Muslims under non-Muslim Rule. Ibn Taymiyya

by Ibn Taymiyyah

Essential reading for students of the war on Islamist terrorism, and how really to win the possibility of intelligent political dialogue with and within the modern Islamic world/Middle East. The US govt. 9/11 Commission Report names theologian-activist Ibn Taymiyya (died 699 years ago) as wellspring of modern Islamist militancy, esp. its al-Qaeda brand. This book presents translation of Ibn Taymiyya's fatwas on how Muslims must act under the rule of unbelievers or misbelievers. It shows the misreading of Ibn Taymiyya by neo-Orientalist scholars AND by certain violent Islamists (among them, the assassins of Anwar Sadat, and a teacher and companion of Osama bin Ladin). In theory and practice Ibn Taymiyya advocated force only against foreign invaders; he forbade use of force against established authorities; himself died in prison for outspoken criticism of the State, without resort to force or sedition of any kind.

Genres: Islam, Religion

Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Taqī ad-Dīn Aḥmad ibn Abd al-Halim ibn Abd al-Salam al-Numayri al-Ḥarrānī (Arabic: تقي الدين أحمد بن عبد الحليم بن عبد السلام النميري الحراني‎, January 22, 1263 - September 26, 1328), known simply Ibn Taymiyyah (ابن تيمية), was an Islamic jurist scholar, muhaddith, theologian, judge, philosopher, and whom many considered as the renewer of the Islamic 7th century. He is known for his diplomatic involvement with the Ilkhanid ruler Ghazan Khan and for his involvement at the Battle of Marj al-Saffar which ended the Mongol invasions of the Levant. A member of the Hanbali school, Ibn Taymiyyah's iconoclastic views on widely accepted Sunni doctrines of his time such as the veneration of saints and the visitation to their tomb-shrines made him unpopular with many scholars and rulers of the time, under whose orders he was imprisoned several times.

A polarising figure in his own times and in the centuries that followed, Ibn Taymiyyah has become one of the most influential medieval writers in contemporary Islam, where his particular interpretations of the Qur'an and the Sunnah and his rejection of some aspects of classical Islamic tradition are believed to have had considerable influence on contemporary ultra-conservative ideologies such as Salafism, and Jihadism. Particular aspects of his teachings had a profound influence on Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, the founder of the Hanbali reform movement practiced in Saudi Arabia, and on other later Wahabi scholars. Moreover, Ibn Taymiyyah's controversial fatwa allowing jihad against other Muslims is referenced by al-Qaeda and other jihadi groups. Their reading of Ibn Taymiyyah's thought has been challenged by recent scholarship.

Reviews

[Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous book on the Mardin fatwa, written before it was popular to have high profile conferences about it. Michot is the world's leading scholar on Ibn Taymiyya. This book is worth tracking down to understand this "controversial" fatwa, and the theologian behind it, both of which have been painted in a negative light post 9/11. Make sure to read the footnotes, as half the book is in the footnotes. You'll find that the author is humorous, especially in his treatment of radicals who misinterpret the fatwa for their own evil. Moreover he presents Ibn Taymiyya almost whimsically, including noting that he advocated allowing non-Muslims to drink so they wouldn't harass Muslims. It's a scholarly book but fun, especially for those who believe there was more (much more) to Ibn Taymiyya than being the "grandfather of terrorism."

[Muhammad Ma'mun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buku ini mengajak kita menimbang kembali interpretasi-interpretasi tradisional tentang Ibn Taymiyyah, ulama Mamluk yang sering disalahpahami, baik oleh para pemujanya maupun para pengkritiknya. Buku ini mendiskusikan salah satu tema yang paling kontroversial dalam pemikiran ulama Hanbali ini: fatwa-fatwanya tentang negara Islam dan hijrah. Strategi Michot adalah dengan menampilkan teks-teks kunci Ibn Taymiyyah tentang tema ini dan menyandingkannya dengan teks-teks para penafsirnya di masa modern. Dengan cara ini, ia dapat memperlihatkan 'keterputusan' dan 'misinterpretasi' kaum Islamis modern atas Ibn Taymiyyah.