Abu al-Abbas Taqi al-Din Ahmad ibn Abd al-Salaam ibn Abdullah ibn Taymiya al-Harrani, was a jurist, reformer, preacher, scholar, exegete of Islam.

There were two opposing opinions on him during his life. That he was a reformer and a leading scholar, or that he broke the consensus of scholars on several matters, including the issue of taking an oath to divorce, and the alleged anthropomorphism in his writings.

He published statements that "Allah's 'hand', 'foot', 'shin' and 'face' are literal (haqiqi) attributes, and that He is upon the Throne in person", but maintained that they are unlike the feet, hands, face of humans in any way.

He led a contingent of volunteers in fighting against the Mongols invading Syria at the time.

Islamic scholars have acknowledged that Ibn Taymiya had memorized voluminous quantities of hadith. He also wrote extensively on various matters, including Quran exegesis, theology, fiqh, and more.

Many of his pupils became famous scholars themselves in various branches of Islamic knowledge, including his closest Ibn al-Qayyim, as well as the exegete, jurist, historian Ibn Kathir, the historian al-Dhahabi, historian Ibn Nasir al-Din and others.

Ibn Taymiya's teachings have had a major influence on the Salafi and Wahhabi movements in Islam.

External links

• Britannica Concise Encyclopedia (http://concise.britannica.com/ebc/article?eu=393043)
• Another biography (http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/introduction/wasiti/taimiyah_3.html)