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.
