Ibn Taymiyyah is considered the godfather of uncompromising violent Jihadism. Perhaps one of the most misunderstood and misquoted scholars, he and those claiming to follow his school of understanding today, have been accused of anthropomorphism...
By Emdad Rahman
London
(mathaba) - Toynbee Hall in East London was the venue as Professor Yahya Michot from the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies launched his much awaited and debated book on Ibn Taymiyyah.
For leading enlightened Western academics, Muslim modernists and 'progressives', Ibn Taymiyyah is considered the godfather of uncompromising violent Jihadism. For the modern day 'Jihadi', the life and works of Taqi-Uddin Ahmad ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728/1328) are regarded as sources of inspiration. Perhaps one of the most misunderstood and misquoted scholars, he and those claiming to follow his school of understanding today, have been accused of anthropomorphism, enmity towards people of spirituality or Tasawwuf, and creedal deviation from mainstream Sunni Islam.
Ironically, Ibn Taymiyyah lived at a time very similar to ours, where Muslims in certain regions lived under non-Muslim rule, i.e. lands occupied by the Mongols and the Crusaders, and with various Muslim factions vying with one another to gain credibility with the Establishment.
In his book 'Ibn Taymiyya: Muslims under non-Muslim Rule", Professor Michot overturns this conventional and somewhat simplistic picture of Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah.
During the book launch he examined the life, work and jihad, and present close and careful translations of the four 'Mardin fatwas' issued by Ibn Taymiyyah on how Muslims should respond when they come under non-Muslim rule. Should they fight or quit such rule? If they have to adjust to it, what form should this take and to what extent should this be? The inconsistent and oft unfair accusations of deviancy levelled against Ibn Taymiyyah were also addressed in a scholarly manner.
“I developed an interest in researching Ibn Taymiyyah through my research of Ibn, whereby I discovered many similarities between these two great personalities” he said.
He added “ Ibn Taymiyyah did not just split the world up into two parts; namely Darul Islam and Darul Kufr/Harb, but recognised a third type, and as in the case of Mardin.”
He further addressed the audience and elucidated the reasons why Ibn taymiyyah’s words are often taken out of context and used the assassination of Sadat and the Fatwa against Mongol invaders as examples.
”Ibn Taymiyyah was more open minded and as a progressive and broad thinker than he is given credit for.” Professor Michot exhorted the audience and those who study the works of Ibn Taymiyyah to broaden their readings rather than focussing on selected chapters.
The book will be of huge benefit to a wide range of people, including those who adopt the Salafi methodology, those who subscribe to the Ash'ari school of theology, Muslims who consider themselves to be part of other 'groups' or none, secularists, Neocons, apologists, people involved in policy-making bodies and think tanks, and all people who would just like to understand what the fuss is all about. The Foreword by James Piscatori draws out the political implications of this stunning correction of the image of Ibn Taymiyya. It means that Islamic political activism need not be unintelligible, and response to it therefore needs to be more intelligent and nuanced than it usually is.
Copies of the book were also made available for sale and signing during the free event.
* Professor Yahya M. Michot is one of the world's leading experts on Ibn Taymiyyah. He was director of the Centre for Arabic Philosophy at University of Louvain in Belgium where he has delivered courses in Arabic, History of Arabic Philosophy, History of Muslim Peoples and Institutions of Islam, and Commentary on Arabic Philosophical Texts. His main field of research is the History of Muslim Thought with special reference to Avicenna (Ibn Sina), his predecessors and his impact on Sunni thought and Ibn Taymiyyah. Professors Michot's interests also encompass the history of Muslim thought during the Mamlūk and Ilkhān periods, as well as modern Islamic movements. He is currently a Fellow in Islamic Studies at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies and a Lecturer in the Faculty of Theology at Oxford University. He serves as member of various international scholarly societies, and is founder and director of the collection 'Sagesses Musulmanes'. Professor Michot held the position of president of the Conseil Supérieur des Musulmans de Belgique between 1995 and 1998.
His numerous publications include several volumes on Ibn Sina and Ibn Taymiyyah.
Research Interests: Classical Islamic theology and philosophy (Ibn Taymiyya, d. 1328; Avicenna, d. 1037; Ikhwân al-Safâ, 10th c.; Rashîd al-Dîn Fadl Allâh, d. 1318). Contemporary Islamic thought and inter-religious dialogue.
Publications: . Textes traduits de l’arabe, annotés et présentés en relation à certains textes modernes. Préface de James Piscatori (2004, Beirut - Paris, Albouraq, xii & 176 p.).
Ibn Taymiyya : Un Dieu hésitant ? Texte traduit de l’arabe, introduit et annoté (2004, Beirut -Paris, Albouraq, vi & 37 p.).
Ibn Sînâ : Lettre au vizir Abû Sa‘d. Editio princeps d’après le manuscrit de Bursa, traduction de l’arabe, introduction, notes et lexique (2000, Paris, Albouraq, Sagesses Musulmanes, 4, 393 p.).">
A Mamlûk Theologian’s Commentary on Avicenna’s «Risâla Adhawiyya». Being a Translation of a Part of the «ar’ al-Ta‘ârud» of Ibn Taymiyya, with Introduction, Annotation, and Appendices, Part II, in Journal of Islamic Studies, 14:3, Oxford, 2003, p. 309-363.
Ibn Taymiyya. Mardin: Hégire, fuite du péché et "demeure de l’islam". Textes traduits de l’arabe, annotés et présentés en relation à certains textes modernes. Préface de James Piscatori (2004, Beirut - Paris, Albouraq, xii & 176 p.).
Ibn Taymiyya : Un Dieu hésitant ? Texte traduit de l’arabe, introduit et annoté (2004, Beirut -Paris, Albouraq, vi & 37 p.).
Ibn Sînâ : Lettre au vizir Abû Sa‘d. Editio princeps d’après le manuscrit de Bursa, traduction de l’arabe, introduction, notes et lexique (2000, Paris, Albouraq, Sagesses Musulmanes, 4, 393 p.).
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ar’ al-Ta‘ârud» of Ibn Taymiyya, with Introduction, Annotation, and Appendices, Part II, in Journal of Islamic Studies, 14:3, Oxford, 2003, p. 309-363.
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