  All praises are due to Allah. We praise Him, seek His help,
and ask for (His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil in our souls
and from our sinful deeds. Whoever Allah guides, no one can misguide. And
whoever Allah misguides, no one can guide. I bear witness that there is no one
worthy of worship except Allah. And I bear witness that Muhammad (SAAS) is His
servant and Messenger.
In their search for worthy examples, people tend to look to the past, hoping to
resurrect the legacy of those great and honourable men who contributed greatly
to the  Ummah through their knowledge, wisdom, and courage. It is said that the
people agonise when they find no one of significance to look up to.
Fortuitously, society does not solely consist of the living, but also the dead.
The greatest of the dead are still alive amongst us.
One of those unique men in lslaamic heritage was the dignified Scholar and
valiant Mujaahid: Ahmad bin 'Abdul-Haleem bin Taymiyyah. He was one of the most
eloquent and truthful men in analysing the lslaamic mentality and methodology.
Yet when we return to the lslaamic heritage, we should not be solely and
sentimentally attached to the past, without it materializing and forming the
basis and drive for our present and future. This is what we hope to achieve in
this book.
Much of the heritage of Shaykh ul-lslaam Ibn Taymiyyah has been published; yet
it is still worth appreciating the age in which he lived and some of the
features that it enjoyed, and crucially, the reasons behind the sending of the
letters that are the subject of this book. The letters are predominantly
extracted from two books: Majmoo' ul-Fatawa, and al-'Uqood ud-Durreeyah, and,
except the letter to the Christian king, are from his time in prison.
Ibn Taymiyyah was born on 10th Rabi al-Awwal 661 AH (1263 CE) in the town of
Harran in the province of Jazeerah (1). He was a descendent of a very well known
and established family, characterized by excellent memories and beauty of
expression. His father, the Shaykh 'Abdul-Haleem was a scholar of hadeeth, and
his grandfather was Majdudeen Abul-Barakat, the author of Muntaqa al-Akhbar (2).
Says the grandson, "Our grandfather was phenomenal in memorizing hadeeth,
narrating them and in knowing people's schools of thought."
lbn Taymiyyah was born in an age of great cultural and political upheaval. It
was only five years prior to his birth that Baghdad was ravaged and mercilessly
destroyed by the Tatars, and his family had to flee to Damascus when he was
young. The savagery of those invaders had undoubtedly given the boy a deep
hatred of oppression, and further instilled in him courage to fight the enemy.
The age of lbn Taymiyyah was also characterized by the rise of many disciplines.
The underlying themes of these sciences, were their depth, breadth, and their
authors' attempts to fuse the rising sciences together. Indeed, many of the
books resembled encyclopaedias. lbn Taymiyyah had benefited from such an
environment, but at the same time he did not content himself to that which he
was taught. Instead, he was diligent in learning but maintained an independence
of thought. This meant that he was not restricted to one teacher or school of
thought, and thereby he gained from all, and produced novel ideas. This search
for knowledge led him to be familiar with many of his age's cultures and creeds.
He wrote extensively on beliefs, explaining the true one and rebuking those who
disagreed; but Tafseer (explanation of the Qur'aan) remained the subject that
always captivated him. "I might read a hundred interpretations of one verse, but
would still ask Allah's guidance in its comprehension saying, 'Oh teacher of
Aadam and lbraaheem teach me!' I would also go to the deserted masjids and ask
Allah, 'Oh teacher of lbraaheem! Make me comprehend.'" His contemporaries were
quick to recognise his merit, as al-Qadi az-Zamalkaanee gave a true description,
"Just as Allah had made iron soft for Daawood, He made sciences supple for Ibn
Taymiyyah's grasp."
Why was Ibn Taymiyyah such a distinguished figure, one might ask. Firstly, there
was his constant and unbroken bond with the masses of Muslims, for he was their
teacher and mentor, he would resolve their problems and defend their rights in
the face of the rulers. He would try to keep them steadfast when their enemies
attacked, he would enjoin the good and forbid the evil, and most especially, he
was not diverted by mundane worldly matters. Therefore, the whole of his time
was devoted to attaining knowledge and participating in jihads. Indeed, it was
this strong connection that made the general masses of Damascus love, respect
and honour him. Even the most jealous of his enemies were not able to harm him
there, but instead they had their chance in Egypt where he was not as well
known.
These sincere feelings for the affairs of Muslims can be sensed when Shaykh
ul-lslaam spoke regarding politics, "Civilisation is rooted in justice, and the
consequences of oppression are devastating. Therefore, it is said that Allah
aids the just state even if it is non-Muslim, yet withholds His help from the
oppressive state even if it is Muslim." He also said,"There are sincere Muslims
who perceive that commanding a high post (3) inevitably leads to love of rule
and wealth. Some common Muslims regard the acceptor of such responsibility, as a
turning away from the 'religion of mercy and humbleness'. However, the correct
attitude is that the appointment of the virtuous serves the Ummah far better
than assigning posts to the wicked." His concern was also with the public in
economic problems, attacking those who establish monopolies over foodstuffs, "In
times of need, the ruler can force people to sell their goods at their original
value!"
As the Tatars were approaching Damascus, fear gripped the population and some
thought of fleeing. Yet Ibn Taymiyyah rejected such defeatist ideas and instead,
he appealed for the people not to depart and to be steadfast. He would say in
encouragement to the generals of the army, "Allah will grant us victory!" and
they would respond by asking him to say, "Insh'Allah," but he would reply, "I
say it in certainty and not in mere hope!" Indeed, he participated in the Jihaad
against the Tatars in the battle of Shaqhab after announcing his famous Fatwa
declaring the Tatars kaffir, due to their insistence upon the abandonment of
some of the rites of Islaam, even though they pronounced the Shahaadah.
When one of the scholars was imprisoned, and the news reached Ibn Taymiyyah, he
personally went and managed the scholar's release, after praising and
vindicating him in front of the ruler of Damascus. In another instance, he heard
of a man who blasphemed against the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wa salam), so he
stood to forbid the evil, and with the masses supporting him, he wrote the
famous book, as-Sarim al-Maslool 'ala Shatem ar-Rasool (4). Furthermore, his
deep concern for the Muslims, and his intimate knowledge of their affairs in
every country, their conditions, and their nearness or distance to Islaam stands
out. This is illustrated in his description of the Muslims in the lands of Sham
(5) and Egypt who, were standing firm at his time, defending their lands. "
lf one is to review the affairs of the world, one would inevitably realise that
this group in ash-sham and Egypt are the most staunch group upholding the Deen
in knowledge, action and jihads. They are relieving the Muslims throughout the
world of their obligation of jihaad as they struggle against the hardened
disbelievers. The prestige of all Muslims is derived from that group's glory. .
.
"For the inhabitants of Yemen are weak, and unable or unwilling to carry out
jihads, subservient to their rulers,
"The Hijaazi peoples are swamped in the depths of innovations and misguidance,
and their people of knowledge and faith are weak and subdued. lf that group in
ash-Sham and Egypt were to be subjugated - and l seek refuge in Allah from that-
then those from Hijaaz would be rendered the most degraded of Allah's servants.
"The lands of Africa (6) are led by its Bedouins and they are very wicked, and
themselves deserving to be conquered by jihaad. Further on, the lands of the
Maghreb are all but occupied by the Europeans, yet Muslims there do not attempt
their jihads. Had Tatars occupied those regions, they would have encountered
timid people. . .
"Therefore, it is clear that it is that group situated in ash-Sham and Egypt who
are the vanguard of Islam, their success is an honour for Islaam, and their
defeat is a calamity for it."
This lengthy quote is included for its importance and to demonstrate lbn
Taymiyyah's up-to-date insight into the affairs of his time, and mistreat
ability to interpret the social and psychological condition of the people.
Secondly, next to the Shaykh's connection with the masses and knowledge of
current affairs, he also possessed a depth of understanding and a high level of
alertness. He noticed that, from the end of the second century AH, there existed
of a group of Muslims who were fascinated by the philosophies of Plato and the
logic of Aristotle (7). That group tried to instil the theories of the
philosophers into the pure creed, thereby disfiguring it, so that beneficial
knowledge was turned into sterile debate and idle discussion. The abstract
theories had never been able to grant felicity to mankind, which was
always granted in the light of Prophethood. Truly, here is an Imaam uninfected
by an inferiority complex that diseased some scholars, past and present.
Thirdly, the letters, which were selected for this book, are another side of Ibn
Taymiyyah. A side many people do not know of. Usually, it is his uncompromising
stances and truthful, sometimes harsh retorts that are often remembered.
However, there is a side of his character that writes a letter to his mother
full of concern, leniency and respect. Other letters are for his brothers and
students in Damascus, and are characterized by love and advice. He also shows
forgiveness towards those who worked to imprison him. Another is a letter full
of wisdom, eloquence and firmness to a Christian king. This is the side of his
character unknown to many - that of Ibn Taymiyyah, the benevolent man with a
heart full of Eemaan and mercy.
These letters were predominantly written in prison. But why was such a Shaykh
imprisoned? He was neither imprisoned by a non-Muslim state nor by an oppressive
ruler. Unfortunately, his gaoling was conspired by some of the envious Shaykhs
of his time, "due to his individual distinction in enjoining the good and
forbidding the evil, for people's genuine love and adherence to him, and to the
large number of his followers." (8) This is along with their asabeeyah (9) to
what they themselves wrote in Fiqh or Beliefs, and although some did it with a
good intention, they nevertheless all conspired to provoke the ruler against Ibn
Taymiyyah, and as a result he was imprisoned in Cairo, Alexandria and Damascus.
Herein lies a serious problem. How can a scholar be imprisoned as a result of an
Ijtihaad, by which he differed from other scholars yet never transgressed beyond
the boundaries of ijtihaad, and certainly not outside of Islaam? How is it that
we cannot accommodate another opinion by a scholar noted for his love for Allah
and His Messenger? One says this not to solely dig into the past, but because
currently, there are similar incidents and this is indeed a very pitiful state.
Our hearts should be big enough to encompass disagreements as long as they are
not in the areas of innovation, deviation or legislation contradicting Allah's
command. We should not resort to replies and retorts, which show false piety and
bravery, or to using titles to give the mistaken impression of a battle being
waged against an enemy, as if with swords and not with the words that are being
used.
We return to Shaykh ul-Islaam in prison. The story began when he wrote a
treatise entitled al-Hamaweeyab in reply to a question from the town of Hama
regarding Allah's Attributes in 698 AH. He was asked to explain the treatise in
Damascus in a few public gatherings. There, he informed the Deputy Sultan that
what was in the treatise was not novel, but had been written in his own book 'Aqeedah
al-Wassiteeyah a few years earlier, and that both books included the beliefs of
Ahlus-Sunnah. None could debate or doubt his strong and evidence-based works.
The Deputy tried to resolve the objections of other scholars, by announcing that
IbnTaymiyyah's works were following the tradition of Imaam Ahmad bin Hanbal. Ibn
Taymiyyah rejected this appeasing attitude, and replied that it was the 'Aqeedah
of the predecessors, and was not exclusive to Imaam Ahmad.
The Shaykhs of Egypt succeeded where their counterparts in Damascus failed. This
was due to his credibility and trustworthiness in the second capital Damascus,
and his anonymity in the first (Cairo, Egypt). The Shaykhs in Cairo had managed
to incite the oppressive ruler, Ruknudeen Baybars the Jashangir whose personal
shaykh and mentor, was a fanatical Soofee named Nasr al-Manbaji (10). As a
result, a sultanate order was issued to bring Ibn Taymiyyah to Cairo for
interrogation in 705 AH. Against the advice of the Deputy Sultan in Damascus,
Shaykh ul-Islaam decided to go to Egypt as he saw much benefit in being there.
On his day of departure, says his student Ibn 'Abdul-Haadi, "People gathered to
bid their farewells, overwhelmed by grief and surprise. . . many weeping." (11)
When Shaykh ul-Islaam arrived in Egypt, a tribunal chaired by the judge Ibn
Makhloof al-Maaliki was arranged. However, the Shaykh felt that his arbiter was
also his opponent, and thus refused to answer questions. As a result, he was
imprisoned in the Mount's Castle in Cairo with his brothers 'Adullaah and 'Abdur-Rahman.
In the meantime, he sent a letter to one of his relatives wherein he mentions
that he refused the gift of the Sultanate, not wanting to be defiled in anyway.
Eighteen months passed before Ibn Taymiyyah was released unconditionally after
the intervention of an Arab Prince named Husamudeen bin 'Eesaa in 707 AH. There
were earlier initiatives that failed, due to Ibn Taymiyyah's captors attempting
to attach conditions that were unacceptable to him. After his release, Ibn
Taymiyyah stayed in Cairo where he established classes and circles of knowledge
in masjids, to benefit the people thereby. Yet those who harboured rotten ideas,
feared the light of guidance emanating from the presence of the Shaykh amongst
them. After the Sultan received their complaints, he decided to expel Shaykh
ul-Islaam back to Syria, but with conditions, which he later accepted at the
insistence of his followers. As he was embarking upon his trip, an orderers
issued to re-imprison him (12). One must relay the magnificent scene witnessed
when Shaykh ul-Islaam was re-jailed,
"When he entered prison, he saw the prisoners busy with all kinds of
time-wasting games for entertainment, such as chess and dice games, leading to
loss of prayer. The Shaykh rebuked them strongly, and commanded them to keep the
prayers, and turn towards Allah in worship, repentance and good deeds. He taught
them from the Sunnah what they needed to know, encouraging them to do good, and
bolstering their faith, and thereby rendered the prison a haven for seekers of
the knowledge of religion. Such a place became better than schools and circles.
Some of the released prisoners preferred staying with him rather than being
free; and those frequenting his company increased to a point where the prison
became full of them!" (13)
This state of affairs did not please the envious, and so he was sent to a prison
in Alexandria. Soon afterwards, the self-exiled Sultan Muhammad bin Qalawoon,
who had a great deal of respect for the Shaykh returned in triumph. The Sultan
asked for Ibn Taymiyyah to be returned to Cairo. When he came to the Sultanate
court, it was full of princes and scholars. The Sultan stood up for the Shaykh
greeting him warmly, and then took him to a distant corner and asked, "There are
amongst those scholars present here, those whose oath was given to the Jashangir
(Qalawoon's former rival), and had slandered you.'' He then asked for his
opinion (fatwa) to exterminate them. The Shaykh strongly objected and replied,
"If they were to go, none of the same calibre could then be found in your
country. As for what they have done to me, and my right to extract a punishment,
I forgive them, and they are free." (14) And thus the coming of Shaykh ul-Islaam
to Cairo was sealed, where he resided near al-Hussayn Masjid, with his
ever-present commitment to the spreading of knowledge, and courageous enjoining
the good and forbidding the evil.
In 712 AH, Ibn Taymiyyah returned to Damascus after an absence of seven years
and few days. The Egyptian Army that had been dispatched to block the attack of
the Tatars accompanied him. He later resettled in Damascus returning to
publicise the knowledge of the religion. Yet again, his opponents would not
leave him as he gave a fatwa that contradicted their opinions. This was coupled
with what they had found in his book Iqtida 'as-Siraat ul-Mustaqim in the form
of a chapter on 'Travelling in order to visit graves' and its unlawfulness
according to the texts. By this time, the envious scholars had managed to change
the mind of the hitherto sympathetic Sultan, who in turn ordered Ibn Taymiyyah's
arrest to the Castle in Damascus. Shaykh ul-lslaam was uttering the verse whilst
entering his cell: "And thereupon a wall will be raised between them, with a
gate in it. Within it will be grace and mercy, and the outside thereof
suffering." Al-Qur'aan 57:13
In prison he continued to write, working on tafseer, reciting the Qur'aan, and
worshipping his Lord. He was later refused access to ink, paper and books, and
soon after that, the enlightened heart stopped, and the pure soul passed to the
grace of its Lord in the confines of prison in 728 AH. May Allah have mercy on
him, please him and be pleased with him. Thus was the story of the reformer and
revivalist Imaam. The example of knowledge, jihaad and chivalry...of one who
forgave his opponents save those enemies of Allah and His Messenger.
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