Taqi Ad-din Abu Al-'abbas Ahmad Ibn 'abd As-salam Ibn 'abd Allah Ibn Muhammad Ibn Taymiya (Arabic: أبو عباس تقي الدين أحمد بن عبد السلام بن عبد الله ابن تيمية الحراني) (January 22, 1263 - 1328), was an Islamic scholar born in Harran, located in what is now Turkey, close to the Syrian border. He lived during the troubled times of the Mongol invasions. He sought the return of Islam to its sources: the Qur'an and the sunnah (the prophetic tradition of Muhammad). He is also a primary intellectual source of the Wahhabi movement. The Arabic language (Arabic: ‎ translit: ), or simply Arabic (Arabic: ‎ translit: ), is the largest member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ... January 22 is the 22nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events Detmold, Germany was founded. ... Events Augustiner brew Munich May 1 - Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton - England recognises Scotland as an independent nation after the Wars of Scottish Independence May 12 - Nicholas V is consecrated at St Peters Basilica in Rome by the bishop of Venice. ... For other uses, including people named Islam, see Islam (disambiguation). ... Harran, also known as Carrhae, is an archeological site located in southeastern Turkey, 24 miles (39 kilometers) southeast of Åžanlıurfa. ... The Qurān [1] (Arabic: , literally the recitation; also called The Noble Quran; also transliterated as Quran, Koran (the traditional term in English), and Al-Quran), is the central religious text of Islam. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... For other people named Muhammad, see Muhammad (disambiguation). ... Wahhabism (sometimes spelled Wahabbism or Wahabism) is a movement of Islam named after Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab (1703–1792). ...

Life & Education

Ibn Taymiya was born in 1263 at Harran into a well known family of theologians. His grandfather, Abu al-Barkat Majd-ud-deen ibn Taymiya Al-Hanbali (d. 1255) was a reputed teacher of the Hanbali School of Fiqh. Likewise, the scholarly achievements of Ibn Taymiya's father, Shihabuddeen 'Abdul-Haleem Ibn Taymiya (d. 1284) were wide spread.

Because of the Mongol invasion, Ibn Taymiya's family moved to Damascus in 1268, which was then ruled by the Mamluks of Egypt. It was here that his father delivered sermons from the pulpit of the Umayyad Mosque, and Ibn Taymiya followed in his footsteps by studying with the great scholars of his time, among them a woman scholar by the name Zaynab bint Makki from whom he learnt hadith. Honorary guard of Mongolia. ... An Ottoman Mamluk, from 1810 Mamluks (or Mameluks) (the Arabic word usually translates as owned, singular: مملوك plural: مماليك) comprised slave soldiers used by the Muslim Caliphs and the Ottoman Empire, and who on more than one occasion seized power for themselves. ...

Ibn Taymiya was an industrious student and acquainted himself with the secular and religious sciences of his time. He devoted special attention to Arabic literature and gained mastery over grammar and lexicography as well as studying mathematics and calligraphy.

As for the religions sciences, he studied jurisprudence from his father. Though he remained faithful throughout his life to that school, whose doctrines he had decisively mastered, he also acquired an extensive knowledge of the Islamic disciplines of the Qur'an, the Hadith (sayings attributed to the Prophet Muhammad), dogmatic theology (kalam), philosophy, and Sufism. The Qurān [1] (Arabic: , literally the recitation; also called The Noble Quran; also transliterated as Quran, Koran (the traditional term in English), and Al-Quran), is the central religious text of Islam. ... Hadith (Arabic: ‎ translit: ) are traditions relating to the words and deeds of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. ... Kalam (علم الكلم)is one of the religious sciences of Islam. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Persecutions

Because of Ibn Taymiya's outspokenness, puritanical views, and literalism, he was imprisoned several times for conflicting with the opinions of prominent jurists and theologians of his day.

As early as 1293 Ibn Taymiya came into conflict with local authorities for protesting a religious ruling against a Christian accused of having insulted the Prophet. In 1298 he was accused of anthropomorphism and for having questioned the legitimacy of dogmatic theology (kalam). ASIMO is an anthropomorphic robot created in 2000 by Honda. ... Kalam (علم الكلم)is one of the religious sciences of Islam. ...

He led the resistance of the Mongol invasion of Damascus in 1300, and denounced the Islamic faith of the Muslim invaders, which would prove to be a controversial decision for later scholars. In the years that followed, Ibn Taymiyah was engaged in intensive polemic activity against: (1) the Kasrawan Shi'a in the Lebanon, (2) the Rifa'i Sufi order, and (3) the ittihadiyah school, which taught that the Creator and the created were one, a school that grew out of the teaching of Ibn 'Arabi (d. 1240), whose views he denounced as heredical. Shia Islam ( Arabic شيعى follower; English has traditionally used Shiite or Shiite) is the second largest Islamic denomination; some 20-25% of all Muslims are said to follow a Shia tradition. ... The Rifai (also Rufai) are a Sufi order most commonly found in the Arab Middle East but also in Turkey and the Balkans. ... Muhyi l-Din Muhammad b. ...

In 1306 Ibn Taymiya was imprisoned in the citadel of Cairo for 18 months on the charge of anthropomorphism. He was incarcerated again in 1308 for several months in the prison of the qadis (Muslim judges) for having denounced popular worship at the tombs of saints.

Ibn Taymiya spent his last 15 years in Damascus where a circle of disciples formed around him from every social class. The most famous of these, Ibn Qayyim (d. 1350), was to share in Ibn Taymiya's renewed persecutions. From August 1320 to February 1321 Ibn Taymiya was imprisoned on orders from Cairo in the citadel of Damascus for supporting a doctrine that would curtail the ease with which a Muslim man could traditionally divorce his wife. Ibn al-Qayyum was the closest student to ibn Taymiyyah. ...

In July 1326 the government in Cairo again ordered him confined to the citadel for having continued his condemnation of popular visitations of saints' tombs despite the prohibition forbidding him to do so. He died in confinement 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 was buried at the Sufi cemetery in Damascus, where his mother was also buried. It is reported that thousands of people attended his burial and his tomb is much venerated today.

Teachings of Ibn Taymiya

Ibn Taymiya was a courageous scholar known for his prodigious memory and encyclopedic knowledge.

Ibn Taymiya held that much of the Islamic scholarship of his time had declined into modes that were inherently against the proper understanding of the Qur'an and the Prophetic example (sunna). He strove to: (1) revive the Islamic faith's understanding of "true" adherence to "Tawhid" (oneness of God), (2) eradicate beliefs and customs that he held to be foreign to Islam, and (3) to rejuvenate correct Islamic thought and its related sciences. The difinition on Sunna is __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Did what__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________. ... Tawīd (also Tawheed,Tauheed and other spellings; Arabic: ‎ ; Turkish: Tevhid) is the Islamic concept of monotheism In Islam, Tawhīd means to assert the unity of God. ...

Ibn Taymiya believed that the first three generations of Islam -- the prophet Muhammad, his Companions, and the children and grandchildren of the first Muslims -- were the best role models for Islamic life. Their Sunnah, or practice, together with the Qur'an, constituted a seemingly infallible guide to life. Any deviation from their practice was viewed as bidah, or innovation, and to be forbidden. For other people named Muhammad, see Muhammad (disambiguation). ... In Islam, the Sahāba (الصحابة) were the companions of the prophet Muhammad. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... In the Arabic language, Bidah means innovation. ...

Ibn Taymiya favored an extremely literal interpretation of the Qur'an. His opponents charged that he taught anthropomorphism -- that is, that he took metaphorical reference's to God's hand, foot, shin, and face as being literally true -- even though he insisted that God's "hand" was nothing comparable to hands found in creation. Some of his Islamic critics contend that this violates the Islamic concept of tawhid, divine unity. ASIMO is an anthropomorphic robot created in 2000 by Honda. ... The Creation of Light by Gustave Doré. In many religious traditions, creationism is the active acceptance of an origin belief that humanity, life, the Earth, or the universe as a whole was specially created by a supreme being or by supernatural intervention. ... Tawīd (also Tawheed,Tauheed and other spellings; Arabic: ‎ ; Turkish: Tevhid) is the Islamic concept of monotheism In Islam, Tawhīd means to assert the unity of God. ...

Ibn Taymiya was highly skeptical of giving any undue religious honors to shrines, to approach or rival in any way the Islamic sanctity of the three most holy mosques within Islam, Mecca (Masjid al Haram), Medina (Masjid al-Nabawi), and Jerusalem (Al-Aqsa). Masjid al Haram Al-Masjid al-Haram (Arabic: ) is a very large mosque in the city of Makkah (Mecca). ... Masjid al-Nabawi or Mosque of the Prophet is the second holiest mosque in the Islamic world. ... Al-Aqsa Mosque For other uses, see Al-aqsa (disambiguation). ...

He is known for this saying: “What can my enemies possibly do to me? My paradise is in my heart; wherever I go it goes with me, insepa­rable from me. For me, prison is a place of (religious) retreat; ex­ecution is my opportunity for martyrdom; and exile from my town is but a chance to travel.” [1] This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Salafi reading of Ibn Taymiya

An 18th century Arabian cleric named Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab studied the works of Ibn Taymiya and aimed to revive his teachings. Abd' Al-Wahhab acquired a large following. Ibn Taymiya's works became the basis of the contemporary Wahhabi or Salafi school of thought in Sunni Islam. Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab al-Tamimi (1703 C.E. – 1792 C.E.) (Arabic:محمد بن عبد الوهاب التميمى) was an Arab theologian born in the Najd, in present-day Saudi Arabia and the most famous scholar of the movement within Islam known as the Wahhabi movement. ... Wahhabism (sometimes spelled Wahabbism or Wahabism) is a movement of Islam named after Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab (1703–1792). ... A Salafi (Arabic سلفي , from the Arabic word Salaf سلف (literally meaning predecessors or early generations), is an adherent of a contemporary movement in Sunni Islam ascribing his understanding and practice of Islam to the Salaf. Salafism was designated by outsiders the name Wahhabism. ... Sunni Muslims are the largest denomination of Islam. ...

The Islamist thinker Sayyid Qutb also used Ibn Taymiyyah's writings to justify rebellion against a Muslim ruler and society (see below: Sivan; Kepel). Sayyid Qutb Sayyid Qutb (Arabic: ‎; 9 October 1906 – 29 August 1966) was an Egyptian intellectual author, and Islamist associated with the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood. ...

Ibn Taymiya is now revered as an intellectual and spiritual exemplar by many Salafis. A Salafi (Arabic سلفي lit. ...

Controversy over his views on Sufism

Ibn Taymiya was a stern critic of antinomian interpretations of Islamic mysticism (Sufism). He believed that Islamic law (sharia) applied to ordinary Muslim and mystic alike. Antinomianism in Christian theology is a pejorative term for a heresy that teaches that Christians are under no obligation to obey the laws of ethics or morality. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Sharia (Arabic: ‎ translit: ) refers to the body of Islamic law. ...

Some Wahhabi and Salafi scholars believe that he rejected the creed used by most Sufis entirely (the Ash`ary creed). This view is tremendously supported by most of his works, especially al-Aqeedat Al-Waasittiyah wherein he refuted the Asha'ira, the Jahmiyya and the Mu'tazila - the methodology of whom latter day Sufi's have adopted with regards to affirming the Attributes of Allaah. Wahhabism (sometimes spelled Wahabbism or Wahabism) is a movement of Islam named after Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab (1703–1792). ... A Salafi (Arabic سلفي , from the Arabic word Salaf سلف (literally meaning predecessors or early generations), is an adherent of a contemporary movement in Sunni Islam ascribing his understanding and practice of Islam to the Salaf. Salafism was designated by outsiders the name Wahhabism. ...

Some academics, however, have contested this point. In 1973, George Makdisi published an article, “Ibn Taymiya: A Sufi of the Qadiriya Order,” in the American Journal of Arabic Studies, which argued that Ibn Taymiya was a Qadiriyyah Sufi himself, and only opposed antinomian versions of Sufism. Qadiriyyah (Arabic: القادريه ) (also transliterated Qadiri), is one of the oldest Sufi tariqas, derives its name from Abdul Qadir Jilani (also transliterated other ways) (1077-1166), a native of the Iranian province of Gilan. ...

In support of their views, these Ibn Taymiya scholars cite his work Sharh Futuh al-Ghayb, which is a commentary on the famous Sufi Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani’s work, Futuh al-Ghayb “Revelations of the Unseen.” Ibn Taymiya is cited in the literature of the Qadiriyyah order as a link in their chain of spiritual transmission. He himself said, in his Al-Mas'ala at-Tabraziyya, "I wore the blessed Sufi cloak of Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani, there being between him and me two Sufi shaikhs." Sheikh Muhyiddeen Abdul Qadir Gilani , Abdul Qadir al-Gilani , Abdul Qadir el-Gilani or Moulay Abdelkader Jilali (in Maghreb countries (Arabic: عبد القادر الجيلانى ); (1077 – 1166 CE) was a mystic scholar and saint of Islam. ... Sheikh Muhyiddeen Abdul Qadir Gilani , Abdul Qadir al-Gilani , Abdul Qadir el-Gilani or Moulay Abdelkader Jilali (in Maghreb countries (Arabic: عبد القادر الجيلانى ); (1077 – 1166 CE) was a mystic scholar and saint of Islam. ...

Works written by Ibn Taymiyyah

Ibn Taymiya left a considerable body of work that has been republished extensively in Syria, Egypt, Arabia, and India. His work extended and justified his religious and political involvements and was characterized by its rich content, sobriety, and skillful polemical style. Extant books and essays written by ibn Taymiya include:

• Ahkam as-Siyam - (The Rulings Regarding Fasting)
• al-Aqeedah Al-Hamawiyyah - (The Creed to the People of Hamawiyyah)
• al-Aqeedah Al-Waasittiyah - (The Creed to the People of Waasittiyah)
• al-Asma wa's-Sifaat - (Allah's Names and Attributes) Volumes 1-2
• 'al-Iman - (Faith)
• al-Uboodiyyah - (Subjection to Allah)
• Huqooq Ahl al-Bayt - (The Rights of Ahl al-Bayt)
• Iqtida' as-Sirat al-Mustaqim' - (Following The Straight Path)
• Majmoo' al-Fatawa - (Compilation of Fatawa) Volumes 1-36
• Minhaj as-Sunnah an-Nabawiyyah - (The Pathway of as-Sunnah an-Nabawiyyah) - Volumes 1-4
• at-Tawassul wal-Waseela
• Sharh Futuh al-Ghayb - (Commentary on Revelations of the Unseen by Abdul Qadir Jilani)

A fatwa (Arabic: ) plural fatāwa (فتاوى), is a legal pronouncement in Islam, issued by a religious law specialist on a specific issue. ...

Ibn Taymiya's students and intellectual heirs

• Ibn al-Qayyim (1292 C.E. - 1350 C.E.)
• al-Dhahabi (1274 C.E. - 1348 C.E.) (see [2] for further information)
• Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab (1703 C.E. - 1792 C.E.)

Ibn al-Qayyim is the salafi Imam of Ahl Al-Sunna Wal-Jamaa, the haafidh (preserver of hadith), the scholar of tafseer (Quranic exegesis), usool (fundamentals of jurisprudence and law) and Fiqh (jurisprudence), Aboo ’Abdullaah Shamsud-Deen Muhammad Ibn Abee Bakr - better known as Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (or... Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Uthman ibn Qaymaz, Abu Abdullah Shams al-Din al-Dhahabi, ﻣﺤﻤﺪ ﺑﻦ ﺃﺣﻤﺪ ﺑﻦ ﻋﺜﻤﺎﻥ ﺑﻦ ﻗﻴﻤﺰ ﺍﺑﻮ ﻋﺒﺪ ﺍﷲ ﺷﻤﺲ ﺍﻟﺪﻳﻦ ﺍﻟﺬﻫﺒﻲ the great Shafii hadith master (hafiz) and historian of Islam, born in Damascus in 673/1274. ... Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab al-Tamimi (1703 C.E. – 1792 C.E.) (Arabic:محمد بن عبد الوهاب التميمى) was an Arab theologian born in the Najd, in present-day Saudi Arabia and the most famous scholar of the movement within Islam known as the Wahhabi movement. ...

References

• Kepel, Gilles -- Muslim extremism in Egypt: The Prophet and pharaoh. With a new preface for 2003. Translated from French by Jon Rothschild. Berkeley & Los Angeles: University of California Press, 2003. See p. 194-199.
• Little, Donald P. -- "Did Ibn Taymiyya have a screw loose?", Studia Islamica, 1975, Number 41, pp. 93-111.
• Makdisi, G. -- "Ibn Taymiyya: A Sufi of the Qadiriya Order", American Journal of Arabic Studies, 1973
• Sivan, Emmanuel -- Radical Islam: Medieval theology and modern politics. Enlarged edition. New Haven & London: Yale University Press, 1990. See p. 94-107.

See also

• Ibahah
• Islamic scholars
• Notable Hanbali Scholars

Muslim jurists have long held that the legal tradition initiated by the Quran includes a principle of permissibility, or Ibahah (Arabic إباحة), especially as applied to commercial transaction. ... Islamic scholars are Muslim and non-Muslim scholars who work in one or more fields of Islamic studies. ... From the notable Hanbali scholars throughout Islamic history – apart from the students of the Imam, we may mention the following: Al-Khallal (who gathered all the narrations from Imam Ahmad from around the world and compiled them in a collection called Jami al-Khallal) al-Khiraqi (who summarised Jami al...

External links

Academic links

• Shaikh-ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah
• Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
• Muslim Philosophy Page
• Biography by George Makdisi
• Ibn Taymiyya by Ted Horton
• Ibn Taymiyya from About.com Site
• Ahmed Ibn Taymiyya by Trevor Stanley

Pro-Salafi links

• The Life, Struggles, Works and Impact of Shaikh ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah
• Another biography
• Introduction to the Compilation of Letters of Ibn Taymiyya
• Refuation of Accusation Against Ibn Taymiyya by Abu Rumaysah
• Who Was Ibn Taymiyya by Aisha bint Muhammad
• Shaykh Al Islaam Ibn Taymiyya from Fatwa-online.com
• Ibn Taymiyya from Personalities of Islam
• Ibn Taymiyya by James Palvin
• The Role of Sheikh-ul Islam Ibn Taymiyah in Jihad Against the Tatars by Muhammad El Halaby
• Shaykh ul-Islâm ibn Taymiyyah by Abu Safwan Farid Ibn Abdulwahid Ibn Haibatan

His views on Sufism

• Ibn Taymiyya the Sufi
• Imam Ibn Taymiyya About Saints and Sainthood
• The Poverty of Fanaticism