Senin, 29 Juni 2015

1263/1328 Ibnu Taimiyah (Abul Abbas Taqiyuddin Ahmad bin Abdus Salam bin Abdullah bin Taimiyah al Harrani )


Ibnu Taimiyah (1263/1328)




Amad; أحمد
ibn `Abd al-alīm ibn `Abd as-Salām ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Khidr ibn Muhammad ibn al-Khidr ibn `Ali ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Taymiyyah;
بن عبد الحليم بن عبد السلام بن عبد الله بن الخضر بن محمد بن الخضر بن على بن عبد الله ابن تيمية
Abu 'l-`Abbās;
أبو العباس
Taqī ad-Dīn;
تقي الدين
al-Ḥarrānī;[8]
الحراني



Islamic scholar
ابن تيمية
Title
Born
10 Rabi' al-awwal 661 AH, or
January 22, 1263 CE
[1]
Harran, Sultanate of Rum 
Died
20 Dhu al-Qi'dah 728 AH, or
September 26, 1328 (aged 64–65)
[1][2]
Damascus, Sham
Nationality
Era
Region
Middle Eastern Scholar
Occupation
Denomination
Jurisprudence
Creed
Movement
Madrasa Dar al-Hadith as-Sukariya


Lahir  661 H (1263) [1] Harran[2]
Meninggal 728 H, atau 1328 (berusia 64–65)[1] Damascus[2]
Era Zaman Pertengahan Akhir
Agama Islam
Gagasan penting
Kembali kepada Al-Quran dan As-Sunnah dengan pemahaman para Salafush Shalih

Taqî ad-Dîn Aḥmad ibn Taymiyyah (Arabic: تقي الدين أحمد ابن تيمية) known as Ibn Taymiyyah (22 January 1263 - 26 September 1328) was a Islamic scholar (alim), theologian and logician. He lived during the troubled times of the Mongol invasions. He was a member of the school founded by Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and is considered by his followers, along with Ibn Qudamah, as one of the two most significant proponents of Hanbalism. In the modern era, his adherents often refer to the two as "the two sheikhs" and Ibn Taymiyyah in particular as "Sheikh ul-Islam".[9][10] Ibn Taymiyyah sought the return of Sunni Islam to what he viewed as earlier interpretations of the Qur'an and the Sunnah, and is considered to have had considerable influence in contemporary Wahhabism, Salafism, andJihadism.[11][12] He is renowned for his fatwa (takfir) issued against the Mongol rulers declaring jihad by Muslims against them compulsory, on the grounds that they did not follow Sharia and as such were not Muslim, their claims to have converted to Islam notwithstanding. His teachings had a profound influence on Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, and other later Sunni scholars.[5]

Name

Ibn Taymiyyah's full name is Taqī ad-Dīn Abu 'l-`Abbās Ahmad ibn `Abd al-Ḥalīm ibn `Abd as-Salām ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Khidr ibn Muhammad ibn al-Khidr ibn `Ali ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Taymiyyah al-Ḥarrānī[8] (Arabic: تقي الدين أبو العباس أحمد بن عبد الحليم بن عبد السلام بن عبد الله بن الخضر بن محمد بن الخضر بن على بن عبد الله ابن تيمية الحراني‎).
Ibn Taymiyyah's name is unusual in that it is derived from a female member of his family as opposed to a male member which was the normal custom at the time and still is now. Taimiyatu was a woman, famous for her scholarship and piety, and as a result, the name Ibn Taymiyyah was taken up by many of her male descendents.[8]

Early years

Background

Ibn Taymiyyah was born in 1263 in Harran into a well-known family of theologians. Harran was a city part of the Sultanate of Rum in the region of Kurdistan, now in Şanlıurfa province of modern day Turkey, a place to which Moses was reportedly sent to provide guidance.[13] Before its destruction by the Mongols, Harran was also well known since the early days of Islam, for its Hanbali school and tradition,[14] to which Ibn Taymiyyah's family belonged.[13] His grandfather, Abu al-Barkat Majd ad-Din ibn Taymiyyah al-Hanbali (d. 1255) and his uncle, Fakhr al-Din (d. 1225) were reputable scholars of the Hanbali school of law.[15] Likewise, the scholarly achievements of ibn Taymiyyah's father, Shihab al-deen 'Abd al-Halim ibn Taymiyyah (d. 1284) were also well known.[16]

Immigration to Damascus

In 1269, Ibn Taymiyyah at the age of seven together with his father, and three brothers left the city of Harran which was completely destroyed by the ensuing Mongol invasion.[16][15] Ibn Taymiyyah's family moved and settled in Damascus, Syria, which at the time was ruled by the Mamluks of Egypt.

Education

In Damascus his father served as the director of the Sukkariyya madrasa, a place where Ibn Taymiyyah also received his early education.[17] Ibn Taymiyyah acquainted himself with the religious and secular sciences of his time. His religious studies began in his early teens, when he committed the entire Qur'an to memory and later on came to learn the Islamic disciplines of the Qur'an.[16] From his father he learnt the religious science of Fiqh (jurisprudence) and Usul al-Fiqh (principles of jurisprudence).[16] Ibn Taymiyyah learnt the works of Ahmad ibn Hanbal, al-Khallal, Ibn Qudamah and also the works of his grandfather, Abu al-Barakat Majd ad-Din.[15] His study of jurisprudence was not limited to the Hanbali tradition but he also learnt the other schools of jurisprudence.[15]
The number of scholars under which he studied Hadith is said to number more than two hundred,[18][16][19] four of whom were women.[20] Those who are known by name amount to forty hadith teachers, as recorded by Ibn Taymiyyah in his book called Arba`un Hadithan.[21] Serajul Haque says, based on this, Ibn Taymiyyah started to hear hadith from the age of five.[21] One of his teachers was the first Hanbali Chief Justice of Syria, Shams ud-Din Al-Maqdisi who held the newly created position instituted by Baibars as part of a reform of the judiciary.[15] Al-Maqdisi later on, came to gave Ibn Taymiyyah permission to issue Fatawa (legal verdicts) when he became a mufti at the age of 17.[18][22][23]
Ibn Taymiyyah's secular studies led him to devote attention to Arabic language and Arabic literature by studying Arabic grammar and lexicography under Ali ibn `Abd al-Qawi al-Tuft.[16][24] He went on to master the famous book of Arabic grammar, Al-Kitab, by the Persian grammarian Sibawayhi.[16] He also studied mathematics, algebra, calligraphy,theology (kalam), philosophy, history and heresiography.[15][18][22][25] The knowledge he gained from history and philosophy, he used to refute the prevalent philosopical discourses of his time, one of which was Aristotelian philosophy.[18] Ibn Taymiyyah learnt about Sufism and stated that he had reflected on the works of; Sahl al-Tustari, Junayd of Baghdad, Abu Talib al-Makki, Abdul-Qadir Gilani, Abu Hafs Umar al-Suhrawardi and Ibn Arabi.[15] At the age of 20 in the year 1282, Ibn Taymiyyah completed his education.[26]

Life as a scholar[edit]

Umayyad Mosque, a place where Ibn Taimiyya used to give lessons.[22]
After his father died in 1284, he took up the then vacant post as the head of the Sukkariyya madrasa and began giving lessons on Hadith.[15][22][27] A year later he started giving lessons, as chair of the Hanbali Zawiya on Fridays at the Umayyad Mosque, on Fridays, on the subject of tafsir (exegesis of Qur'an).[22][24][28] In November 1292, Ibn Taymiyyah performed the Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) and when he returned 4 months later, he wrote his first book aged twenty nine called Manasik al-Hajj (Rites of the Pilgrimage), in which he criticized and condemned the bid‘ah's (innovations) which he saw take place there.[15][17] Ibn Taymiyyah represented the Hanbali school of thought during this time. The Hanbali school was seen as the most traditional school out of the four legal systems (Hanafi, Maliki and Shafii) because it was "suspicious of the Hellenistdisciplines of philosophy and speculative theology."[17] He remained faithful throughout his life to this school, whose doctrines he had mastered, but he nevertheless called for ijtihad (independent reasoning by one who is qualified) and discouraged taqlid.[26]

Relationship with the political establishment[edit]

Ibn Taymiyyah's emergence into the public and political sphere began in 1293 at the age of 30, when he was asked by the authorities to give an Islamic legal verdict (Fatwa) on Assaf al-Nasrani, a Christian cleric accused of insulting the Islamic prophet Muhammad.[15][29][30] He accepted the invitation and delivered his fatwa, which stated that the man was to receive the death penalty.[29] Public opinion was very much on Ibn Taymiyyah's side, with an infuriated public demanding Al-Nasrani's be put to death.[17] In this climate, the Governor of Syria at the time attempted to resolve the situation and asked Assaf to accept Islam in return for his life, to which he agreed.[17] This resolution was not acceptable to Ibn Taymiyyah who then, together with his followers, protested outside the Governor's palace.[17] Ibn Taymiyyah did not see the pardon as valid and stated that, any person who insults Muhammad, whether Muslim or non-Muslim should be given the same verdict.[17] He demanded publicly that al-Nasrani be given the death penalty.[22] This unwillingness to compromise coupled with his attempt to protest against the Governor's actions, resulted in him being punished with a prison sentence, the first of many such imprisonments to come.[15] The French orientalist Henri Laoust says that during this incarceration Ibn Taymiyyah "wrote his first great work, al-Ṣārim al-maslūl ʿalā s̲h̲ātim al-Rasūl (The Drawn Sword against those who insult the Messenger)."[15] Ibn Taymiyyah, together with the help of his disciples, continued with his efforts against what, "he perceived to be un-Islamic practices" and to implement what he saw as his religious duty of commanding good and forbidding wrong.[22][31] Yahya Michot says that some of these incidences included: "shaving children's heads", leading "an anti-debauchery campaign in brothels and taverns", hitting an atheist before his public execution, destroying what was thought to be a sacred rock in a mosque, attacking astrologers and obliging "deviant Sufi Shaykhs to make public acts of contrition and to adhere to the Sunnah."[22] Ibn Taymiyyah and his disciples used to condemn wine sellers and they would attack wine shops in Damascus by breaking wine bottles and pouring them onto the floor.[28]
A few years later in 1296, he took over the position of one of his teachers (Zayn al-Din Ibn al-Munadjdjaal), taking the post of professor of Hanbali jurisprudence at the Hanbaliyya madrasa, the oldest such institution of this tradition in Damascus.[15][17][32] This is seen by some to be the peak of his scholarly career.[17] The year he began his post at the Hanbaliyya madrasa, was a time of political turmoil. The Mamluk sultan Al-Adil Kitbugha was deposed by his vice-sultan Al-Malik al-Mansur Lajin who then ruled from 1297 to 1299.[33] Lajin had a desire to commission an expedition against the Christians of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia and for that purpose he urged Ibn Taymiyyah to call the Muslims to Jihad.[15][17]
In 1298 Ibn Taymiyyah wrote an explanation of the ayat al-mutashabihat (the unclear verses of the Qur'an) called Al-`Aqidat al-Hamawiyat al-Kubra (The creed of the great people of Hama).[34][35] The book is about divine attributes and it served as an answer to a question from the city of Hama, Syria.[34][35] At that particular time Ash'arites held prominent positions within the Islamic scholarly community in both Syria and Egypt, and they held a certain position on the divine attributes of God.[34] Ibn Taymiyyah in his book strongly disagreed with their views and this heavy opposition to the common Ash'ari position, caused considerable controversy.[34]
Ibn Taymiyyah collaborated once more with the Mamluks in 1300, when he joined the expedition against the Alawite Shi'as, in the Kasrawan region of the Lebanese mountains.[15][29] Ibn Taymiyyah thought of the Alawites as "more heritical yet than Jews and Christians,"[36] and according to Carole Hillenbrand, the confrontation with the Shia's resulted because they "were accused of collaboration with Christians and Mongols."[29] Ibn Taymiyya had further active involvements in campaigns against the Mongols and their Shia allies.[17]

Second expedition against the Alawites of Kasrawan[

Ibn Taymiyyah took part in a second military offensive in 1305 against the Alawites and the Isma`ilis[37] in the Kasrawan region of the Lebanese mountains where they were defeated.[15][36][38] The Alawis eventually left the region to settle in southern Lebanon.[39]

Involvement in the Mongol invasions of the Mamluk Sultanate[edit]

Mongol invasion of Syria

First invasions[edit]

The first invasion took place between December 1299 and April 1300 due to the military campaign by the Mamluks against the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia who were allied with the Mongols.[40] The Ilkhanate army managed to reach Damascus by the end of December 1299.[40] Ibn Taymiyyah went with a delegation of Islamic scholars to talk to Ghazan Khan, who was the Khan of the Mongol Ilkhanate of Iran, to plead clemency[40] and to stop his attack on the Muslims. It is reported that none of the scholars said anything to the Khan except Ibn Taymiyyah who said:
"You claim that you are Muslim and you have with you Mu'adhdhins, Muftis, Imams and Shaykhs but you invaded us and reached our country for what? While your father and your grandfather, Hulagu were non-believers, they did not attack and they kept their promise. But you promised and broke your promise."[41]
By early January 1300 the Mongol allies, the Armenians and Georgians, had caused widespread damage to Damascus and they had taken Syrian prisoners.[40] The Mongols effectively occupied Damascus for the first four months of 1303.[31] Most of the military had fled the city, including most of the civilians.[31] Ibn Taymiyyah however, stayed and was one of the leaders of the resistance inside Damascus and he went to speak directily to the Mongol Ilkhan Mahmud Ghazan and his vizier Rashid al-Din Tabib.[22][31] He sought the release of Muslim and dhimmi prisoners which the Mongols had taken in Syria, and after discussion, secured their release.[17][22]
An artist illustrated of Ghazan Khan, a historical figure harshly rebuked by Ibn Taymiyyah, mainly due to his constant state of hostility towards the Mamluks ofEgypt.

Second Mongol invasion[edit]

The second invasion lasted between October 1300 and January 1301.[40] Ibn Taymiyyah at this time began giving sermons on Jihad at the Umayyad mosque.[40] Ibn Taymiyyah also spoke to and encouraged the Governor of Damscus, al-Afram to achieve a victory against the Mongols.[40] He became involved with al-Afram once more, when he was sent to get reinforcements from Cairo.[40]

Third and final Mongol invasion[edit]

The year 1303 saw the third Mongol invasion of Syria by Ghazan Khan.[42][43] What has been called Ibn Taymiyyah's "most famous" fatwā[44] was issued against the Mongols in the Mamluk's war. Ibn Taymiyyah declared that jihad upon the Mongols was not only permissible, but obligatory.[27] The reason being that the Mongols could not, in his opinion, be true Muslims despite the fact that they had converted to Sunni Islam because they ruled using what he considered 'man-made laws' (their traditional Yassa code) rather than Islamic law or Sharia. Because of this, he reasoned they were living in a state ofjahiliyyah, or pre-Islamic pagan ignorance.[11][45]
Ibn Taymiyyah called on the Muslims to Jihad once again and he also personally joined the eventual battle of Marj al-Saffaragainst the Mongol army.[29][42] The battle began on 20 April of that year.[42] On the same day, Ibn Taymiyyah declared a fatwa which exempted Mamluk soldiers from the fast during the month of Ramadan so that they could maintain their strength.[15][29][42] Within two days the Mongols were severely defeated and the battle was won.[42]

Facing charges against his creed (`Aqidah)[edit]

Ibn Taymiyah was imprisoned several times for conflicting with the ijma of jurists and theologians of his day. From the city ofWasit, Iraq, a judge requested that Ibn Taymiyyah write a book on creed which led to him writing his book, for which he faced troubles, called Al-Aqidah Al-Waasitiyyah, a work on his view of the creed (`aqidah) of the salaf which included reference to the divine attributes of God.[24][46] Ibn Taymiyyah adopted the view that God should be described as he has described himself in the Qur'an and the way the Prophet Muhammad has described him in the hadith.[24] He stated that this was the universally correct view because it was the view held by the early Muslim community (salaf).[46] This created problems for the Islamic scholars of the time as it meant they all had to adhere to it.[46] Within the space of two years (1305-1306) four separate religious council hearings were held to assess the correctness of his creed.[46]

1305 hearing[edit]

The first hearing was held with the Shafii scholars who accused Ibn Taymiyyah of anthropomorphism.[46] At the time Ibn Taymiyyah was 42 years old. He was protected by the then Governor of Damascus, Aqqush al-Afram, during the proceedings.[46] The scholars suggested that he accept that his creed was simply that of the Hanbalites and offered this as a way out of the charge.[46] The issue being, if Ibn Taymiyyah ascribed his creed to the Hanbali school of law then it would be just one view out of the four schools which one could follow rather than a creed everybody must adhere to.[46] Ibn Taymiyyah was uncompromising and maintained that it was obligatory for all scholars to adhere to his creed.[46]

1306 hearings and imprisonment[edit]

Two separate councils were held a year later on 22 and 28 of January 1306.[15][46] The first council was in the house of the Governor of Damascus Aqqush al-Afram, who had protected him the year before when facing the Shafii scholars.[15] A second hearing was held six days later where the Indian scholar Safi al-Din al-Hindi found him innocent of all charges and accepted that his creed was in line with the "Qur'an and the Sunna".[15][46] Regardless, in April of 1306 the chief Islamic judges of the Mamluk state declared Ibn Taymiyyah guilty and he was incarcerated.[46] He was released four months later in September.[46]

Further objections after release[edit]

After his release in Damascus, the doubts regarding his creed seemed to have resolved but his was not the case.[15] A Shafii scholar, Ibn al-Sarsari, was insistent on starting another hearing against Ibn Taymiyyah which was held once again at the house of the Governor of Damascus, Al-Afram.[15] His book Al-Aqidah Al-Waasitiyyah was still not found at fault.[15] At the conclusion of this hearing, Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn al-Sarsari were sent to Cairo to settle the problem.

Life in Egypt[edit]

Objections to his creed in Egypt and imprisonment[edit]

On arrival of Ibn Taymiyyah and the Shafi'ite scholar in Cairo in 1306, an open meeting was held.[38] The Sultan of Egypt at the time was Al-Nasir Muhammad and his deputy attended the open meeting.[38] Ibn Taymiyyah was found innocent.[38] Despite the open meeting, objections regarding his creed continued and he was summoned to the Citadel in Cairo for a Munazara (legal debate), which took place on 8 April 1306. During the Munazara his views on divine attributes, specifically whether a direction could be attributed to God, were debated by the Indian Scholar Safi al-Din al-Hindi, in the presence of Islamic judges.[47][15] Ibn Taymiyyah failed to convince the judges of his position and so on the recommendation of Al-Hindi was incarcerated for the charge of anthropomorphism.[47][15] Thereafter, he together with his two brothers were imprisoned in the Citadel of the mountain (Qal‘at al-Jabal), in Cairo until 25 September 1307.[48][15][47] He was freed due the help he received from two Amir's (ruler or military ruler); Salar and Muhanna ibn Isa, but he was not allowed to go back to Syria.[15] He was then, again summoned for a legal debate but this time he convinced the judges of his views and he was allowed to go free.[47]

Ibn Taymiyyah on trial for views on intercession and imprisonment[edit]

Citadel of Cairo, the place where Ibn Taymiyyah was imprisoned for 18 months
Ibn Taymiyyah continued to face troubles for his views which were found to be at odds with those of his contemporaries. His strong opposition to any innovation (bid‘ah) in the religion, which he regarded as heretical, caused upset among the prominent Sufis of Egypt including Ibn `Ata'Allah and Karim al-Din al-Amuli, and the locals who started to protest against Ibn Taymiyyah.[15] The nature of the point under contention was Ibn Taymiyyah's stance on tawassul (intercession).[15] In his view a person could not ask anyone other than God for help except on the day of judgement when intercession in his view would be possible. At the time, the people did not restrict intercession to just the day of judgement but rather they said it was allowed in other cases. Due to this Ibn Taymiyyah, now 45, was ordered to appear before the Shafii judge Badr al-Din in March 1308 and was questioned on his stance regarding intercession.[15] Thereafter, he was incarcerated in the prison of the judges in Cairo for some months.[15] After his release, he was allowed to return to Syria, should he so wish.[15] Ibn Taymiyyah however stayed in Egypt for a further 5 years.

Under house arrest in Alexandria[edit]

The year after his release in 1309 saw a change of power to a new Sultan in Egypt, Baibars al-Jashnakir whose reign was marked by economical and political unrest.[15] His hold on power was short lived and lasted only a year. During this time, in August of 1309, Ibn Taymiyyah was taken into custody and placed under house arrest for seven months in the new sultan's palace in Alexandria.[15] He was freed when Al-Nasir Muhammad retook the position of sultan on 4 March 1310.[15] Having returned to Cairo a week later, he was received by the sultan Al-Nasir.[15] The sultan would sometimes consult Ibn Taymiyyah on religious affairs and policies during the rest of his three-year stay in Cairo.[15][22] During this time he continued to teach and wrote his famous book Al-Kitab al-Siyasa al-shar'iyya (Treatise on the Government of the Religious Law), a book noted for its account of the role of religion in politics.[15][49][50]

Return to Damascus and later years[edit]

He spent his last fifteen years in Damascus. Ibn Taymiyyah at the age of 50 returned to Damascus on 28 February 1313 by way of Jerusalem.[15] Damascus was now under the governorship of Tankiz. In Damascus Ibn Taymiyyah continued his teaching role as professor of Hanbali fiqh. This is when he taught his most famous student, Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya, who went on to become a noted scholar in Islamic history.[15] Ibn Qayyim was to share in Ibn Taymiyyah's renewed persecution.
Three years after his arrival in the city, Ibn Taymiyyah became involved in efforts to deal with the increasing Shia influence amongst the Muslims.[15] An agreement had been made in 1316 between the amir of Mecca and the Ilkhanate ruler Öljaitü, brother of Ghazan Khan, to allow a favourable policy towards Shi'ism in Mecca, a city that houses the holiest site in Islam, the Kaaba.[15] Around the same time the Shia theologian Al-Hilli, who had played a crucial role in the Mongol rulers decision to make Shi'ism the state religion of Persia,[51][52] wrote the book, Minhaj al-Karamah (The way of charisma)[22], which dealt with the Shia doctrine of the Imamate and also served as a refutation of the Sunni doctrine of the caliphate.[53] To counter this Ibn Taymiyyah wrote his famous book, Minhaj as-Sunnah an-Nabawiyyah, as a refutation of Al-Hilli's work.[54]

Fatwa on divorce and subsequent imprisonment[edit]

In 1318 Ibn Taymiyyah wrote a treatise that would curtail the ease with which a Muslim man could divorce his wife. Ibn Taymiyyah's fatwa on divorce was not accepted by the majority of scholars of the time and this continued into the Ottoman era.[55] However, almost every modern Muslim nation-state has come to adopt Ibn Taymiyyah's position on this issue of divorce.[55] At the time he issued the fatwa, Ibn Taymiyyah revived an edict by the sultan not to issue fatwa's on this issue but he continued to do so, saying, "I cannot conceal my knowledge".[15][56] As in previous instances, he stated that his fatwa was based on the Qur'an and hadith. His view on the issue was at odds with the Hanbali doctrine.[15] This proved controversial among the people in Damascus as well as the Islamic scholars and the authorities who were against him on the issue.[57]
According to the scholars of the time, an oath of divorce counted as a full divorce and they were also of the view that three oaths of divorce taken under one occasion counted as three separate divorces.[57] The significance of this was, that a man who divorces the same partner three times is no longer allowed to remarry that person until and if that person marries and divorces another man.[57] Only then could the man, who took the oath, remarry his previous wife.[57] Ibn Taymiyyah accepted this but rejected the validity of three oaths taken under one sitting, to count as three separate divorces as long as the intention was not to divorce.[57] Moreover, Ibn Taymiyyah was of the view that a single oath of divorce uttered but not intended, also does not count as an actual divorce.[15] He stated that since this is an oath much like an oath taken in the name of God, a person must expiate for an unintentional oath in a similar manner.[57]
Due to his views and also by not abiding to the sultan's letter two years before forbidding him from issuing a fatwa on the issue, three council hearing were held, in as many years (1318, 1319 and 1320), to deal with this matter.[15] The hearing were overseen by the Viceroy of Syria, Tankiz.[15] This resulted in Ibn Taymiyyah being imprisoned on 26 August 1320 in the Citadel of Damascus.[15] He was released about five months and 8 days later,[56] on 9 February 1321, by order of the Sultan Al-Nasir.[15] Ibn Taymiyyah was reinstated as teacher of Hanbali law and he resumed teaching.[56]

Risāla on visiting tombs and final imprisonment[edit]

Ibn Taymiyyah had written a risāla (a kind of book) in 1310 called Ziyārat al-ḳubūr[15] or according to another source, Shadd al-rihal.[56] It dealt with the validity and permissibility of making a journey to visit the tombs of prophets and saints (Wali).[56] It is reported that in the book "he condemned the cult of saints".[15] He declared that, the one who visits the Prophet's grave commits innovation (bidah).[citation needed] Criticism of the book arose after nearly 16 years of Ibn Taymiyyah writing it. and he was arrested and imprisoned at the age of 63, on 18 July 1326, in the Citadel of Damascus with an order from the sultan also prohibiting him from issuing any further fatwa's.[15][56] The reason for his arrest was his declaration that the one who travels to visit the Prophet's grave commits innovation (bidah). His student Ibn Qayyim was also imprisoned with him in the Citadel.[56]

Life in prison[edit]

Ibn Taymiyyah referred to prison as "a divine blessing".[22] During his incarceration he wrote that, "when a scholar forsakes what he knows of the Book of God and of the sunna of his messenger and follows the ruling of a ruler which contravenes a ruling of God and his messenger, he is a renegade, an unbeliever who deserves to be punished in this world and in the hereafter."[22]
Whilst in prison he faced opposition from the Maliki and Shafii Chief Justices of Damascus, Taḳī al-Dīn al-Ik̲h̲nāʾī and ʿAlāʾ al-Dīn al-Ḳūnawī (a student of Ibn al-`Arabi), respectively.[15] He remained in prison for over two years and ignored the sultan's prohibition, by continuing to deliver fatwa's.[15] During his incarceration Ibn Taymiyyah wrote three works which are extanct; Kitāb Maʿārif al-wuṣūl, Rafʿ al-malām, and Kitāb al-Radd ʿala ’l-Ik̲h̲nāʾī (The response to al-Ik̲h̲nāʾī.[15] The last book was an attack on Taḳī al-Dīn al-Ik̲h̲nāʾī, and explained his views, on saints (wali).[15] Due to this book, al-Ik̲h̲nāʾī made a complaint to the sultan al-Nasir who subsequently removed provisions of paper, ink and pens from Ibn Taymiyyah on 21 April 1328.[15]

Death[edit]

Citadel of Damascus the last prison where Ibn Taymiyyah died there
Ibn Taymiyyah fell ill in early September 1328 and died at the age of 65, on 26 September of that year, whilst in prison at the Citadel in Damascus.[15] Once this news reached the public, there was a strong show of support for him from the people.[58]After the authorities had given permission, it is reported that thousands of people came to show their respects.[58] They gathered in the Citadel and lined the streets up to the Umayyad mosque which was and is still close by.[58] A Janaza (funeral prayer) was held in the citadel by the sheikh, Muhammad Tammam, and a second was held in the mosque.[58] A third and final funeral prayer was held by Ibn Taymiyyah's brother, the sheikh, Zain al-Din.[58] He was buried in the Sufi cemetery, of whom he was a sever critic, in Damascus where his brother Sharafuddin had been buried before him.[59][60][61]
Oliver Leaman says that being deprived of the means of writing, led to Ibn Taymiyyah's death.[24] It is reported that two hundred thousand men and fifteen to sixteen thousand women attended his funeral prayer.[28][62] Ibn Kathir says that in the history of Islam, only the funeral of Ahmad ibn Hanbal received a larger attendance.[28] This is also mentioned by Ibn `Abd al-Hadi.[28] Caterina Bori says that, "In the Islamic tradition, wider popular attendance at funerals was a mark of public reverence, a demonstration of the deceased's rectitude, and a sign of divine approbation.[28]
Ibn Taymiyyah had a simple life, most of which he dedicated to learning, writing, and teaching. He never married nor did he have a female companion, throughout his years.[18][63] Al-Matroudi says that this may be why he was able to engage fully with the political affairs of his time without holding any official position such as that of a judge.[64]An offer of an official position was made to him but he never accepted.[64] His life was that of a religious scholar and a political activist.[63] In his efforts he was persecuted and imprisoned on six different occasions[65] with the total time spent inside prison coming to over six years.[22][63] Other sources say that he spent over twelve years in prison.[64] His detentions were due to certain elements of his creed and his views on some jurisprudential issues.[18] However according to Yahya Michot, "the real reasons were more trivial". Michot gives five reasons as to why Ibn Taymiyyah was imprisoned, them being; not complying with the "doctrines and practices prevalent among powerful religious and Sufi establishments, an overly outspoken personality, the jealousy of his peers, the risk to public order due to this popular appeal and political intrigues."[22] Baber Johansen, a professor at the Harvard divinity school says that the reasons for Ibn Taymiyyah's incarcerations were, "as a result of his conflicts with Muslim mystics, jurists, and theologians, who were able to persuade the political authorities of the necessity to limit Ibn Taymiyyah's range of action through political censorship and incarceration."[46]
Ibn Taymiyyah's own relationship, as a religious scholar, with the ruling apparatus, who did deviate in application of shari'a law, was not always amicable.[22] It ranged from silence to open rebellion.[22] On occasions when he shared the same views and aims as the ruling authorities, his contributions were welcomed but when Ibn Taymiyyah went against the status quo, he was seen as "uncooperative" and on occasions spent much time in prison.[29] Ibn Taymiyyah's attitude towards his own rulers, was based on the actions of the companions (sahaba) when they made an oath of allegiance to the Islamic Prophet Muhammad as follows; "to obey within obedience to God, even if the one giving the order is unjust; to abstain from disputing the authority of those who exert it; and to speak out the truth, or take up its cause without fear in respect of God, of blame from anyone."[22]

Students[edit]

Among those Ibn Taymiyyah taught, some went on to become accomplished Islamic Scholars.[15] His studied came from different backgrounds and belonged to various different schools (madhabs).[66] His most famous students were Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya and Ibn Kathir.[67] Ibn Qayyim wrote the famous poem "O Christ-Worshipper" which examined the dogma of the Trinity propounded by many Christian sects. Ibn Kathir became an influential scholar who wrote one of the most famous tafsīr's of the Qur'an called, Tafsir Ibn Kathir. His other students include:[15][24][66][68]
·  Al-Mizzi
·  Imad al-din al-wasiti
·  Najm al-Din al-Tufi

Legacy[edit]

Al-Matroudi says that Ibn Taymiyyah, "was perhaps the most eminent and influential Ḥanbalī jurist of the Middle Ages and one of the most prolific among them. He was also a renowned scholar of Islam whose influence was felt not only during his lifetime but extended through the centuries until the present day."[18] Ibn Taymiyyah's admirers often deemed him as Sheikh ul-Islam, an honorific title with which he is sometimes still termed today.[69][70][71] The medieval Shafiite scholar Ibn Hajar al-`Asqalani said that calling Ibn Taymiyyah "Sheikh ul-Islam, will continue tomorrow just as it was yesterday".[18] In reference to this Al-Matroudi says, "Ibn Hajar has been right so far and will most likely continue to be so in the future."[18] The Ash'ari historian Al-Maqrizi said, regarding the rift between the Ash'ari's and Ibn Taymiyyah who defended the faith of the salaf, "People are divided into two factions over the question of Ibn Taymiyyah; for until the present, the latter has retained admirers and disciples in Syria and Egypt."[15] Rapoport and Ahmad say that, "Ibn Taymiyya was, by almost universal consensus, one of the most original and systematic thinkers in the history of Islam."[31]
Both his supporters and rivals grew to respect Ibn Taymiyyah because he was uncompromising in his views.[29] Al-Dhahabi praised him as "the brilliant shaykh, imam, erudite scholar, censor, jurist, mujtahid, and commentator of the Qur'an," but acknowledged that Ibn Taymiyyah's cantankerous and disparaging manners alienated even his admirers because even his opponents noted his "genius and the rarity of his faults".[18][31]
Ibn Taymiyyah's works served as an inspiration for later Muslim scholars and historical figures, who have been regarded as his admirers or disciples.[15] One such person wasIbn Rajab, who wrote a book called Al-Qawa'id al-Fiqhiyyah, on the history of Hanbalism.[15] Others include; the Hajib of Damascus Katbugha al-Mansuri, the viceroy of Egypt Arghun al-Nasiri and the sixteenth century Jerusalemite qadi and Palestinian historian Mujir al-Din.[15]
In the contemporary world, he may be considered at the root of Wahhabism, the Senussi order and other later reformist movements.[8][72] Ibn Taymiyyah has been noted to have influenced Rashid Rida, Abul A`la Maududi, Sayyid Qutb, Hassan al-Banna, Abdullah Azzam, and Osama bin Laden.[27][63][73][74][75]

Influences[edit]

Ibn Taymiyyah was taught by scholars who were renowned in their time.[76] However, there is no evidence that any of the contemporary scholars influenced him.[76]
A strong influence on Ibn Taymiyyah was the founder of the Hanbali school of Islamic jurisprudence, Ahmad ibn Hanbal.[76] Ibn Taymiyyah was trained in this school and he had studied Ibn Hanbal's Musnad in great detail, having studied it over multiple times.[77] Though he spent much of his life following this school, in the end he renounced taqlid (blind following).[26]
His work was most influenced by the sayings and actions of the Salaf (first 3 generation of Muslims) and this showed in his work where he would give preference to the Salaf over his contemporaries.[76] The modern Salafi movement derives its name from this school of thought.[76]

Views[edit]

God's Attributes[edit]

Ibn Taymiyyah said that God should be described as he has described himself in the Qur'an and the way Prophet Muhammad has described God in the Hadith.[15][24] He rejected; the Ta'tili's who denied these attributes, those who compare God with the creation (Tashbih) and those who engage in esoteric interpretations (ta'wil) of the Qur'an or use symbolic exegesis.[15] Ibn Taymiyyah said that those attributes which we know about from the two above mentioned sources, should be ascribed to God.[15] Anything regarding God's attributes which people have no knowledge of, should be approached in a manner, according to Ibn Taymiyyah, where the mystery of the unknown is left to God (called tafwid) and the Muslim's submit themselves to the word of God and the Prophet (called taslim).[15] Henri Laoust says that through this framework, this doctrine, "provides authority for the widest possible scope in personal internationalization of religion."[15]
In 1299 Ibn Taymiyyah wrote the book Al-Aqida al-hamawiyya al-kubra, which dealt with, among other topics, theology and creed. When he was accused of anthropomorphism, a private meeting was held between scholars in the house of Al-Din `Umar al-Kazwini who was a Shafii judge.[15][78] After careful study of this book, he was cleared of those charges.[15] Ibn Taymiyyah also wrote another book dealing with the attributes of God called, Al-Aqidah Al-Waasitiyyah. He faced considerable hostility towards these views from the Ash'ari's of whome the most notable were, Taqi al-Din al-Subki and his son Taj al-Din al-Subki who were influential Islamic jurists and also chief judge of Damascus in their respective times.[15]
Ibn Taymiyyah's highly intellectual discourse at explaining "The Wise Purpose of God, Human Agency, and the Problems of Evil & Justice" using God's attributes as a means has been illustrated by Dr. Jon Hoover in his work "Ibn Taymiyyah's Theodicy of Perpetual Optimism".[79]

Sources of Shari'a[edit]

Ibn Taymiyyah was against the surveying of past legal rulings to derive established principles, rather he called for the derivation of new rulings based on scriptural evidence and other valid sources of Shari'a law.[64] For Ibn Taymiyyah, the revelatory evidence of Qur'an and sunnah, coupled with the consensus (ijma) of the companions of Muhammad and qiyas (analogical reasoning), were considered as the basis of jurisprudence.[64] For him the Qur'an and sunnah were definitive.[64] He viewed the consensus of the companions (sahaba) as definitive consensus but said that which came after could not be "realistically verifiable" and said it was speculative, unless they have foundations within the Qur'an and sunnah.[64] He therefore did not consider consensus after the time of the companions as a source of Islamic law except in certain circumstances.[64]

Consensus (ijma)[edit]

For Ibn Taymiyyah, the use of consensus (ijma) was valid if it was the consensus of the companions and that it did not contradict the Qur'an and the sunnah.[80] Consensus was thus limited to the companions and it could be found either through their reported sayings or their actions.[80] According to Serajul Haque, his rejection of the consensus of other scholars was justified, on the basis of the instructions given to the jurist Shuraih ibn al-Hârith from the Caliph Umar, one of the companions of Muhammad; to make decisions by first referring to the Qur'an, and if that is not possible, then to the sayings of the Prophet and finally to refer to the agreement of the companions.[80] Ibn Taymiyyah believed that consensus or the sunnah could not abrogate a verse of the Qur'an.[80] For him, an abrogation of a verse, known in Arabic as Naskh, was only possible through another verse in the Qur'an.[80]

Analogy (qiyas) and Reason (`Aql)[edit]

Ibn Taymiyyah considered the use of analogy (qiyas) based on literal meaning of scripture as a valid source for deriving legal rulings.[64][81] Analogy is the primary instrument of legal rationalism in Islam.[31] He acknowledged its use as one of the four fundamental principles of Islamic jurisprudence.[82] Ibn Taymiyyah argued against the certainty ofsyllogistic arguments and in favour of analogy (qiyas). He argues that concepts founded on induction are themselves not certain but only probable, and thus a syllogism based on such concepts is no more certain than an argument based on analogy. He further claimed that induction itself depends on a process of analogy. His model of analogical reasoning was based on that of juridical arguments.[83][84] Work by John F. Sowa have, for example, have used Ibn Taymiyyah's model of analogy.[84] He attached caveats however to the use of analogy because he considered the use of reason to be secondary to the use of revelation.[64] Ibn Taymiyyah's view was that analogy should be used under the framework of revelation, as a supporting source.[64]
There were some jurists who thought rulings derived through analogy could contradict a ruling derived from the Qur'an and the authentic hadith.[64] However, Ibn Taymiyyah disagreed because he thought a contradiction between the definitive canonical texts of Islam, and definitive reason was impossible[64] and that this was also the understanding of the salaf.[85] Racha el-Omari says that on an epistemological level, Ibn Taymiyyah considered the Salaf to be better than any other later scholars in understanding the agreement between revelation and reason.[85] One example for this is the use of analogy in the Islamic legal principle of maslaha (public good) about which Ibn Taymiyya believed, if there were to be any contradiction to revelation then it is due to a misunderstanding or misapplication of the concept of utility.[31][86] He said that to assess the utility of something, the criteria for benefit and harm should come from the Qur'an and sunnah, a criteria which he also applied to the establishment of a correct analogy.[31][86]
Issues surrounding the use of reason ('Aql) and rational came about in relation to the attributes of God for which he faced much resistance.[31] At the time the Islamic scholars thought the attributes of God as stated in the Qur'an were contradictory to reason so sought other explanations instead.[31] Ibn Taymiyyah believed that reasons itself validated the entire Qur'an as being reliable and in light of that he argued, if some part of the scripture was to be rejected then this would render the use of reason as an unacceptable avenue through which to seek knowledge.[31] He thought that the most perfect rational method and use of reason was contained within the Qur'an and sunnah and that the theologians of his time had used rational and reason in a flawed manner.[31]

Criticism of the Grammarians[edit]

Ibn Taymiyyah had mastered the grammar of Arabic and one of the books which he studied was the book of Arabic grammar called Al-Kitab, by Sibawayh.[87] In later life he met the Qur'an commentator Abu Hayyan al-Gharnati to whom he expressed that, "Sibawayh was not the Prophet of Syntax nor was he infallible. He committed eighty mistakes in his book which are not intelligible to you."[87] Ibn Taymiyyah is thought to have severely criticized Sibawayh but the actual substance of those criticisms is not known because the book that Ibn Taymiyyah wrote, al-Bahr, within which he wrote the criticisms has been lost.[87] He stated that when there is an explanation of an Ayah of the Qur'an or a Hadith, from the Prophet himself, the use of philology or a grammatical explanation becomes obsolete.[88] He also said one should refer only to the understanding of the Salaf (first three generations of Muslims) when interpreting a word within the scriptural sources.[31] However he did not discount the contributions of the grammarians completely.[89] Ibn Taymiyyah stated that the Arabic nouns within the scriptural sources have been divided by the fuqaha (Islamic jurists) into three categories; those that are defined by the shari'a, those defined by philology (lugha) and finally those that are defined by social custom (`urf).[88] For him each of these categories of nouns had to be used in their own appropriate manner.[90]

Madh'hab[edit]

Ibn Taymiyyah censured the scholars for blindly conforming to the precedence of early jurists without any resort to the Qur'an and Sunnah. He contended that although juridical precedence has its place, blindly giving it authority without contextualization, sensitivity to societal changes, and evaluative mindset in light of the Qur'an and Sunnah can lead to ignorance and stagnancy in Islamic Law. Ibn Taymiyyah likened the extremism of Taqlid (blind conformity to juridical precedence or school of thought) to the practice of Jewsand Christians who took their rabbis and ecclesiastics as gods besides God. In arguing against taqlid, he said the salaf, who in order to better understand and live according to the commands of God, had to make ijtihad using the scriptural sources.[27] The same approach, in his view, was needed in modern times.[27]
Ibn Taymiyyah believed that the best role models for Islamic life were the first three generations of Islam (Salaf); which constitute Muhammad's companions, referred to in Arabic as Sahaba (first generation), followed by the generation of Muslims born after the death of Muhammad known as the Tabi'un (second generation) which is then followed lastly by the next generation after the Tabi'un known as Tabi' Al-Tabi'in (third generation). Ibn Taymiyyah gave precedence to the ideas of the Sahaba and early generations, over the founders of the Islamic schools of jurisprudence.[15] For Ibn Taymiyyah it was the Qur'an, the sayings and practices of Muhammad and the ideas of the early generations of Muslims that constituted the best understanding of Islam. Any deviation from their practice was viewed as bid‘ah, or innovation, and to be forbidden. He also praised and wrote a commentary on some speeches of Abdul-Qadir Gilani.[91] He criticized the views and actions of the Rafaiyah.

Religion and Polity[edit]

Ibn Taymiyyah's conception of religion and the State were that they are inextricably linked.[15] He was of the view that a State's role was indispensable in providing justice to the people, enjoining good and forbidding evil, unifying the people and preparing a society conducive to the worship of God.[15] Henri Laoust said that Ibn Taymiyyah never propagated the idea of a single caliphate but believed the Muslim ummah or community would form into a confederation of states.[15] Laoust further stated that Ibn Taymiyyah called for obedience only to God, and the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and he did not put a limit on the number of leaders a Muslim community could have.[15] However Mona Hassan, in her recent study of the political thoughts of Ibn Taymiyyah, questions this and says laoust has wrongly claimed that Ibn Taymiyyah thought of the caliphate as a redundant idea.[92] Hassan has shown that Ibn Taymiyyah considered the Caliphate that was under the Rashidun Caliphs; Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali, as the moral and legal ideal.[92] The Caliphate in his view could not be ceded "in favour of secular kingship (mulk).[92]

Jihad[edit]

Ibn Taymiyyah was noted for emphasis he put on the importance of jihad. He wrote that, "It is in jihad that one can live and die in ultimate happiness, both in this world and in the Hereafter. Abandoning it means losing entirely or partially both kinds of happiness."[93]
He gave a broad definition of what constituted "aggression" against Muslims and what actions by non-believers made jihad permissible. He declared
"It is allowed to fight people for (not observing) unambiguous and generally recognized obligations and prohibitions, until they undertake to perform the explicitly prescribed prayers, to pay zakat, to fast during the month of Ramadan, to make the pilgrimage to Mecca and to avoid what is prohibited, such as marrying women in spite of legal impediments, eating impure things, acting unlawfully against the lives and properties of Muslims and the like. It is obligatory to take the initiative in fighting those people, as soon as the Prophet's summons with the reasons for which they are fought has reached them. But if they first attack the Muslims then fighting them is even more urgent, as we have mentioned when dealing with the fighting against rebellious and aggressive bandits."[94][95]
In the modern context, his rulings have been used by some Islamist groups to declare jihad against various governments.[96]

Innovation (Bid`ah)[edit]

Main article: Bid‘ah
Even though Ibn Taymiyyah is considered a theologian, he totally rejected discursive theology (`ilm al-kalam) as an innovation.[67] He also labelled in the same way; some aspects of Sufism and Peripatetic philosophy.[67]
Ibn Taymiyyah opposed giving any undue religious honors to mosques (even that of Jerusalem, the Al-Aqsa Mosque), to approach or rival in any way the Islamic sanctity of the two most holy mosques within Islam, Masjid al-Haram (in Mecca) and Al-Masjid al-Nabawi (in Madina).[97] As to the practice of making journey for the sole purpose of visiting a mosque, Ibn Taymiyyah has said in his books; Majmu'at al-Rasail al-Kubra, Minhaj al-Sunna and Majmu'at Fatawa, that, "Journey must not be made except to three mosques; Masjid al-Haram, Masjid al-Nabawi and Masjid Al-Aqsa".[8][98][99][100] Regarding this Serajul Haque says that, "In the opinion of Ibn Taymiyyah only these three mosques have been accepted by the Prophet as the object of journeys, on account of their excellence over all other mosques and places of prayer.[101] Ibn Taymiyyah uses a saying (hadith) of the Islamic prophet Muhammad in Bukhari and Muslim to justify his view that it is not permitted to journey exclusively to any mosque than Mecca, Medina, or Jerusalem.[101]
The ruler Sabuktegin was praised by Ibn Taymiyyah for censuring groups that he considered heretical. Ibn Taymiyyah stated that Sabuktegin, "commanded that Ahlul Bidah be publicly cursed on the minbars, and as a result the Jahmiyyah, Rafida, Hululiyah, Mu'tazilah, and Qadariyah were all publicly cursed, along with the Asharites."

Pilgrimage to tombs and intercession[edit]

Ibn Taymiyyah considered the veneration and making pilgrimage to the tomb of saints (ziyārat al-qubūr) as an innovation.[67][102] Ibn Taymiyyah said that to make a pilgrimage or journey to the tomb of a Sufi, Wali or the Prophets, is comparable to worshipping something besides God (Shirk).[67][102] To make a pilgrimage to Muhammad's grave for the sole purpose of seeking intercession or aassistance was deemed by Ibn Taymiyyah as impermissable.[103] He said that only God should be asked for help and that it is only God that can give assistance.[102] He uses passages from the Qur'an to support his view and uses a hadith of the Prophet where he advised his companion Ibn Abbas that when a person requires anything, he should ask God.[102] Ibn Taymiyyah said that seeking the assistance of God through intercession is allowed, as long as the other person is still alive.[102] The evidence he uses for this is another hadith, where the people due to the lack of rain, asked Muhammad to pray to God to provide rain, to which he agreed and rain did fall but after the Prophet had died and a similar circumstance arose, the people did not go to his grave.[102] Ibn Taymiyyah, regarding those who ask assistance from a Sufi or a wali, says that, "those who do so are kuffar, infidels."[102] As for those who ask assistance from the grave of the Prophet or a Sheikh, he called them mushrik, someone who is engaged in shirk.[102] Howerver, Ibn Taymiyyah was not completely against the visitation of tombs, provided that they only go to pray for the dead person and that they seek benefit from God alone.[102]

Mutakallimun



The mutakallimun are scholars who engage in ilm al-Kalam (rationalst theology) and they were criticised by Ibn Taymiyyah for their use of rationalist theology and philosophy.[66]He said that the method of kalam was used by the Mu`tazilites, Jahmites and Ash`ari's.[66] Ibn Taymiyyah considered the use of philosophical proofs and kalam to be redundant because he saw the Qur'an and the Sunna as superior rational proofs.[66] Ibn Taymiyyah said that these explanations were not grounded in scriptural evidence such as the philosophical explanation of the divine attributes of God or the proof of God using the cosmological argument.[66] He said that the call to Islam was not made using such methods by the Qur'an or the Prophet and that these theories have only caused errors and corruption.[66] The mutakallimun called their use of rationalst theology usul al-din (principles of religion) but Ibn Taymiyyah said that the use of rationalist theology has nothing to do with the true usul al-din which comes from God and to state otherwise is to say that the Prophet neglected an important aspect of Islam.[66] Ibn Taymiyyah says that the usul al-din of the mutakallimun, deserve to be named usul din al-shaytan (principles of Satanic religion).[66]
Ibn Taymiyyah's attempts to focus attention onto Qur''anic rationality was taken up by his student Ibn Qayyim, to the exception of his other followers.[66] This focus on traditionlist rationlism was also taken up by Musa Bigiev.[66]

Sufism[edit]

He engaged in intensive polemic activity against the Rifa'i Sufi order, and the ittihadiyah school[24] which grew out of the teaching of Ibn Arabi, whose work, the Futūḥāt, was called "subtly heretical" by Ibn Taymiyyah.[15] Furthermore, Ibn Taymiyyah considered Ibn Arabi a kāfir (unbeliever) because he viewed his claim that God was everywhere and that God was identical to his creation to be in contradiction to the scriptural evidence, the sunnah and the understanding of the companions.[24]
Ibn Taymiyyah rejected two views associated with Sufism. For one he said that some Sufis insulted God with their monism, a doctrine (seemingly similar to pantheism) that God "encompasses all things".[104] This rejection included denouncing the views of the monist Ibn Arabi.[15] For the second he said that the view that spiritual enlightenment is of a greater importance than obeying the sharia was a failure to properly follow the example of Muhammad.[104] On Ibn Arabi, and Sufism in general, Henri Laoust says that Ibn Taymiyyah mentions that, "he allowed himself to be deluded, in his youth, by the Futuhat of Ibn al-Arabi, before discovering how subtly heretical they were. He never condemned Ṣūfism in itself, but only that which he considered to be, in the case of too many Ṣūfis, inadmissible deviations in doctrine, ritual or morals, such as monism, antinomianism oresotericism."[15]
Ibn Taymiyyah's own writing in his book Majmu Fatawa shows that he did not completely discount Sufism when he said, "the right attitude towards Sufism, or any other thing, is to accept what is in agreement with the Qur'an and the Sunna, and reject what does not agree".[105] He did write positively about some Sufis such as Abdul-Qadir Gilani.[24]

Shi'a Islam[edit]

n set by ‘Arif Tamir in Beirut in 1995. All these editions are not critical and we do not yet have a complete English translation of the whole Rasa’il encyclopedia.


The first complete Arabic critical edition and fully annotated English translation of the Rasa’il Ikhwan al-Safa’ is being prepared for publication by a team of editors, translators and scholars as part of a book series that is published by Oxford University Press in association with the Institute of Ismaili Studies in London; a project currently coordinated by the series General Editor Nader El-Bizri.[27] This series is initiated by an introductory volume of studies edited by Nader El-Bizri, which was published by Oxford University Pressin 2008, and followed in 2009 by the voluminous Arabic critical edition and annotated English translation with commentaries of The Case of the Animals Versus Man Before the King of the Jinn (Epistle 22; eds. trans. L. Goodman & R. McGregor), then Epistle 5: On Music (ed. trans. O. Wright, 2010), Epistles 10-15: On Logic (ed. trans. C. Baffioni, 2010), Epistle 52a: On Magic (eds. trans. G. de Callatay & B. Halflants, 2011), Epistles 1-2: Arithmetic and Geometry (ed. trans. N. El-Bizri, 2012), the voluminous Epistles 15-21:Natural Sciences (ed. trans. C. Baffioni, 2013), and Epistle 4: Geography (ed. trans. I Sanchez and J. Montogomery, 2014).[28] This OUP series received a large number of academic reviews in journals, including three review-essays that were published in the Times Literary Supplement.


Abul Abbas Taqiyuddin Ahmad bin Abdus Salam bin Abdullah bin Taimiyah al Harrani (Bahasa Arab: أبو عباس تقي الدين أحمد بن عبد السلام بن عبد الله ابن تيمية الحراني), atau yang biasa disebut dengan nama Ibnu Taimiyah saja (lahir: 22 Januari 1263/10 Rabiul Awwal 661H – wafat: 1328/20 Dzulhijjah 728 H), adalah seorang pemikir dan ulama Islam dari Harran, Turki.
Ibnu Taymiyyah berpendapat bahwa tiga generasi awal Islam, yaitu Rasulullah Muhammad SAW dan Sahabat Nabi, kemudianTabi'in yaitu generasi yang mengenal langsung para Sahabat Nabi, dan Tabi'ut tabi'in yaitu generasi yang mengenal langsung para Tabi'in, adalah contoh yang terbaik untuk kehidupan Islam.

Biografi

Ia berasal dari keluarga religius. Ayahnya Syihabuddin bin Taimiyah adalah seorang syaikh, hakim, dan khatib. Kakeknya Majduddin Abul Birkan Abdussalam bin Abdullah bin Taimiyah al Harrani adalah seorang ulama yang menguasai fiqih, hadits, tafsir, ilmu ushul dan penghafal Al Qur'an (hafidz).
Ibnu Taimiyah lahir di zaman ketika Baghdad merupakan pusat kekuasaan dan budaya Islam pada masa Dinasti Abbasiyah. Ketika berusia enam tahun (tahun 1268), Ibnu Taimiyah dibawa ayahnya ke Damaskus disebabkan serbuan tentara Mongol atas Irak.

Perkembangan dan hasrat keilmuan

Semenjak kecil sudah terlihat tanda-tanda kecerdasannya. Begitu tiba di Damaskus, ia segera menghafalkan Al-Qur’an dan mencari berbagai cabang ilmu pada para ulama, hafizh dan ahli hadits negeri itu. Kecerdasan serta kekuatan otaknya membuat para tokoh ulama tersebut tercengang. Ketika umurnya belum mencapai belasan tahun, ia sudah menguasai ilmu ushuluddin dan mendalami bidang-bidang tafsir, hadits, dan bahasa Arab. Ia telah mengkaji Musnad Imam Ahmad sampai beberapa kali, kemudian Kutubu Sittah dan Mu’jam At-Thabarani Al-Kabir.
Suatu kali ketika ia masih kanak-kanak, pernah ada seorang ulama besar dari Aleppo, Suriah yang sengaja datang ke Damaskus khusus untuk melihat Ibnu Taimiyah yang kecerdasannya menjadi buah bibir. Setelah bertemu, ia memberikan tes dengan cara menyampaikan belasan matan hadits sekaligus. Ternyata Ibnu Taimiyah mampu menghafalkannya secara cepat dan tepat. Begitu pula ketika disampaikan kepadanya beberapa sanad, iapun dengan tepat pula mampu mengucapkan ulang dan menghafalnya, sehingga ulama tersebut berkata: "Jika anak ini hidup, niscaya ia kelak mempunyai kedudukan besar, sebab belum pernah ada seorang bocah sepertinya".
Sejak kecil ia hidup dan dibesarkan di tengah-tengah para ulama sehingga mempunyai kesempatan untuk membaca sepuas-puasnya kitab-kitab yang bermanfaat. Ia menggunakan seluruh waktunya untuk belajar dan belajar dan menggali ilmu, terutama tentang Al-Qur'an dan Sunnah Nabi.

Kepribadiannya

Dia adalah orang yang keras pendiriannya dan teguh berpijak pada garis-garis yang telah ditentukan Allah, mengikuti segala perintah-Nya dan menjauhi segala larangan-Nya. Ia pernah berkata: ”Jika dibenakku sedang berfikir suatu masalah, sedangkan hal itu merupakan masalah yang muskil bagiku, maka aku akan beristighfar seribu kali atau lebih atau kurang. Sampai dadaku menjadi lapang dan masalah itu terpecahkan. Hal itu aku lakukan baik di pasar, di masjid atau di madrasah. Semuanya tidak menghalangiku untuk berdzikir dan beristighfar hingga terpenuhi cita-citaku.”

Menjadi jenderal

Dia pernah memimpin sebuah pasukan untuk melawan pasukan Mongol di Syakhab, dekat kota Damaskus, pada tahun 1299 Masehi dan dia mendapat kemenangan yang gemilang. Pada Februari 1313, dia juga bertempur di kota Jerussalem dan mendapat kemenangan. Dan sesudah karirnya itu, dia tetap mengajar sebagai profesor yang ulung[3]

Pendidikan dan karyanya

Di Damaskus ia belajar pada banyak guru, dan memperoleh berbagai macam ilmu diantaranya ilmu hitung (matematika), khat (ilmu tulis menulis Arab), nahwu, ushul fiqih. Ia dikaruniai kemampuan mudah hafal dan sukar lupa. Hingga dalam usia muda, ia telah hafal Al-Qur'an. Kemampuannya dalam menuntut ilmu mulai terlihat pada usia 17 tahun. Dan usia 19, ia telah memberi fatwa dalam masalah masalah keagamaan.
Ibnu Taymiyyah amat menguasai ilmu rijalul hadits (perawi hadits) yang berguna dalam menelusuri Hadits dari periwayat atau pembawanya dan Fununul hadits (macam-macam hadits) baik yang lemah, cacat atau shahih. Ia memahami semua hadits yang termuat dalam Kutubus Sittah dan Al-Musnad. Dalam mengemukakan ayat-ayat sebagaihujjah (dalil), ia memiliki kehebatan yang luar biasa, sehingga mampu mengemukakan kesalahan dan kelemahan para mufassir atau ahli tafsir. Tiap malam ia menulis tafsir, fiqh, ilmu 'ushul sambil mengomentari para filusuf . Sehari semalam ia mampu menulis empat buah kurrosah (buku kecil) yang memuat berbagai pendapatnya dalam bidang syari'ah. Ibnul Wardi menuturkan dalam Tarikh Ibnul Wardi bahwa karangannya mencapai lima ratus judul. Karya-karyanya yang terkenal adalah Majmu' Fatawa yang berisi masalah fatwa fatwa dalam agama Islam

Wafatnya

Ibnu Taimiyah meninggal penjara Qal`ah Dimasyq disaksikan oleh salah seorang muridnya Ibnul Qayyim, ketika dia sedang membaca Al-Qur'an surah Al-Qamar yang berbunyi"Innal Muttaqina fi jannatin wanaharin"[3] . Ia berada di penjara ini selama dua tahun tiga bulan dan beberapa hari, mengalami sakit dua puluh hari lebih. Di masa tuanya, dia menulis banyak kitab sekaligus mengisi waktunya. Dia dipenjara karena berseberangan dengan pemerintah di zamannya.[4] Sewaktu menulis, dia sering juga saling bersurat-suratan kepada kawan-kawannya. Akhirnya, pihak pemerintah merampas semua peralatan tulisnya, tinta, dan kertas-kertas dari tangan dia. Namun, dia tidak pernah patah arang. Dia banyak berdakwah dengan menulis surat kepada kawan-kawannya, dan teman-temannya memakai arang. Sehingga, dengan terang, dia berkata, "Orang yang diopenjara adalah orang yang dipenjara harinya dari Rabbnya; sedang, orang yang tertawan adalah orang yang ditawan oleh hawa nafsunya."[4] Ia wafat pada tanggal 20 Dzulhijjah 728 H, dan dikuburkan pada waktu Ashar di samping kuburan saudaranya, Syaikh Jamal Al-Islam Syarafuddin.
Jenazahnya disalatkan di masjid Jami` Bani Umayah sesudah salat Zhuhur dihadiri para pejabat pemerintah, ulama, tentara serta para penduduk.
Pada saat itu, tidak ada seorangpun yang tak hadir melayat kecuali ada yang berhalangan, para wanita yang berjumlah kira-kira 15.000 orang juga datang melayat, ini belum termasuk suara isakan tangis dan doa yang terdengar di atas rumah-rumah sepanjang jalan menuju makam, sementara lelaki yang hadir diperkirakan 60.000 bahkan sampai 100.000 pelayat menurut kesaksian Ibnu Katsir.pat puj

Peninggalan

Sepanjang hidupnya, dia dikenal banyak sekali mendapat pujian dan celaan. Banyak kalangan ulama yang memujinya, dan sebagian ahli fiqih mencela dia karena ketidaktahuan mereka. Adapun ajarannya yang benar-benar memurnikan tauhid dari kesyirikan, khurafat, dan bid'ah, telah mengena dan diikuti oleh pengikut Salafi yang anti-kesyirikan.
Adapun, pada diri-pribadi Syaikh Ibnu Taimiyyah rahimahullahu 'alaih (رَحِمَهُ الله عَلَيْهِ), telah banyak kitab tentang studi pada biografi hidup dia; seperti kitab, risalah ilmiah, maupun yang bukan ilmiah, itu baik dari bahasa Arab, ataupun yang bukan bahasa Arab. Studi tentang kehidupan dia bukan hanya tentang kehidupan dia saja, berikut tentang kepribadian, dan keilmuannya, dan karya-karyanya begitu banyak.[5]
 “ Barang siapa yang ingin untuk mengambil contoh maka ambilah dari orang yang telah meninggal “
Karena boleh jadi orang yang pertengahan hidupnya baik dan ternyata pada akhirnya berada dalam kesesatan.
Maka tokoh yang satu ini adalah salah satu contoh figur yang pantas untuk kita jadikan panutan karena keistiqomahan beliau dalam dien ini hingga ajal menjemput. Dan hampir pada setiap karya – karya tulis ilmiyah diniyah pasti mencantukan aqwal beliau. Beliau adalah syeikhul islam ibnu Taimiyah. Sedikit kami ketengahkan kehadapan para pembaca sekalian biografi singkat beliau.
Diterjemahkan dari Iqtidho’ Shirothil Mustaqim Li Mukholafatil Ashabil Jahim yang ditahqiq dan dita’liq oleh Dr. Nashir bin Abdul Karim Al ‘Aql hafizhahullahPenerjemah: Abu Ismail Muhammad Abduh Tuasikal
Nasab Beliau
Beliau adalah Syaikhul Islam Al Imam Ahmad bin Abdul Halim bin Abdus Salam bin Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Al Khadr bin Muhammad bin Al Khadr bin Ali bin Abdullah bin Taimiyyah Al Harani Ad Dimasyqi. Nama Kunyah beliau adalah Abul ‘Abbas.
Kelahiran dan Pertumbuhan Beliau
Beliau lahir pada tanggal 12 Rabi’ul Awwal 661 Hijriah di Haran. Ketika berumur 7 tahun, beliau berpindah ke Damaskus bersama ayahnya dalam rangka melarikan diri dari pasukan Tartar yang memerangi kaum muslimin. Beliau tumbuh di keluarga yang penuh ilmu, fikih, dan agama. Buktinya adalah banyak dari ayah, kakek, saudara, dan banyak dari paman beliau adalah ulama yang terkenal. Di antaranya adalah kakek beliau yang jauh (kakek nomor 4), yaitu Muhammad bin Al Khadr, juga Abdul Halim bin Muhammad bin Taimiyyah dan Abdul Ghani bin Muhammad bin Taimiyyah. Juga kakek beliau yang pertama, yaitu Abdus Salam bin Abdullah bin Taimiyyah Majdud Diin nama kunyahnya adalah Abul Barakaat, memiliki beberapa tulisan di antaranya: Al Muntaqa min Al Ahadits Al Ahkam (kitab ini disyarah oleh Imam Syaukani dengan judul Nailul Author, pent), Al Muharrar dalam bidang fiqih, Al Muswaddah dalam bidang Ushul Fiqh, dan lainnya. Begitu juga dengan ayah beliau, Abdul Halim bin Abdus Salam Al Harani dan saudaranya, Abdurrahman dan lainlain. Di lingkungan ilmiah dan shalihah ini, beliau tumbuh. Beliau memulai menuntut ilmu pertama kali pada ayahnya dan juga pada ulama-ulama Damaskus. Beliau telah menghafalkan Al Quran sejak kecil. Beliau juga telah mempelajari hadits, fikih, ilmu ushul, dan tafsir. Beliau dikenal sebagai orang yang cerdas, memiliki hafalan yang kuat dan memiliki kecerdasan sejak kecil. Kemudian beliau intensif mempelajari ilmu dan mendalaminya. Sehingga terkumpul dalam diri beliau syarat-syarat mujtahid ketika masa mudanya. Maka tidak lama kemudian beliau menjadi seorang imam yang diakui oleh
Ulamaulama besar dengan ilmu, kelebihan, dan keimamannya dalam agama, sebelum beliau berusia 30 tahun.
Karya Ilmiah Beliau
Dalam bidang penulisan buku dan karya ilmiah, beliau telah meninggalkan bagi umat Islam warisan yang besar dan bernilai. Tidak henti-hentinya para ulama dan para peneliti mengambil manfaat dari tulisan beliau. Sampai sekarang ini telah terkumpul berjilid-jilid buku, risalah (buku kecil), Fatawa dan berbagai masa’il (pembahasan suatu masalah) dari beliau dan ini yang sudah dicetak. Sedangkan yang tersisa dari karya beliau yang masih belum diketahui atau tersimpan dalam bentuk manuskrip masih banyak sekali.
Beliau tidaklah membiarkan satu bidang ilmu dan pengetahuan yang bermanfaat bagi umat dan mengabdi pada umat, kecuali beliau menulisnya dan berperan serta di dalamnya dengan penuh kesungguhan dan ketelitian. Hal seperti ini jarang sekali ditemui kecuali pada orang-orang yang jenius dan orang yang jenius adalah orang yang sangat langka dalam sejarah. Teman dekat, guru, murid beliau bahkan musuh beliau, telah mengakui keluasan penelaahan dan ilmu beliau. Buktinya jika beliau berbicara tentang suatu ilmu atau cabang ilmu, maka orang yang mendengar menyangka bahwa beliau tidak mumpuni pada ilmu lain. Hal ini dikarenakan ketelitian dan pendalaman beliau terhadap ilmu tersebut. Jika seseorang meneliti tulisan dan karya beliau dan mengetahui amal beliau
berupa jihad dengan menggunakan tangan dan lisan, dan pembelaan terhadap Islam serta mengetahui tentang ibadah dan zikir beliau, maka sungguh dia akan sangat terkagum-kagum dengan keberkahan waktu dan kuatnya kesabaran beliau. Maha Suci Allah yang telah mengaruniakan pada beliau berbagai karunia tersebut.
Jihad dan Pembelaan Beliau untuk Islam
Banyak orang tidak mengetahui sisi amaliah dari kehidupan beliau. Banyak orang hanya mengenal beliau sebagai ulama, penulis, dan ahli fatwa melalui karya beliau yang tersebar. Padahal beliau memiliki sikap-sikap yang diakui dalam berbagai bidang yang lain, yang beliau ikut berperan serta dalam menolong dan memuliakan kaum muslimin. Di antaranya: beliau berjihad dengan pedang dan menyemangati kaum muslimin untuk berperang, baik dengan perkataan dan perbuatan beliau. Beliau berputar-putar dengan pedangnya di medan pertempuran dengan menunggang kuda dengan sangat lihai dan berani. Orang-orang yang menyaksikan beliau dalam peperangan penaklukan kota ‘Ukaa, terkagum-kagum dengan keberaniannya dan serangannya terhadap musuh. Adapun jihad beliau dengan pena dan lisan. Maka beliau rahimahullah telah berdiri di depan musuh-musuh Islam dari penganut berbagai agama, aliran, isme yang batil, dan ahlul bid’ah bagaikan gunung yang kokoh. Kadang dengan perdebatan langsung, terkadang pula melalui tulisan. Beliau menghancurkan syubhat-syubhat (racun pemikiran) mereka dan mengembalikan tipu daya mereka bihamdillah.
Beliau menghadapi ahli filsafat, bathiniyyah baik dari golongan sufiyyah, isma’iliyyah, , nashiriyyah, dan selain mereka. Sebagaimana beliau juga menghadapi rafidhah dan golongan yang sesat (atheis). Beliau hancurkan syubhat-syubhat ahlul bid’ah yang diadakan di sekeliling masyahid (kuburan yang ramai untuk diziarahi), kuburan secara umum, dan semacamnya.

Sebagaimana beliau menghadapi jahmiyyah, mu’tazilah, dan beliau membantah ahlul kalam dan asya’iroh. Orang yang melihat sisi ini dari kehidupan beliau hampir-hampir menegaskan tidak ada lagi waktu yang sia-sia yang tersisa dalam kehidupan beliau. Beliau diperangi, diusir, disakiti, dan dipenjara berkalikali di jalan Allah. Bahkan tatkala menghadapi ajal, beliau berada di penjara Al Qol’ah, di Damaskus. Tak ada henti-hentinya bihamdillah bantahan beliau selalu menjadi senjata yang ampuh untuk menghadapi musuh kebenaran dan orang yang menyimpang. Karena bantahan beliau ini selalu disandarkan pada Kitabullah dan Sunnah Rasulullah shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam serta petunjuk salafush shalih, dengan kuatnya istinbath (penyimpulan hukum), pendalilan yang sangat bagus, alasan (argumen) secara syar’i dan akal, dan luasnya ilmu beliau yang telah Allah karuniai.
Banyak dari paham yang merusak yang laris manis pada hari ini di tengah-tengah kaum muslimin merupakan perpanjangan tangan dari firqah-firqah dan isme-isme (pemahaman-pemahaman) yang beliau hadapi dan semisalnya pula dihadapi oleh pendahulu kita yang shalih. Oleh karena itu, semestinya para da’i yang ingin memperbaiki umat jangan sampai lalai dari sisi ini. Seharusnya mereka mengambil faedah dari bantahan-bantahan yang terlebih dahulu dibuat oleh para pendahulu mereka yang shalih.
Tidaklah aku (Syaikh Nashir Al Aql, pent) berlebih-lebihan dengan yang akan aku katakan. Bahwasanya tak henti-hentinya kitab-kitab dan bantahan-bantahan beliau adalah senjata yang paling kuat untuk menghadapi firqah-firqah sesat dan isme-isme yang merusak ini, yang laris manis yang mulai muncul lagi pada hari ini. Firqah dan isme ini merupakan perpanjangan dari masa lalu. Akan tetapi di antara firqah-firqah itu ada yang berbaju dengan baju modern dan hanya merubah nama mereka saja. Misalnya Ba’tsiyyah (sebuah aliran sosialis/sekuler, pent), Isytiraqiyyah (sosialisme), nasionalisme, Qadianiah (Ahmadiah), Baha’iyyah (aliran sesat di India) dan firqah-firqah yang lain. Ada pula yang masih tetap dengan slogannya yang dulu seperti Syi’ah, Rafidhah, Nashiriyyah, Isma’iliyyah, Khowarij dan lainlain.
Sifat-Sifat Beliau
Di samping aspek ilmu, pemahaman agama, dan amar ma’ruf nahi mungkar (memerintahkan yang baik dan melarang dari kemungkaran) yang terkenal dari beliau, sungguh Allah telah mengaruniai beliau sifat yang terpuji yang sudah dikenali dan diakui oleh banyak orang. Beliau adalah orang yang dermawan dan mulia, selalu mengutamakan orang-orang yang membutuhkan melebihi dari diri beliau sendiri, baik dalam hal makanan, pakaian, dan selainnya. Beliau adalah orang yang sering beribadah dan membaca Al Quran. Beliau adalah orang yang wara’ dan zuhud, hampir-hampir beliau tidak memiliki sesuatu pun dari kesenangan dunia, kecuali yang merupakan kebutuhan pokok (primer) dan sifat seperti ini sudah diketahui oleh orang-orang pada zamannya, sampai-sampai orang awam pun mengetahuinya. Beliau juga orang yang tawadhu’ dalam penampilan, pakaian, dan interaksi beliau dengan orang lain. Beliau tidak pernah memakai pakaian yang mewah atau pun jelek (beliau selalu berpakaian yang tengah-tengah, tidak mewah dan tidak jelek pent). Beliau tidaklah memaksamaksakan diri (berbasa-basi) terhadap orang yang beliau temui. Beliau terkenal sebagai orang yang karismatik dan keras dalam membela kebenaran. Beliau memiliki karisma yang luar biasa di depan penguasa, ulama, dan orang awam. Setiap orang yang melihat beliau, akan langsung mencintai, segan, dan menghormati beliau, kecuali ahlul bid’ah yang diliputi rasa dengki. Sebagaimana beliau terkenal sebagai orang yang sangat sabar di jalan Allah, beliau juga memiliki firasat yang kuat dan memiliki doa yang mustajab. Beliau juga memiliki karamah lain yang diakui. Semoga Allah merahmati beliau dengan rahmat yang luas dan menempatkannya di surgaNya.
Masa Beliau
Sungguh beliau rahimahullah telah hidup di suatu masa yang terdapat banyak bid’ah dan kesesatan. Banyak isme-isme yang batil berkuasa. Semakin bertambah pula syubhat (racun pemikiran). Kebodohan, ta’ashub (fanatik) dan taqlid buta (mengikuti seseorang tanpa dalil) semakin tersebar. Pada saat itu pula, kaum muslimin diperangi oleh pasukan Tartar dan pasukan Salib (dari orangorang
Eropa). Kita akan mendapati potret masa beliau dengan jelas dan gamblang melalui buku-buku beliau yang ada di hadapan kita. Karena beliau sangat perhatian dengan urusan kaum muslimin. Beliau juga berperan serta menyelesaikan masalah-masalah tersebut dengan pena, lisan dan tangannya. Barang siapa yang memperhatikan tulisan-tulisan beliau, maka akan mendapati gambaran bentuk ini pada masa beliau:
1. Semakin banyaknya bid’ah dan syirik, lebih-lebih kesyirikan yang terdapat di sekitar masyahid dan kuburan yang diziarahi dan palsu. Juga i’tiqod (keyakinan) yang batil terhadap orang yang hidup dan yang mati. Mereka diyakini dapat memberi manfaat dan dapat memberi kesusahan. Maka mereka diseru/didoai sebagai sesembahan selain Allah.
2. Tersebarnya filsafat, penyimpangan, dan perdebatan.
3. Tasawuf dan tarekat-tarekat sufi yang sesat menguasai orang-orang awam. Tersebar pula di sana isme-isme dan pemikiran bathiniyyah.
4. Rafidhah semakin berperan dalam urusan kaum muslimin. Mereka menyebarkan bid’ah dan kesyirikan di tengah-tengah kaum muslimin. Mereka mengendurkan semangat umat untuk berjihad. Bahkan mereka membantu pasukan Tartar yang merupakan musuh kaum muslimin.
5. Pada akhirnya, kita lihat semakin kuatnya Ahlusunnah wal Jamaah dengan sebab beliau. Beliau memotivasi dan memberikan semangat kepada Ahlusunnah. Hal ini memiliki pengaruh yang bagus bagi kaum muslimin hingga saat ini dalam menghadapi bid’ah dan kemungkaran, amar ma’ruf nahi munkar, menasihati pemimpin kaum muslimin, dan kaum muslimin secara umum. Syaikhul Islam di zamannya tegar dalam menghadapi penyimpangan-penyimpangan ini dengan sikap yang telah diakui. Beliau memerintahkan, melarang, menasihati, menjelaskan sehingga Allah memperbaiki banyak keadaan kaum muslimin dengan tangan beliau. Allah telah menolong Sunnah dan Ahlusunnah melalui beliau, walhamdulillah.
Wafat Beliau
Sesungguhnya di antara tanda kebaikan orang shalih dan diterimanya dia di tengah-tengah kaum muslimin adalah: orang-orang merasa kehilangannya tatkala dia meninggal dunia. Oleh karena itu, para salaf menilai banyaknya orang yang menyalati merupakan tanda kebaikan dan diterimanya orang tersebut. Oleh karena itu, Imam Ahmad – rahimahullah mengatakan, “Katakan pada Ahlul Bid’ah, perbedaan antara kami dan kalian adalah pada hari kematian”, yaitu orang-orang akan merasakan kehilangan Imam Ahlusunnah, apabila imam itu meninggal akan terlihat banyaknya orang yang mengiringi jenazahnya ke pemakaman. Sungguh realita telah menunjukkan hal itu. Belum ada yang pernah terdengar seperti kematian dua imam (yang samasama bernama Ahmad, pent) yaitu Imam Ahmad bin Hambal dan Ahmad bin Taimiyyah ketika keduanya meninggal. Begitu banyak orang yang mengiringi ke pemakaman dan keluar bersama jenazah keduanya serta menyalati keduanya. Ini bukanlah suatu yang aneh karena kaum muslimin adalah saksi Allah di bumi ini. Demikianlah Syaikhul Islam rahimahullah wafat, dalam keadaan beliau terpenjara di penjara Al Qol’ah, Damaskus, pada malam Senin, 20 Dzulqo’dah 728 Hijriyah. Seluruh penduduk Damaskus dan sekitarnya merayap untuk menyalati dan mengiringi jenazah beliau ke pemakaman. Berbagai referensi yang menyebutkan kematian beliau sepakat bahwa yang menghadiri pemakaman beliau adalah jumlah yang sangat besar sekali yang tidak bisa dibayangkan jumlahnya. Semoga Allah merahmati dan memberi balasan dengan kebaikan yang banyak atas jasa beliau terhadap Islam dan kaum muslimin. (iroel)
Sumber penulisan biografi ini :
1. Al I’lam, Khoiruddin Az Zarkali. (1/144)
2. Al A’laam Al ‘Aliyyah fii Manaqib Ibnu Taimiyyah, Al Hafidz Umar Al Bazzar, ditahqiq
oleh Asy Syawisy.
3. Al Bidayatu wan Nihayah, Ibnu Katsir. (135139/14)
4. Syadzarotudz Dzahab, Ibnul ‘Ammaad. (8086/6)
5. Fawatul Wifayaat, Muhammad Ibnu Syakir Al Kutubi. (7480/1)
6. Kitabudz Dzail ‘ala Thobaqotil Hanabilah, Abul Faroj Abdurrahman bin Ahmad Al
Baghdadi. (387 – 408)
7. Manaqib Al Imam Ahmad bin Hambal. Ibnul Jauzi, ditahqiq oleh Dr. Abdullah bin


Abdul Muhsin At Turki.

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