 343]
There is a difference between visiting a grave and journeying to them. The first one is allowed, while the latter is prohibited. Ibn Taymiyyah's treatise regarding the visiting of graves was misinterpreted and led to his imprisonment in Shabaan 726H.

Accusation 3: Disrespect for the Prophets and the righteous. He was accused as such because he did not agree with the views of those who allowed tawassul by the person and status of the Prophets and the righteous. If a person takes the dead righteous people as intercessors between him and Allah, calling upon them to gain Allah's favor, then he has mimicked the way of Abu Jahl and Abu Lahb and his action is major kufr (disbelief). If one calls upon Allah directly and asks Allah 'by the right of so and so,' then this is an innovation. [Refer to The Rulings and Manners of Visiting the Prophet's Mosque by Shaikh Abdul-Aziz Ibn Baz (rahimahullah) published in As-Sunnah Issue no. 2 with explanatory footnotes]

Accusation 4: Making one's own Ijtihad instead of adhering to one particular Madhhab. In opposition to the general practice, Ibn Taymiyyah did not show prejudice towards a particular Madhhab and believed in the permissibility of Ijtihad when necessary. His Ijtihad on considering any number of divorce pronounced in one sitting to be counted as one, put him at odds with the position of all the four Madhhabs. He was imprisoned on account of this Ijtihad towards the end of his life.

Narrated Abu Hurayrah (radiallahuanhu), 'The Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) said, 'The Hour will not be established till you fight a nation wearing hairy shoes, and till you fight the Turks, who will have small eyes, red faces and flat noses; and their faces will be like flat shields�' [Saheeh al-Bukharee, vol.4, p.508, no.787] This prophesy came true, and the Muslim nation found itself in battle with the fierce and barbaric Mongols and Tartars, collectively referred to as Turks. The Tartars committed great massacres and plundered Baghdad, which was one of the greatest centers of learning of its time.

In the year 699H, when the Tartar ruler, Qazaan, was about to attack Damascus, Ibn Taymiyyah boldly confronted him while others trembled in his presence. He reminded Qazaan of the Tartar infringements on the sanctities of the Muslims and was able to convince him not to attack the city, he said, 'You claim to be a Muslim. I have been told that you have with you a Qadhi and an Imam, a Shaikh and a mu'adhdhin; yet, you have deemed it proper to march upon Muslims. Your fore-fathers were heathens, but they always abstained from breaking the promise once made by them. They redeemed the pledges they made, but you violate the word of honor given by you. You trample underfoot your solemn declarations in order to lay a hand on the servants of Allah!' [Al-Kawakib ud-Durriyah, p. 25, also see, al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah (14/122-123)] Ibn Taymiyyah's courage impressed Qazaan who left Damascus unharmed and freed those whom he held captive.

Though some of the Tartar rulers claimed to be Muslims, they had little regard for following the religion of Islam or for the sanctity of life. Ibn Katheer says, 'during the time of Jahiliyah, the people used to abide by the misguidance and ignorance that they invented by sheer opinion and lusts. The Tatar (Mongols) abided by the law that they inherited from their king Genghis Khan who wrote al-Yasiq, for them. This book contains some rulings that were derived from various religions, such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Many of these rulings were derived from his own opinion and desires. Later on, these rulings became the followed law among his children, preferring them to the Law of the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger. Therefore, whoever does this, he is a disbeliever who deserves to be fought against, until he reverts to Allah's and His Messenger's decisions, so that no law, minor or major, is referred to except by His Law.�

In the year, 702H, the Tartars attacked again and this time they found Shaikhul-Islam in the ranks of the soldiers. Since it was Ramadaan, Ibn Taymiyyah issued a fatawa for the breaking of the fasts for the soldiers. His presence in the battlefield had a great influence in defeating the Tartars and conquering Shaqaab, and this was the last ever battle between the Tartars and Muslims. Shaikhul-Islam says, 'This was a magnificent victory, the like of which the Muslims had not seen [in that age]: the imposing edifice of the Tatar kingdom, that had humiliated the people of Islam, was never routed or defeated the way it was defeated at the gate of Damascus in the great battle [of Shaqaab] during which Allah showered upon us so many of His Favors that we cannot enumerate them, neither generally nor specifically.' [Manaqib ash-Sham wa-Ahlih (Virtues of al-Sham and Its People)]

Shaikhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah dedicated a lot of effort towards refuting various innovative sects. He even physically challenged some individuals from the heretical Sufi sect, known as the Bataa'ihiyyah that indulged in feats like walking over fire to amaze the common masses. He proposed that he would walk on fire with them on the condition that they wash themselves first with vinegar and hot water. Their refusal exposed their folly, and Ibn Taymiyyah thus exposed the charlatans of the Bataa'ihiyyah sect. [See, Majmoo al-Fatawa (11/456-457) and al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah (14/36)] He also refuted Muhiyyuddin Ibn Arabi and the heresy of Wahdat al-Wajood.

Ibn Hajr said, '� From the astonishing qualities of this man (i.e. Ibn Taymiyyah) was that he was the strongest amongst men against the people of innovation, the Rawaafidah, the Hululiyyah, and the Ittihaadiyyah, and his works on this are many and famous, and his fatawa on them cannot be counted� It is obligatory upon the one, who has donned the robe of knowledge and possesses intelligence that he consider the words of a man based upon his well-known books or from the tongues of those who are trusted to accurately convey his words - then to isolate from all of this what is rejected and warn from them with the intention of giving sincere advice and to praise him for his excellent qualities and for what he was correct in as is the way of the scholars.

If there were no virtues of Shaykh Taqi ad-Deen except for his famous student Shaykh Shams ad-Deen ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, writer of many works, from which both his opponents and supporters benefited from then this would be a sufficient indication of his (ibn Taymiyyah's) great position. And how could it be otherwise when the Shafa'ee Imams and others, not to speak of the Hanbalees, of his time testified to his prominence in the (Islamic) sciences�' [From Ibn Hajr's endorsement of 'Radd al-Waafir' contained at the end]

With regards refuting the people of innovation and the danger they pose to the Muslims Ibn Taymiyyah said, 'When some people asked Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal that they felt uneasy about criticizing people, he replied, 'If I were to remain silent, how would the ignorant masses know the truth from falsehood?' Those who introduce heretical writings which oppose the Qur'aan and the Sunnah and those who innovate in matters of worship, then it is obligatory that they be exposed and that the Muslims be warned against them - by unanimous agreement of the Muslims scholars. In fact, when Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal was asked about a person who fasted, prayed and secluded himself in the mosque for worship; if he was dearer to him than a person who spoke out against the innovators? He replied, 'When he fasts and prays and secludes himself, then he does so for the benefit of his own self. However, when he speaks out against the innovators, he does so for the benefit of the Muslims in general, and this is more virtuous.'

So it is clear that openly opposing the innovators is of general benefit to the Muslims and is considered one of the types of struggles in the path of Allah. Since purifying the religion of Allah and defending it from their attacks is a collective obligation - as is agreed upon by the scholars. For, Allah did not raise up some people to oppose the innovators, then the religion would suffer harm, corruption and deviation. Indeed, this type of corruption is even greater then the corruption resulting from the disbelievers conquering the Muslims. Since when the disbelievers conquer the Muslims, they do not corrupt their hearts, or their religion, except after some time. Whereas, the innovators corrupt the hearts from the very beginning.' [Majmoo al-Fatawa (28/231-232) Quoted from al-Istiqamah Magazine]