One day, his father and his family asked him to join them on
a picnic but he suddenly disappeared, so they had to go out without him. When
they came back at the end of the day, they blamed him for not going out with
them. He said, pointing to a book in his hand: "You did not
benefit anything from your trip, whereas I memorized all this book in your
absence."
He was known for his physiognomy, sharp memory and
wittedness which amazed the people of Damascus and made them admire him more
and more. Though he was young, his fame reached the neighbouring territories.
Once, one of the scholars of Halab visited Damascus. The scholars and
dignitaries of the city went to welcome him. He told them: "I
heard in other territories of a boy who is quick in memorizing everything. I
came here to see him."
They led the man to the small school where the boy used to
go to memorize the Quran. The Halabi scholar sat for a while until the boy
passed with a big board in his hand. The scholar called him, so he went to him.
The scholar took the board from him and said to him: "Sit
here son, and I'll relate to you some Prophetic narrations to write." He
dictated for him some, then he asked him to read them.
The boy started reading from the board. Then the Shaykh said
to him: "Let me hear it from you." He then started
recounting the narrations from his memory exactly like he was reading them from
the board. The scholar told him: "Erase this, son." He
cited more of the Prophet's narrations and asked him to repeat them. The boy
did the same again; he read it from the board and then from his memory. The
scholar stood up saying: "Should this boy live long, he will have
a great position [become a great scholar]. We've never seen anyone like him
before."
This boy was later to be the tortured scholar, Ahmad Ibn
Taymiyyah who acquired his knowledge from the best scholars of his time. He
studied the Hanbali school and no one surpassed him in it. He also studied the
main books of the Prophet's narrations and tradition such as the authentic
narrations reported by Al-Bukhaari, Muslim and others.
Ibn Taymiyyah was a devoted person who very much observed
the acts of worship. He never let anything distract him from worshipping
Allaah. He used to spend his night alone, imploring his Lord, continuously
reciting the Quran and performing prayers, mentioning and invoking Allaah, and
observing the optional late night prayer.
Ibn Taymiyyah wrote a large number of books; he wrote more
than three hundred books. He had a vast knowledge and wrote many classificatory
books and literary works. He used to write up to four notebooks a day. One day,
he managed to write the "Ar-Resaalah Al-Hamawiyyah" (The Hamawi
Treatise) which is made up of seventy medium sized pages. He wrote it between
the time of Thuhr and 'Asr prayers. He wrote all his books during the seven
years he spent in prison, except the book of Al-Eemaan, (The Faith) which he
wrote in Egypt.
Ibn Taymiyyah was keen to do every kind of good deeds. Every
week, he used to visit those who were ill especially those in the hospital. He
was known for his asceticism and benevolence. He loved to give whatever he had
whether it was little or much. Even when he had very little, he gave it in
charity. He used to donate whatever he had. If he had nothing to give, he used
to take off some of his clothes and give them to the poor.
Despite his poverty, he never accepted any donation from a
king or prince. He didn't save any money for himself; neither had he saved any
furniture nor food.
Ibn Taymiyyah was famous for his courage, valour, and brave
initiatives. Whenever he went out for Jihaad (fighting in the Cause of Allaah)
with the Muslims, he used to be in the front line, encouraging the warriors and
arousing their determination and enthusiasm. He took part in conquest of 'Akkah
and showed much bravery that proved his strong faith and love for participating
in Jihaad. When Qazaan, a Tartar king, took a number of Muslims as
captives, Ibn Taymiyyah went to him, rebuked him for this act and requested him
to set the Muslim captives free and the king did.
Ibn Taymiyyah had a difficult life full of continuous
trials, calamities, and tests. No sooner did one calamity end than a new one
emerged. As soon as he is released from one prison, he is again locked up in
another.
Towards the end of his life, some people plotted against him
because of his opinion about prohibiting people from visiting the graves of the
Prophets, may Allaah exalt their mention, and righteous people. So they spread
a rumor among the people that he belittled the Prophets, may Allaah exalt their
mention. Accordingly, the judges of the four schools of Egypt ordered that he
be imprisoned. So he was locked up in Damascus citadel.
In that citadel, Allaah inspired him with the understanding
of many meanings of the Quran and the basics of knowledge that many scholars
would have wished to have. During his captivity in the citadel, he used to say: "If
I gave as much gold as that which would fill this citadel, I wouldn't have been
grateful enough for this grace of being imprisoned." When he was reminded of the people who had hurt and caused
his imprisonment, he said: "I can never reward them for the good
they brought to me." Ibn Taymiyyah remained in jail in that citadel for about two
years till he died in 728 A.H. At the time of his funeral prayer in the mosque,
the soldiers surrounded the funeral to protect it from the overwhelming crowds.
The number of people kept increasing till they filled up all the alleys,
streets and markets. May Allaah have mercy on this great scholar.
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