THE BIOGRAPHY OF SHYKHUL ISLAM IBN TAYMIYYAH 3 THE STATUS AND RANK OF IBN TAYMIYYAH Shaykh ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah held a lofty status amongst the scholars of his time. This was for a number of reasons, such as his ability to clarify matters that were vague to the other scholars of his time, such as the issue of fighting the Tartars and the issue of the wealth obtained from some of the sects of the Rafidah . Ibn Taymiyyah expounded upon these matters and clarified them to the people. In the year 701H, a Jew came from Khaybar alleging that he had a letter from the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, which abrogated the Jizyah that the Jews had to pay to the Muslims. Ibn Taymiyyah exposed his lies and critically scrutinised and invalidated the letter from a hadith point of view and relying upon historical knowledge. Whilst Ibn Taymiyyah was in prison in Cairo, Ibn Kathir mentions: Difficult legal questions used to be sent to him from governors and specific people, which the Jurists could not deal with, and he would respond from the Book and Sunnah in a way that would bewilder the minds. Another reason was his role in jihad; he was not only a brave soldier but also an instructor and leader. He was sought after for advice and military strategy. Most importantly, one of the greatest causes behind his exalted rank amidst the scholars and common folk alike was his comprehensive knowledge. When he gave a lecture; delivered a sermon; gave a legal ruling; wrote a letter or authored a book in any field, he would produce a level of knowledge that far excelled the other scholars of his time. This is why Ibn Taymiyyah became a reference point amongst the people. Whenever two people fell into dispute over a matter - and they could be from the people of knowledge and students alike as noticed from some questions - his opinion would be the deciding factor. THE PRAISE OF THE SCHOLARS FOR IBN TAYMIYYAH Al-Hafidh Adh-Dhahabi said: He is far greater than the likes of me to inform on his qualities. If I were made to swear (by Allah) by the corner (of the Kabah ) and the place (of Ibrahim), I would swear that I have not seen with my two eyes the like of him and by Allah, he himself has not seen his own like in knowledge. Al-Hafidh Al-Mizzi said: I have not seen the like of him and nor have seen the like of himself. I have not seen one more knowledgeable of the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger and more compliant to it than him. Al-Imam Ibn Daqiq al-Eid said: When I met Ibn Taymiyyah, I saw a person who had all the types of knowledge between his eyes: he would take of it what he desired and leave of it what he desired. Al-Hafidh Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, may Allah have mercy upon him, mentioned in the context of refuting the one who opposed that Ibn Taymiyyah be termed Shaykh ul-Islam : The acclaim of Taqi ad-Din is more renown than that of the Sun and titling him Shaykh ul-Islam of his era remains until our time upon the virtuous tongues. It will continue tomorrow just as it was yesterday. No one refutes this but a person who is ignorant of his prestige or one who turns away from equity. Shaykh Kamal ad-Din Ibn az-Zamlakani, who debated with Ibn Taymiyyah on more than one occasion, said: Whenever he was questioned on a particular field of knowledge, the one who witnessed and heard (the answer) concluded that he had no knowledge of any other field and that no one possessed such as his knowledge. The jurists of all groups, whenever they sat with him, they would benefit from him regarding their own schools of thought in areas they previously were unaware of. It is not known that he debated anyone whereby the discussion carne to a standstill or that whenever he spoke on about a particular field of knowledge - whether it be related to the sciences of the Shariah or else - that he would not then excel the specialists of that field and those who are affiliated to it. He also said: The prerequisites of ijtihad were combined within him in the way they should be he was very proficient in authoring very well and in excelling in expression, arrangement, classification and explanation. Al-Hafidh Ibn Kathir said ... It was rare for him to he hear something and not memorise it and he occupied himself with the sciences. He was intelligent and had committed much to memory and thus, became an Imam in tafsir and what pertained to it. He had (comprehensive) knowledge of fiqh ; it was said that he had more knowledgeable of the fiqh of the madhahib then the followers of those very same madhahib in his time and other times. He was fully aware of the different opinions of the scholars. He was a scholar in Usul , the branches of the religion, grammar, the language and other textual and intellectual sciences. He was never overcome in a sitting and no noble (scholar) would speak to him on a particular science except that he thought that this science was the specialty of Ibn Taymiyyah and he would see him as being well-versed in it and having perfected it ... As for Hadith then he was the carrier of its flag, a hafidh in hadith, and able to distinguish the weak from the strong, fully acquainted with the narrators and being proficient in this ... Abu Hayyan al-Andalusi said: By Allah, my two eyes have never seen the like of Ibn Taymiyyah. Al-Hafidh Badr ad-Din al-Ayni al-Hanafi said: He is the Imam, the noble, the masterful, the pious, the pure, the devout, the proficient in the two sciences of hadith and tafsir, fiqh and the two fundamentals (i.e., the Book and Sunnah) with determination and precision. He is the sharp sword against the innovators, the authority, who established the matters of the religion and the great commander of the good and forbidder of evil. He possessed (noble) concern, bravery and embarked upon that which frightened and deterred. He was of much remembrance, fasting, prayer and worship.
Posted on: Fri, 22 Aug 2014 12:36:06 +0000
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