A Muslim Convert Once Before

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Imam Abu al-Hasan Taqi’ ad-Din ‘Ali ibn ‘Abd al-Kafi’ as-Subki ( r.a. ) wrote a refutation of  Shaykh Taqi’ ad-Din Ahmad ibn ‘Abd al-Halim ibn Taymiyyah ’s ( r.a. ) dangerous ideas that later inspired the Wahhabi sect.   Shaykh ibn Taymiyyah ( r.a. ) repented from them eventually.   But generations later, Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab took them up, leading to their anthropomorphism.   That book is ad-Durra al-Mudiyyah fi ar-Radd ‘ala ibn Taymiyyah , “The Luminous Pearl: A Refutation of ibn Taymiyyah”.   The recently published version was edited by Shaykh Muhammad Zahid ibn Hasan al-Kawtsari ( r.a. ).   Imam as-Subki ( r.a. ) further wrote refutations of Shaykh ibn Taymiyyah ( r.a. ) and his foremost student, Imam Shams ad-Din Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah ( q.s. ), ar-Rasa’il as-Subkiyyah fi ar-Radd ‘ala ibn Taymiyyah wa Tilmidzihi ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah , “as-Subki’s Treatises in Answe...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Imam Taqi’ ad-Din Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn ‘Abd al-Kafi’ as-Subki ( r.a. ) had harsh words for  Shaykh Taqi’ ad-Din Ahmad ibn ‘Abd al-Halim ibn Taymiyyah  ( r.a. ) and his followers.   This was on account of the clear anthropomorphism of ‘Aqidah al-Wasithiyyah .   He wrote, “As for the Hashwiyyah , they are a despicable and ignorant lot who claim to belong to the school of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal.”   He further continued, “They have corrupted the creed of a few isolated Shafi’iyyah , especially some of the ahadits scholars among them who are lacking in reason.”   He also wrote, “They were held in utmost contempt, and then towards the end of the seventh century, a man appeared who was diligent, intelligent and well-read but did not find a shaykh to guide him, and he is of their creed and is brazen and dedicated to teaching his ideas.”   He was referring, of course, to Shaykh ibn Taymiyyah ( r.a. ).   He co...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Imam Taqi’ ad-Din Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn ‘Abd al-Kafi’ as-Subki ( r.a. ) said, “It has been argued that the Khwarij are disbelievers because of their idol worship, and takfir of the eminent swahabah , since such an act entails disbelief of the Prophet’s ( s.a.w. ) testimony that they are bound for Paradise, and I consider this position sound.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Imam Taqi’ ad-Din ‘Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn ‘Abd al-Kafi’ as-Subki ( r.a. ) wrote, in his ash-Shifa’ as-Siqam fi Ziyarat Khayr al-Anam , “It is permissible to take tawaswswul of all the righteous.  In fact, no Muslim ever rejected this; only those who were from a different sect rejected tawaswswul .”  It is significant that the only sect that has an issue with tawaswswul , considering it shirk , is the heretical Wahhabi sect.

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Imam Taqi’ ad-Din Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn ‘Abd al-Kafi’ as-Subki ( r.a. ) wrote, in his introduction to the first epistle of his threefold refutation of Shaykh Taqi’ ad-Din Ahmad ibn ‘Abd al-Halim ibn Taymiyyah ( r.a. ), “When ibn Taymiyyah innovated whatever he innovated in the principles of doctrines and destroyed the pillars and seams of the foundations of Islam after camouflaging himself with the pretence of following the Book and the sunnah , feigning to summon people to the truth and guide them to Paradise, he exited conformity and entered novelty, strayed from the jama’ah of the Muslims by violating the ijma’ , and attributed what necessitates corporeality and compound nature for the Transcendent Essence.   He claimed that dependency on composite parts is not an impossibility; that Created entities subsist in the Essence of Allah ( s.w.t. ); that the Qur’an is originated, Allah Speaking it after its non-existence; that He speaks, falls...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Imam Taqi’ ad-Din Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn ‘Abd al-Kafi’ as-Subki ( r.a. ) said, “All of the Hanafiyyah , Shafi’iyyah , Malikiyyah and Hanbaliyyah are one in their creed, following the way of the sunnah in the manner laid down by Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari.  Generally speaking, the theology of the Ash’ariyyah is gathered in the writings of Abi Ja’far ath-Thahawi, who has been received, and accepted, by the various schools.”  He was referring to Imam Abu Ja’far Ahmad ibn Muhammad ath-Thahawi ( r.a. ).

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Imam Taqi’ ad-Din Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn ‘Abd al-Kafi’ as-Subki ( r.a. ) wrote, “Know that Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari did not innovate a position nor did he start a new school; rather, he restated the school of the pious ancestors, fighting for the cause that was the way of the Messenger of Allah ( s.a.w. ).  Those who follow his way, do so in the sense that he gave a voice to the way of the pious ancestors and he established firm proofs and arguments for this voice.  Therefore, those who follow this system of proofs and arguments call themselves Ash’ariyyah .”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Imam Taqi’ ad-Din Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn ‘Abd al-Kafi’ as-Subki ( r.a. ) wrote, in Sayful Maslul ‘ala Man Sabba ar-Rasul , “I do not have the power to avenge the accursed blasphemer myself, but Allah ( s.w.t. ) Knows that my heart despises him; yet, it is not sufficient to merely consider it evil in the heart, rather it is incumbent upon me to strive as much as I can with my tongue and my pen.  I beseech Allah ( s.w.t. ) to not reprimand me for the paucity of my response and that He Grants me Salvation which He Grants those who forbid from evil; verily, He is Oft-forgiving, the Pardoner.”   He was referring to Shaykh Taqi’ ad-Din Ahmad ibn ‘Abd al-Halim ibn Taymiyyah ( r.a. ) and his fatwa prohibiting travel to visit the Prophet ( s.a.w. ), and denying his living in the grave.  Shaykh ibn Taymiyyah ( r.a. ) eventually repented from that.