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Far7an
05-01-2006, 05:19 PM
Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah

(From the Introduction to the Book "Letters from Prison") by Muhammad al-'Abdah

All praises are due to Allaah. We praise Him, seek His help, and ask for (His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allaah from the evil in our souls and from our sinful deeds. W'hoever Allaah guides, no one can misguide. And whoever Allaah misguides, no one can guide. I bear witness that there is no one worthy of worship except Allaah. And I bear witness that Muhammad (SAAS) is His servant and Messenger.

In their search for worthy examples, people tend to look to the past, hoping to resurrect the legacy of those great and honourable men who contributed greatly to the Ummah through their knowledge, wisdom, and courage. It is said that the people agonise when they find no one of significance to look up to. Fortuitously, society does not solely consist of the living, but also the dead. The greatest of the dead are still alive amongst us.

One of those unique men in lslaamic heritage was the dignified Scholar and valiant Mujaahid: Ahmad bin 'Abdul-Haleem bin Taymeeyah. He was one of the most eloquent and truthful men in analysing the lslaamic mentality and methodology. Yet when we return to the lslaamic heritage, we should not be solely and sentimentally attached to the past, without it materializing and forming the basis and drive for our present and future. This is what we hope to achieve in this book.

Much of the heritage of Shaykh ul-lslaam IbnTaymeeyah has been published; yet it is still worth appreciating the age in which he lived and some of the features that it enjoyed, and crucially, the reasons behind the sending of the letters that are the subject of this book. The letters are predominantly extracted from two books: Majmoo' ul-Fatawa, and al-'Uqood ud-Durreeyah, and, except the letter to the Christian king, are from his time in prison.

Ibn Taymeeyah was born on 10th Rabi al-Awwal 661 AH (1263 CE) in the town of Harran in the province of Jazeerah1. He was a descendent of a very well known and established family, characterized by excellent memories and beauty of expression. His father, the Shaykh 'Abdul-Haleem was a scholar of hadeeth, and his grandfather was Majdudeen Abul-Barakat, the author of Muntaqa al-Akhbar2. Says the grandson, "Our grandfather was phenomenal in memorizing hadeeth, narrating them and in knowing people's schools of thought."


lbn Taymeeyah was born in an age of great cultural and political upheaval. It was only five years prior to his birth that Baghdad was ravaged and mercilessly destroyed by the Tatars, and his family had to flee to Damascus when he was young. The savagery of those invaders had undoubtedly given the boy a deep hatred of oppression, and further instilled in him courage to fight the enemy.


The age of lbn Taymeeyah was also characterized by the rise of many disciplines. The underlying themes of these sciences, were their depth, breadth, and their authors' attempts to fuse the rising sciences together. Indeed, many of the books resembled encyclopaedias. lbn Taymeeyah had benefited from such an environment, but at the same time he did not content himself to that which he was taught. Instead, he was diligent in learning but maintained an independence of thought. This meant that he was not restricted to one teacher or school of thought, and thereby he gained from all, and produced novel ideas. This search for knowledge led him to be familiar with many of his age's cultures and creeds. He wrote extensively on beliefs, explaining the true one and rebuking those who disagreed; but tafseer (explanation of the Qur'aan) remained the subject that always captivated him. "I might read a hundred interpretations of one verse, but would still ask Allaah's guidance in its comprehension saying, 'Oh teacher of Aadam and lbraaheem teach me!' I would also go to the deserted masjids and ask Allah, 'Oh teacher of lbraaheem! Make me comprehend.'" His contemporaries were quick to recognise his merit, as al-Qadi az-Zamalkaanee gave a true description, "Just as Allaah had made iron soft for Daawood, He made sciences supple for Ibn Taymeeyah's grasp."


Why was Ibn Taymeeyah such a distinguished figure, one might ask. Firstly, there was his constant and unbroken bond with the masses of Muslims, for he was their teacher and mentor, he would resolve their problems and defend their rights in the face of the rulers. He would try to keep them steadfast when their enemies attacked, he would enjoin the good and forbid the evil, and most especially, he was not diverted by mundane worldly matters. Therefore, the whole of his time was devoted to attaining knowledge and participating in jihads. Indeed, it was this strong connection that made the general masses of Damascus love, respect and honour him. Even the most jealous of his enemies were not able to harm him there, but instead they had their chance in Egypt where he was not as well known.


These sincere feelings for the affairs of Muslims can be sensed when Shaykh ul-lslaam spoke regarding politics, "Civilisation is rooted in justice, and the consequences of oppression are devastating. Therefore, it is said that Allaah aids the just state even if it is non-Muslim, yet withholds His help from the oppressive state even if it is Muslim." He also said, "There are sincere Muslims who perceive that commanding a high post3 inevitably leads to love of rule and wealth. Some common Muslims regard the acceptor of such responsibility, as a turning away from the 'religion of mercy and humbleness'. However, the correct attitude is that the appointment of the virtuous serves the Ummah far better than assigning posts to the wicked." His concern was also with the public in economic problems, attacking those who establish monopolies over foodstuffs, "In times of need, the ruler can force people to sell their goods at their original value!"


As the Tatars were approaching Damascus, fear gripped the population and some thought of fleeing. Yet Ibn Taymeeyah rejected such defeatist ideas and instead, he appealed for the people not to depart and to be steadfast. He would say in encouragement to the generals of the army, "Allaah will grant us victory!" and they would respond by asking him to say, "Insh'Allaah," but he would reply, "I say it in certainty and not in mere hope!" Indeed, he participated in the jihaad against the Tatars in the battle of Shaqhab after announcing his famous Fatwa declaring the Tatars kaffir, due to their insistence upon the abandonment of some of the rites of Islaam, even though they pronounced the Shahaadah.


When one of the scholars was imprisoned, and the news reached Ibn Taymeeyah, he personally went and managed the scholar's release, after praising and vindicating him in front of the ruler of Damascus. In another instance, he heard of a man who blasphemed against the Prophet (salallaahu alayhi wa salam), so he stood to forbid the evil, and with the masses supporting him, he wrote the famous book, as-Sarim al-Maslool 'ala Shatem ar-Rasool4. Furthermore, his deep concern for the Muslims, and his intimate knowledge of their affairs in every country, their conditions, and their nearness or distance to Islaam stands out. This is illustrated in his description of the Muslims in the lands of Sham5 and Egypt who, were standing firm at his time, defending their lands. "


lf one is to review the affairs of the world, one would inevitably realise that this group in ash-sham and Egypt are the most staunch group upholding the Deen in knowledge, action and jihads. They are relieving the Muslims throughout the world of their obligation of jihaad as they struggle against the hardened disbelievers. The prestige of all Muslims is derived from that group's glory…


"For the inhabitants of Yemen are weak, and unable or unwilling to carry out jihads, subservient to their rulers,


"The Hijaazi peoples are swamped in the depths of innovations and misguidance, and their people of knowledge and faith are weak and subdued. lf that group in ash-Sham and Egypt were to be subjugated - and l seek refuge in Allah from that- then those from Hijaaz would be rendered the most degraded of Allaah's servants.


"The lands of Africa6 are led by its Bedouins and they are very wicked, and themselves deserving to be conquered by jihaad. Further on, the lands of the Maghreb are all but occupied by the Europeans, yet Muslims there do not attempt their jihads. Had Tatars occupied those regions, they would have encountered timid people…


"Therefore, it is clear that it is that group situated in ash-Sham and Egypt who are the vanguard of Islam, their success is an honour for Islaam, and their defeat is a calamity for it."


This lengthy quote is included for its importance and to demonstrate lbn Taymeeyah's up-to-date insight into the affairs of his time, and mistreat ability to interpret the social and psychological condition of the people. Secondly, next to the Shaykh's connection with the masses and knowledge of current affairs, he also possessed a depth of understanding and a high level of alertness. He noticed that, from the end of the second century AH, there existed of a group of Muslims who were fascinated by the philosophies of Plato and the logic of Aristotle7. That group tried to instil the theories of the philosophers into the pure creed, thereby disfiguring it, so that beneficial knowledge was turned into sterile debate and idle discussion. The abstract theories had never been able to grant felicity to mankind, which was always granted in the light of Prophethood. Truly, here is an Imaam uninfected by an inferiority complex that diseased some scholars, past and present.


Thirdly, the letters, which were selected for this book, are another side of Ibn Taymeeyah. A side many people do not know of. Usually, it is his uncompromising stances and truthful, sometimes harsh retorts that are often remembered. However, there is a side of his character that writes a letter to his mother full of concern, leniency and respect. Other letters are for his brothers and students in Damascus, and are characterized by love and advice. He also shows forgiveness towards those who worked to imprison him. Another is a letter full of wisdom, eloquence and firmness to a Christian king. This is the side of his character unknown to many - that of Ibn Taymeeyah, the benevolent man with a heart full of eemaan and mercy.


These letters were predominantly written in prison. But why was such a Shaykh imprisoned? He was neither imprisoned by a non-Muslim state nor by an oppressive ruler. Unfortunately, his gaoling was conspired by some of the envious Shaykhs of his time, "due to his individual distinction in enjoining the good and forbidding the evil, for people's genuine love and adherence to him, and to the large number of his followers."8 This is along with their asabeeyah 9 to what they themselves wrote in Fiqh or Beliefs, and although some did it with a good intention, they nevertheless all conspired to provoke the ruler against Ibn Taymeeyah, and as a result he was imprisoned in Cairo, Alexandria and Damascus.

Herein lies a serious problem. How can a scholar be imprisoned as a result of an ijtihaad, by which he differed from other scholars yet never transgressed beyond the boundaries of ijtihaad, and certainly not outside of Islaam? How is it that we cannot accommodate another opinion by a scholar noted for his love for Allaah and His Messenger? One says this not to solely dig into the past, but because currently, there are similar incidents and this is indeed a very pitiful state. Our hearts should be big enough to encompass disagreements as long as they are not in the areas of innovation, deviation or legislation contradicting Allaah's command. We should not resort to replies and retorts, which show false piety and bravery, or to using titles to give the mistaken impression of a battle being waged against an enemy, as if with swords and not with the words that are being used.


We return to Shaykh ul-Islaam in prison. The story began when he wrote a treatise entitled al-Hamaweeyab in reply to a question from the town of Hama regarding Allaah's Attributes in 698 AH. He was asked to explain the treatise in Damascus in a few public gatherings. There, he informed the Deputy Sultan that what was in the treatise was not novel, but had been written in his own book 'Aqeedah al-Wassiteeyah a few years earlier, and that both books included the beliefs of Ahlus-Sunnah. None could debate or doubt his strong and evidence-based works. The Deputy tried to resolve the objections of other scholars, by announcing that Ibn Taymeeyah's works were following the tradition of Imaam Ahmad bin Hanbal. Ibn Taymeeyah rejected this appeasing attitude, and replied that it was the 'Aqeedah of the predecessors, and was not exclusive to Imaam Ahmad.


The Shaykhs of Egypt succeeded where their counterparts in Damascus failed. This was due to his credibility and trustworthiness in the second capital Damascus, and his anonymity in the first (Cairo, Egypt). The Shaykhs in Cairo had managed to incite the oppressive ruler, Ruknudeen Baybars the Jashangir whose personal shaykh and mentor, was a fanatical Soofee named Nasr al-Manbaji10. As a result, a sultanate order was issued to bring Ibn Taymeeyah to Cairo for interrogation in 705 AH. Against the advice of the Deputy Sultan in Damascus, Shaykh ul-Islaam decided to go to Egypt as he saw much benefit in being there. On his day of departure, says his student Ibn 'Abdul-Haadi, "People gathered to bid their farewells, overwhelmed by grief and surprise… many weeping."11


When Shaykh ul-Islaam arrived in Egypt, a tribunal chaired by the judge Ibn Makhloof al-Maaliki was arranged. However, the Shaykh felt that his arbiter was also his opponent, and thus refused to answer questions. As a result, he was imprisoned in the Mount's Castle in Cairo with his brothers 'Adullaah and 'Abdur-Rahman. In the meantime, he sent a letter to one of his relatives wherein he mentions that he refused the gift of the Sultanate, not wanting to be defiled in anyway.


Eighteen months passed before Ibn Taymeeyah was released unconditionally after the intervention of an Arab Prince named Husamudeen bin 'Eesaa in 707 AH. There were earlier initiatives that failed, due to Ibn Taymeeyah's captors attempting to attach conditions that were unacceptable to him. After his release, Ibn Taymeeyah stayed in Cairo where he established classes and circles of knowledge in masjids, to benefit the people thereby. Yet those who harboured rotten ideas, feared the light of guidance emanating from the presence of the Shaykh amongst them. After the Sultan received their complaints, he decided to expel Shaykh ul-Islaam back to Syria, but with conditions, which he later accepted at the insistence of his followers. As he was embarking upon his trip, an order was issued to re-imprison him12. One must relay the magnificent scene witnessed when Shaykh ul-Islaam was re-jailed,


"When he entered prison, he saw the prisoners busy with all kinds of time-wasting games for entertainment, such as chess and dice games, leading to loss of prayer. The Shaykh rebuked them strongly, and commanded them to keep the prayers, and turn towards Allaah in worship, repentance and good deeds. He taught them from the Sunnah what they needed to know, encouraging them to do good, and bolstering their faith, and thereby rendered the prison a haven for seekers of the knowledge of religion. Such a place became better than schools and circles. Some of the released prisoners preferred staying with him rather than being free; and those frequenting his company increased to a point where the prison became full of them!" 13


This state of affairs did not please the envious, and so he was sent to a prison in Alexandria. Soon afterwards, the self-exiled Sultan Muhammad bin Qalawoon, who had a great deal of respect for the Shaykh returned in triumph. The Sultan asked for Ibn Taymeeyah to be returned to Cairo. When he came to the Sultanate court, it was full of princes and scholars. The Sultan stood up for the Shaykh greeting him warmly, and then took him to a distant corner and asked, "There are amongst those scholars present here, those whose oath was given to the Jashangir (Qalawoon's former rival), and had slandered you.'' He then asked for his opinion (fatwa) to exterminate them. The Shaykh strongly objected and replied, "If they were to go, none of the same calibre could then be found in your country. As for what they have done to me, and my right to extract a punishment, I forgive them, and they are free."14 And thus the coming of Shaykh ul-Islaam to Cairo was sealed, where he resided near al-Hussayn Masjid, with his ever-present commitment to the spreading of knowledge, and courageous enjoining the good and forbidding the evil.


In 712 AH, Ibn Taymeeyah returned to Damascus after an absence of seven years and few days. The Egyptian Army that had been dispatched to block the attack of the Tatars accompanied him. He later resettled in Damascus returning to publicise the knowledge of the religion. Yet again, his opponents would not leave him as he gave a fatwa that contradicted their opinions. This was coupled with what they had found in his book Iqtida 'as-Siraat ul-Mustaqim in the form of a chapter on 'Travelling in order to visit graves' and its unlawfulness according to the texts. By this time, the envious scholars had managed to change the mind of the hitherto sympathetic Sultan, who in turn ordered Ibn Taymeeyah's arrest to the Castle in Damascus. Shaykh ul-lslaam was uttering the verse whilst entering his cell:


"And thereupon a wall will be raised between them, with a gate in it. Within it will be grace and mercy, and the outside thereof suffering." Al-Qur'aan 57:13 In prison he continued to write, working on tafseer, reciting the Qur'aan, and worshipping his Lord. He was later refused access to ink, paper and books, and soon after that, the enlightened heart stopped, and the pure soul passed to the grace of its Lord in the confines of prison in 728 AH. May Allaah have mercy on him, please him and be pleased with him. Thus was the story of the reformer and revivalist Imaam. The example of knowledge, jihad and chivalry...of one who forgave his opponents save those enemies of Allaah and His Messenger.


Footnotes

1. Situated north of Syria and Iraq today.

2. A famous book that Imaam ash-Shawkaanee explained in his Nayl ul-Awtaar.

3. E.g. a judge, a minister, or an administrator.

4. Meaning, "The Drawn Sword on the Blasphemer of the Prophet."

5. The lands of ash-Sham refer to the areas that were historically under the administrational Damascus, Syria, They include today's Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan.

6. The term 'lands of Africa' refers to today's Libya, Tunisia and Algeria.

7. Just as some are captivated by the discourse of the Orientalists today.

8. Ibn Katheer, al-Bidaya wan-Nihaya, vol. 14, pg.37.

9. Meaning unjustified blind following of a certain idea, party or place, belittling and rebuking those who are different. It does not mean mere following.

10. The Sultan then was Muhammad bin Qalawoon, but as he increasingly sensed that the strong man was the Jashangir and not himself, he left to perform Hajj and then settled in Karak (Jordan), in a face-saving exercise, but he returned later.

11. Al-'Uqood ud-Durreeyah, pg. 249.

12. As Allaah says, the Exalted in Might, about the people of Egypt regardingYoosuf: "Even after they had seen all the signs (of Yoosuf's innocence) that they might as well imprison him for a time." It is also striking how the Shaykh stayed for seven years in Egypt, akin to the seven fertile years that Yoosuf (alayhis salam had told the good tidings of).

13. Al-'Uqood ud-Durreeyah, pg. 269.

14. Ibid. pg. 282.
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Ibn Abi Ahmed
12-23-2006, 12:35 AM
Ibn al-Qayyim says of Ibn Taymiyyah's remembrance of his Lord: "I heard Shaykul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allaah (AZ) sanctify his soul, say, 'Remembrance to the heart is like water to fish. What will be the state of the fish if it becomes seperated from the water?'...I once attended fajr prayer with Shaykhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah, he then sat and remembered Allaah (AZ) until it was nearly midday. He then turned around and said to me, 'This is my early morning meal, if I do not take this breakfast, my strength will drop.' " [1]

A great manifestation of his worship was in his genuine reliance upon his Lord and his belief in the decree of Allaah. At times when he was subjected to the severest forms of treatment, he had the greatest reliance upon his Lord. When the news of his expulsion to Alexandria came to him and it was said to him: "They are plotting to kill you, expel or imprison you." He replied: "If they kill me it will be a shahaadah for me. If they expel me, it will be a hijrah for me; if they expel me to Cyprus, I will call its people to Allaah so that they answer me. If they imprison me, it will be a place of worship for me." [2]

Ibn al-Qayyim also says: "He used to say frequently in prostration when imprisoned, 'O Allaah, assist me to remember you, to be grateful to you and to worship your properly.' and he said to me once, 'The one who is (truly) imprisoned is the one whose heart is imprisoned from Allaah and the captivated one is the one whose desires have enslaved him.' " [3]

Al-Waabil as-Sayyib of Ibn al-Qayyim, pg. 60, Daar al-Bayaan.

Naahiyah min Hayaah Shaykhul-Islaam, pg. 30.

Al-Waabil as-Sayyib, pg. 61.
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Ibn Abi Ahmed
12-25-2006, 12:46 AM
"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 Shaafi`ee Imaams 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 of the book.]
Ibn Katheer said,
"the least he would do when he heard something was to memorise it and then busy himself with learning it. He was intelligent and had much committed to memory, and he became an Imaam in tafseer and everything linked to it and knowledgeable in fiqh. Indeed it was said he was more knowledgeable of the fiqh of the madhabs then the followers of those very same madhabs in his time and other than his time. He was a scholar in Usul and the branches of the religion and grammar and the language and other textual and intellectual sciences…no scholar of a science would speak to him except that he thought that that science was the speciality of ibn Taymiyyah. As for hadeeth then he was the carrier of its flag, a haafidh and able to distinguish the weak from the strong, fully acquainted with the narrators…"
[‘al-Bidaayah wan Nihaayah’ (14/118-119) of ibn Katheer.]
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Ibn Abi Ahmed
01-26-2007, 01:56 PM
After all this, it comes as no surprise that those who argued with ibn Taymiyyah about the contents of his books found that indeed his beliefs where exactly those held by the Salaf of this Ummah. Ibn Katheer writes that when the scholars of his time gathered for a sitting with ibn Taymiyyah to discuss his work al-Aqeedah al-Hamawiyyah that ibn Taymiyyah's replies to their accusations were not able to be rebutted.
[al-Bidaayah wan Nihaayah, 14/5]

And likewise he mentioned that when the scholars sat to argue with him regarding his Aqeedah al-Waasitiyyah the argument ended with them accepting all that was contained in the book.
[Vol. 14 of al-Bidaayah under the heading 'Aqd al-Majaalis ath-Thalaatha']
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seeker_of_ilm
01-31-2007, 01:04 PM
:sl:

SHEIKH-UL-ISLAM IMAM IBN TAIMIYAH--BRIEF
BIOGRAPHY

Imam Ibn Taimiyah's full name is Taqi ud-Din Ahmad bin 'Abdul-Halim. He was born in Harran on 22 January, 1263 AD (10 Rabi' Al-Awwal, 661 AH). His family had long been renowned for its learning. His father 'Abdul-Halim, uncle Fakhr ud-Din and grandfather Majd ud-Din were great scholars of Hanbalite school of jurisprudence and the authors of many books. His family members
were forced to leave their native place in 1269 AD before the approach of the Mongols and to take refuge in Damascus. At that time, Ibn Taimiyah was seven years old. His father 'Abdul-Halim was appointed as Professor and Head of the Sukkariyah Madrasah. Endowed with a penetrating intellect and a wonderful memory, Ibn Taimiyah studied, at an early stage, all the disciplines of jurisprudence, Ahadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him), commentaries of the Quran, mathematics and philosophy, and in each he was far lead of his contemporaries. Among his teachers, was Shams ud-Din Al-Maqdisi, first Hanbali Chief Justice of Syria following the reform of the judiciary by Baibars.

The number of Ibn Taimiyah's teachers exceeds two hundred. Ibn Taimiyah was barely seventeen, when Qadi Al-Maqdisi authorized him to issue Fatwa (legal verdict). Qadi remembered with pride that it was he who had first permitted an intelligent and learned man like Ibn Taimiyah to give Fatwa. At the same age, he started delivering lectures. When he was thirty, he was offered the office of Chief Justice, but refused, as he could not persuade himself to follow the limitations imposed by the authorities. Imam Ibn Taimiyah's education was essentially that of a Hanbali theologian and jurisconsult. But to his knowledge of early and classical Hanbalism, he added not only that of the other schools of jurisprudence but also that of heresiographical literature, in particular of philosophy and Sufism. He had an extensive knowledge of Quran, Sunnah, Greek philosophy, Islamic history, and religious books of others, as is evident from the variety of the books he wrote. Though he preferred the Hanbali school of jurisprudence, he was never biased in favor of it. In his writings, he frequently quoted the opinions of all four of the well-known schools of jurisprudence, even others. In a number of matters, he himself held opinions different from those of the four schools. In fact, he was an original thinker ( Mujtahid) who merely drew upon the wisdom of the four established schools. In all his reformative efforts, Ibn Taimiyah accepted the Our an and the Sunnah (traditions of the Prophet (peace be upon him)) as the basic criteria. In matters where there was no clear guidance from the Quran and the Sunnah, he never hesitated to venture into rational thought and took the path of Ijtihad or creative originality an initiative. The thirteenth and fourteenth centuries AD have a distinguished place in Islamic history. Ibn Al-Atheer described the political and military conditions prevailing in the Muslim world during Ibn Taimiyah's lifetime in the following words:"Islam and Muslims had during that period been afflicted by such disasters that no other nation hadexperienced. One such affliction was the invasion by the Tatar. They came from the east and inflicted overwhelming damages. Another was the onset of the Prankish people (the Crusaders) from the West to Mesopotamia and Egypt, they occupied its ports, and nearly subjected all of Egypt to their rule, had it not been from Allah's Mercy and victory over them. But another affliction was that the Muslims themselves had been divided, and their swords lifted up against their fellows. "In addition to such horrid conditions facing the Muslims on the political and military front, Islam as practiced and preached by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and As-Salaf As-Salih (the righteous predecessors) was being seriously challenged by various deviant sects. The Sufi movement which was spearheaded by the teachings of Al-Ghazali had won over many converts and was exercising a firm hold on the intellect and patterns of thought of many people. Along with this Al-Ash'ari system of creed had been widely accepted by the majority of the scholars of Ibn Taimiyah's day. Al-Ash 'ari system of doctrine was a mixture of the Salafi methodology which is based on revelation centered theology and the Mu'tazilah methodology which is based on a rationalist thought system. Taqleed was practiced widely. Even though information on the Deen, Fiqh, Ahadith, etc., was abundantly available, only a handful of scholars and ordinary people took up the task of investigating the sources of the knowledge and its vehicle. Most people blindly accepted the teaching of their
Sheikh or Imam without questioning or investigating the sources from where the knowledge had come."

Imam Ibn Taimiyah's struggles and persecutions

Ibn Taimiyah's life was not confined to the world of books and words. Whenever circumstances demanded, he took part in political and public affairs too, distinguishing himself not only through his writings and speeches but also with the sword as a brave warrior.

Participation in Jihad

1300, the Mongols under their king Ghazan, invaded Syria and defeated the Sultan's army. Ibn Taimiyah, by this time well-known, flung himself into the stream of affairs, while the religious divines and saints were leaving Damascus to take refuge in Egypt. When Mongol threat arose for a second time, Ibn Taimiyah exhorted people to Jihad and encouraged them to confront the Mongols boldly. He toured the cities, called the people to a holy war and fired them with zeal. After a pitched battle at Shaqhab in which Ibn Taimiyah fought bravely, the Syrian-Egyptian army won a glorious victory that turned the tide against the Mongols. This victory, which was to a great extent due to Ibn Taimiyah's efforts and commitment, stopped the Mongols advance. Apart from the battle of Shaqhab, he took part in some other expeditions with the Mamluk authorities, and also undertook a few expeditions without them.

Opposition of rival Ulama

Because of his brilliant performance on the battlefield and his radical thinking, Ibn Taimiyah's fame spread throughout the realm, and he became a highly distinguished celebrity. This made a number of jurists jealous. Ibn Kathir has pointed out this fact, saying that: 'A group of jurisprudents were jealous of Ibn Taimiyah, as the people paid heed to him. To enjoin good and forbid evil was his vocation, and because of this he became very popular among the people. His followers were countless. His religious zeal, learning and actions made them jealous of him.' For the complaint of rival Ulama, he was imprisoned several times. His last imprisonment began on 13 July, 1326 and lasted until his death. His opponents dug up an old Fatwa, related to tomb visits, given by him some seventeen years before, which could be provocatively interpreted. In his treatise on the subject ( Risalah Ziyarah Al-Qubur) Ibn Taimiyah had questioned the legality of visiting tombs, even the tomb of the Prophet (peace be upon him). His opponents distorted the sense and context of this Fatwa to make it objectionable in the eyes of the
public and the Sultan. A great dispute arose and Ibn Taimiyah was imprisoned in the citadel of Damascus along with some of his pupils including Ibn Al-Qaiyim. While in prison, Ibn Taimiyah spent all his time teaching and writing. Many of his works were produced in this period. In 1328, he was deprived of all means of writing, his pen and papers were taken away. But this did not stop him from writing; he wrote many letters and booklets with coal. He never
complained to anybody about his persecution. Only when all reading and writing materials were taken away from him, did he say: 'Now they really have put me into prison.' He breathed his last on 26 September, 1328 (20 Dhul-Qa'dah 728 AH) having endured harsh conditions for five months. The
whole country mourned. Schools, shops, hotels and markets were closed to mark his death. His burial was attended by the great numbers of Damascans; eyewitnesses confirm that, excepting some invalids, all turned out for his funeral prayer, both those who had been for him and those against. This is a clear testimony of his place among the people, of their appreciation of his sacrifices for public purposes and just cause. Including the two years and three months of his last imprisonment, Ibn Taimiyah spent about five years in different prisons.

A great reformer

In the Islamic perspective, 'reform' is understood quite differently than in Christian terminology. In Islam, 'reform' means purification of the original Islamic teachings, and the removal of UN-Islamic new practices (Bid'at) and misconceptions. In this sense of the word, Ibn Taimiyah was a great
reformer.

The main aspects of his reforms

The most important elements of Ibn Taimiyah's reforms were:
(a) to bring about a revolution against UN-lslamic practices (Bidht) that had crept into Islam and to emphasize the concept of Tauhid with all
its implications;
(b) a return to the fundamental priorities of Islam and its original spirit, instead of disputing over secondary and nonfundamental problems.

Attack on philosophy and logic

Another target of Ibn Taimiyah's criticism was Greek philosophy and logic. He knew that unless the crippling falsehood of Greek philosophy was removed, the people would not be able to grasp the Divine truth of Islam. He studied critically all the great Muslim philosophers and their works in this regard, and then he opposed it extremely.

Rejection of Sufism and deniers of Sifat

He abhorred the Sufi ideas of pantheism, gnosticism, and deterministic view of total religious resignation. According to him the implication of these ideas upon the Muslim community were devastating, because they led to political apathy, religious misconceptions, and withdrawal from an active community life. A major portion of his intellectual energies was spent refuting the doctrine of the Sufis. The Shi 'ah were also subjected to harsh criticism by Ibn Taimiyah because of the many flaws in their doctrines and beliefs. He strongly denounced their falsification of the historical facts and forging of the Sunnah to support their own political views. Ibn Taimiyah also attacked Al-Jahmiyah and Al-Jabariyah -- the determinists -- who denied the human being's responsibility for any of his actions. He also denounced Al-Mu'tazilah and Al-Qadariyah -- the rationalists -- who held human free will as the basis of human action. He also did doctrinal battle with the followers of Abul-Hasan Al-Ash'ari on various issues including determinism/free will, the Names and Attributes of Allah, and other issues of the Islamic creed. As a result of his confrontation with the Sufis and the scholasticists, he made many enemies among them. Many of their leaders who exercised political clout used it against him, and as a result, he was once exiled in Alexandria and imprisoned on three different occasions. Ibn Tamiyah gave himself relentlessly to pointing the way to the knowledge which, in his own words, means: "The Prophet (peace be upon him) shown the fundamentals and applications of religion, its intent as well as its expression, its (intellectual) knowledge and its action. This fact is the foundation of all fundamental knowledge and belief; and he who most adheres to this foundation is most worthy of the truth -- both, to know it and to do it."

Method of teaching

Ibn Taimiyah's method of teaching was both elegant and striking, replete with authentic references, strengthened with rational arguments, and evidence from the Ahadith .For a lecture on any subject, he would refer to verses of the Quran and discuss their meanings with cross references from the Quran.
He would also note evidence from Ahadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and check their authenticity. He would then expound the relevant opinions of the four schools of jurisprudence and of other famous experts in jurisprudence. Having discussed the matter fully in this way, the problem and
its solution would become clear in the minds of his listeners. Ibn Taimiyah had a prodigiously good memory which helped him overwhelm his adversaries in polemic.

Style of writing

His style of writing is clear and elegant. His writings are so richly steeped in references to the Quran, to Ahadith, to the sayings of the Companions and their followers, and to opinions of other experts in jurisprudence, that any Muslim reader must feel that he is living in the blessed age. From the literal
point of view too, his writings have great merit. Because of their clear expression and choice of idiom, even his technical works seem to be literary ones.

His disciples

Imam Ibn Taimiyah's disciples spread from Syria to Egypt and Cairo to Alexandria. Some of them scattered to very far-off places. They preached and developed his intellectual heritage, and shared their master's persecutions. One of the most famous of them is Imam Ibn Qaiyim al-Jawziyah (Allah's mercy be upon him) (d. 1350), a great writer in his own right. He so mingled his personality with that of his teacher that we find in his books echoes of Ibn Taimiyah's thought. Among other distinguished disciples were Ibn'Abdul-Hadi (d. 1343), who died at the age of forty but left valuable works. He wrote a biography of his master, Al-'Uqud Al-Durriyah; Ibn Kathir (d.1373), the famous historian and commentator of the Quran, whose book Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah contains a detailed biography of his teacher; Hafiz Dhahabi (d. 1348), the great Islamic historian of traditions; Al-Mizzi(d.l341), another expert on traditions; Muhammad bin Muflih (d.1362), writer of many books; Abu Hafs Al-Bazzar (d.1349), the author of a biography of Ibn Taimiyah; Ibn Al-Wardi (d.1348), expert in literature, grammar and some of her branches of learning; and Qadi Ibn Fadl-ullah (d. 1349), a famous writer.

Impact of Ibn Taimiyah through the ages

Ibn Taimiyah created a climate of revolutionary thinking both through his ideas and his reformist endeavors whose impact was felt not only in his own time but ever since. In his lifetime people were divided either into those who were strong opponents or strong supporters fully in agreement with him, or uncommitted, those who agreed with some views and disagreed with others. Ibn Taimiyah left behind a large number of books and disciplines. His opponents soon sank into anonymity, while the value of and appreciation for his works has increased. In his own lifetime, Ibn Taimiyah's fame and influence extended beyond the boundaries of Egypt and Syria. When he was imprisoned for the last time in the citadel of Damascus, many letters came from the inhabitants of Baghdad protesting against his arrest and demanding his release. When he died, funeral prayers in absentia were performed even as far as China. Almost all historians have recognized his deep impact on the most prominent reformer of eighteenth
century, Sheikh Muhammad bin 'Abdul-Wahhab (d. 1792).
:w:
Reply

BlissfullyJaded
02-01-2007, 07:25 AM
:sl:

*Threads Merged*

All information about Ibn Taymiyyah (Rahimahullah) can be posted here inshaAllah.

Jazakallah khair for sharing! :thumbs_up
Reply

Ibn Abi Ahmed
02-11-2007, 01:39 AM
The Heaven of this World - al-Waabil as-Sayyib


I heard the Sheikh of Islam, Ibn Taymiyyah - may Allah sanctify his soul - say,

'Truly, there is a Heaven in this world,
[And] whoever does not enter it,
Will not enter the Heaven of the next world.'


And once he said to me,

'What can my enemies do to me?
I have in my breast both my Heaven and my Garden.
If I travel they are with me, and they never leave me.
Imprisonment for me is a religious retreat [khalwa].
To be slain for me is martyrdom [shahada]
And to be exiled from my land is a spiritual journey [siyaha].'



During his imprisonment in the fortress, he would say, 'I could not be more grateful for this blessing were I to have this entire fortress in gold'; or, 'I could never repay them for the good that has come to me in [this prison].'158


And in prostration he would say, whilst in a state of imprisonment 'O Allah, help me in my gratitude to You, remembrance of You and the most comely worship of You' as much as Allah willed. 159


Once he said to me, 'The real prisoner is someone whose heart is imprisoned from his Lord; the true captive is someone captured by his passions.' And when he entered the fortress and was inside its walls, he gazed upon them and recited the verse, 'And a wall between them is struck which has a gate. On the inside there is a mercy, on the outside punishment.' 160


Allah knows, I have never seen anyone who had a better life than his. Despite the difficulties and all that expunges comfort and luxury, nay, things completely opposite to them; despite intimidation and oppression, Ibn Taymiyyah had a purer life than anyone could. He was the most generous, the strongest of heart and the most joyful of soul, with 'the radiance of bliss' on his face.161 When we were seized with fear and our thoughts [about Allah's decree] turned negative, and the earth grew narrow for us, we would go to him. No sooner did we look at him and hear his words than all these [feelings] would leave us, to be replaced by relief, strength, certainty and tranquility.


So glory be to the One who lets His servants witness His Heaven well before they meet Him, who opens its doors to them in this world of deeds and who gives them something of its refreshment, its breeze and its perfume - that they might seek it and hasten towards it with all their strength. A gnostic once said, 'If kings and the sons of kings knew what we had, they would try to take it from us by the sword!' Another said:'How pitiful, the wordly people! They leave this life without ever having tasted the sweetest thing in it.' When asked what that was, he replied, 'The love of Allah, the knowledge of Allah and the remembrance of Allah,' or words to that effect.162 Another said: 'There are times when the heart dances in joy.' And another said, 'There are times when I say, If the people of Heaven have anything like this, how truly sweet their lives!' To love Allah, to know Him intimately, to remember Him constantly, to find peace and rest in Him, to make Him alone the [ultimate] object of love, fear, hope and trust; to base one's act on His control of His servant's cares, aspirations and will - such is the world's Heaven, and such is a blessing with which no other blessing can compare.


It is by this that the hearts of those who love Allah are gladdened and that the gnostics find life. As their hearts are gladdened by Allah, so others are gladdened by them. For whoever finds his source of gladdness in Allah, gladdens all hearts; whoever does not, finds nothing in this world but restlessness. Anyone with life in his heart will confirm this. But someone whose heart is dead will only estrange you from Allah; and so seek intimacy [with Allah] without him, when you can, for his mere presence will estrange you. If you are tested by him, show him only your outer aspect, but leave him behind in your heart. Depart from him with your soul and do not let him distract you from the one who is most important to you. Know that the greatest of all losses is the involvement with someone who weakens your relationship and standing with Allah, cutting you off from Him, wasting your time, dispersing your heart, weakening your resolve and dividing your aspirations. Therefore, if you are tested with this [kind of situation] - and it is inevitable that you will be - then bear up for the sake of Allah, and acknowledge Him as much as you are able. Draw near to Allah by whatever of it pleases Him. Make your association [with wordly people] a profit not a loss. Be like the man travelling along, whom another invites to stop: seek to take him along with you. When he comes along, lead him but be not lead by him. And if he refuses, and you have no hope that he will journey, then [at least] do not let him detain you. Rather, hasten on, pay him no heed. Do not [even] turn in his direction, for he is a highway robber regardless.


Protect your heart and be careful of how you spend your day and your night.


Let not the sun set on you before you reach camp, 'lest you be carried off'.


Nor let the dawn find you abandoned in the camp after the caravan has moved on, and the time is nigh for you to reach them. 163


FOOTNOTES
158 Ibn al-Qayyim accompanied Ibn Taymiyyah to prison (cf. Introduction).
159 A prayer recommended by the Prophet to Mu'adh. Nasa'i, Sahw, 1286; Abu Dawud, Salat, 1301.
160 Qur'an LVII:13.
161 'Nadratun al-na'im'. Qur'an LXXXIII:24.
162 Possibly referring to the saying by 'Abd Allah ibn al-Mubarak: ' Wordly people leave the world before having feasted on the sweetest thing in it.' They asked him what that was and he answered, 'The knowledge of Almighty
Allah.' Isfahani, Hilya, VIII:167.
163 There are some ommisions in the arabic editions here. The sense of the last sentence is not at all together clear.
Reply

Ibn Abi Ahmed
02-12-2007, 05:02 AM
:sl:

The prison in which he died:

Reply

Umm Yoosuf
02-12-2007, 08:53 PM
:sl:

Subhan Allah.

Indeed he was a great shaykh. May Allah grant him jannatul- Firdous. His books are amazing. Full of knowledge Masha Allah.
Reply

chacha_jalebi
02-12-2007, 09:06 PM
he was a heavy scholar, bless him bidaaya wan nihaaya and the waasitah between Allah (swt) and the creation are jus sum hevy books written by him, may Allah (swt) bless him a propa heavy scholar:D
Reply

seeker_of_ilm
02-12-2007, 09:12 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by chacha_jalebi
he was a heavy scholar, bless him bidaaya wan nihaaya and the waasitah between Allah (swt) and the creation are jus sum hevy books written by him, may Allah (swt) bless him a propa heavy scholar:D
:sl:

Al Bidayah Wan Nihaayah was actually by Ibn Kathir, his student. But I agree, he was a great scholar Masha'Allah

:w:
Reply

chacha_jalebi
02-12-2007, 09:13 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by seeker_of_ilm
:sl:

Al Bidayah Wan Nihaayah was actually by Ibn Kathir, his student. But I agree, he was a great scholar Masha'Allah

:w:
o yesh yesh lol i got mixed :embarrass
Reply

Ibn Abi Ahmed
02-17-2007, 06:52 PM
:sl:

Ibn Taymiyyah did not deviate from the "mainstream scholors of Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jama'ah".

http://www.islamicboard.com/sects-di...taymiyyah.html
Reply

MinAhlilHadeeth
02-27-2007, 05:11 PM
:salamext:

My favourite classical scholar. May Allah have Mercy upon him and grant him Jannah, ameen.
Reply

Abu Ibraheem
03-23-2007, 10:10 PM
Salam

i am looking for the full letters of the Imam that he wrote in prison, does anybody know i can locate them? wasalams
Reply

- Qatada -
03-23-2007, 10:14 PM
:wasalamex


Allaahu a'lam, maybe you could check this out:

http://thetruereligion.org/modules/w...p?articleid=70
http://www.sunnahonline.com/ilm/seerah/0039.htm



:salamext:
Reply

Maimunah
03-23-2007, 10:15 PM
:sl:
mashaAllah he was truely an imam may Allah bless him with janatul firdaws inshaAllah.
:w:
Reply

Abu Ibraheem
03-24-2007, 12:05 AM
Salam

Thanks for the links, however they were only partial...does anybody know where i can find the full?
Reply

Abu Ibraheem
03-24-2007, 02:05 PM
Salam, can anybody help me with accessing Imam Ibn Taymiyahs books in Arabi or English. I have certainly become more interested in reading his works. And where are the best places to buy them in Arabi and English
Reply

Abu Ibraheem
03-24-2007, 02:32 PM
also does anybody know where i can read the whole of Aqeedah Al Hamawiyyah online?
Reply

Ibn Abi Ahmed
03-24-2007, 05:05 PM
:sl

^ Try this:
http://abdurrahman.org/aqeeda/hamawiyyah.html

You'll find Al Wasatiyyah there too:
http://abdurrahman.org/aqeeda/wasitiyah.html
Reply

Ibn Abi Ahmed
04-05-2007, 12:46 AM
Misconceptions and Allegations

Allegations of Anthropomorphism

Ibn Batûtah (d.779H) alleges in his Rihlah (1/110):
“I was in present in Damascus on Friday where he (i.e. Ibn Taymiyyah) was admonishing and reminding the people from the pulpit of the congregational mosque During his speech he said: Indeed Allâh descends to the lowest heaven of the world just as I am descending now. He then descended one step of the pulpit ... ”
The falsehood of this claim can be shown from a number of angles:- [1]

Firstly:
This contradicts the madhhab (way) of Shaykhul-Islâm Ibn Taymiyyah concerning the Sifât (Attributes) of Allâh - the Most High - which was the same madhhab as that of the Salafus-Sâlih (Pious Predecessors), being built upon the saying of Allâh - the Most High -: “There is no likeness unto Him, and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer.” [Sûrah ash-Shûrâ 42:11] So Allâh’s Attribute of an-Nuzûl (Descending) is affirmed in a manner that befits His Majesty and Perfection, but it is not like the descending of any of His creation. Indeed, throughout his writings concerning Allâh’s Sifât, Ibn Taymiyah ah clearly states the forbiddance of likening Allâh to His creation.


Ibn Taymiyyah says in at-Tadmuriyyah (p.20):
“It is a must to affirm that which Allâh affirms For Himself, whilst negating any likeness to Him with His creation ... Whosoever says: His knowledge is like my knowledge, His Power is like my power, or Love like my love, or Pleasure like my pleasure, or Hand like my hand, or Istawâ (Ascending) like my ascending - then he has resembled and likened Allâh to the creation. Rather, it is a must to affirm (Allâh’s Attributes) without any resemblance, and to negate (what Allâh negates for Himself), without ta’tîl (divesting Allâh of any of His affirmed Attributes).”

Ibn Taymiyyah said in Majmû’ul-Fatâwâ (5/262);
“Whosoever considers the Attributes of Allâh to be like the attributes of the creation - such that the Istawâ (Ascending) of Allâh is like the ascending of the creation, or His Nuzûl (Descending) is like the descending of the creation, or other than that - then he is a deviated innovator.”
Secondly:
It is not possible that Ibn Batûtah witnessed Ibn Taymiyyah deliver this speech, since Ibn Batûtah clearly states in his Rihlah (1/102) that he entered Damascus on the 9th of Ramadhân in the year 728H. However, Shaykhul-Islâm Ibn Taymiyyah was - before, during and after that time - in prison. Ibn Kathîr states in al-Bidâyah wan-Nihâyah (14/135) that Ibn Taymiyyah was imprisoned on the 6th of Sha’bân in the year 728H and remained there until his death on the 20th of Dhul-Qa’dah 728H.


Thirdly.
Ibn Taymiyyah - rahimahullâh - has a separate book concerning the hadîth of Allâh’s Descending, entitled Sharh Hadîthin-Nazûl. In it there is no trace whatsoever of the tashbîh and tamthîl (anthropomorphic beliefs) - that he has falsely been accused of.


Fourthly:
Shaykhul-Islâm Ibn Taymiyyah did not used to give admonitions to the people from the pulpit, rather he used to sit upon a chair. Al-Hâfidh adh-Dhahabî said: “And he became very famous and well-known, and he started giving tafsîr of the Mighty Book from his memory, on the days of Jumu’ah, sitting upon a chair.”


Another Lie Against Ibn Taymiyyah

After previously quoting the words of Imâm an-Nawawî concerning the kufr (disbelief) of one who ascribes to Allâh a jism (body), Hasan as-Saqqâf - apparently quoting the words of Ibn Taymiyyah - said in his footnotes to Daf’ Shubah at-Tashbîh (pp.245-246):
“Entering into this category is al-Harrânî (Ibn Taymiyyah) ... who has affirmed tajsîm (Allâh having a jism) in many of his books. So from this is his saying in at-Ta’sîs (1/101): “And there is not in the Book of Allâh, nor in the Sunnah of His Messenger, nor a statement from any one of the Salaf of this Ummah and its Imâms that He is not a jism (body), and that His Attributes are not bodily, consisting of organs ... ” I say: By Allâh who originated the heavens and the earth - your saying is ignorance and misguidance. Is not Allâh - the Most High’s -- saying: “There is no likeness unto Him.” [Sûrah ash-Shûrâ 42:11] sufficient in negating tajsîm and its reality, O al-Harrânî?!! And what about the Imâms of the Ummah and the Salaf - O al-Harrânî - and their censure of tashbîh ... ”
And this is from one of as-Saqqâf’s many deceptions - so beware!

Shaykh Mashûr ibn Hasan - hafidhahallâh - said: [2]

These words are from one who does not know what fairness is, who acts haphazardly in his rulings, and who falsely accuses the Scholars of wickedness. This becomes apparent in a number of ways:-

From them:
That the previously mentioned words are not from the writings of Ibn Taymiyyah in which he is clarifying his own views, or even stating them rather, he is quoting the saying of the people of kalâm (innovated spîch and rhetoric). However, as-Saqqâf has conveniently omitted the beginning of the quotation from Shaykhul-Islâm Ibn Taymiyyah, where he clearly stated: Qâlû (they say)!!


From them:
That as-Saqqâf overlooks the words of Shaykhul-Islâm Ibn Taymiyyah - rahimuhallâh - concerning the overall use of this term in reference to Allâh - the Mighty and Majestic - and he halted where he halted upon knowledge. However, justice is very rare - and there is no power or movement except with Allâh.


Shaykhul-Islâm said, in the course of this topic:
“Indeed, the term al-jism (body), al-’arad (organs), al-mutuhayyiz (extent) and their like, are all newly- nvented terminologies. We have mentioned many a time before, that the Salaf and the Imâms have not spoken about such things - neither by way of negation, nor by way of affirmation. Rather, they declared those who spoke about such matters to be innovators, and went to great lengths to censure them.”
This is what has been repeatedly affirmed by Shaykhul-Islâm - rahimahullâh - in many of his books, such as: Sharh Hadîthin-Nuzûl (pp.69-76), Majmû’al-Fatâwâ (3/306-310, 13/304-305), Minhâj us-Sunnah an-Nabawiyyah (2/134-135, 192, 198-200, 567). Indeed in Sharh Hadîthin-Nuzûl (p.71) - Shaykhul-Islâm has labelled ascribing Allâh with the term jism as being:
“An innovation in the Sharî’ah, a corruption of the language and a contradiction to the [sound] intellect. Rather, it is repudiated by the Sharî’ah, the language and the [sound] intellect.”

And from them:
That Shaykhul-Islâm mentions the intended meaning of ascribing Allâh with the term jism, by saying: “Whosoever alleges that the Lord is composite - with the meaning that he accepts division, separation and partition (for Allâh) - then he is the most disbelieving of people and the most ignorant. Indeed, his statement is more evil than the one who says that Allâh has a son - with the meaning that a part of Him split and thus became His son.”


Concerning the Tarâwîh Prayer

Muhammad Idrîs al-Kândalâwî said in his book Ijtihâd wa Taqlîd (p.88) that the Tarâwîh Prayer consists of twenty rak’ahs only, and: “Imâm Abû Hanîfah, Imâm Mâlik, Imâm ash-Shâfi’î and Imâm Ahmad bin Hanbal - rahimahumullâh - all have ijmâ’ (consensus) upon this.” [3]


Shaykh Badî’ud-Dîn as-Sindî (d.1416H) - rahimahullâh - said in Tanqîd Sadîd (pp.266-268):
“This is an erroneous claim. This is what has been stated in the Hanafî books of Fiqh (jurisprudence), since we do not see any book that can be correctly ascribed to Abû Hanîfah. Rather, what is apparent from looking into al-Muwattâ of Imâm Muhammad (one of the main students of Abû Hanîfah) is that Abû Hanîfah’s madhhab was to pray eleven rak’ahs.
So Imâm Muhammad includes a chapter in al-Muwattâ (p. 110), stating: “Chapter: Establishing the Night Prayer in the month of Ramadhân, and the virtues contained in it.”


Under this chapter he relates four ahâdîth. The first, third and fourth narrations do not make mention of any specified number of rak’ahs for the Tarâwîh Prayer, rather they just mention the excellence of establishing Prayer in congregation and the excellence of the night Prayer in Ramadhân. However, in the second narration eleven rak’ât is mentioned. Then Imâm Muhammad said (p.111): “And we take all of this.” ... Thus, he has shown that his madhhab is eleven rak’ahs, and this can only be the madhhab of Imâm Abu Hanîfah - rahmutallâh ’alayhi - as well.


Imâm ash-Shâfi’î - rahmutallâh ’alayhi - said:
“There is no limit to its maximum number, since it is an optional Prayer. Thus, if the standing is lengthened, whilst the number of prostrations shortened (i.e. the number of rak’ahs are fewer), then that is good and that is what is most beloved to me. However, if the numbers of prostrations and bowings are increased (i.e. the number of rak’ahs are increased), then this is also good.” [4]
So it is affirmed that Imâm ash-Shâfi’î - rahimuhullâh - does not advocate restricting the number of rak’ahs to twenty rather, he gives preference for there to be fewer rak’ahs and an increase in the length of standing.


Imâm Ahmad bin Hanbal has approved of eleven rak’ahs as well as twenty, as Shaykhul-Islâm Ibn Taymiyyah says in al-Ikhtiyârât¯ul-Ilmiyyah (p.38) and Shah Walîullâh says in al-Misriyyah (1/174) and al-Musafâ (1/177).



Imâm Mâlik - rahimahullâh - also supports eleven rak’ahs, as Shaykhul-Islâm Ibn Taymiyyah mentioned in al-Ikhtiyârât (p.38) and as Jalâlud-Dean as-Suyûtî mentions in al-Hâwî lil-Fatâwâ (p.350), where he said: al-Jûrî of our companions said, from Mâlik, that he said:
“That which ’Umar ibn al-Khattâb gathered the people upon is more beloved to us, and that was eleven rak’ahs, and that was the prayer of Allâh’s Messenger sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam.” It was said to him: Eleven rak’ahs with the Witr? So he said: “Yes, and thirteen is close.” Then he said: “I do not know from where they have introduced these numerous rukû’s (bowings).”
Concerning Imâm ash-Shâfi’î

Al-Kawtharî alleged in his Maqâlât (p.381):
“Imâm ash-Shâfi’î used to seek tawassul (the means of nearness to Allâh) through Abû Hanîfah, as is mentioned at the beginning of at-Târîkh of al-Khatîb with a Sahîh isnâd (authentic chain of transmission) ... ”
Shaykh al-Albânî - hafidhahallâh - replied in ad-Da’îfah (1/31):
“This is not just a mistake, but this is from his many mistakes. Here he is indicating at what al-Khatîb relates (1/123) by way of ’Umar ibn Ishâq ibn Ibrâhîm, who said: We were informed by ’Alî ibn Maymûn, who said I heard ash-Shâfi’î say: “I seek tabarruk (blessings) through Abû Hanîfah, and I go to visit his grave every day. Whenever I want a need to be fulfilled, I pray two rak’ahs and then go to his grave, where I ask Allâh - the Most High - for my need. Not a long time passes before my need is fulfilled.”
This narration is da’îf (weak), rather it is bâtil (futile), since ’Umar ibn Ishâq ibn Ibrâhîm is unknown and nothing is mentioned about him in the books of rijâl (biographies of narrators). It is possible, however, that this ’Umar could actually be ’Amr ibn Ishâq ibn Ibrâhîm ibn Hamîd ibn as-Sakan, Abû Muhammad at-Tûnisî. A biography is recorded about him by al-Khatîb (12/226). He mentioned that he is from al-Bukhârî, who in the year 341 Hijrah, travelled to Hajj and then came to Baghdâd. However, there is no jarh nor ta’dîl (information concerning his invalidity or validity as a narrator) about him, and his condition is unknown. However, it is not possible that it is him, since his Shaykh ’Alî ibn Maymûn - according to the saying of the majority - died in the year 247 Hijrah. So nearly one hundred years elapsed between the death of them both, and thus it is improbable that ’Amr ibn Ishâq met ’Alî ibn Maymûn.


Whatever the case, this narration is weak and there is nothing to support it being authentic. Shaykhul-Islâm Ibn Taymiyyah mentioned the meaning of this narration and then established that it is false. He said in Iqtidâ as-Sirâtul-Mustaqîm (p.165):
This is a lie, and its being a lie is self-evident to anyone who has knowledge about (historical) narratives. For when ash-Shâfi’î arrived in Baghdâd there was no specific grave that was frequented for making supplication. Indeed, this practice was not even known in the time of ash-Shâfi’î. Moreover, ash-Shâfi’î had seen in al-Hijâz, Yemen, Syria, Irâq and Egypt graves of the Prophets, the Companions and the Tâbi’în. The inmates of such graves were to ash-Shâfi’î - as well as to other Muslims - greater in merit than Abû Hanîfah and the Scholars of his level. So how is it that he offered supplication only at the grave of Abû Hanîfah?! Also, those of the students of Abû Hanîfah who lived to see ash-Shâfi’î - such as Abû Yûsuf, Muhammad, Zafar, al-Hasan ibn Ziyâd and others - did not used to offer supplication at the grave of Abû Hanîfah, nor anyone else’s grave. Furthermore, it is established from the books of ash-Shâfi’î himself, that he hated the veneration of graves out of fear of it causing fitnah (corruption). Thus stories such as this are fabricated by those who lack both knowledge and Dîn, or they are related by those who are unknown and obscure.”

References
1.See Hayat Shaykhul-Islâm Ibn Taymiyah (pp.47-48) of Shaykh Bahjatul-Baytâr and at-Tasfiyah wat-Tarbiyah (p.69) Shaykh ’Alî Hasan al- Halabî.
2. From al-Asâlah Magazine (no.4 pp.64-55).
3. Our purpose here for quoting the following discussion is not to establish whether the Tarâwîh Prayer should consist of eight rak’ahs or twenty. either, it is to show that the claim concerning there being an ijmâ’ upon twenty rak’ahs by the four well-known Imâms is an incorrect claim.
4 . Quoted by Imâm al-Marwazî in Qiyâmal-Layl (p.92).

Source
Reply

Ibn Abi Ahmed
04-13-2007, 09:13 PM
:sl:

A brother posted this on another forum:
I'm reading the publisher's introduction to 'as-Sarim al-Maslul 'ala Shatim ar-Rasul,' and I come across further proof of Ibn Taymiyyah's genius, where he quotes al-Bazzar as saying:

"And from the strangest of things in regards to this is that during his first trial in Egypt, he was taken and jailed, such that he was prevented from having access to his books. During this time, he authored many books - small and large - and mentioned in them what was of ahadith, narrations, statements of the Companions, names of the scholars of Hadith, authors and their works - and he attributed each of these to their proper sources, specifically by name. He also mentioned the names of the books in which each narration was found, as well as where in the books to find them. All of this was purely from his memory, as at the time, he did not have a single book with him to use as a reference. These books were then published and looked over, and - praise be to Allah - not a single mistake was found in any of them, nor did anything need to be changed in them.

And from these books is 'as-Sarim al-Maslul 'ala Shatim ar-Rasul,' and this is from the virtue that Allah - the Exalted - reserved especially for him."

And to give you an idea of the vastness of the book, the publisher's introduction goes on to mention that it contains over 250 ahadith, 100 athar, the mention of over 600 famous personalities throughout the history of Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah, collected information from over 40 references (and these are just the ones he mentioned by name) - all from memory, and this entire book was written in response to one single incident in which Ibn Taymiyyah heard a Christian insulting the Prophet!
Reply

Ibn Abi Ahmed
04-13-2007, 09:42 PM
al-Dhahabi said about Ibn Taymiyya:
"If I were to take an oath between the Rukn (Hajar Aswad) and the Maqam (of Ibrahim, next to the ka'ba), that neither have I seen anyone like Ibn Taymiyya, nor has he seen anyone like himself, I would not be breaking my oath!"
Reply

Ibn Abi Ahmed
04-19-2007, 02:27 PM
Shaykh ul-Islâm ibn Taymiyyah

Abu Safwan Farid Ibn Abdulwahid Ibn Haibatan

From 'Ibn Taymiyyah's Essay on Servitude'

As for the author, his calibre and prestige goes without saying. He is the great scholar, Shaykhul-lslaam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allaah have mercy upon him. Scholars of Islaam acknowledge his astonishing excellence in all fields of knowledge - and Allaah favours whom He chooses.

His name is Ahmad Ibn 'Abdul-Haleem Ibn 'Abdis-Salaam. His kunyah is Aboo al-'Abbaas and he is also referred to as Taqiyy ad-Deen. As for his most common appellation: Ibn Taymiyyah, scholars give different accounts for why he was referred to by this term. Some say that one of his ancestors performed hajj through the route of Taymaa and he saw a maid (there) who had came out of a tent, when he returned (to his homeland) he found that his wife had given birth to a daughter and they raised her up to him, whereupon he said: "O Taymiyyah, O Taymiyyah" i.e., she resembled the maid he had seen at Taymaa. It is also said that the mother of his grandfather Muhammad, was named Taymiyyah and thus he came to be ascribed to her. [1] He was born in Harraan, an old city within the Arabian Peninsula between Shaam [2] and Iraq, on the tenth or the twelfth of the month Rabee' al-Awwal in the year 661H. He later fled at a young age with his family to Damascus because of the terrible conditions of his homeland and those surrounding it as a result of the occupation by the Tartars.

His family was renowned for its knowledge and stature; both his father and grandfather were people of scholarly repute. Three of his brothers were also known for their knowledge and excellence: 'Abdur-Rahmaan, 'Abdullaah and his half-brother, Muhammad.

1. His Early Life

Ibn Taymiyyah was brought up, cared for and nurtured by his father. He obtained knowledge from him and the other shaykhs of his era. He did not confine himself to the knowledge of those around him but also directed his attention to the works of the scholars before his time by way of perusal and memorisation.

The following observations can be drawn from his early life:
1. The strength of his memory and speed of his comprehension.[3]

2. His strict observance of time from an early age [4], which later led the rest of his life to be filled with actions such as jihaad, teaching, commanding the good, forbidding the evil, writing books and letters and refuting opponents.

3. The scope and strength of his effect and arguments. A Jew accepted Islaam at his hands whilst he was still very young. [5]

4. He started issuing legal verdicts at the age of nineteen [6] and started teaching in Daar al Hadeeth as-Sukriyyah when he was approximately 22 years of age. [7]

5. His initial sources of knowledge centered around diverse sciences like: Tafseer; Sciences of the Qur'aan; the Sunnah; the Six books; Musnad Imaam Ahmad; Sunan ad-Daarimee; Mu'jam a-Tabaraanee; Sciences of Hadeeth and narrators; Fiqh and it's Usool; Usool ad-Deen and sects; language; writing; mathematics; history and other subjects like astronomy, medicine and engineering. This is quite evident from examining the works he later authored; any topic he tackled and wrote about leaves the reader thinking that Ibn Taymiyyah was a specialist in that particular field.
2. His Teachers [8]

He took his knowledge from a great number of scholars and he himself mentioned a number of them as related by adh-Dhahabee directly from him. [9] This particular chronicle of shaykhs includes forty male scholars and four female scholars. The total number of scholars whom he took knowledge from exceeds two hundred. [10]

The following is a selection of some of his teachers:
Aboo al-'Abbaas Ahmad Ibn 'Abdud-Daa'im al-Maqdasee
*
Aboo Nasr 'Abdul-'Azeez Ibn 'Abdul-Mun'im
*
Aboo Muhammad Ismaa'eel Ibn Ibraaheem at-Tanookhee
*
al-Manjaa Ibn 'Uthmaan at-Tanookhee ad-Dimashqee
*
Aboo al-'Abbaas al-Mu'ammil Ibn Muhammad al-Baalisee
*
Aboo 'Abdullaah Muhammad Ibn Abee Bakr Ibn Sulaymaan al-'Aamiree
*
Aboo al-Faraj 'Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn Sulaymaan al-Baghdaadee
*
Sharaf ad-Deen al-Maqdasee, Ahmad Ibn Ahmad ash-Shaafi'ee
*
Muhammad Ibn 'Abdul-Qawee al-Maqdasee
*
Taqee ad-Deen al-Waasitee, Ibraaheem Ibn 'Alee as-Saalihee al-Hanbalee
*
His paternal aunt, Sitt ad-Daar bint 'Abdus-Salaam Ibn Taymiyyah

3. The Jihaad and Actions of Ibn Taymiyyah


The life of Ibn Taymiyyah was distinguished with the tremendous qualities of ordering the good, forbidding the evil and performing Jihaad for the cause of Allaah, He combined his roles of teaching, issuing legal verdicts and writing with actions of the highest magnitude. His whole life was in fact filled with jihaad. With a very brief examination of his life in this area we can point out at a number of incidents:

I. ORDERING THE GOOD AND FORBIDDING THE EVIL

a. His destruction of idols and places [11] that were worshipped besides Allaah and prevention of people from visiting such places: [12] This practical aspect was preceded by two stages: the first, by explaining the reality of these shrines in that many of them were fabricated and that many of the graves that were glorified and journeyed to were in fact not even those of whom they were attributed to. [13] The second, by way of intellectual discourse through direct debates, books and letters and explaining the shirk and innovations connected to such acts and also through presenting the opinions of opponents and refuting their arguments.

b. His stance against the Christians:
He wrote a letter to the then Christian King of Cyprus inviting him to Islaam and exposing the lies and corruption being committed by the priests and monks whilst they knew fully well that they were upon falsehood. After mentioning the devoutness of the King, his love for knowledge and good conduct towards the people, Ibn Taymiyyah then invited him to embrace Islaam and adopt the correct belief. He did this in a gentle and exemplary manner addressing his intellect, and entrusted him to behave benevolently towards the Muslims in Cyprus, not to strive to change the religion of a single one of them. [14]

He also engaged in debates with Christians, some of which he himself referred to in his book al-Jawaab as-Saheeh. [15]

c. He took many stances against the Soofiyyah. A famous one was against the Bataa 'ihiyyah. [16] He refuted them and exposed their satanic behaviour such as entering into fire and emerging unharmed and claiming that this was an indication of their miraculous nature. He explained that even if they did this or flew in the air it would not be an evidence that could be used to declare their violations of the Sharee'ah to be correct. [17] He challenged them by proposing to also enter into the fire with them on the condition that they first wash themselves with vinegar and hot water. Ultimately, they were exposed and defeated and they agreed to a complete adherence to the Book and Sunnah. [18]

d. In the year 699H, he and a number of his companions rose against some taverns; they broke their utensils, spilt their wine and chastised a number of them, which caused the people to come out and rejoice at this. [19] [20]

e. As for his stances against the rulers, they were famous. One of the well-known ones was his stance against Qaazaan, the ruler of the Tartars. At a time when the Tartars commanded awe and authority, he spoke to the ruler with strong words concerning their actions, spread of corruption and infringement of the sanctities of the Muslims whilst they themselves claimed to be Muslims. [21] Likewise, his strong words with Sultan an-Naasir, convinced the Sultan to refrain from pursuing a course of action which was impermissible. [22]

f. Ibn Taymiyyah also had an effect in causing the rulers to assume their role of commanding the good and forbidding the evil. An example of this is when bribery became widespread and became an influencing factor in holding offices and even in abolishing capital punishment in the year 712H, An official decree was sent to Damascus, from the Sultan, citing that no one should be granted a post or office through money or bribery and that the killer is to be punished by the law of the Sharee'ah; this decree emanated through the advice and consultation of Ibn Taymiyyah. [23]

These are some examples that demonstrate the efforts of Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allaah have mercy upon him, in ordering the good and forbidding the evil.

One also notices when reading his biography that Ibn Taymiyyah had the assistance of a number of companions in carrying out such tasks.

II. His JIHAAD AGAINST THE TARTARS


Ibn Taymiyyah played a great role in establishing jihaad against the Tartars. He clarified the reality of their condition and showed that it was an obligation to fight them, firstly, because of the consensus of the scholars on the obligation of fighting any group that openly rejects and resists the laws of Islaam and secondly, explaining that this ruling is applicable to the Tartars because of their condition.

He elucidated the causes for victory and explained that it was not impossible or difficult to achieve victory over them if the Muslims adopted the causes that achieve victory such as judging by the Sharee'ah, putting an end to oppression, spreading justice and being sincere in one's intention when performing jihaad in Allaah's cause.

We find Ibn Taymiyyah ordering the people in the battle of Shaqhab, which took place in the month of Ramadaan, to break fast in emulation of the guidance of the Prophet (SAAS). Again, when Ibn Taymiyyah encouraged the Sultan to perform jihaad, the Sultaan asked him to take position by his side to which Ibn Taymiyyah replied: "The Sunnah is for each man to stand behind the flag of his people and we are from Shaam so we will only stand with them." [24]

After performing jihaad against the Tartars and defeating them, we see Ibn Taymiyyah analysing the battles, expounding upon the beneficial lessons that can be derived from them and illustrating the areas of similarity between these battles against the Tartars and the battles of the Prophet (SAAS). [25]

III. His JIHAAD AGAINST THE CHRISTIANS AND THE RAAFIDAH

The majority of references do not make mention of Ibn Taymiyyah's role in jihaad against the Christians before their final expulsion from Shaam. Al-Bazzaar however, does mention the following when discussing the bravery and strength of heart of Ibn Taymiyyah: "They relate that they saw of him at the conquest of 'Akkah, such a display of bravery that was beyond description. They say that he was a reason behind it's seizure by the Muslims because of his deeds, advice and sharp perception." [26]

As for the Raafidah, they fortified themselves in the mountains of al-Jard and al-Kasrawaaniyyeen. Ibn Taymiyyah headed for them in the year 704H with a group of his companions and requested a number of them to repent and they enjoined the laws of Islaam upon them. In the beginning of the year 705H, Ibn Taymiyyah went to battle with a brigade and the deputy Sultan of Shaam and Allaah aided them over the Raafidah. [27]

These are examples of the jihaad of Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allaah have mercy upon him, and his unification of knowledge with action.

IV. THE STATUS AND RANK OF IBN TAYMIYYAH

Shaykhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah held a lofty status amongst the scholars of his time. This was for a number of reasons, such as his ability to clarify matters that were vague to the other scholars of his time, such as the issue of fighting the Tartars and the issue of the wealth obtained from some of the sects of the Raafidah. [28] Ibn Taymiyyah expounded upon these matters and clarified them to the people.

In the year 701H, a Jew came from Khaybar alleging that he had a letter from the Messenger of Allaah (SAAS), which abrogated the Jizyah that the Jews had to pay to the Muslims. Ibn Taymiyyah exposed his lies and critically scrutinised and invalidated the letter from a hadeeth point of view and relying upon historical knowledge. [29]

Whilst Ibn Taymiyyah was in prison in Cairo, Ibn Katheer mentions: "Difficult legal questions used to be sent to him from governors and specific people, which the Jurists could not deal with, and he would respond from the Book and Sunnah in a way that would bewilder the minds." [30]

Another reason was his role in jihaad; he was not only a brave soldier but also an instructor and leader. He was sought after for advice and military strategy.

Most importantly, one of the greatest causes behind his exalted rank amidst the scholars and common folk alike was his comprehensive knowledge. When he gave a lecture; delivered a sermon; gave a legal ruling; wrote a letter or authored a book in any field, he would produce a level of knowledge that far excelled the other scholars of his time. This is why Ibn Taymiyyah became a reference point amongst the people. Whenever two people fell into dispute over a matter - and they could be from the people of knowledge and students alike as noticed from some questions - his opinion would be the deciding factor.

V. THE PRAISE OF THE SCHOLARS FOR IBN TAYMIYYAH

Al-Haafidh adh-Dhahabee said: "He is far greater than the likes of me to inform on his qualities. If I were made to swear (by Allaah) by the corner (of the Ka'bah) and the place (of Ibraaheem), I would swear that I have not seen with my two eyes the like of him and by Allaah, he himself has not seen his own like in knowledge." [31]

Al-Haafidh al-Mizzee said: "I have not seen the like of him and nor have seen the like of himself. I have not seen one more knowledgeable of the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger and more compliant to it than him." [32]

Al-lmaam Ibn Daqeeq al-'Eed said: "When I met Ibn Taymiyyah, I saw a person who had all the types of knowledge between his eyes: he would take of it what he desired and leave of it what he desired." [33]

Al-Haafidh Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalaanee, may Allaah have mercy upon him, mentioned in the context of refuting the one who opposed that Ibn Taymiyyah be termed 'Shaykhul-lslaam': "The acclaim of Taqiyy ad-Deen is more renown than that of the Sun and titling him Shaykhul-Islaam of his era remains until our time upon the virtuous tongues. It will continue tomorrow just as it was yesterday. No one refutes this but a person who is ignorant of his prestige or one who turns away from equity." [34]

Shaykh Kamaal ad-Deen Ibn az-Zamlakaanee, who debated with Ibn Taymiyyah on more than one occasion, said: "Whenever he was questioned on a particular field of knowledge, the one who witnessed and heard (the answer) concluded that he had no knowledge of any other field and that no one possessed such as his knowledge. The jurists of all groups, whenever they sat with him, they would benefit from him regarding their own schools of thought in areas they previously were unaware of. It is not known that he debated anyone whereby the discussion carne to a standstill or that whenever he spoke on about a particular field of knowledge - whether it be related to the sciences of the Sharee'ah or else - that he would not then excel the specialists of that field and those who are affiliated to it." [35]

He also said: "The prerequisites of ijtihaad were combined within him in the way they should be he was very proficient in authoring very well and in excelling in expression, arrangement, classification and explanation." [36]

Al-Haafidh Ibn Katheer said "...It was rare for him to he hear something and not memorise it and he occupied himself with the sciences. He was intelligent and had committed much to memory and thus, became an Imaam in tafseer and what pertained to it. He had (comprehensive) knowledge of fiqh; it was said that he had more knowledgeable of the fiqh of the madhabs then the followers of those very same madhabs in his time and other times. He was fully aware of the different opinions of the scholars. He was a scholar in Usool, the branches of the religion, grammar, the 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 haafidh in hadeeth, and able to distinguish the weak from the strong, fully acquainted with the narrators and being proficient in this..." [37]

Abu Hayyaan al-Andalusee said: "By Allaah, my two eyes have never seen the like of Ibn Taymiyyah." [38]

Al-Haafidh Badr ad-Deen al-'Aynee al-Hanafee said: "He is the Imaam, 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 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." [39]

VI. THE ORDEALS AND IMPRISONMENT OF IBN TAYMIYYAH

Ibn Taymiyyah was put through many trials throughout his life and it is extremely difficult to deal with them and present them properly in this brief discussion on him so I will merely list the more famous ones.
*
His ordeal because of his treatise al-Hamawiyyah in the year 698H.
*
His ordeal and debates because of his treatise al-Waasitiyyah in the year 705H.
*
His ordeal, summons to Egypt and imprisonment there in the year 705H for 18 months.
*
His ordeal with the Soofiyyah in Egypt after his release.
*
His deportation to Alexandria in the year 709H and imprisonment there for 8 months.
*
His ordeal because of specific verdicts related to divorce and resultant imprisonment in the year 720H, for five months.
*
His ordeal because of his legal verdict banning the undertaking of journeys specifically to visit graves and resultant imprisonment in the year 726H until he passed away, may Allaah have mercy upon him, in the year 728H.
Ibn Taymiyyah's response to these ordeals was always a positive one which turned these trials and tribulations - by the favour of Allaah - into great opportunities for increasing eemaan and reacting positively in knowledge and action. His summons to Egypt, for example, led him to debate and thoroughly deal with the innovators who had spread their beliefs throughout the region. His role in prison was another manifestation of this blessing, such as his efforts in educating the prisoners and nurturing them to the extent that the dissemination of knowledge and religion within the prison excelled certain institutions outside the prison. This happened in both Egypt and Alexandria. His decision to remain in Egypt after being released, was as he mentioned in a letter [40] to his mother, because of matters necessary to religion and the world. This brought about much goodness in aiding the Sunnah and suppressing innovations. One of the greatest positive results was the books and papers he wrote and authored within prison. He also pardoned those who oppressed him, even when Ibn Taymiyyah had the opportunity to exact revenge. One of his opponents, Ibn al-Makhloof, the Maalikee Judge said: "We did not see the likes of Ibn Taymiyyah; we incited against him but were not able to overpower him, when he was able to overpower us, he instead pardoned us and pleaded on our behalf." [41]

Another positive outcome was that these ordeals in themselves were a reason for the widespread circulation of Ibn Taymiyyah's works. [42]

VII. HIS STUDENTS [46]

He had many students and those that were affected by him are countless, some of his students were:
*
Ibn Qayyim alJawziyyah, Muhammad Ibn Abee Bakr, (d. 751H).
*
adh-Dhahabee, Muhammad Ibn Ahmad, (d.748H).
*
al-Mizzee, Yoosuf Ibn 'Abdur-Rahmaan, (d. 742H).
*
Ibn Katheer, Ismaa'eel Ibn 'Umar, (d. 774).
*
Ibn 'Abdil-Haadee, Muhammad Ibn Ahmad, (d. 744H).
*
al-Bazzaar, 'Umar Ibn 'Alee, (d. 749).
*
Ibn Qaadee al-Jabal, Ahmad Ibn Hasan, (d. 771H).
*
Ibn Fadlillaah al-'Amree, Ahmad Ibn Yahyaa, (d. 749H).
*
Muhammad Ibn al-Manjaa Ibn 'Uthmaan at-Tanookhee, (d. 724H).
*
Yoosuf Ibn 'Abdul-Mahmood Ibn 'Abdis-Salaam al-Battee, (d. 728).

VIII. HIS WORKS

The existing works of Ibn Taymiyyah are great in number, despite the fact that a proportion of his works have perished.

He was a very quick writer. His brother 'Abdullaah said: "Allaah blessed him with the ability to write quickly and he used to write from memory without copying." [44] Ibn Taymiyyah had a scribe who used to make copies of his work because of the fact that he used to write so fast. There was a person known as 'Abdullaah ibn Rasheeq al-Maghrabee who used to write the works of the Shaykh; Ibn Katheer says of him: "He could make out the handwriting of the Shaykh better than the Shaykh himself." [45] He used to take a lot of time out to review his works as he did when he came out of prison because of the issue of divorce - in the year 721H. [46] After his return to Shaam in the year 712H, he dedicated a lot of time to authoring lengthy works. [47] He would pay great attention to the writings that used to be attributed to him; [51] it seems that the constant fabrication about him by his enemies and the twisting of his words was a reason for this.

He would not delay in answering questions that came to him and he authored and wrote from his memory while in prison. [52]

Some of his works are:
*
Minhaaj us-Sunnah an-Nabawiyyah
*
Daar Ta'aarud al-'Aql wa an-Naql
*
al-lstiqaamah
*
Iqtidaa' as-Siraat al-Mustaqeem Li Mukhaalafah As-haab al-Jaheem
*
Naqd Maraatib al-ljmaa'
*
as-Saarim al-Maslool 'alaa Shaatim ar-Rasool
*
al-Jawaab as-Saheeh li man baddala Deen al-Maseeh
*
ar-Raad 'alaa al-Mantiqiyyeen
*
ar-Raad 'alaa al-'Akhnan'ee
*
Naqd at-Ta'sees
*
an-Nuboowaat
There are so many other works that have been included in Majmoo al-Fataawa, which is a compilation of his writings and verdicts put together by Ibn Qaasim and his son. These include:

*
Qaa'idah fee Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah
*
al-Waasitah bayna al-Haqq wa al-Khalq
*
Qaa'idah Jaleelah fee at-Tawassul wa al-Waseelah
*
ar-Radd al-Aqwan 'alaa maa fee Fusoos al-Hikam
*
ar-Risaalah at-Tadmuriyyah
*
al-'Aqeedah al-Waasitiyyah
*
al-Wasiyyah al-Kubraa
*
al-Hamawiyyah al-Kubraa
*
Sharh Hadeeth an-Nuzool
*
Kitaab al-Eemaan
*
Amraad al-Quloob wa Shifaa' uhaa
*
al-'Uboodiyyah [50]
*
al-Wasiyyah as-Sughraa
*
al-Furqaan bayna Awliyaa' ar-Rahmaan wa Awliyaa' ash-Shaytaan
*
al-Furqaan bayna al-Haqq wa al-Baatil
*
Muqaddimah fee Usool at-Tafseer
*
Tafseer Soorah al-Ikhlaas
*
Raf' al-Malaam 'an al-A'immah al-A'laam
*
al-Hisbah
*
al-Amr bi al-Ma'roof wa an-Nahy 'an al-Munkar
*
as-Siyaasah ash-Shar'iyyah
*
al-Madhaalim al-Mushtarakah.
IX. A DISCUSSION ON HIS PERSONAL STATE AND WORSHIP OF HIS LORD

It is appropriate here to discuss this aspect of Ibn Taymiyyah's life, mainly to exhibit that the discussion he presents in his book does not emanate from one who is void of enacting such descriptions found within this discourse and that it does not merely derive from his academic knowledge and excellence.

In fact, one who reads his biography will realise that Ibn Taymiyyah had a great attachment to his Lord which manifested in his worship and strong reliance on Him, this is how we deem him to be and we do not put anyone's commendation in front of Allaah's.

Those who wrote his biography discussed the worship, ascetism, piety, selflessness, humility and generosity he was famous for. [51]

Ibn al-Qayyim says of Ibn Taymiyyah's remembrance of his Lord: "I heard Shaykul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allaah (AZ) sanctify his soul, say, 'Remembrance to the heart is like water to fish. What will be the state of the fish if it becomes seperated from the water?...I once attended fajr prayer with Shaykhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah, he then sat and remembered Allaah (AZ) until it was nearly midday. he then turned around and said to me, 'This is my early morning meal, if I do not take this breakfast, my strength will drop.' " [52]

A great manifestation of his worship was in his genuine reliance upon his Lord and his belief in the decree of Allaah. At times when he was subjected to the severest forms of treatment, he had the greatest reliance upon his Lord. When the news of his expulsion to Alexandria came to him and it was said to him: "They are plotting to kill you, expel or imprison you." He replied: "If they kill me it will be a shahaadah for me. If they expel me, it will be a hijrah for me; if they expel me to Cyprus, I will call its people to Allaah so that they answer me. If they imprison me, it will be a place of worship for me." [53]

Ibn al-Qayyim also says: "He used to say frequently in prostration when imprisoned, 'O Allaah, assist me to remember you, to be grateful to you and to worship your properly.' and he said to me once, 'The one who is (truly) imprisoned is the one whose heart is imprisoned from Allaah and the captivated one is the one whose desires have enslaved him.' " [54]

X. HIS DEATH, MAY ALLAAH HAVE MERCY UPON HIM

When he was ultimately banned from having any books, papers and pens during the latter stage of his final imprisonment, Ibn Taymiyyah devoted all of his time to worship and reciting the Qur'aan. He remained in this state for a short period of time until he passed away on the twentieth of Dhu al-Qa'dah of the year 728H. He fell sick for the few days that led to his death.

This came as an enormous shock to the people and they turned out in enormous numbers.

Historians regards this as one of those rare funerals and they compare it to the funeral of Imaam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, may Allaah have mercy upon him.

Ibn Taymiyyah died at a time when he was imprisoned, with resentment from the Sultaan and when may of the jurists and Soofiyah were mentioning many things about him. However, despite that, his funeral was one witnessed by many and was famous.

Al-Bazzar says: "Once the people had heard of his death, not a single person wanted to be in Damascus who was able to attend the prayer and wanted to, remained until he appeared and took time out for it. As a result, the markets in Damascus were closed and all transactions of livelihood were stopped. Governors, heads, scholars, jurists came out. They say that none of the majority of the people failed to turn up, according to my knowledge - except three individuals; they were well known for their enmity for Ibn Taymiyyah and thus, hid away from the people out of fear for their lives." [55]

Ibn Katheer mentions that the deputy Sultaan was absent and the State was perplexed as to what it should do. Then the deputy of the prison came to give his condolences and sat by Ibn Taymiyyah. He opened the entrance for those of his close companions and beloved people to enter upon him. They sat by him, cried and praised him. [56] "Then they started to wash the Shaykh... they only let those who helped in the washing to remain by him. Amongst them was our Shaykh al-Haafidh al-Mizzee and a group of senior righteous and good people; people of knowledge and eemaan... then they proceeded with him to Jaami' al-Umawee. There was so many people in front of his janaazah, behind it, to it's right and to it's left. None but Allaah could enumerate them, then one shouted out "This is how the janaazahs of the Imaams of the Sunnah are to be!" At that, the people, started to cry... when the adhaan of dhuhr was given they prayed after it straight away against the usual norm. Once they finished prayer, the deputy khateeb came out - as the main khateeb was absent and in Egypt - and he led the prayer over Ibn Taymiyyah... Then the people poured out from everywhere and all the doors of the Jaam'i... and they assembled at al-Khayl market." [57]

On open land, his janaazah was placed down and his brother, 'Abdur-Rahmaan, led prayer over him. Then his janaazah was taken to his grave and he was buried in the Soofiyah graveyard by the side of his brother, 'Abdullaah, may Allaah have mercy upon them all.

People then arrived praying over him at his grave, those who had not yet managed to pray previously. Whenever news of his death reached a region, the people would gather in the main mosques and prayer over him, especially in Shaam, Egypt, Iraq, Tibreez and Basra. [58]

May Allaah reward Shaykhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah with goodness and grant him al-Firdaws al-A'laa and may He cause those after him to benefit from his knowledge.


FOOTNOTES

1.
Refer to Al-'Uqood ad-Durroyyah min Manaaqib Shaykhul-Islaam Ahmad Ibn Taymiyyah of Ibn 'Abdil-Haadee, pg.2, tahqeeq of Muhammad Haamid al-Faqee, 1365H print, Matba'ah Hijaazee, Cairo and Siyar 'Alaam an-Nubalaa of adh-Dhahabee, 22/289, tahqeeq by a number of researchers, takhreej and supervision by Shu'ayb al-Arna'oot, Mu'assasah ar-Risaalah, Beirut.

2.
An old name that represents the areas of Syria, Jordan, Palestine and Lebanon.

3.
Refer to al-'Uqood ad-Durnyyah, pg. 4, and al-Kawaakib ad-Durriyyah Fee Manaaqib al-Mujtahid Ibn Taymiyyah by al-Karmee al-Hanbalee, pg.80, tahqeeq of Najm `Abdur-Rahmaan Khalaf, 1406H print, Daar al-Gharb al-Islaamee, Beirut.

4.
Refer to ar-Radd al-Waafir 'alaa man za'ama bi anna man sammaa Ibn Taymiyyah Shaykhul- Islaam Kaafir by Ibn Naasir ad-Deen ad-Dimashqee, pg. 218, tahqeeq of Zuhayr ash-Shaaweesh, first edition, 1400H, al-Maktab al-Islaamee, Beirut, and A'yaan al-'Asr 'an Shaykhul-lslaam Ibn Taymiyyah, Seeratuh wa Akhbaaruh 'inda al-Mu'arrikheen by al-Munajjid, pg. 49.

5.
Refer to al-A'laam al-'Aliyyah Fee Manaaqib Shaykhul-lslaam Ibn Taymiyyah by al-Bazzaar, tahqeeq of Zuhayr Shaaweesh, 3rd edition, 1400H, al-Maktab al-Islaamee, Beirut.

6.
Sharaf ad-Deen al-Maqdasee (d. 694H) gave him permission to deliver legal verdicts. He later used to take pride in this, saying, "I gave him the permission to give legal verdicts." See al-Bidaayah wan-Nihaayah by Ibn Katheer, 13/341, first edition 1966, Maktabah al-Ma'aarif, Beirut, and al-'Uqood ad-Durriyyah, pg. 4.

7.
Refer to al-'Uqood ad-Durriyyah, pg. 5; al-Bidaayah wan-Nihaayah, 13/303; ar-Radd al-Waafir, pg. 146 and adh-Dhayl 'alaa Tabaqaat al-Hanaabilah of Ibn Rajab, 2/388, tahqeeq Muhammad Haamid al-Faqee, 1972 print, Matba'ah as-Sunnah al-Muhammadiyyah, Cairo.

8.
Refer to Majmoo ' Fataawa Shaykhul-lslaam, 18/76-121, compilation and arrangement of 'Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn Muhammad Ibn Qaasim and his son Muhammad, first print 1381H, Mataabi' ar-Riyaadh; Dhayl Ibn Rajab (2/387); al-Bidaayah wan-Nihaayah (14/136-137); al-Waafee bee al-Wafayaat by as-Safadee (7/16); Tadhkirah al-Huffaadh of adh-Dhahabee (3/1496), fourth edition 1388H, Daa'irah al-Ma'aarif al-'Uthmaaniyah, India; ad-Durar al-Kaaminah fee 'Ayaan al-Mi'ah ath-Thaaminah (1/154) of Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalaanee, second edition 1395H, Daa'irah al-Ma'aarif al-'Uthmaaniyah, India and others.

9.
It is recorded in Majmoo 'al-Fataawa 18/76-121.

10.
al-'Uqood ad-Durriyyah, pg. 3 and al-Kawaakib ad-Durriyyah, pg. 52.

11.
Read for example his destruction of a pillar, at Masjid at-Taareekh in Damascus, which people used to seek blessing from. Nahiyyah min Shaykhul-lslaam Ibn Taymiyyah, pg. 10-11; al-Bidaayah wa an-Nihaayah, 13/34; as-Sulook lee Ma'rifah Duwal al-Mulook of al-Miqreezee, tahqeeq Musfafaa Ziyaadah, second print 1957, Matba'ah Lajnah at-Ta'leef wa at-Tarjamah, Cairo and Badaa'i' az-Zuhoor fee Waqaa'i' ad-Duhoor of Muhammad Ibn Ahmad Ibn 'Iyaas al-Hanafee, tahqeeq Muhammad Mustafaa, second print 1402H, al-Hay'ah al Misriyyah al-'Aamah lee al-Kitaab, Cairo.

12.
See examples of this in Naahiyah min Hayaat Shaykh Al-lslaam Ibn Taymiyyah by his attendant, Ibraaheem Ibn Ahmad al-Ghayaathee, pg. 6-24, tahqeeq of Muhibb ad-Deen al-Khateeb, third edition 1396H, al-Matba'ah as-Salafiyyah, Cairo.

13.
Refer to Ra's al-Husayn of Ibn Taymiyyah recorded in Majmoo 'al-Fataawaa, Vol. 27 and also 17/500, 27/173 and 27/61 on the topic of Nooh's grave.

14.
Risaalah al-Qubrussiyah of Ibn Taymiyyah, within Majmoo ' al-Fataawaa, Vol. 28. This is available translated along with a number of Ibn Taymiyyah's letters: Ibn Taymiyyah's Letters from Prison, published by Message of Islam, U.K.

15.
Al-Jawaab as-Saheeh lee man Baddala Deen al-Maseeh of Ibn Taymiyyah, 2/172, printed under the supervision of 'Alee as-Subh al-Madanee, Matba'ah al-Madanee, Cairo.

16.
They are referred to as al-Ahmadiyyah and ar-Rafaa'iyyah in attribution to their founder Ahmad ar-Rafaa'ee, originally from one of the villages of al-Bataa'ih.

17.
Imaam ash-Shaafi'ee, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: "If you see someone walking on water or flying through the air, then do not believe him until you ascertain his conformity to the Sunnah."

18.
See Majmoo' al-Fataawaa, 11/456-457, al-'Uqood ad-Durriyyah, pg.194 and al-Bidaayah wa an-Nihaayah 14/36.

19.
Al-Bidaayah wa an-Nihaayah, 14/122-123.

20.
Such incidents that the Shaykh performed are of course done within the guidelines and principles pertaining to commanding the good and forbidding the evil. Ibn Taymiyyah himself discusses such guidelines in his treatise al-Amr bi al-Ma'roof wa an-Nahy 'an al-Munkar.

21.
Al-Bidaayah wa an-Nihaayah, 14/89; al-'Alaam al-'Aliyyah, pg.69; al-Kawaakib ad Durriyyah, pg. 93 and Dawlah Banee Qalaawoon fee Misr, pg. 178 of Muhammad Jamaal ad-Deen Suroor, Daar al-Fikr al-Arabee, Cairo.

22.
Al-Uqood ad-Durriyyah, pg. 281; al-Bidaayah wa an-Nihaayah, 14/54; al-Kawaakib ad-Durriyyah, pg. 138 and Husn al-Muhaadarah fee Taareekh Misr wa al-Qaahirah of as-Suyoofee, tahqeeq Muhammad Aboo al-Fadl Ibraaheem, first print 1967, Daar Ihyaa' al-Kutub al-'Arabiyyah.

23.
See Al-Bidaayah wa an-Nihaayah, 14/66.

24.
See Al-Bidaayah wa an-Nihaayah, 14/26.

25.
Al-'Uqood ad-Durriyyah, pg. 121.

26.
Al'-Alaam al-'Aliyyah, pg. 68.

27.
Refer to al-'Uqood ad-Durriyyah, pg. 179-194, al-Bidaayah wa an-Nihaayah, 14/35 and as-Sulook, 12/2. Read another incident of his jihaad in Majmoo' al-Fataawaa, 11/474.

28.
Al-Bidaayah wa an-Nihaayah, 14/78.

29.
Al-Bidaayah wa an-Nihaayah, 14/19.

30.
Al-Bidaayah wa an-Nihaayah, 14/46.

31.
Ar-Radd al-Waafir, pg. 35. The edition of Ar-Radd al-Waafir under this section is also the first edition but its year of print is 1393H.

32.
Ar-Radd al-Waafir, pg. 128.

33.
Ar-Radd al-Waafir, pg 59.

34.
Ar-Radd al-Waafir, pg 144. This statement of Ibn Hajar, may Allaah have mercy upon him, is included towards the end of the book Ar-Radd al-Waafir. Ibn Hajar was one of the scholars who wrote an approval of the book Ar-Radd al-Waafir by Ibn Naasir ad-Deen ad-Dimashqee (d. 842), which contains scholarly praise and accounts of Ibn Taymiyyah by more than 80 scholars. It was written in refutation of the unjust, partisan, oppressive and ignorant statement 'Whoever refers to Ibn Taymiyyah as Shaykhul-Islam is a Kaafir'!

35.
Ar-Radd al-Waafir, pg. 58.

36.
Ar-Radd al-Waafir, pg. 58.

37.
Al-Bidaayah wa an-Nihaayah of Ibn Katheer, 14/157, tahqeeq Maktab at-Turaath, 1413H, Daar Ihyaa at-Turath al-Islaamee, Beirut.

38.
Ar-Radd al-Waafir, pg. 63.

39.
Ar-Radd al-Waafir, pg. 159.

40.
Read the English translation of this heart-stirring letter in Ibn Taymiyyah 's letters from Prison. [t]

41.
Al-Bidaayah wa an-Nihaayah, 14/54.

42.
Al-'Uqood ad-Durriyyah, pg. 283.

43.
See for example Ar-Radd al-Waafir and ash-Shahaadah az-Zakkiyyah fee Thanaa' al-'A'immah 'alaa Ibn Taymiyyah of al-Karmee al-Hanbalee, tahqeeq of Najm 'Abdur-Rahmaan Khalaf, first print 1404H, Mu'assisah ar-Risaalah, Beirut.

44.
Al-'Uqood ad-Durriyyah, pg. 64.

45.
Al-Bidaayah wa an-Nihaayah, 14/229.

46.

Al-'Uqood ad-Durriyyah, pg. 327.

47.
Al-Bidaayah wa an-Nihaayah, 14/67.

48.
See Majmoo' al-Fataawaa, 27/315.

49.
Al-'Alaam al-'Aliyyah, pg. 22, al-Kawaakib ad-Durriyyah, pg. 81 and ad-Durar al-Kaaminah, 1/163.

50.
The translation of which, is the book before you. It is located in volume 10, pages 149-236 of Majmoo' al-Fataawaa.

51.
See al-A'laam al-'Aliyyah, pg. 36-41, 42, 48 & 63 and al-Kawaakib ad-Durriyyah, pg. 83-88.

52.
Al-Waabil as-Sayyib of Ibn al-Qayyim, pg. 60, Daar al-Bayaan.

53.
Naahiyah min Hayaah Shaykhul-Islaam, pg. 30.

54.
Al-Waabil as-Sayyib, pg. 61.

55.
Al-A'laam al-'Aliyyah, pg. 82-83.

56.
Al-Bidaayah wa an-Nihaayah, 14/138.

57.
Al-Bidaayah wa an-Nihaayah, 14/138.

58.
Refer to Al-A'laam al-'Aliyyah, pg. 85

Source
Reply

FatimaAsSideqah
04-21-2007, 07:10 PM
:sl:

The letter of Shaykh ul-Islaam Ibn Taymeeyah to his mother, in which he apologises for his stay in Egypt. A stay he felt was necessary to educate the people.

In the name of Allaah, Most Merciful, Dispenser of Mercy


From Ahmad bin Taymeeyah to my dear and honourable Mother, may Allaah bless her amply, and grant her peace and comfort, and make her amongst the best of His servants, Assalamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakatuh.


We praise Allaah, the most worthy of praise. There is no deity worthy of worship but He, and He has Power over all things. We ask Him to bless the Seal of the Prophets and Imaam of the pious, Muhammad His servant and Messenger (salallaahu alayhi wa salam).


Indeed the bounties of Allaah come abundantly, and His aid is never ending. We praise Him for it, and ask Him to increase His favour. It will not escape you, my contented mother, the fact that our stay in Egypt is for an important issue. The abandonment of such a task leads to the corruption of our Deen and
of our life.


Yet it was not our choice to be far from you. Had birds been able to carry us, we would have come to you. But the absent one has his reason; and had you been able to look deeply into the affairs of the Muslims, you would not choose for me another place to the one I am in now. Nevertheless, I had never intended to reside here permanently. Instead, I pray to Allaah to guide you and I to the right choice, and I pray for your well-being. I ask Allaah to bless us and the rest of the Muslims, with His goodness and what that goodness encompasses of safety and benefit.


Allaah had opened for me His gates of blessings, mercy and guidance in a way I have never conceived of before. Yet I am always considering travel towards you, making the prayers of Istikhaarah. It is inconceivable for me, if given the choice, to favour any of this life's mundane issues or of the lesser obligations of the Deen, to being close to you. Yet there are great issues which l cannot abandon for fear of their general and personal dangers - and the witness sees what the absent does not.


I beseech you to supplicate to Allaah profusely. Ask Him to guide us to choose our best paths, for He Knows and we do not, and He is able and we are weak. The Messenger of Allaah (salallaahu alayhi wa salam) said:


It is from the happiness of the son of Aadam to practice lstikhaarah and be pleased wîth what Allaah had ordained for him. And it is from the misery of the son of Aadam to drop tbe Istikhaarah of Allaah and be displeased at Allaah's decrees. 2


Indeed, the travelling trader might fear the loss of his money, so he resides at a place until he is able to travel once again. The matter that we are in the middle of is too great to describe, but there is no power or ability but through Allaah.

Finally, convey my salaam to the entire household, young and old, and the rest of neighbours, friends and relatives one by one.


Wasalamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakatuh


Praise be to Allaah, and may His Blessings and Peace be upon Muhammad, his family and companions.
http://www.islamicawakening.com/view...articleID=792&

:w:
Reply

jzcasejz
04-22-2007, 09:13 PM
The following are audios about Shaikh ibn Taymiyah explained by Dr Saleh as-Saleh. Taken from http://www.understand-islam.net.

AUDIO: Ibn Taymeeyah's letter to his Mother

AUDIO: Letter of Shaykh ibn Taymiyah to the King of Cyprus

Wa'alaikum Salaam.
Reply

Ghira
04-23-2007, 06:12 AM
:s:
Nice letter..thanks for sharing..Why does he say our choice was not to live far from you. Why did he live far away?
Reply

Hemoo
04-23-2007, 06:59 AM
shiekh alislam ibn taymiah was often taken to jail

and he didn't totally has a full freedom

that is the way of the prophets and he was walking in the same path but in his last days he gained victory over his enemies.

and thousands of muslims attended his funeral.
Reply

.:Umniyah:.
05-04-2007, 05:32 AM
:sl:
Heres another biography of Shaykh Ahmed Ibn Abdul Haleem Ibn Taymiyyah AKA

SHAYKUL ISLAM IBN TAYMIYYAH


Shaykh al-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah
*Please appropriately reference this biography to: www.fatwa-online.com, thankyou!*
All praise is for Allaah Lord of the worlds. Peace and blessings be upon Muhammad (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam), his pure family, his companions and all those who strive to follow in their footsteps till the last day. To preceed :

Many people today accuse some of the greatest scholars of Islaam of blasphemy and kufr (disbelief). One who is frequently attacked is Shaykh al-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah - rahima-hullaah -. In actual fact he is slandered and lied against. People say things about him which he never said... in actual fact things which he was totally against!! These people who do should fear Allaah, and remember that they should be just and judge a man with justice and from knowledge, rather than judging him from ignorance and heresay ! subhaan-Allaah, Ibn Taymiyyah used to strive for the upliftment of the sunnah, and for the defence of this deen from those who in ignorance are changing it. And it was he who led the people to fight the tyrant tartars and it was he who suffered the darkness of the jails of Egypt so that Islaam can be lifted, and it was he who used to pray to Allaah to guide those who are misguided. Therefore let there be a warning to those who blemish his name - a severe warning indeed- that they may not slander him, for a scholar's flesh is poisonous.

Many people accuse Ibn Taymiyyah of Likening Allaah to the creation.....this a big lie and slander...and these people should fear Allaah, and take account of the evil their tongues utter before its too late. Inshaa.-Allaah below are some quotes from the writings of the noble Shaykh which clarifies his position beyond doubt on this issue. And those who after reading this still utter salnder and lies agianst the Shaykh, then all that can be said about them is that they have an illness in their hearts, and we pray to Allaah that He cures them of this disease.

In "al-'Aqeedatul Waasitiyaah " Ibn Taymiyyah - rahima-hullaah - says:
"from faith (eemaan) is acceptance (eemaan) of what Allaah has ascribed Himself in the scripture as well as what the messenger r ascribed to Him. [This creed] prevents any attempts at altering the sacred texts (tahreef), and rules out stripping Allaah of his tributes (ta'teel) or asking questions), concerining their modality ( takyeef..ie ..ascribing a "howness", or attempting to understand them analogicaly (tamtheel). Indeed [the ahlus-sunnah] hold that:

There is nothing like unto Him (Allaah); [that] He is the All-Hearing and All-Seeing One (Qur.aan 42:11).

They do not negate what Allaah has attributed Himself, nor do they alter the meaning of His words on these matters, nor subscribe to heretical notions regarding the divine names (asmaa') and manifestations (aayaat). They do NOT (!!!) seek to explain His attributes (sifaat) or COMPARE THEM with those of HIS CREATURES, for He (Allaah) has no namesake (samiy), no equal, no peer (nidd) and, therefore, He, the One free of all imperfections and Most High, does NOT befit of being compared to His creatures."

Ibn Taymiyyah says in at-Tadmuriyyah (p20):
"It is a must to affirm that which Allaah affirms for himself , whilst NEGATING ANY likeness to Him to His craetion..... whoever says His Knowledge is like my knowledge, His Power like my power, or Love like my love, or Pleasure like my pleasure, or Hand like my hand, or istawaa (ascending) like my ascending-- then he has resembled and likened Allaah to His creation. Rather, it is must to affirm (Allaah's Attributes) without any resemblance, and to negate (what Allaah negates for Himself), without ta'teel (divesting Allaah of any of His affirmed Attributes)."

Ibn Taymiyyah wrote in Majmoo-al Fatawaa (5/262):
"Whosoever considers the Attributes of Allaah to be like the attributes of creation- such that the Istawa (Ascending) of Allaah is like the ascending of the creation, or His nuzool (descending) is like the descending of the creation, or other than that-- then he is a DEVIATED INNOVATOR."

So people please read and pay heed to the words of the noble scholar !!!!

This is enough proof for those that are just and who are sincerely seeking the truth ...and Allaah knows best.

Taqi.ud-deen Abul-'Abbaas Ahmad Ibn 'Abdul-Haleem Ibn 'Abdus-Salaam Ibn Taymiyyah al-Harraanee al-Hanbalee, was born on Monday the 10th of Rabi' al-Awwal 66l A.H./22nd of January 1263 C.E. at Harraan (northern Iraq) into a well known family of "mutakallimoon"(theologians). His grandfather, Abu al-Barkat Majd-ud-deen ibn Taymiyyah (d.653 A.H./1255 C.E.) was a reputed teacher of the Hanbaleete school and his "Muntaqa al-Akhbaar (selections of prophetic sayings) which classifies such Ahaadeeth upon which Islaamic legislation is based, is even today regarded as a very valuable work. Likewise, the scholarly achievements of Ibn Taymiyyah's father, Shihaabuddeen 'Abdul-Haleem Ibn Taymiyyah (d.682 A.H./1284 C.E.) were wide spread.

This was the time when the Tataar hordes under Hulagu Khaan were inflicting their barbaric onslaught throughout the world of Islaam - especially the mesopotamium region. Ibn Taymiyyah was only seven when the Tataars launched their attack on Harraan. Consequently, the populace left Harraan to seek refuge elsewhere. Ibn Taymiyyah's family proceeded to Damascus in 667 A.H./1268 C.E. which was then ruled by the Mamlooks of Egypt. It was here that his father delivered sermons from the pulpit of the Umayyad Mosque and was invited to teach Hadeeth in the mosque as well as in the Daarul-Hadeeth 'Assaakuriyyah in Damascus. These discourses were attended by a large number of students as well as by the scholars. Damascus was the center of Islaamic studies at that time, and Ahmad Ibn Taymiyyah followed in the footsteps of his father who was a scholar of Islaamic studies by studying with the great scholars of his time, among them a woman scholar by the name Zaynab bint Makkee who taught him hadeeth.

Education
From his early childhood, Ibn Taymiyyah was an industrious student. He fully acquainted himself with all the secular and religious sciences of his time. He devoted special attention to Arabic literature and gained mastery over grammar and lexicography. Not only did he become an expert on the great Arab grammarian Seebawayh's al-Kitaab which is regarded as the greatest authority on grammar and syntax, but he also pointed out the errors therein. He commanded knowledge of all the prose and poetry then available. Furthermore, he studied the history of both pre Islaamic Arabia and that of the post-Islaamic period. Finally, he learnt mathematics and calligraphy.

As for the religions sciences, Ibn Taymiyyah studied the Qur.aan, Hadeeth and Sharee'ah. He learnt the Hanbalee fiqh (law) from his own father and then became a distinguished representative of the Hanbalee school of law. He is reported to have acquired his knowledge on Hadeeth in Syria like Ibn 'Abduddayaam. Another of his teachers was Shamsuddeen 'Abdurrahmaan al-Maqdisee (d.682 A.H./1283 C.E.).Thus Ibn Taymiyyah received a thorough grounding in the Sihaah Sittah and the Musnad of Imaam Ahmad.

Ibn Taymiyyah had great love for tafseer (Qur.aanic exegesis). He read over a hundred commentaries of the Qur.aan.

He completed his studies when he was a teenager and at age 19 he became a professor of Islaamic studies. Well versed in Qur.aanic studies, Hadeeth, fiqh, theology, Arabic grammar and scholastic theology, etc., he started giving fatwas on religious legal matters without following any of the traditional legal schools, the Hanafee, Maalikee, Shaafi'ee and Hanbalee. He defended the sound prophetic traditions by arguments which, although taken from the Qur.aan and the Sunnah, had hitherto been unfamiliar to people of his time. The freedom of his polemics made him many enemies among the scholars of the traditional Orthodox Schools, who falsely accused him, of all kinds of heretical beliefs. Among them was the famous Muslim medieval traveler, Ibn Batutah, who visited Damascus while Ibn Taymiyyah was in jail. This did not hinder Ibn Batutah in testifying in his book that "he witnessed Ibn Taymiyyah on the pulpit saying, 'every night Allaah descends to the lower heaven like my descent', and he descended one step down the pulpit". From reading this 'aqeedah we learn that Ibn Taymiyyah accepted the attributes of Allaah without questioning (bi-laa kayfa).

When Ibn Taymiyyah lost his father in 682 A.H./1283 C.E. at the age of twenty two, he succeeded at the 'Assaakuriyyah. He began to teach "Tafseer" at the Umayyad mosque and in 695 A.H./1296 C.E. he began to teach at the Hanbaleeyyah in Damascus. Soon he became prominent among the leading scholars of Syria and also became immensely popular with the masses.

The Mongol Threat
In the meanwhile, Iraq, Iran, and Khuraasaan continued to smother under the cruel domination of the Tataars. The Mamlooks who were ruling over Egypt, Syria and the Hijaaz (Arabian peninsula) attempted several times to capture Iraq but failed each time. When it was learnt that the Tataars were planning to conquer Damascus, the Mamlook Sultaan, al-Maalik an-Naasir Muhammad bin Qalawoon left Egypt with a powerful army to check the advance of the Tataars.

The two forces met in a bloody battle in 699 A.H./1299 C.E. but the Sultaan was defeated and he returned to Egypt. Now Damascus lay open before the Tataar forces led by Ghazzaan, also known as Mahmood, the great grandson of Ghengis Khaan. Consequently, all the nobles including the religions scholars, judges, administrators and traders fled from Damascus where total chaos and anarchy held sway in the face of the Tataar invasion.

At this critical moment Ibn Taymiyyah and their remaining notables decided to lead a delegation to meet Ghazzaan and pursue for peace of the city. Accordingly, the delegation led by Ibn Taymiyyah met Ghazzaan at Nabak (near Damascus) and he agreed to grant amnesty to the people of Damascus.

News of the Tataar army advancing towards Syria again reached Damascus in 702 A.H./1303 C.E. Delay in the arrival of Sultaan Qalawoon from Egypt caused panic among the people, many of whom began to abandon their homes for safer places. When Ibn Taymiyyah saw this, he began to urge the people to defend themselves and their city, thereby arresting the exodus. He also went personally to appeal to the Sultaan to speed up his journey to Damascus.

At last the Muslim forces of Egypt and Syria encountered the Tataar forces at Thaqab during Ramadhaan 702 A.H./1303 C.E. and after a bloody conflict the Muslims defeated and dispersed the Tataar armies.

Jihaad Against Heretics
Ibn Taymiyyah's fight was not limited to the Soofees and the people who followed the heretical innovations; in addition, he fought against the Tataars who attacked the Muslim world and almost reached Damascus. The people of Syria sent him to Egypt to urge the Mamlook Sultaan, the Sultaan of Egypt and Syria to lead his troops to Syria to save it from the invading Tataars. When he realized that the Sultaan was hesitant to do what he asked of him, he threatened the Sultaan by saying: "If you turn your back on Syria we will appoint a Sultaan over it who can defend it and enjoy it at the time of peace". He was present at the battle of Shaqhab near Damascus against the Tataars which took place during the fasting month of Ramadhaan and gave a fatwa to the army to break their fast in order to help them against their enemy, as the Prophet Muhammad (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) did during the battle of the liberation of Makkah. The Muslims won the battle against the Tataars and drove them away from Damascus and all Syria. Ibn Taymiyyah's courage was expressed when he went with a delegation of 'ulamaa. to talk to Qazan the Khan of the Tataars to stop his attack on the Muslims. Not one of the 'ulamaa. dared to say anything to him except Ibn Taymiyyah who said: "You claim that you are Muslim and you have with you mu'adhdhins, judges, Imam and Shaykh but you invaded us and reached our country for what? While your father and your grandfather, Hulago, were non-believers, they did not attack the land of Islaam, rather, they promised not to attack and they kept their promise. But you promised and broke your promise."

Once the Tataar threat was eliminated, Ibn Taymiyyah again devoted himself to his mission of his intellectual pursuit and teaching. At the same time, he continued to wage Jihaad against the heretical sects like the Baatinites, Ismaa.eelites, Haakimites and Nusayrites living in the hilly tracts of Syria who had invited the Crusaders and the Tataars to invade the Muslim lands, helped these invaders against the Muslims and looted and plundered the weak and defenceless population. Ibn Taymiyyah personally led expeditions against these sects.

Religious Condition Of The Muslims
Apart from the external threats mentioned above, Islaam was also confronted at this time with internal dangers. There were Baatinites (an extremist Sheeite sect which confronted the Muslim Government at that time) and their followers, the Assassins (Hasheeshiyoon). Their creed was a mixture of Magian dogma and Platonic concepts which could easily sow the seeds of intellectual dissension and spread irreligousness and apostasy among the simple minded people. Then there were Muslims who, under the influence of the polytheistic beliefs and customs of the non-Muslims with whom they had free associations, began to glorify their saints (highly pious Soofee personalities - Walee-Allaah) as the Jews and the Christians were doing. Further more, some Soofee's orders like the Rifaa'iyyah had adopted certain neo-Platonic and Hindu doctrines which became so confused with the true Islaamic beliefs that it became almost impossible to distinguish one from the other.

In the wake of crusaders, some Christians were emboldened to censure Islaam and criticise the Prophet in their speeches and writings. In the intellectual circles of the Muslims there was stagnation and rigidity in their theological disputations and in their approach to the re-interpretation of the Sharee'ah. There was continuous polemical wranglings between the 'Asharites and Hanbaleeites. Finally, some of the philosophers, influenced by the theories of Plato and Aristotle, began to spread their agnostic ideas and concepts in total disregard to the teachings of Islaam.

These were the conditions pertaining to the time of Ibn Taymiyyah and which he had to contend. Ibn Taymiyyah formed a society along with his students and followers to renounce the polytheistic cults, un-Islaamic cults, un-Islaamic influences and heretical beliefs and practices among the Muslim masses. As a result of his enthusiastic and zealous reformative activities and condemnation of heresies, un-Islaamic innovation and practices at the visitation of graves of saints, he earned the displeasure of certain sectors of the population. Nonetheless, his popularity among the Muslim masses increased tremendously.

All this jihad against the enemies of Islaam did not help Ibn Taymiyyah with the 'ulamaa.. The authorities put him in jail many times until he died in jail because of his daring and free progressive opinions on many legal and social issues which angered his opponents, the followers of the Orthodox Schools of law.

However when Ibn Taymiyyah had the chance to punish his opponents among the 'ulamaa. who caused him all kinds of trouble and put him in jail many times, he showed the utmost of magnanimity and forgave them when the Sultaan an-Naasir Qalawoon gave him the chance to do so. He said: "If you kill them you will never find 'ulamaa. like them." The Sultaan said: "They harmed you many times and wanted to kill you!" Ibn Taymiyyah said: "Whoever harmed me is absolved, and who harmed the cause of Allaah and His Messenger, Allaah will punish him."

The Muslim historians, like adh-Dhahabee, Ibn Katheer, Ibn al-'Imad al-Hanbalee and many others praised Ibn Taymiyyah and considered him one of the greatest scholars of Islaam of all time.

He fought heretical innovations in religion which were wide spread during his time all over the Muslim world, especially certain acts and beliefs of some Soofee orders, like saint worship and visiting saints' tombs, and throwing themselves in the fire. His attack on the Soofees caused him a lot of trouble with the authorities whose leaders were under the influence of certain soofee leaders.

As a result of Ibn Taymiyyah's popularity, some influential religions scholars became jealous of him and even annoyed because he challenged the Qaadhee's on juridical matters. They therefore sought ways and means to discredit him in the eyes of the Government and the people. Ibn Taymiyyah rejected the teachings expounded in the al-Futuhaat al-Makkah ("the Makkan Revelations") and Fusoos al-Hakeem ("The Mosaic of Wisdom") of Shaykh Muheeuddeen ibn al-'Arabee (d.638 A.H./1240 C.E.) the most respected Soofee and teacher of tasawwuf - as incompatible with the teachings of the Qur.aan and the Sunnah, thereby earning the wrath of the Soofee's, and by being outspoken on Government policies, he earned the hostility of the government. Consequently he was summoned to Egypt in 705 A.H./1305 C.E.

When Ibn Taymiyyah arrived in Egypt, he was asked to attend a meeting of theologians, jurists and the chiefs of the state. During the session certain charges were levelled against him relating to his concepts of the nature and attributes of Allaah. He was not allowed to defend himself and was promptly imprisoned for about 16 months. While in prison, he diverted the attention of his followers from indulgence in frolics and amusements to a sense of piety, discipline and temperance. A number of prisoners became his devoted disciples on their release.

After Ibn Taymiyyah was released from prison in 707 A.H./1307 C.E. he decided to remain in Egypt for a while. Soon he began to deliver lectures in various Mosques and educational institutions before select gatherings of scholars, jurists and theologians. However, Ibn Taymiyyah's views on pantheistic monoism, intercession, etc were not received kindly and numerous complaints were made against him to the Sultaan. The religions scholars to whom the complaints were referred could not find any fault with Ibn Taymiyyah. However, as the administration was growing weary of the charges brought against him, he was detained for a while but was soon released on the unanimous request of the religions scholars. But when Sultaan Qalawoon abdicated in favour of his viceroy Baybaan al-Jashnikeer in 709 A.H./1309 C.E., Ibn Taymiyyah was exiled to Alexandria where, inspite of his internment, he earned himself a respectable position in the Academic and literary circles. Soon though Baybaan abdicated and Sultaan Qalawoon returned to Egypt and ordered Ibn Taymiyyah.

Return To Damascus
In Cairo, Ibn Taymiyyah had busied himself in his teachings and reformative activities for about 3 years. At the same time, he acted as adviser to the Sultaan and was instrumental in having several important reforms introduced in Egypt and Syria. Several royal edicts were issued on his advice in 712 A.H./1312 C.E. He visited Jerusalem in the same year, then went for Hajj (pilgrimage) and eventually returned to Damascus in 713 A.H./1313 C.E. From now onward he devoted his attention primarily to juristic problems though he continued teaching. His chief disciple was ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (d.751 A.H./1350 C.E.) who was chiefly responsible for spreading his ideas.

The Question Of Three Talaaq's
Ibn Taymiyyah like his forefathers was a Hanbaleeite and his legal opinions conformed to that school, though not exclusively. He often rejected the Hanbaleeite view just as in some matters he expressed disagreement with all the four principal juridicial schools. One such case in which he differed with them was in regard to the repudiation of one's wife by three divorces given at one time.

The issue was whether a divorce pronounced thrice at the same time took legal effect or not. This issue raised the following considerations:

• whether revocation of such a divorce was possible or not.
• whether the three sentences of divorce would be counted as one revocable pronouncement (talaaq) or taken as an irreversable separation.
• whether the wife so divorced could return to her husband or not without a halaalah (i.e until his divorced wife was married to another man who, in turn, after the consummation of the marriage, divorces).

All the earlier jurists and traditionalists, likewise a good number of the Prophet's companions were of the view that such a pronouncement, although being repugnant to the law as well as irregular and sinful, would be regarded as an implied divorce with legal effect. As against that Ibn Taymiyyah firmly held the opinion that the three sentences of divorce spoken at the same time should be regarded as one revocable divorce. The view of Ibn Taymiyyah happened to be against the official view which naturally brought him in conflict with the 'ulamaa on one hand and with the government on the other.

Consequently, the theologians tried to prevent him from expressing further legal opinion on such matters. In fact, a royal edict was issued from Cairo in 718AH/1318AD forbidding him from giving legal opinions in such cases.

Initially Ibn Taymiyyah abided by the edict but later again began giving legal judgment on this issue as he decided that it was improper for him to desist simply for fear of the government. As a result in 720 A.H./1320 C.E. he was detained in a citadel for just over five months till he was released on direct orders from Cairo.

The Final Years
Between 721 A.H./1321 C.E. and 726 A.H./1326 C.E. Ibn Taymiyyah devoted himself to teaching in the Madrasah Hanbaleeyyah and his own Madrasah Qassaaseen and revising some of his earlier works. In 726 A.H./1326 C.E. his adversaries again conspired to have him imprisoned. Here he continued writing his exegesis of the Qur.aan as well as treatises and monographs on various issues.

Ibn Taymiyyah died in jail in Damascus on the night of Sunday-Monday 20th Dhul-Qa'dah 728 A.H./26-27 September 1328 C.E. at the age of 67, and is buried in the cemetery of the Soofiyyah in Damascus.

The people of Damascus, who held him in great honor, gave him a splendid funeral and an estimated 200,000 men and 15,000 women attended his funeral. He was buried at the Soofee cemetery in Damascus where his mother was buried.

Character And Achievements
Ibn Taymiyyah occupied a highly honorable place among his contemporary religions scholars due to his prodigious memory, intellectual brilliance, encyclopedic knowledge and dauntless courage. He is described as a great orator, brave and fearless, resolute, disciplined, very pious, resigned and contended, noble and forgiving, just and ever determined.

Ibn Taymiyyah's reformative endeavors and literary pursuits cover a vast field which can be summarised as follows:
1 revival of faith in and adherence to "Tawheed"(oneness of Allaah).
2 eradication of pantheistic beliefs and customs.
3 criticism of philosophy, syllogistic logic and dialects in order to demonstrate the superiority of the Qur.aan and the sunnah.
4 extirpation of un-Islaamic beliefs through refutation of Christianity and Sheeism.
5 rejuvenation of Islaamic thought and its related sciences.

The total number of Ibn Taymiyyah's works is 621 though many of his writings have been lost. Some of Ibn Taymiyyah's writings dealing with the themes are listed below:
1 al-Jawaab as-Saheeh liman baddala Deen al-Maseeh (an answer to the criticism against Islaam by the Christians).
2 Radd 'ala al-Mantiqiyyeen (a refutation of the philosopher).
3 Kitaab as-Siyaasah ash-Shar'iyyah (deals with political theory and government in Islaam).
4 Minhaaj as-Sunnah an-Nabawiyyah (a refutation of Sheeite beliefs written in response to Minhaaj al-Karanmah of Ibn al-Mutahhir al-Hillee).
5 Ziyaarah al-Quboor (a criticism of saint-workshop, intercession, superstitious beliefs).
6 Majmoo'at ar-Rasaail al-Kubra (this book contains articles on various subjects).
7 Majmoo'at al-Fataawa (a collection of opinions on various issues).
8 Majmoo'at ar-Rasaail wa al-Masaail (contains articles and legal opinions on various issues).
9 Majmoo'at Shaykh al-Islaam Ahmad ibn Taymiyyah (contains discussion on Islaamic jurisprudence and legal opinions enunciated by Ibn Taymiyyah).

Conclusion
To include in the words of Mawlaana Abu al-Hasan 'Alee Nadawee who has paid a glowing tribute to Ibn Taymiyyah as follows:
"Ibn Taymiyyah interpreted the Qur.aan and Sunnah, established the superiority of Islaam over heresy, Philosophical concepts and other faiths and contributed to a genuine revival of religion after a deep study and deliberation that was necessary for lighting the religions and intellectual waywardness of the time. Seeking to surpass his opponents he mastered the methodology employed by them to attack Islaam. In fact, his learning, his erudition, his intellectual attainment and his mental grit always left his adversaries spell bound"(*1)

Little wonder then that Ibn Taymiyyah's contemporary and succeeding scholars have acclaimed him with such complimentary remarks as "The master spirit of the age", "The crown of scholars", "Last of the Enlightened scholars", and "A sign among the signs of God".

(*1) A. H. A. NADAWEE, Saviours of Islaamic spirit, Vol. 2, Academy of Islaamic research and publications, Lucknow, India, 1974, p24.

Source:http://fatwaonline.com/
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vpb
05-04-2007, 05:54 AM
what is Majdudeen?
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Hemoo
05-04-2007, 01:08 PM
the Majdudeen is the people of knowledge (as Scholars) whom Allah will raise to brings muslims back to their religion as it is mentioned in the Hadith of Sunan Abu Dawud :

Narated By AbuHurayrah : The Prophet (pbuh) said: Allah will raise for this community at the end of every hundred years the one who will renovate its religion for it. (Abu Dawud, Book of Battles)
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Ibn Abi Ahmed
05-14-2007, 01:04 AM
:sl:

Ibn Taymiyyah's handwriting:

http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/2...fsheikhqh4.jpg
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Ibn Abi Ahmed
05-16-2007, 12:59 AM
:sl:

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said regarding giving Bayah to a Shaykh:
"It is not allowed for any of the teachers to take from anyone an oath to agree to him upon everything that he wants, to love those whom his teacher loves and to hate whom his teacher hates. Rather, the one who does that from them then he is similar to Genghis Khan and his likes, those who make anyone that follows them a close friend and those who oppose them a tyrannical enemy. Rather, upon them and their followers is to stick to the oath of Allaah by obeying Allaah and His Messenger and that they do what Allaah and His Messenger ordered them with. That they forbid what Allaah and His Messenger forbade them with…"
Majmu' Fataawa (16/27)
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Umar001
05-16-2007, 11:21 AM



Here.
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Mawaddah
05-16-2007, 11:23 AM
:sl:

I'm wondering how long did it take for those books to be typed up from the handwritten versions? And whatever did happen to the handwritten versions of the Scholars books rahimahumullah?
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Umar001
05-16-2007, 11:34 AM
I thought they kept them in libraries or museums as manuscripts? Because some books printed have pictures of the manuscripts, like the Book of Knowledge by An Nasa'i
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- Qatada -
05-16-2007, 11:36 AM
:wasalamex


I heard alot of manuscripts of Ibn Taymiyya got stolen by the west? Yasir Qadhi was mentioning it or something.. Allaahu a'lam.
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Ibn Abi Ahmed
05-24-2007, 01:02 AM
Badruddeen al-'Aynee al-Hanafee (d.841H), author of the famous commentary on Saheeh al-Bukhaaree, wrote in his commendation of ar-Radd al-Waafir of ibn Naasir ad-Deen ad-Dimashqee ash-Shaafi'ee (d.842H), an explanation of the ruling on one who pronounces ibn Taymiyyah to be a disbeliever:
"Since this is the case, it is binding upon those in authority that they punish this ignorant trouble maker - who said that ibn Taymiyyah was a kaafir!! - with various types of punishment, severe beating and long imprisonment. Whoever says to a Muslim: 'O kaafir,' then what he has said returns upon him, especially if it is the like of such a filthy one speaking against this scholar, particularly since he is deceased, and there is a prohibition recorded in the Sharee'ah from speaking ill of the deceased Muslims, and Allaah will manifest the truth."
Al-'Aynee also said:
"Whoever says ibn Taymiyyah is a kaafir then he is in reality himself a kaafir, and the one who accuses him of heresy is himself a heretic. How is this possible when his works are widely available and there is no hint of deviation or dissension contained therein?"
This commendation is established as being authored by al-'Aynee, may Allaah have mercy upon him, despite the attempt of some to discredit it.
It is mentioned by al-Haafidh as-Sakhaawee (student of al-Haafidh ibn Hajar) in ad-Dawl al-Laamee (10/13), who described it as: "Defending ibn Taymiyyah to the utmost."

Ibn Hajar also says in his endorsement of the same book (and this is also mentioned by as-Sakhaawee 8/104):
"No one says about ibn Taymiyyah that he is a kaafir except two types of people: either one who is himself a kaafir, or one who is ignorant of him... and all the different groups of the people of his time praised his knowledge, Deen and zuhd."
Ibn Hajar also said in his commendation to ar-Radd al-Waafir (p.68):
"And if there were no virtues of Shaykh Taqi-ud-Deen (ibn Taymiyyah) except for his famous student Shaykh Shams-ud-Deen ibn Qayyim al-Jawzziyah - the author of many works, which both his opponents and supporters benefit from - then this would be sufficient indication of his (ibn Taymiyyah's) great position."
In the biography of ibn Taymiyyah in ad-Durar al-Kaaminah, Ibn Hajar writes:
"The shaykh of our shaykhs, al-Haafidh Abu al-Yu'maree (ibn Sayyid an-Naas) said in his biography of ibn Taymiyyah:

'al-Mizzi encouraged me to speak my opinion on Shaykh al-Islaam Taqi ad-Deen. I found him to be fortunate in the sciences that he had. He used to fully understand and implement the Sunan and Aathaar (narrations), memorising them. Should he speak about tafseer then he would carry its flag, and should he pass a fatwa in fiqh then he knew its (or his) limits, and should he speak about a hadeeth then he was the companion of its knowledge and owner of its narrations. Should he give a lecture on Religions and Sects then none was seen who was more comprehensive or meticulous than he. He surpassed in every science over the sons of his like. And you would not see one like him, and his own eye did not see one like himself. He used to speak on tafseer and a large number of people would attend his gatherings, and an agreeable number would return (having drank) from his sweet, rich ocean.

Until the sickness of envy crept (into the hearts) of the people of his city. And the people of Nadhr gathered together and picked out anything that could be disapproved of in his beliefs, and they memorised certain statements with respect to this. And they undermined him due to this. They laid traps for him by which they could declare him to be an innovator. They thought that he had left their way, and split off from their sect. So they argued with him, and he with them, and some of them cut relations with him, and he with them. Then he argued with another group who were attributed to the Fuqaraa who thought that they were upon the minute details of the inner reality and upon its truth. And he exposed these Orders.

This reached the first group and they sought help from those who cut relations with him and harboured malice towards him. They took the matter to the rulers, each of them having decided that he was a disbeliever and they prepared a meeting, inspiring the ignorant people to spread the word amongst the great scholars. They took steps to transfer the matter to the king of Egypt. And he was arrested and put in prison. Gatherings were convened to discuss the spilling of his blood.

They called up for this purpose the people from the small mosques and students, those people that would argue to make others happy, and those that would argue to show their cleverness, and those that announced takfeer and called for disassociation. Your Lord knows what is in their hearts and what they proclaim. And the one who announced his kufr was no better than the one who argued to make others happy.

The sting of their plots crept up on him, and Allaah made futile every plot, and rescued him at the hands of those that He chose. Then he continuously moved from one trial to another, in all his life he did not move from trouble except into trouble. And then there followed what followed in the matter of his arrest. He stayed in prison until he died, and to Allaah all matters return. And on the day of his funeral the streets were crowded, and the Muslims came from every roadway...'"
Reply

Ibn Abi Ahmed
05-24-2007, 01:03 AM
al-Haafidh ibn Katheer, wrote about him in al-Bidaayah wan-Nihaayah (14/246):
"He attained great proficiency in many branches of knowledge, particularly knowledge of tafseer, hadeeth and usool. When Shaykh Taqiyyud-Deen ibn Taymiyyah returned from Egypt in the year 712H, he stayed with the Shaykh until he died, learning a great deal of knowledge from him, along with the knowledge he had already occupied himself in obtaining. So he became a singular scholar in many branches of knowledge. He also continued to seek knowledge greatly day and night and was constant in humbly calling upon his Lord. He recited well and had fine manners. He had a great deal of love and did not harbour any envy for anyone, nor harm anyone, nor seek to find fault with anyone, nor bear any malice towards anyone. I was one of those who most often kept company with him and I was one of the most beloved of people to him. I do not know of anyone in this world in this time who is a greater worshipper than him. His Salaah used to be very lengthy, with prolonged bowing and prostration. His companions would often reproach him for this, yet he never retorted back, nor did he abandon this practice - may Allaah shower His Mercy upon him."
al-Haafidh ibn Rajab, said in Dhayl Tabaqaatul-Hanaabilah (4/450):
"He rahimahullah was constant in worship and performing the tahajjud Prayer, reaching the limits in lengthening his Salaah and devotion. He was constantly in a state of Dhikr and had an intense love for Allaah. He also had a deep love for turning to Allaah in repentance, humbling himself to Him with a deep sense of humility and helplessness. He would throw himself at the doors of Divine obedience and servitude. Indeed, I have not seen the likes of him with regards to such matters."
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Ibn Abi Ahmed
06-07-2007, 01:04 AM
:sl:

Ibn Taymeeyah's Letters

The letter of Shaykh ul-Islaam Ibn Taymeeyah to his mother
letter especially written for the benefit of his students and brothers in Damascus.
The letter of Shaykh ul Islam from his prison in Alexandria to his companions
The letter of Shaykh ul Islam Ibn Taymeeyah to the King of Cyprus

رسالة شيخ الإسلام ابن تيمية إلى والدته
رسالة شيخ الإسلام ابن تيمية من السجن إلى تلامذته بدمشق
رسالة شيخ الإسلام ابن تيمية من السجن إلى أصحابه بالإسكندريه
رسالة شيخ الإسلام ابن تيمية إلى ملك قبرص يدعوه للإسلام

شيخ الإسلام ابن تيمية
Ibn Taymiyyah.rar

Jazakallah Khayr to Br. Skillgannon.
Reply

seeker_of_ilm
06-29-2007, 01:56 PM
:sl:

Posted on another forum. A day in the life of Ibn Taymiyyah:-

al-Imam Siraj ad-Din Abu Hafs 'Umar bin 'Ali bin Musa bin Khalil al-Baghdadi al-Bazzar wrote a long, first hand account of the life of Ibn Taymiyyah, who was his personal friend and companion. The book is called 'al-A'lam al-'Aliyyah fi Manaqib Ibn Taymiyyah,' and this is a very, very small glimpse from it:

"During the nights, he would separate himself from everybody, secluding himself with his Lord, strictly maintaining his recitation of the Mighty Qur'an, and repeating the various types of daily and nightly worship.

When the night was over, he would rejoin the people for the Fajr prayer, praying the optional prayer before meeting them. When he would begin the prayer, your heart would want to fly from its place just from the way in which he would make takbirat al-ihram. When he would begin the prayer, his limbs would shake, moving him left and right. When he would recite, he would elongate his recitation, just as was authentically reported in regards to the recitation of the Messenger of Allah. His bowing and prostration, as well as his coming up from them, are from the most complete of what has ever been reported in regards to the obligatory prayer. And he would severely lighten his sitting for the first tashahhud, and would say the first taslim out loud, to the point that everyone who was present would hear it...

...And I came to know that it was his habit that nobody would speak to him unless absolutely necessary after the morning prayer. He would remain in a state of dhikr of Allah, listening to himself. Sometimes, he would let those sitting next to him listen to his dhikr, all the while constantly turning his eyesight to the sky. He would remain in such a state until the Sun rose, and the time in which prayer is forbidden had passed.

During my stay in Damascus with him, I would spend some of the day and most of the night with him. He would draw me near to him, sitting me beside him. I would hear what he would recite and repeat, and I saw that he would repeat 'al-Fatihah' over and over again, and would spend all of his time between Fajr and sunrise doing this.

So, I kept thinking to myself, wondering: why would he recite this specific chapter of the Qur'an in exclusion to the others? Eventually, it became clear to me - and Allah Knows best - that his intention in doing so was to combine with his recitation between what was narrated in the ahadith and what was discussed by the scholars, in regards to whether the narrated adhkar should take precedence over recitation of the Qur'an, or vice versa. So, he saw that in repeating 'al-Fatihah,' he could combine between both opinions, and reap the benefits of both actions, and this was from his strength in logic and depth of insight.

After this, he would pray Duha, and if he wanted to hear Hadith in another place, he would rush to that place with whoever was with him at the time.

It was rare that any intelligent person would see him and not come and kiss his hands. Even the busiest of businessmen would walk from what they were doing to greet him and seek his blessings. With all of this, he would give everyone of them their share of time, greetings, etc.

If he saw any evil in the street, he would work to remove it, and if he heard of a funeral taking place, he would rush to pray in it, or would apologize for missing it. Sometimes, he would go to the grave of the deceased after he finished listening to Hadith and pray over it.

Afterwards, he would return to his mosque, where he would remain either giving fatawa to the people or fulfilling their needs, until it was time to pray Dhuhr in congregation. He would spend the rest of the day in such a manner.

His classes were general for the old, the young, the wealthy, the poor, the free, the slave, males, and females. He appealed to everyone that would pass by him of the people, and everyone of them would feel that Ibn Taymiyyah was treating them better than he was treating anyone else present.

He would then pray Maghrib, and would follow it up with as much optional prayer as Allah made possible. I, or someone else, would then read his writings to him, and he would benefit us with various points and notes. We would do this until we prayed 'Isha', after which we would continue as we were before, delving into the various fields of knowledge. We would do this until much of the night had passed. During this entire time - night and day - Ibn Taymiyyah would constantly remember Allah, mention His Oneness, and seek His forgiveness.

And he would constantly raise his eyesight to the sky, and would not stop doing this, as if he saw something there that kept his eyesight hooked. He would do this for as long as I was staying with him.

So, Subhan Allah! How short were these days! If only they were longer! By Allah, until this day, there has never been a time in my life that is more beloved to me than the time I spent with him, and I was never seen in a better state than I was at that time, and this was for no other reason than the barakah of the Shaykh, may Allah be Pleased with him.

Every week, he would visit the sick, especially those at the hospital.

I have been informed by more than one person - whose trustworthiness I do not doubt - that the entire life of the Shaykh was spent in the way that I witnessed (and described above). So, what worship, and what Jihad is better than this?"
Reply

IbnAbdulHakim
06-29-2007, 02:13 PM
Ibn al-Qayyim says of Ibn Taymiyyah's remembrance of his Lord: "I heard Shaykul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allaah (AZ) sanctify his soul, say, 'Remembrance to the heart is like water to fish. What will be the state of the fish if it becomes seperated from the water?'...I once attended fajr prayer with Shaykhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah, he then sat and remembered Allaah (AZ) until it was nearly midday. He then turned around and said to me, 'This is my early morning meal, if I do not take this breakfast, my strength will drop.' "


^ does that mean that if he doesnt contemplate over Allah in such a manner he will lose his emaan? :?

subhanAllah!!! sounds like abu hanifa rahimahullah....
Reply

- Qatada -
06-29-2007, 02:26 PM
:salamext:


You can probably feel it man. :) u know like when u feel u got a rusted heart.. and if u don't recite Qur'an or do dhikr of Allaah, you continuouslly get that harsh hearted feeling.. and when you remember Allaah, it eases the heart and makes you feel calm and light again. :)
Reply

IbnAbdulHakim
06-29-2007, 02:31 PM
^ yeah bro and that feelin is worth 50 times the dunya n everythin in it..

i read a lot of stuff against ibn taymiyyah aswell.. im a bit confused now coz i think i fell in love with that article (a day in the life of ibn taymiyyah)... but then again if abu haneefa can make errors in aqeedah (which was later corrected by abu yusuf rahmatullahi alaih) then anyone can...


la adri, confusing matters..
Reply

MinAhlilHadeeth
06-29-2007, 02:33 PM
:salamext:

You should probably find out what kind of people say these things, and it all starts to make sense.
Reply

seeker_of_ilm
06-29-2007, 03:14 PM
:sl:


The Life, Struggles, Works and Impact of Shaikh ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah



Reply

MinAhlilHadeeth
06-29-2007, 05:38 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by IbnAbdulHakim
if this causes fitnah then you can delete it inshaAllah


Abu Hayyan al-Andulusi, the grammarian, exegete, and reciter, wrote in his tafseer an-Nahr ul-maadd, "I read in a book by Ahmad bin Taymiyyah, this one who is a contemporary of ours, and it is in his handwriting and it's called kitaab ul-'arsh, 'Indeed Allah sits on the seat (kursi) and has left empty from it a place in which He will seat Rasoolallah with Him (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam).' At-taaj Muhammad bin Ali bin Abd il-Haqq al-baarinbaari employed artful means upon him (ibn Taymiyyah) and appeared as though he was a caller to him (a daa'ee for ibn taymiyyah's aqidah) until he got it (the book) from him, and we read that in it."

its stuff like this that puts me in a lot of doubt...
:salamext:

Do you know of the authenticity of this narration? Are you sure he wrote a book called 'kitaab al 'arsh'? These are the books that I have heard of:

  • Minhaaj us-Sunnah an-Nabawiyyah
  • Daar Ta'aarud al-'Aql wa an-Naql
  • al-lstiqaamah
  • Iqtidaa' as-Siraat al-Mustaqeem Li Mukhaalafah As-haab al-Jaheem
  • Naqd Maraatib al-ljmaa'
  • as-Saarim al-Maslool 'alaa Shaatim ar-Rasool
  • al-Jawaab as-Saheeh li man baddala Deen al-Maseeh
  • ar-Raad 'alaa al-Mantiqiyyeen
  • ar-Raad 'alaa al-'Akhnan'ee
  • Naqd at-Ta'sees
  • an-Nuboowaat
  • Qaa'idah fee Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah
  • al-Waasitah bayna al-Haqq wa al-Khalq
  • Qaa'idah Jaleelah fee at-Tawassul wa al-Waseelah
  • ar-Radd al-Aqwan 'alaa maa fee Fusoos al-Hikam
  • ar-Risaalah at-Tadmuriyyah
  • al-'Aqeedah al-Waasitiyyah
  • al-Wasiyyah al-Kubraa
  • al-Hamawiyyah al-Kubraa
  • Sharh Hadeeth an-Nuzool
  • Kitaab al-Eemaan
  • Amraad al-Quloob wa Shifaa' uhaa
  • al-'Uboodiyyah [50]
  • al-Wasiyyah as-Sughraa
  • al-Furqaan bayna Awliyaa' ar-Rahmaan wa Awliyaa' ash-Shaytaan
  • al-Furqaan bayna al-Haqq wa al-Baatil
  • Muqaddimah fee Usool at-Tafseer
  • Tafseer Soorah al-Ikhlaas
  • Raf' al-Malaam 'an al-A'immah al-A'laam
  • al-Hisbah
  • al-Amr bi al-Ma'roof wa an-Nahy 'an al-Munkar
  • as-Siyaasah ash-Shar'iyyah
  • al-Madhaalim al-Mushtarakah.


If you are sure he wrote this book, did you see this written in there?

Please study his works in order to know what his 'aqeedah is.

:wasalamex
Reply

- Qatada -
06-29-2007, 05:41 PM
:salamext:



Ibn Taymiyyah's Daily Routine


al-Imam Siraj ad-Din Abu Hafs 'Umar bin 'Ali bin Musa bin Khalil al-Baghdadi al-Bazzar wrote a long, first hand account of the life of Ibn Taymiyyah, who was his personal friend and companion. The book is called 'al-A'lam al-'Aliyyah fi Manaqib Ibn Taymiyyah,' and this is a very, very small glimpse from it:

"During the nights, he would separate himself from everybody, secluding himself with his Lord, strictly maintaining his recitation of the Mighty Qur'an, and repeating the various types of daily and nightly worship.

When the night was over, he would rejoin the people for the Fajr prayer, praying the optional prayer before meeting them. When he would begin the prayer, your heart would want to fly from its place just from the way in which he would make takbirat al-ihram. When he would begin the prayer, his limbs would shake, moving him left and right. When he would recite, he would elongate his recitation, just as was authentically reported in regards to the recitation of the Messenger of Allah. His bowing and prostration, as well as his coming up from them, are from the most complete of what has ever been reported in regards to the obligatory prayer. And he would severely lighten his sitting for the first tashahhud, and would say the first taslim out loud, to the point that everyone who was present would hear it...

...And I came to know that it was his habit that nobody would speak to him unless absolutely necessary after the morning prayer. He would remain in a state of dhikr of Allah, listening to himself. Sometimes, he would let those sitting next to him listen to his dhikr, all the while constantly turning his eyesight to the sky. He would remain in such a state until the Sun rose, and the time in which prayer is forbidden had passed.

During my stay in Damascus with him, I would spend some of the day and most of the night with him. He would draw me near to him, sitting me beside him. I would hear what he would recite and repeat, and I saw that he would repeat 'al-Fatihah' over and over again, and would spend all of his time between Fajr and sunrise doing this.

So, I kept thinking to myself, wondering: why would he recite this specific chapter of the Qur'an in exclusion to the others? Eventually, it became clear to me - and Allah Knows best - that his intention in doing so was to combine with his recitation between what was narrated in the ahadith and what was discussed by the scholars, in regards to whether the narrated adhkar should take precedence over recitation of the Qur'an, or vice versa. So, he saw that in repeating 'al-Fatihah,' he could combine between both opinions, and reap the benefits of both actions, and this was from his strength in logic and depth of insight.

After this, he would pray Duha, and if he wanted to hear Hadith in another place, he would rush to that place with whoever was with him at the time.

It was rare that any intelligent person would see him and not come and kiss his hands. Even the busiest of businessmen would walk from what they were doing to greet him and seek his blessings. With all of this, he would give everyone of them their share of time, greetings, etc.

If he saw any evil in the street, he would work to remove it, and if he heard of a funeral taking place, he would rush to pray in it, or would apologize for missing it. Sometimes, he would go to the grave of the deceased after he finished listening to Hadith and pray over it.

Afterwards, he would return to his mosque, where he would remain either giving fatawa to the people or fulfilling their needs, until it was time to pray Dhuhr in congregation. He would spend the rest of the day in such a manner.

His classes were general for the old, the young, the wealthy, the poor, the free, the slave, males, and females. He appealed to everyone that would pass by him of the people, and everyone of them would feel that Ibn Taymiyyah was treating them better than he was treating anyone else present.

He would then pray Maghrib, and would follow it up with as much optional prayer as Allah made possible. I, or someone else, would then read his writings to him, and he would benefit us with various points and notes. We would do this until we prayed 'Isha', after which we would continue as we were before, delving into the various fields of knowledge. We would do this until much of the night had passed. During this entire time - night and day - Ibn Taymiyyah would constantly remember Allah, mention His Oneness, and seek His forgiveness.

And he would constantly raise his eyesight to the sky, and would not stop doing this, as if he saw something there that kept his eyesight hooked. He would do this for as long as I was staying with him.

So, Subhan Allah! How short were these days! If only they were longer! By Allah, until this day, there has never been a time in my life that is more beloved to me than the time I spent with him, and I was never seen in a better state than I was at that time, and this was for no other reason than the barakah of the Shaykh, may Allah be Pleased with him.

Every week, he would visit the sick, especially those at the hospital.

I have been informed by more than one person - whose trustworthiness I do not doubt - that the entire life of the Shaykh was spent in the way that I witnessed (and described above). So, what worship, and what Jihad is better than this?"
Reply

IbnAbdulHakim
06-29-2007, 07:19 PM
assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah

sis his aqeedah is documented in aqeedah al-wasitiyyah right?

i suppose i should hav a look at it... but before i do can anyone let me know if it differs at all to aqeedah at-tahawiyyah of imam at-tahawi composed from imam ashari and maturidi :?
Reply

Malaikah
06-30-2007, 11:10 AM
:sl:

IbnAbdulHakim, there are a lot of people out there who hate Shaykh Ibn Taymiyah. Most of the accusations against him are fabrications or misunderstandings.
Reply

lolwatever
06-30-2007, 11:45 AM
format_quote Originally Posted by IbnAbdulHakim
assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah

sis his aqeedah is documented in aqeedah al-wasitiyyah right?

i suppose i should hav a look at it... but before i do can anyone let me know if it differs at all to aqeedah at-tahawiyyah of imam at-tahawi composed from imam ashari and maturidi :?
yep pretty much. he's also got a small treatise which he wrote betwen dhuhr and asr in reply to the people of (syria?) ... which is also a credo style paper.

:w:
Reply

MinAhlilHadeeth
07-02-2007, 12:37 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by lolwatever
yep pretty much. he's also got a small treatise which he wrote betwen dhuhr and asr in reply to the people of (syria?) ... which is also a credo style paper.

:w:
:salamext:

Are you referring to al-Hamawiyyah?
Reply

drili
08-07-2007, 07:05 AM
:sl:

is there any lecture wich was held about our sheikh?
Reply

boriqee
08-15-2007, 03:56 AM
asalamu alaikum

a dear brother of miune started this

http://ibntaymiyyah.wordpress.com/

as for weapons for us for his attackers then here is some of my outline

Exposition of the Affairs related to Ibn Taymiyyah

as far as his works

here are some in arabic

http://www.shamela.ws/search.php?do=...ة%20(728)

asalamu alaikum
Reply

Ibn Abi Ahmed
09-01-2007, 07:44 AM
Regarding Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, it was narrated:
"...the Shaykh - may Allah be Pleased with him - when he was still in the midst of his youth, and wanted to walk towards the library, would be stopped in his path by a Jew who lived on the road leading to the library. The Jew would ask him about various issues, and would be insistent with his questioning due to Ibn Taymiyyah's intelligence and brightness. Ibn Taymiyyah would answer him swiftly, to the point that the Jew became fascinated with him. Eventually, whenever Ibn Taymiyyah would cross his path, he would provide him with bits of information that would confirm the falsehood of what the man was upon. This went on until the man accepted Islam and became a fully practicing Muslim, and this was due to the barakah that the Shaykh had despite his young age.

And since he entered his youth, he spent all of his time engrossed in effort and exertion, and he memorized the entire Qur'an in his youth, and proceeded to study and memorize Hadith, Fiqh, and the Arabic language until he excelled at them all. This was in addition to his strict adherence to attending the circles of knowledge, and his listening to the narration of ahadith and athar...

As for the great texts of Islam, such as the 'Musnad' of Ahmad, the 'Sahih's of al-Bukhari and Muslim, the collections of at-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud as-Sijistani, an-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, and ad-Daraqutni, he - may Allah have Mercy upon him - heard each of them recited to him in their entirety numerous times. The first book that he memorized in Hadith was al-Humaydi's 'al-Jam' Bayn as-Sahihayn.'

There was rarely a book in the sciences of Islam except that he came across it, and Allah had blessed him with an ability to quickly memorize and rarely forget. He would hardly come across or hear something except that it would remain in his memory, either in wording or meaning. It was as if knowledge had become infused in his flesh, blood, and entire body..."
['al-A'lam al-'Aliyyah fi Manaqib Ibn Taymiyyah'; p. 2]
Reply

'Abd-al Latif
09-01-2007, 01:46 PM
asalamu alykum

does any1 know who the students of ibn taymiyah were? (apart from ibn al-qayyum)
Reply

Malaikah
09-02-2007, 09:28 AM
:sl:

Ibn Kathir was one of them. :)
Reply

lolwatever
09-02-2007, 12:56 PM
^^ Imam dahabi another. The expert in jarh7 wa ta'3deel.
Reply

Ibn Abi Ahmed
09-22-2007, 08:52 PM
:sl:

The fatawa of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, mainly from the 'Majmu' al-Fatawa' collection, was compiled in Najd almost half a century ago by 'Abd ar-Rahman bin Qasim and his son, Muhammad.

In the fatawa of the Lajnah ad-Da'imah, they say the following:

"...it is a book that is great in significance, full of benefits, and covers many issues and discussions that are useful in the life of the human being, as well as his Hereafter. So, it is a comprehensive scientific collection that covers all fields of knowledge, whether that be in the area of 'Aqidah, Tawhid, Fiqh, Usul, Hadith, Tafsir, astronomy, logic and debate, knowledge of various sects and denominations, medicine, the Arabic language, geography, history, spirituality, and much more.

So, this is a book that is great in status and mighty in importance. Allah clarified the truth with it, and swept away much of the doubts of the misguided and innovations of the deviants from the straight path. The author - may Allah have Mercy upon him - wrought havoc upon the people of falsehood with his textual and logical proofs, and has refuted them to the very core of their own madhahib, as he was more knowledgeable in the madhahib of the people of falsehood than they were! So, he brought out the proofs, swept away the doubts, and gave victory to the madhhab of the Salaf. He clarified the reality of this Religion and its beliefs, as well as the compatability of sound logic to the authentic texts. This was all done in the most eloquent manner and clarity.

So, whoever reads this great book will - if Allah Wills - come out with an intellect that is safe from doubts and misguidance, firm opinion, and great knowledge that he can benefit from and benefit others with..."
['Fatawa al-Lajnah ad-Da'imah'; 12/125-127]
Reply

'Abd-al Latif
11-04-2007, 02:28 PM
asalamu alykum

can some1 please send me a link to the bio of this imam? whether its on PDF or web page?
Reply

Ibn Abi Ahmed
12-31-2007, 12:57 AM
:sl:

[From a different forum - may Allaah reward the brother for translating and putting this up]

The Lofty Virtues of Ibn Taymiyyah

By the Imam, the Hafidh, Abu Hafs Umar bin Ali al-Bazzar


“If I had to swear standing between the corner of the Ka'bah and the spot of Ibrāhīm, I would swear that I have not laid my two eyes on anyone like him, nor has he seen anyone as knowledgeable as himself.”

- al-Hāfidh adh-Dhahabī


The author said:
“...When I learned of the death of the scholar and educator of this Ummah, the Imām, the mujtahid, the defender of the pure Sharī’ah and Prophetic Sunnah, Shaykh al-Islām Taqī ad-Dīn Abī al-‘Abbās Ahmad bin ‘Abd al-Halīm bin ‘Abd as-Salām bin Taymiyyah (may Allāh sanctify his soul and brighten his grave), some of the scholars and those who loved good for the Muslims said to me: “You saw and befriended the Shaykh, and you came to know him and his characteristics. If only you could write a few words regarding what you saw in order to benefit whoever of this Ummah comes across them, since mercy descends when we remember the righteous people.”

So, I responded: “I only accompanied him for a few days, and I only know few of this many virtues.” However, I saw that they intended good and that what they were requesting of me was a right and obligation upon me, as the scholar should be keen to spread and distribute what he thinks will be of value to the Muslims. So, I produced a small effort describing his virtues which will give the intelligent reader an idea of the honor and excellence of this man. I divided it into sections in order that it be a guide to those who reflect, and I included all that I could remember under each one...”
Total Length:
34 pages

Download:

http://www.mediafire.com/?dddg89dzzmn
http://ia360626.us.archive.org/1/ite...nTaymiyyah.pdf
http://www.archive.org/download/IbnT...nTaymiyyah.pdf
Reply

umm julaybib
01-20-2008, 10:26 PM
jazakAllahu khair!
Reply

Ibn Al Aqwa
05-28-2008, 12:22 PM
Ibn Taymiyyah’s Attitude Upon Entering Prison


It was related that when Ibn Taymiyyah was being transported by the ruler’s representative to prison in Alexandria, a bystander saw him and said: “My master, this is the time for patience.”

So, Ibn Taymiyyah looked at him and replied: “Rather, this is the time to be thankful. By Allah, such joy and happiness are descending upon my heart at this moment that if it was divided between the people of Sham and Egypt, there would be some left over, and if I had that amount in gold and distributed it, it would not equal even a tenth of the blessing that I am experiencing.”

Later on, on Monday the 6th of the month of Sha’ban 726 AH, he was again arrested on orders from the ruler, and was ordered transferred to the Citadel Prison in Damascus. When he first learned of this, he said: “I was waiting for this, and this contains great benefit.” When he was later in the prison, he said: “If this prison was exchanged for its weight in gold, I would not consider this to be enough to repay this blessing I am in and the good that it has brought me.”

When he entered the grounds of the Citadel Prison in Damascus, he stood and looked at its walls, reciting the verse: {“…So a wall will be put up between them with a gate therein. Inside it will be mercy, and from the outside, it will be torment.”} [al-Hadid; 13]

[See Ibn 'Abd al-Hadi's 'al-'Uqud ad-Durriyyah'; p. 177-178, 365, as well as p. 44 of Ibn al-Qayyim's 'al-Wabil as-Sayyib']


Translation by Abu Sabaayaa
Reply

.: Jannati :.
05-28-2008, 01:43 PM
Jazaak'Allahu Khayran for the posts.
Reply

Ibn_Abi_Yala
06-14-2008, 06:15 PM
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah’s Chronology

661

Born in Harran (in northern Syria) on the 12th of Rabi’ al-Awwal, corresponding to 24th of January 1263.

ca. 668

Shaykh al-Islam stayed in Harran with his family untill he reached the age of seven, after which his father emigrated to Damascus together with his brothers. The reason for their migration was the apparence of the Tatars, i.e. Mongols, who desacrated Baghdad just a decade before killing hundreds of thousand innocent Muslims.

ca. 668-681

Shaykh al-Islam grew up in Damascus, studying under his father and many other scholars. He memorized the Qur’an as a young boy, then concentrated himself on memorizing the Hadith, Jurisprudence and the Arabic language. He heard many books and copied down many epistles, cf. the Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Sunan Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi, al-Daraqutni, and several times the Musnad of Ahmad b. Hanbal. The first book he memorized as a young student was the great compilation al-Jam’ bayn al-Sahihayn of the Andalusian Imam al-Humaydi. He visited the famous Madrasa’s. He did all this as a adolescent, before reaching the age of twenty.

680

Shaykh al-Islam became a Mufti on the age of 19, even giving Fatwa’s before. From this time he started to compose and author works.

682

Shaykh al-Islam’s father, Shihab al-Din b. Taymiyyah, dies. Ibn Taymiyyah suceeded him then as the teacher of Dar al-Hadith al-Sukkâriyyah, in Damascus, being 21 (or 22) years old. He also takes a seat of teaching in the Great Mosque of Damascus, lecturing on Tafsir al-Qur’an from memory. He becomes famous after this time.

End of 690

Shaykh al-Islam participated in the reconquering of Akko, Palestina, from the Crusaders. It has been mentioned that thanks to the Shaykh’s efforts many Muslims come into the hands of their fellow brethren, who before were in the mercy of the Christian unbelievers.

698

Shaykh al-Islam’s first Mihna happened in this year. In this year he sended a Fatwa as letter to the people of the city Hama, known as Fatwa al-Hamawiyyah al-Kubra, answering questions about the Attributes of Allah and the Madhhab of the Salaf therein and that of the Khalaf (i.e. the Mutakallimun). A group of Jurisprudents called for him so he was presented to the Judge of the hearing, al-Qâdi Jalâl al-Din al-Hanafi. The Amir Sayf al-Din Jâghân supported the Shaykh, so he asked for the accusers. Some of them went into hiding, some were beaten and others were silented. When Friday approached, the day when the Shaykh also lectures on Tafsir as usual, he explained the Verse {And verily, you are on a exalted standard of character}. Then the day after, Saturday, there gathered the Qâdi Imam al-Din al-Qazwini al-Shâfi’i with the Shaykh and a group of noble ones and they investigated ‘Aqidah al-Hamawiyyah and discussed it in several places. So the Shaykh answered them whereby they were silenced after much talk. Then the Shaykh left and things were on ease and things were normal. Imam al-Din accepted its contents and was pleased. Less then ten years would pass when the Shaykh al-Islam is made, by royal decree from Cairo, to appear in front of the vice-roy and the Jurisprudents to investigate his creed. Refer to the year 705.

699

The Tatars, i.e. former Mongols who claimed to be Muslim converts, entered Syria and attacked Damascus. The nobles of the city consulted, incl. Shaykh al-Islam, and agreed to send an emissionary in the person of the Shaykh himself to the leader of the Tatar army which camped outside of Damascus. As a consequence, the leader of the Tatars held back from desacrating the city thanks to the Shaykh’s talks.

700

News reached the city of Damascus that the Tatars are heading for Damascus, so many people fledged Syria. Shaykh al-Islam urged the people to stay and defend it against them, calling upon Jihad and its praiseworthiness. Consequently a party of refugees returned from the fledge, returning back. In the mean time Shaykh al-Islam pressed upon the authorities, in particular the vice-roy who seated in Damascus, to get help from Egypt. When finally the Sultan of Egypt left for Syria, the Tatars withdrew and thereby the evil that could befall Damascus.

702

Again, news reached that the Tatars were entering Syria. So the people became frightened as usual. So the Egyptian armies came and Shaykh al-Islam went to them and supported them and encouraged their leaders.

705

In this year, in Muharram corresponding to July/August of 1305, a group of Tatars assaulted the army of the city Aleppo, so the Shaykh al-Islam left with a group of the Syrian army to attack them. The vice-roy of Syria followed him with the rest of the Syrian army then. It became apparent in this incident that some people, his enemies, were jealous of him and distressed because of this act and its likes.

Shaykh al-Islam’s second Mihna is the first major one, which resulted in: al-Munâzarah al-Wasitiyyah. It started on Monday, 8 of Rajab, which is the 24th of Januari 1306, approximately a half year after the army incident. The Sultan of the Mamluks al-Jâshankîz, seated in Cairo, ordered his vice-roy in Syria to call upon Shaykh al-Islam to investigate his credal beliefs. So the vice-roy al-Afram assembled the Qadis of the four Schools of Law, the major scholars and other nobles to be present on a specific day, together with the Shaykh. The Shaykh’s creed was questioned. They requested from him to express his creed. Instead of dictating a creed he brought from his home al-’Aqidah al-Wasitiyyah to document to them what he believed in case they might think that he hide some of his beliefs for fear or covers something up. So by accident al-’Aqidah al-Wasitiyyah became the subject of a discussion an named after it. They accepted most of its contents, except that they disputed with him concerning two or three passages in it. Since the discussion prolonged, they gathered two times more. The second meeting of the trail is dated Friday, 12 of Rajab, after the Congegrational Prayer (01/28/1306). In that meeting the Shaykh debated with Safi al-Din al-Hindi, the Hanafite and leading ash’arite of his day. The third and final meeting happened on 7 of Sha’bân (02/22/1306). Finally, they agreed that what he stated in this creed of him was sound and orthodox. When this trial finished Shaykh al-Islam was walked home in a victory session and praised abundantly by scholars and laymen. The vice-roy honored him and some scholars present lauded him. However, some scholars in that trial were unhappy with the outcome. They hide their distress and made it possible to drag him, again, before court in Egypt by lobbying with the religious authorities - in particular the heads of Sufis convents - and appealing to the Sultan al-Jâshankîz. They were probably active before the news of the outcome of this trail reached Egypt.

After this trial there happened another incident involving Shaykh al-Islam’s close friend and colleague, the Imam and Hafidh Jamal al-Din Abu’l-Hajjaj al-Mizzi, the father-in-law of Ibn Kathir. The author of the Atrâf Kutub al-Sittah and the Tahdhib al-Kamal became a target of enmity by scholars of another credal orientation, i.e. Jahmite Ash’arites. It happened that al-Mizzi was reading out of the Khalq Af’âl al-’Ibâd of Imam al-Bukhari, which is a refutation of the Jahmiyyah. As a result of this open reading some Jurisprudents became angered and complained to the Qâdi of the Shafi’ites Ibn Sasra, who happened to be an enemy of Shaykh al-Islam. So he imprisoned al-Mizzi. This reached the Shaykh so he rushed to the jail and freed al-Mizzi personally. The Shaykh went then to the Castle [of the authorities] where he met Ibn Sasra and there resulted a heated discussion because of al-Mizzi, so the Qâdi swore that al-Mizzi must return to jail or else he would resign. So the vice-roy ordered that al-Mizzi must be returned, just to satisfy Ibn Sasra’s discontentment. So the vice-roy imprisoned al-Mizzi in one of his own chambers for a few days and then released him. This incident only happened because of the absence of the vice-roy at that moment. So when the vice-roy was informed of this and what befell Shaykh al-Islam and his supporters when the ruler was absent, he made a call wherein he forbade people to debate matters of beliefs.

In this year, just three weeks after the final day of trial, on the 26th of Sha’ban (03/13/1306) a letter reached the vice-roy of Damascus from the Sultan of Egypt who issued forth therein that Ibn Sasra is made to be head Qâdi, thanks to the effort of al-Manbiji - a public enemy of Shaykh al-Islam. In the same letter it was stated that it reached the Egyptian authorities the special meetings that were held concerning the Shaykh’s credal beliefs and that he was upon the Madhhab of the Salaf; they stated that their point of questioning was to get rid of the things people ascribed to him.

Then another letter, a week later, reached Damascus on Monday the 5th of Ramadan (03/21/1306). Therein the Egyptian authorities - the state and religious - requested Shaykh al-Islam and the Qâdi Ibn Sasra to Egypt. The Shaykh had to come so to clarify what occured between him and Imam al-Din al-Qazwini, the Shafi’ite who discussed with Shaykh al-Islam and others the Fatwa al-Hamawiyyah in the first Mihna. So the two, Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn Sasra, left together by mule to Cairo.

Shaykh al-Islam departed from Damascus and reached on a Saturday, must be the 9th of Ramadan (03/25/1306), the Palestinian city Gaza. In the Friday Mosque he performed a great session. He then headed to Cairo which he entered, still with Ibn Sasra, on Monday the 22th of Ramadan corresponding with April 7 of the year 1306; some say that they entered it on Thursday, the 25th of Ramadan (04/10/1306).

When it reached Friday, the Day of Congegration, a meeting was organized just after the prayer. A great assembly of Qâdi’s and leaders of the state were present. So the Shaykh al-Islam wished to speak in his habit, but it was not made possible for him. They commisioned Shams al-Din b. Ghadlân to dispute with him and they informed the Malikite Qâdi Ibn Makhluf that he says that Allah is above the Throne in reality and that Allah Speaks by Letter and Sound. So the Qâdi asked for an statement on these accusations. When the Shaykh begun by praising Allah it was said to him..
From: http://ibntaymiyyah.wordpress.com/its-chronology/
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Ibn_Abi_Yala
06-14-2008, 06:16 PM
Banu Taymiyyah Family

Shaykh al-Islam’s Family, the Banû Taymiyyah, have many important scholars such as Ibn Taymiyyah’s father, his famous grandfather, his brothers and others. What follows are short biographies of several of them, in the future devoting independant sketches of his father, grandfather and brother if Allah Wills.

The Grandfather: Majd al-Dîn b. Taymiyyah al-Hanbali

Majd al-Dîn Abî’l-Barakât Abd al-Salâm b. Abî Muhammad Abdallâh b. Abî’l-Qâsim al-Khidr al-Harrânî al-Hanbalî - the grandfather of Shaykh al-Islam, and the most famous of the Banû Taymiyyah after Taqî al-Dîn. He was born in 590 and died in the year 652. He was a great Imâm, a Leader in Jurisprudence in his time and its Usûl, a scholar of Hadîth and its meanings and was in particular an accomplished scholar in terms of the Qur’an Readings and Tafsîr [in which his grandchild, i.e. Shaykh al-Islam, would become a very proficient]. He was the Imâm of Harrân, and a leader of the Hanâbilah there. The famous scholar in the Arabic language, poetry etc. the Imam Jamâl al-Din Ibn Mâlik, author of the famous grammar poem al-Alfiyyah said about him:

“To the Shaykh al-Majd [al-Dîn] Jurisprudence (al-fiqh) was made easy, as to Dawûd ['alayhi al-salâm] iron was made easy”

Majd al-Dîn b. Taymiyyah is also the author of the famous Ahâdith al-Ahkâm collection known as: al-Muntaqa al-Akhbâr; the book competes with al-Bulugh al-Marâm of Ibn Hajar al-’Asqalânî as the most valuable collection of Hadiths which are references for Jurisprudence.

The Father: Shihab al-Din b. Taymiyyah al-Hanbali

Shihâb al-Dîn Abi’l-Mahâsin Abd al-Halîm b. Majd al-Dîn Abî’l-Barakât Abd al-Salâm al-Harrânî, later al-Dimashqi, al-Hanbali - the father of Shaykh al-Islam. He was born in 627 and died in the year 682, in Damascus. He was the Imam and Khatîb of Harrân, and the inhabitants’ authority after the grandfather of Shaykh al-Islâm passed away (i.e. the Shaykh’s father). He was praised by many scholars, especially as a capable Muftî. Ibn Kathîr, the Imâm and Mufassir, said:

“The Mufti of the community”

Ibn Shâkir al-Kutûbî, a famous historian, said about him:

“He was an Imâm in Tafsîr, competent in the Madhhab and the differences, creed, grammar and lexicography; and he has a complete knowledge concerning mathematics, algebra, geometry and he was knowledgeable about many sciences. He had a fine character.”

It was his father, Shihâb al-Dîn b. Taymiyyah, who left the city of Harrân as a refugee taking his family with him, untill they arrived safely in Damascus. They left their birthtown and native city because of the coming Mongols, who spared none or little people - even when many of them already claimed Islâm - looting Muslim villages and killing their inhabitants. ‘Abd al-Halîm b. Taymiyyah was the Shaykh of the Dar al-Hadith al-Sukkâriyyah in Damascus. When he died his son, the Shaykh al-Islâm, took over his teaching position at the young age of just 22.

The Mother: Sitt al-Ni’am bt. ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Harrâniyyah

Sitt al-Ni’am bint ‘Abd al-Rahman b. ‘Ali b. ‘Abdûs al-Harrâniyyah, the blessed mother of Shaykh al-Islam who died - passed the seventies - in the year 716. She was a devote woman, blessed with a son who became an Imâm and Hujjah of Islâm ánd with other sons who became scholars. There is not much known about her - let alone about other women from the Banû Taymiyyah - but fortunately there is part of a correspondence (i.e. a letter of the Shaykh al-Islâm to his mother) between her and her son, wherein the latter said:


QUOTE
From Ahmad bin Taymeeyah to my dear and honourable Mother, may Allaah bless her amply, and grant her peace and comfort, and make her amongst the best of His servants, Assalamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakatuh..


For the rest, see: http://www.geocities.com/msaoflagcc/itletters.htm

The Brothers of Shaykh al-Islam: Muhammad, Abd al-Rahmân and ‘Abdallah

Badr al-Dîn Abu’l-Qâsim Muhammad b. Khâlid al-Harrânî, born in approximately 650 he died in 717. He was an Scholar, a Faqih and Imâm. He was the elder of the brothers, and he made his younger brother Taqi al-Din, i.e. Shaykh al-Islam take over his teaching seat. As can be inferred, Badr al-Dîn was Shaykh al-Islâm’s brother from his mother’s side.

Zayn al-Dîn Abd al-Rahman b. ‘Abd al-Halîm, born in 663 and died in the year 747. He was a devotee, an ascetic. He was imprisoned together with his famous brother, Shaykh al-Islâm, in Alexandria and Damascus for his support of him.

Sharaf al-Dîn Abdallâh b. ‘Abd al-Halîm, born in 666 and died in the year 727. He was a great Scholar, a debater in his own right who defended the Ahl al-Sunnah and supported Islâm against its enemies. When his brother, Shaykh al-Islâm, was imprisoned in the Citadel Tower of Damascus he left Syria for Egypt [from where the order of Shaykh al-Islam's imprisonment came] together with his brother Zayn al-Dîn in order to debate Shaykh al-Islam’s treacherous enemies; and praise to Allâh, he was victoreous! Shaykh al-Islam was buried next to him, when he died.

The Aunt: Sitt al-Dâr bt. ‘Abd al-Salâm b. Taymiyyah

Sitt al-Dâr bint ‘Abd al-Salâm b. Taymiyyah is the aunt of Shaykh al-Islam. She is the sister of his father, Shihâb al-Dîn ‘Abd al-Halîm b. Taymiyyah, and was one of Shaykh al-Islam’s teachers. He transmitted from her Hadith. She died in the year 686, may Allâh have mercy upon her and on all Shaykh al-Islâm’s relatives!

Âmîn.
From: http://ibntaymiyyah.wordpress.com/ba...miyyah-family/
Reply

Ibn_Abi_Yala
06-14-2008, 06:19 PM
Please Read

About

All Praise is due to Allah, we praise Him, we seek His aid, and ask His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil in ourselves, and from the bad consequences of our deeds. Whomever Allah Guides there is none that can lead him astray, and whoever Allah Leads astray there is none that can guide him. I testify that there is none worth of worship except Allah alone without any partners, and I testify that Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him is His Prophet and Messenger.

As for what follows:

This site will be, with Allah’s leave, the site for all that is Ibn Taymiyyah. It shall be the encyclopedia of all that is Taymite, in its widest sense. It will contain almost everything about this extraordinary giant of the past that is for the benefit of all those interested in him, his history and heritage, and every other who shared with him similar experiences and ideas. It will be an English database on the man’s name, family, genealogy, biography, history, chronology, acts, writings, struggles, influence and everything else found on the world wide web and elsewhere. Of course, there will be also a lot of original pages, we hope, that shed light on the man from different angles. Subjects that will cover something in relation to the man and featured in this blog will be: politics, economy, social life, education and other major area’s!

This project is just set-up, in a enthusiast state. However, it is quite serious and something desired long ago. Featuring something big as this needs a lot of time, energy and patient. So of course we hope a lot of volunteers will help us in building this encyclopedia of the ground. Everyone is welcome to contribute, in whatever way he or she can. To help us in setting this major project up, which we hope will last for many years, contact us through our e-mail adress: ibntaymiyyah.wordpress@gmail.com.

Or pm me: Ibn_Abi_Yala

May Allah make this modest effort sincere, grace it with divine acceptance, and make it a source of light in both this world and the hereafter. Amin
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Ali_008
05-27-2009, 05:20 AM
He was indeed among the greatest scholars of Islam. May Allah sanctify his soul and bless him with Jannat-ul-Firdaus. His books are really awesome, unlike others.
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