The Laamiyyah of Ibn Taymiyyah
Shaykh, Abu Al-'Abbaas Ahmad bn AbdilHalim bn Abdissalam bn Abdillah bn Abi Al-Qaasim bn Muhammad bn Taymiyyah rahimahullah
One of the most amazing things about this Ummah is the excellence and sterling qualities of its Luminaries. A looker and observer into the biographies of the Luminaries and Notables of this Ummah will agree that the best of some Nations and Religions are not among the middle cadres of this Ummah.
Of the great Imams and Luminaries that have stamped for themselves a name and a page in the scrolls of Muslim History is the Mujtahid Imam, the Light that shone, the Polymath and Reviver Scholar, the Hanbali Shaykh, Abu Al-‘Abbaas Ahmad bn AbdilHalim bn Abdissalam bn Abdillah bn Abi Al-Qaasim bn Muhammad bn Taymiyyah rahimahullah.
He was of those Moons that shone in the darkness of the night the brightness of which was like that of the full moon on the 14th night. His brilliance eclipsed the fame of most Ulamaa that lived his time and his mention reached far and wide.
Abu Al-‘Abbaas Ibn Taymiyyah did not only excel in Fiqh and the Other Sciences of Islam, he Championed the ‘Aqidah of Sunnah and was its Imaam that led the Ummah in its forefront.
When he was born on Monday on the 10th day of Rabi’ Al-Awwal in the city of Harraan 661 years after the Hijrah, the Muslim world had been plunged by some of its leading scholars into the abyss of Sufism and its extreme tendencies.
His father was an expert in the Sciences of the Shariah and an Aalim to whom the People returned for Ilm in the City of Dimashq where he lived with his son. There was little chances therefore that Shaykhu Al-Islam would not rise a Scholar.
He studied the Shariah and took knowledge from all the Fuqahaa he could in the City of Dimashq. He traveled around the Muslim world and perfected his knowledge of Qur’an, Hadith, Fiqh, its Usul , the Sciences of the Arabic Language, Taarikh, and other Sciences.
Ibn Kathir said about him:
“Ibn Taymiyyah learnt by himself and studied many books and sought the knowledge of Hadith. He took to attending the sittings of Hadith Narrations for years and then occupied himself with knowledge and he was extremely brilliant and memorized a lot. He thereby became an Imaam in Tafsir and what had to do with it, became adept in Fiqh and knew the difference of the Ulama, and the two primary sources (of the Shariah): Qur’an and Sunnah, Nahwu and Lugga, and other than those of the Sciences that are narrated and those that are Academic. Thereby, no expert in any science discussed with him in that science except that he assumed that science to be his area of expertise and sees him to be adept in it and perfect in its details. As for Hadith, he was a memoriser of both its Isnaad and Matn, very aware of what is Authentic of it and that which is ailing, adept with the biographies of its Narrators and experienced with it. He authored several writings and recorded several commentaries in matters of Usul and Furu'”
Of the brilliant books he has authored in this respect, and which are beautiful and excellent for the Student of Knowledge to learn, study and commit to memory is the Laamiyyah. Al-Allusi in the Jalaa’u Al-Aynayn Fi Muhaakamati Al-Ahmadayn rightly attributed it’s authorship to him though some scholars have expressed skepticism with respect to that, what is preponderant is that it is of his authorship.
The Laamiyyah is a beautiful poem of 16 lines packed with the ‘Aqidah of Sunnah and simple for the beginner to learn and comprehend.
As Student of Knowledge, hasten to its learning and its memorization.
Barakallahu Fikum
Jazakumullahu Khayran.
