“Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful admonition, and argue with them in ways that are best.” [Soorah Nahl (16):125]
There is a general thinking that the Ulema should be men who set the best examples to others. Those at the pinnacle of religious learning are to be admired and respected, and this immense responsibility brings with it a duty to behave in the most appropriate manner. If the only thing we know from the teachings of our blessed Prophet (s), it is that he was the best of men in manners and that is why he was able to successfully conquer the hearts of the rigid Arabs. Allah (swt) said in Suyrah Aal-e-Imran verse 159:
“had you been harsh and hardhearted, they would have surely deserted you”.
And His – the Most Majestic’s – saying, with regards to Musa and (as):
“So speak to him mildly, perchance he may take admonition, or that he may fear Allaah.” [Surah Taha (20):44]
The Ulema as those carrying the torch of Islam to the masses are therefore duty bound to take heed of these methods and ensure that they engage others within the boundaries of morality. Engagement has to be within limits, and that is why we are told to refrain from getting angry and abusing fellow Muslims. One would assume that the one whom the Salafis deem ‘Shayh ul Islam’ would lead by example as the perfect example of decency with fellow Muslims, but the reality is that we see the complete opposite, one wherein Ibn Taimiyah heaps all manner of abuse from the common man on the ground to those Ulema that todays Sunnis deem as major scholars. Let us first of all ask that readers consider this hadith of the Prophet (s).
We read in Sahih Bukhari Volume 1, Book 2, Number 46:
Narrated ‘Abdullah:
The Prophet said, ‘Abusing a Muslim is Fusuq (an evil doing) and killing him is Kufr (disbelief).’
This reference makes it crystal clear that resorting to abuse against Muslim is Fusuq. If Nawasib question why we have abused our opponents, we will make it clear that this duty concerns the abuse of Muslims. The writers of Ansar.Org or other Salafi and Nasibi bigots that we refute are not Muslims in general terms, they are Nasibis. Their writings are replete with indirect attacks on the conduct of the Ahl’ul bayt (as), constant attempts to belittle and downplay their merits and appraisals of their enemies. Nawasib have no protection under the Hadeeth. Those that have such lowly opinions of the Ahl’ul bayt (as) are not Muslims. They are munafiqs, and hence we have every right to hurl abuse at them; and we should also point out that this method of dealing with Nawasib has been vouched for by the Ulema of Ahle Sunnah such as Shah Abdul Aziz Muhadith Dehalwi. With that in mind now let us see how Ibn Taimiyah attacked his Muslim ‘brothers’.
We read in Risala fi Tahqiq al-Shukr, page 114:
“They are the effeminate of Jahamis and ibn Arabi from their males.”
We read in Majm’oa al-Fatawa, Volume 12, page 382:
“They became the effeminate for Jahamis males”
We read in Majm’oa al-Fatawa, Volume 14 page 348:
“Mu’atazila are effeminates of the Jahamis”
We read in Majm’oa al-Fatawa, Volume 14 page 349:
As Sheikh Abu Ismail al-Ansari said: ‘Jahamis are the females, and they are the effeminates for Mu’tazila’
We read in Al-Fatawa al-Kubra, Volume 6 page 643:
As it hass been said: “Ash’aries are the effeminates for the Mu’atazila”
We read in Minhaj al-Sunnah, Volume 6 page 331:
“How absurd is the Rafidhi brain”
Minhaj al-Sunnah, Volume 1 p379:
“The sayings of the Rafidah are false narrations and silly talks”
Minhaj al-Sunnah, Volume 2 page 34:
“The Rafidah are from amongst the most malicious people as the Jews are from the most malicious people.”
Minhaj al-Sunnah, Volume 2 p34:
“Rafidah are from the most ignorant and misguided of people, as the Christians from the most ignorant and of misguided people”
Minhaj al-Sunnah, Volume 1 page 22:
“From their foolish actions is erecting of shrines”
Minhaj al-Sunnah, Volume 1 page 23:
“From (amongst) their foolish actions are the establishment of memorial gatherings and crying for some one who was killed many years before.”
Minhaj al-Sunnah, Volume 1 page 8:
“And their support to the Jews is popular to the extent that the people deemed the Jews donkey”
Minhaj al-Sunnah, Volume 7 page 210:
“The public are excused in the statement that the Rafidhi are the donkeys of the Jews”
Majm’oa al-Fatawa, Volume 3 page 153:
“Verily whoever attacks the Khilafa of the Caliphs, is lost more than a donkey.”
Not only Shias, but Ibn Taimiyah didn’t spare some of the esteemed Sunni scholars.
Imam Ibn Hajar Asqalani states about Ibn Taimiyah’s abuse of Imam Ghazali:
“Due to his fanaticism with the Hanbali sect he would abuse the Ash’ara, and he abused al- Ghazali.”
al-Durar al-Kamina, Volume 1 page 49
Al-Safadi records in his authority work ‘Al-Wafi bil Wafiyat, Volume 7 page 14:
“I heard him (Ibn Taimiyah) use the term “double anus” (meaning gay) for Najmuddin al-Ketabi, who is known for Dabiran the author of al-Tawalif al-Badya in logic, and fled whenever he mentioned him.”
Ibn Taimiyah also abused Ali bin Yaqub al-Bakri (d. 724 H). We read in al-Rad ala al-Bakri, Volume 2 page 485:
“Except those like this misguided fool”
We read in Minhaj al-Sunnah, Volume 7 page 206:
“The scholars of the Rafidah are ignorant or atheist as the scholars of People of the Book”
We read in Minhaj al-Sunnah, Volume 7 page 209 that Ibn Taimiyah said to Allamah al-Heli:
“This Rafidhi donkey.’
Al-Safadi records in Al-Wafi bil Wafiyat, Volume 7 page 14:
“I heard him (Ibn Taimiyah) say ‘the son of filth’ for Ibn al-Mutahar al-Heli.”
We read in Minhaj al-Sunnah, Volume 3 page 261:
“This Rafidhi author who is malicious, liar and fabricator”
We read in Minhaj al-Sunnah, Volume 7 page 122:
“This ingnorant and unjust Rafidhi”
We read in Minhaj al-Sunnah, Volume 2 page 139 that Ibn Taimiyah said about Mumin al-Taq, the student of Imam Jaffar al-Sadiq (as):
“The companions of Shaytan al-Taq”
He said to Ibn Sina:
“We say to this fool: ‘In every nation there is smart and stupid one”
Dare Tanaqud al-Aqil wa al-Naql, Volume 2 page 355
We read in Majmo’a al-Fatawa, Volume 10 page 208:
“If this fool thought about what Allah said in His Book”
We read in Majmo’a al-Fatawa, Volume 5 page 8:
“Just like some stupid said”
We read in Majmo’a al-Fatawa, Volume 4, page 358:
“Some stupid said”
We read in Majmo’a al-Fatawa, Volume 4 page 376:
“It’s not as this stupid claim”
Majmo’a al-Fatawa, Volume 23 page 292:
“The one who raises his head before the imam is like a donkey.”
We read in Majmo’a al-Fatawa, Volume 23 page 337:
“If he steps before the imam he is like a donkey that doesn’t know what he is is doing.”
We read in al-Jawab al-Sahih, Volume 1 page 89:
“It is proven that the author is an extremely foolish liar”
We ask our readers: is this the type of language and arrogant attitude that should be expected from a man that the Salafis/Wahabies deem ‘Shaykh ul Islam’? Let us for arguments sake accept that Ibn Taimiyah was a sincere man practicing the true faith, effectively performing dawah to those that were ‘misguided’ – is this the methodology of dawah ascribed by the Sunnah of the Prophet (s)? A methodology wherein:
Is this the Dawah methodology of the Prophet (s)? One seeking to perform dawah and correct the believers needs to be gentle in his da’wah and should not resort to the abusive language that Ibn Taimiyah does. If you look at the language of Ibn Taimiyah it is clear that his harsh, ignorant, and arrogant conduct would impress no one save his Salafi adherents. The key to be an effective communicator is to be mild, forbearing and patient; and be soft and pleasant in speech, so they have an effect upon the heart of one’s opponent. Was such gentleness an attribute of Ibn Taimiyah? Clearly not, his arrogant abusive pen proves he was anything but gentle. We even read in Sahih Muslim Book 007, Number 2793:
Jabir b. ‘Abdullah reported that …. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) was a person of gentle disposition
It is no surprise that we see the followers of Ibn Taimiyah doing exactly the same today. When you speak to them you will see how arrogant and proud they are. Anyone that doesn’t ascribe to their beliefs is abused, and deemed the enemy.