Three Statements of Ibn Taymiyyah

Three Statements of Ibn Taymiyyah A Reminder to My Brothers

Part One

Sheikh al Islam ibn Taymiyyah said in ‘Minhaj as Sunnah an Nabiwiyyah vol.6/189-191: “And Many of the people who go to extremes regarding their ‘Mushayakh’ believe or consider his sheikh to be like that (infallible) they say : ‘the sheikh is safeguarded and vindicated and they order others with following the sheikh in everything that he does, they never disagree with anything , and this is from the types of extremism amongst the Rafidah and the Christians and the Ismaeeliyyah: they claim that their scholars are infallible, and it is known that all of these statements are contrary to the religion of Islam, contrary to the Quran and the Sunnah and the Consensus of the Salaf and the noble scholars, for verily Allah says:

O you who believe! Obey Allâh and obey the Messenger (Muhammad sallallâhu alayhi wa salâm ), and those of you (Muslims) who are in authority. (And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allâh and His Messenger (sallallâhu alayhi wa salâm ), if you believe in Allâh and in the Last Day. That is better and more suitable for final determination. (An-Nisa 4:59)

Allah did not order us to refer our differences to anyone except to Allah and His messenger, so whoever establishes that a person is infallible other than the Prophet Muhammad, than built upon that than it is obligatory to refer any differences to that person, because the person believes that his sheikh doesn’t say anything except the truth like the Messenger of Allah and this is contrary to the Quran. And also, for verily the infallible one is the one who the obedience of him is absolute without restrictions and whoever disobeys him deserves to be threatened/punished. And the Quran verily established this right and obligation specifically and especially for the Messenger of Allah only and didn’t make any other conditions to obey any other person.

For this reason the people of knowledge, the people of the Quran and the Sunnah have come to agreement that every person other than the Messenger of Allah for verily their statements can be accepted and/or rejected, except for the Messenger of Allah. Verily it is obligatory to attest/affirm/believe in everything that he informed us and be obedient in everything he ordered us, for he (Messenger) is the one who Allah said about him:

“Nor does he speak of his own desire. It is only revelation which is revealed to him.” (An Najm 53:3-4)

And he (Allah’s Messenger) is the one who the people will be asked about on the Day of Resurrection as Allah said

Then surely, We shall question those (people) to whom it (the Book) was sent and verily, We shall question the Messengers. (Al-A’raf 7:6)

And (Allah’s Messenger) is the one who the people will be tested with in their graves, “as it is said to one of them in the graves: who is your lord, what is your religion, and who is your prophet? (Abu Dawud transmitted it, also see as Silsilatu as Saheehah #2628).

So if the person in the grave was to mention someone other than (Allah’s Messenger) from amongst the companions or the jurisprudence scholars or the ‘tabi’een’ and later generation scholars, then verily this will not benefit him. And one will not be tested or asked in his grave about any person except Allah’s Messenger.” End of summarized quote.

Sheikh al Islam ibn Taymiyyah also said in Majmoo’ al Fatawa vol.11/pg. 487 : “What is obligatory upon the Muslims is what Allah and His Messenger have made obligatory and no one can make something obligatory upon the Muslims which Allah and His Messenger have not. And some of what one says may be from what Allah and His Messenger says, if this is the case than it is obligatory to affirm and believe this. And some of what one says may not be from what Allah and His Messenger mentioned and not anyone from amongst the Salaf or the scholars (Jurisprudence), so in this case it is not obligatory upon the people to say that which Allah didn’t make obligatory upon them. Perhaps a man could say a word of truth, but it is not obligatory upon all of the people to say it, and he has no right to make it obligatory upon the people to say it, so what is the case if the word one may say contains falsehood.” End of quote.

Sheikh al Islam ibn Taymiyyah said in al Fatawa al Kubra vol. 2/103: “Whoever is bigoted/fanatical or shows partisanship to a specific person or Imam from amongst the scholars (jurisprudence) with the exclusion of the remaining Imam’s, for this person is similar in status to the one who shows partisanship or is bigoted to one specific companion of the Messenger of Allah with the exclusion of the remaining companions. This is like the ‘Rafidah’ who were bigoted towards Ali ibn Abee Talib with the exclusion of the remaining three ‘Khulafaah’ (Caliphates: Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthmaan) and the rest of the companions. And this is like the Khawarij who slander and defame Uthmaan and Ali may Allah be pleased with them.

Verily these are the ways of the people of innovations and desires which the Quran and Sunnah and Consensus have established that they are dispraised and have left off the legislation and methodology/way which Allah sent His Messenger with. Whoever becomes bigoted to one person from amongst the scholars in specific he is similar to those (Rafidah and Khawarij) even if they are bigoted to Imam Malik or Imam ash Shafee’ee or Imam Abu Haneefah or Imam Ahmed or other than them.” End of quote.

Abu Abdur Rahman Faruq Post

Makkah al Mukarramah

1432/3/20

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