Islamic Scholars & Sages Codexery

Ibn Taymiyya

Controversial Hanbali scholar, proto-Salafist theologian, and Qadiri Sufi.

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Ibn Taymiyya

Moataz1997 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Ibn Taymiyya was a Sunni Muslim scholar, jurist, and activist born in Harran in 1263 CE who fled Mongol invasions and settled in Damascus.[1][2] He is best known today as a major inspiration to the global Salafism movement.[2] He died in prison in Damascus in 1328 at age 65.[3]

Life and work

He committed the entire Quran to memory in his early teens and studied under over two hundred hadith scholars.[4][5] He completed his education at age 20 in 1282, having also studied Arabic grammar, mathematics, philosophy, and Sufism.[6] After his father died in 1284, he became head of the Sukkariyya madrasa and began teaching hadith.[7] He was imprisoned six times for his controversial views on theology, Sufi practices, and divorce, spending over six years in prison.[8][9]

Ibn Taymiyyah mosque
Ibn Taymiyyah mosque. Image: Moataz1997 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

His most famous student was Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, who shared his persecution.[10][11] After fleeing to Damascus, Ibn Taymiyya received instruction in Islamic jurisprudence from both his grandfather and his father.[1] Throughout his life, Ibn Taymiyya remained unmarried and devoted himself entirely to scholarship, authorship, and instruction.[12] Ibn Taymiyya issued a fatwa declaring jihad against the Ilkhanid regime, which he and his followers considered apostate because they governed according to their own laws instead of Sharia.[13][14]

Ibn Taymiyya passed away while incarcerated in the Citadel of Damascus; reports indicate that two hundred thousand men attended his funeral prayer.[3][15]

Shaykh ul-islam ibn taymiyyah's name
Shaykh ul-islam ibn taymiyyah's name. Image: Ashiqilahi123 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

What the cited sources add

The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy notes that Ibn Taymiyya's ontology is physicalist or materialist, contrary to dominant currents of post-classical Islamic thought.[2] According to the same source, Ibn Taymiyya argued that the unseen world consists of spatially and temporally extended particulars, not immaterial images.[2][16] The Stanford Encyclopedia states that Ibn Taymiyya was very well read in philosophical and theological literature and deployed extensive rational argumentation.[2] The Stanford Encyclopedia reports that Ibn Taymiyya wrote his refutation of Ashʿarī incorporealism during his first 12 months in prison in Egypt between 1306 and 1307.[2]

Donald Presgrave Little's 1975 paper "Did Ibn Taymiyya Have a Screw Loose?" was published in Studia Islamica and has been cited by 83 works.[17]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Ibn Taymiyya" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Esposito, "The Oxford Dictionary of Islam", Oxford Reference, 2003; Yahya An Najmi, "Explanation Of Al-Qasidah Al-Lamiyah", Hikmah Publications, p. 5; Woodward, "The Garebeg Malud: Veneration of the Prophet as Imperial Ritual", p. 170; Ghobadzdeh, "Sectarianism and the prevalence of 'othering' in Islamic thought", Third World Quarterly, May 18, 2015, p. 691–704; Nadvi, "Muslims and Greek Schools of Philosophy", Islamic Studies, 2012, p. 218; Kokoschka, "Islamic Theology, Philosophy and Law: Debating Ibn Taymiyya and Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya" en.wikipedia.org
  2. Hoover, Jon, "Ibn Taymiyya" The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2025 Edition), Edward N. Zalta & Uri Nodelman (eds.), Section 4.4.. facts only, no text reused. plato.stanford.edu
  3. Wikipedia, "Ibn Taymiyya" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Laoust 2012; Haque 1982, p. 6; Haque 1982, p. 6; Haque 1982, p. 6; Haque 1982, p. 6; Haque 1982, p. 6 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Ibn Taymiyya" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Haque 1982, p. 6; Haque 1982, p. 6; Laoust 2012; Laoust 2012 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Ibn Taymiyya" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Al-Matroudi, "Ibn Taymīyah, Taqī al-Dīn", Oxford Islamic Studies Online, February 14, 2015; Haque 1982, p. 6; Al-Dimashqi al-Hanbali, "Al-'Uqud ad-Dariat", p. 3; Al-Hanbali, "Shadharat al-Dhahab", 1932, p. 385, 383, 404; Haque 1982, p. 6; Haque 1982, p. 6; Laoust 2012; Al-Matroudi, "Ibn Taymīyah, Taqī al-Dīn", Oxford Islamic Studies Online, February 14, 2015; Michot, "The Princeton Encyclopedia of Islamic Political Thought", Princeton University Press, 2012, p. 238–241; Ibn Taimiya, "Sharh Al-Aqeedat-il-Wasitiyah", Dar-us-Salam, 1996, p. 9 en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Ibn Taymiyya" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Haque 1982, p. 6; Leaman, "The Qur'an: An Encyclopedia", Taylor & Francis, 2006, p. 280–282; Haque 1982, p. 6; Al-Matroudi, "Ibn Taymīyah, Taqī al-Dīn", Oxford Islamic Studies Online, February 14, 2015; Michot, "The Princeton Encyclopedia of Islamic Political Thought", Princeton University Press, 2012, p. 238–241; Laoust 2012; see aqidatul-waasitiyyah daarussalaam publications; Al-Matroudi, "Ibn Taymīyah, Taqī al-Dīn", Oxford Islamic Studies Online, February 14, 2015; Laoust 2012; Haque 1982, p. 6 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Ibn Taymiyya" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Michot, "The Princeton Encyclopedia of Islamic Political Thought", Princeton University Press, 2012, p. 238–241; Laoust 2012; Nettler, ""Ibn Taymīyah, Taqī al-Dīn Aḥmad." The Oxford Encyclopedia of Islam and Politics", Oxford Islamic Studies Online, February 14, 2015; Michot, "The Princeton Encyclopedia of Islamic Political Thought", Princeton University Press, 2012, p. 238–241; Leaman, "The Qur'an: An Encyclopedia", Taylor & Francis, 2006, p. 280–282; Bori, "Ibn Taymiyya and His Times", Oxford University Press, 2010; Laoust 2012; Michel, en.wikipedia.org
  8. Wikipedia, "Ibn Taymiyya" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Esposito, "Unholy War: Terror in the Name of Islam", Oxford University Press, 2003, p. 45; An-Na`im, "Islam and the Secular State: Negotiating the Futnture of Shari'a", Harvard University Press, 2010, p. 76; Esposito, "Unholy War: Terror in the Name of Islam", Oxford University Press, 2003, p. 45; Michot, "The Princeton Encyclopedia of Islamic Political Thought", Princeton University Press, 2012, p. 238–241; Al-Matroudi, "Ibn Taymīyah, Taqī al-Dīn Aḥmad", Oxford University Press, February 14, 2015; Al-Matroudi, "Ibn Taymīyah, Taqī al-Dīn", en.wikipedia.org
  9. Wikipedia, "Ibn Taymiyya" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: G. Rabil, "Salafism in Lebanon: From Apoliticism to Transnational Jihadism", Georgetown University Press, 2014, p. 26 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  10. Wikipedia, "Ibn Taymiyya" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Laoust 2012 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  11. Wikipedia, "Ibn Taymiyya" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Laoust 2012; Haque 1982, p. 6; Haque 1982, p. 6; Laoust 2012; Beranek, "From Visiting Graves to Their Destruction: The Question of Ziyara through the Eyes of Salafis", Brandeis University. Crown Center for Middle East Studies., July 2009, p. 11; Haque 1982, p. 6; Laoust 2012; Haque 1982, p. 6; Zargar, "The Hanbali and Wahhabi Schools of Thought As Observed Through the Case of Ziyārah", Ohio State University, 2014, p. 33–34 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  12. Wikipedia, "Ibn Taymiyya" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Al-Matroudi, "Ibn Taymīyah, Taqī al-Dīn", Oxford Islamic Studies Online, February 14, 2015; Esposito, "Unholy War: Terror in the Name of Islam", Oxford University Press, 2003, p. 45; Al-Matroudi, "Ibn Taymīyah, Taqī al-Dīn Aḥmad", Oxford University Press, February 14, 2015; Al-Matroudi, "Ibn Taymīyah, Taqī al-Dīn Aḥmad", Oxford University Press, February 14, 2015 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  13. Wikipedia, "Ibn Taymiyya" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Hoover, "Taymiyyan Studies"; S. Islam, "Islam and the State in Ibn Taymiyya: Translation and Analysis", Routledge, 2022, p. 7; Aigle, "The Mongol Empire between Myth and Reality: Studies in Anthropological History", Brill, 2015, p. 283–305; Aigle, "The Mongol Empire between Myth and Reality: Studies in Anthropological History", Brill, 2015, p. 135–136, 256–257, 296–298 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  14. Wikipedia, "Ibn Taymiyya" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Nettler, ""Ibn Taymīyah, Taqī al-Dīn Aḥmad." The Oxford Encyclopedia of Islam and Politics", Oxford Islamic Studies Online, February 14, 2015 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  15. Wikipedia, "Ibn Taymiyya" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Leaman, "The Qur'an: An Encyclopedia", Taylor & Francis, 2006, p. 280–282; Bori, "Ibn Taymiyya and His Times", Oxford University Press, 2010; `Anhuri, "Majallat al-Majma' al-'Ilmi al-'Arabi bi-Dimashq", p. 11, 193; Bori, "Ibn Taymiyya and His Times", Oxford University Press, 2010; Bori, "Ibn Taymiyya and His Times", Oxford University Press, 2010; Bori, "Ibn Taymiyya and His Times", Oxford University Press, 2010 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  16. Wikipedia, "Ibn Taymiyya" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Hoover, Jon, "Ibn Taymiyya", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2025 Edition), Edward N. Zalta & Uri Nodelman (eds.), Section 2.; Hoover, Jon, "Ibn Taymiyya", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2025 Edition), Edward N. Zalta & Uri Nodelman (eds.), Section 2.; Hoover, Jon, "Ibn Taymiyya", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2025 Edition), Edward N. Zalta & Uri Nodelman (eds.), Section 2.; Hoover, Jon, "Ibn Taymiyya" The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2025 Edition), Edward N. Zalta & Uri Nod en.wikipedia.org
  17. Donald Presgrave Little, "Did Ibn Taymiyya Have a Screw Loose?", Studia Islamica (1975), doi:10.2307/1595400. OpenAlex metadata CC0; paper not read. doi.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Ibn Taymiyya (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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Named in this entry

Citadel of DamascusMaterialismMongol EmpirePrinciples of Islamic jurisprudenceShia IslamMuhammad ibn Abd al-WahhabWahhabismArabian Peninsula

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