Ibn Taymiya
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Abu al-Abbas Taqi al-Din Ahmad ibn Abd al-Salaam ibn Abdullah ibn Taymiya al-Harrani (أبو عباس تقي الدين أحمد بن عبد السلام بن عبد الله ابن تيمية الحراني, 1263-1328), was a jurist, reformer, preacher, Sufi, 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. His approach to the attributes of Allaah was to find a "middle way" between the Islamic sects that either believed that Allaah was everywhere and was thus merely part of the created world and those who argued that Allaah was so far removed from His worshippers that there could be no approaching Allaah except through obeying the juridical law.
Some consider those who oppose him to be fromt the Jahamiyya based on statements of the salaf like:
Imaam Abu Haatim ar-Raazee (d. 277H) said: "A sign of the Jahmiyyah is that they call the Ahl us-Sunnah 'Mushabbihah' (Anthropomorphists)"[Ahl us-Sunnah of Abu Haatim ar-Raazee (p.21-22) and Sharh Usool ul-I'tiqaad (no.92).]
Jahmiyya are a sect which denies the attributes of Allah.
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 Qur'an 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.
It is beleived by some that Ibn Taymiya's unequivocal support for fighting the proverbial oppressor is direct support for extremist movements within Islam today. Indeed his teachings have had a major influence on the Salafi and Wahhabi movements in Islam who claim to follow his teachings directly. This view is not universally shared. He wrote extensively on what actions a Muslim takes when in defence of his or her country, faith and person. The actions detailed by the Imam do not include suicide operations, indiscriminate, wanton attacks and destruction of property.
Ibn Taymiya is widely regarded as one of the most influential scholars in Islamic history. He was a great philosopher, thinker and social critic that fought with pen and sword for correcting wrongs that previous leaders had inflicted upon Muslims. He was rewarded with a lengthy jail term for his bravery in speaking out. Ibn taymiya continued to write extensively from prison and authored hundreds of journals and Fatwa's. He remained in prison until his death in 1328. His funeral was attended by hundreds of thousands of people.
He is remembered both in the Islamic and non-Islamic world for his highly intellectual and engaging attacks on Islamic Philosophers and their uncritical support for Platonic thought. Ibn Taymiya's reputation today is one of a great Islamic scholar. He is referred to today as "Shayk-ul-Islam" or Sir - Shaykh of 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)