The Gift of the Questioner on the Biography of Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah

In the footnotes of his book “Ithaf At-Talib Bi Maratib At-Talab”, Page 751; the Shaykh said:

And Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah is an Ummah by himself, in knowledge and in debating and authorship. He used to write in a single day what a man well take seven and more days to study and he passed away leaving behind him about 500 volumes of work. He was unable to let go an hour from his time in other than teaching, writing or in Ibadah until his writings exceeded hundreds. Rather, those who were following could not count his writings, even the Shaykh himself, may Allah be merciful to him.

It is mentioned by Ibn Shakir Al-Kutabi while writing his biography in his majestic work, “Fawat Al- Waqafat” 1/38-42:

“His writings exceeded 300 volumes, Adh-Dhahabi said, “and it is not farfetched that his writings have now reached 500 volumes.”

His student Ibn Al-Qayyim wrote a Book specifically on the titles of the writings (of the Shaykh), whose pages reached 22 pages and he mentioned in it close to 350 writings ranging from voluminous books to short and summarized treatises and handouts. This book has been published together with the edition (tahqiq) of Doctor Salahuddin Al-Munajjad at Majma’ Al-Ilmi in Damascus (1380H) than the Dr. Published it in Beirut more than once.

Ibn Al-Qayyim said in “Al-Wabil As-Sayyib Min Al-Kalim At-Tayyib” (pages 108)

“And I have witnessed from the strength (power) of Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, in his traditions, his statements, his bravery and his authorship, amazing things. And he would write in a day what it would take a copier to write in a Jum’a or even more – meaning in a week”

Ibn Rajab said in “Dhaylu Tabaqat Al-Hanabilah” 2/403:

“But for his writings, then they have filled the cities and have exceeded ‘many’ as a quantity, then there is nobody who is capable of quantifying (or numbering) them”

Ibn Qayyim said in “Rawdat Al-Muhibbin” page 70:

“And I was told by our Shaykh – Ibn Taymiyyah – he said, some ailment affected me then a doctor said to me, your studying of books and your repeated speeches in knowledge increases the ailment; so I said to him, ‘I cannot be patient without that and I will judge you by your science, is it not that the soul, when it is happy and joyous its nature strengthens and it repels the illness? He said, ‘Indeed’ so I said to him, ‘Indeed my soul is gladdened with knowledge so its nature is strengthened by that thus I find rest by that.’ So he said, this is a way to your cure (to your ailment).”

See ((Qimat Az-Zama Ind Al-Ulama))

See also footnotes of the Book

“Ikhbar Al-Ashab Bi Fawa’id Al-Itab” page 74-75

Derived from the Introduction of Dr. Sayyid Al-Jamili to (Kitab Al-Iman)

He is Taqiyyudin Shaykh Al-Islam Ahmad bn Abd Al-Haleem bn Abdissalam bn Abdillah bn Abi Al-Qasim Al-Khudri An-Namimi Al-Harrani Ad-Dimashqi Al-Hanbali; Abu Al-Abbas, bn Taymiyyah. He was born in Harran in the year 661H, and according to some reports, on the 10^th of Rabi’ul Awwal. His father migrated with him to Dimashq where he grew up and became excellent in the knowledge of the Din.

His father, may Allah be merciful to him was Shaykh Shihab AbdulHaleem and he used to be called Al-Harrani from his village Al-Harran. Historians mentioned very little about his mother, all is known is that while he was in prisons, he wrote extensive writings of love and compassion to his mother, reminding her of the covenants of Islam and of the Last Day. He used to hide from her his sufferings out of fear that it could worsen her griefs and have impacts on her health while she was already in old-age.

His father was already a renown Shaykh from whom many flocked to learn, he was a Muhaddith with excellent memory who narrated Ahadith like from the tip of his tongue. All of these were to have impacts on Shaykh Al-Islam as he had an excellent foundation in Islamic upbringing so in a short-while, while very young he perfected the sciences of Ulum Al-Qur’an and Ulum Al-hadith, which made his contemporaries to flock around him. He is said to have memorized Imam Humaydi’s compilation of the two Sahih (Bukhari & Muslim).

He did not restrict to the sciences of Ulum Al-Qur’an and Ulum Al-Hadith only, but there was no science of Islam unless that he perfected it: Ulum Al-Arabiyyah, Fiqh and others. This made him to be distinct from every other person of his time.

Ibn Daqiq Al-Id said: “I saw a man in front of whose eyes Allah has gathered every knowledge. He takes from it what he needs and leaves what he does not want of it”. And everybody knows who the Imam Ibn Daqiq is when it comes to Fiqh and Hadith.

He had a great personality combined with a penetrating insight, forbearance and sharp intellect.

His contemporary, the Hafith Adh-Dhahabi said in regard to him:

“Ibn Taymiyyah was white, his hair and beards were black, his hair reached the lobes of his ears. It was like his eyes were two tongues which speak. He was distinct among all men and his shoulders were wide, he had an excellent and illustrious voice, eloquent in speech, fast in recitation, he was evidently acute and sharp but that is overcome by his forbearance/patience/tolerance.”

He died in the prisons in the Citadel of Dimashq in 728H

Other Sources: Tahdhib Ibn Asakir 20/28; Wafawat Al-Wafayat 1/35-45; Ad-Durar Al-Kaminah 1/144; Al-Bidayah Wa An-Nihayah 14/135; Adab Al-Lugga 3/243; An-Nujum Az-Zahirah 9/271; Da’irat Al-Ma’arif Al-Islamiyyah 1/109