From what has preceded it is clear that Shaykh al-Islaam had many enemies, and many jealous rivalries who plotted against him together to try to make out that he was an innovator. So we advise anyone who wishes to criticise the Shaykh that he must make sure that his criticisms are based firmly upon the written works of ibn Taymiyyah, not merely upon the words of other than him, as done by his opponents.
What follows is an investigation of the points of belief that ibn Taymiyyah was accused of having deviances in. We have left out the various legal positions he had for which he was attacked for due to their relative unimportance.
On the works of Taqi ad-Deen Subki and his son Taaj ad-Deen Subki
Much of what is written against ibn Taymiyyah are based upon the works of these two scholars. Rasaa`il as-Subkiyyah of Shaykh Taqi ad-Deen and the various biographical works of Taaj ad-Deen for example Tabaqaat ash-Shaafi`iyyah.
As for the works of Taqi ad-Deen then adh-Dhahabee wrote to him, censuring him for what he had written, and his erroneous claims, to which as-Subkee replied saying, “As for what you say with regard to ash-Shaykh Taqi ad-Deen, then I am convinced of the great scope, the ocean-like fullness and vastness of his knowledge of the transmitted and intellectual sciences, his extreme intelligence, his ijtihaad and his attainments in that which surpass description. And I have always held to this opinion. Personally, his status in my eyes is greater and more esteemed, for the asceticism, piety, religiosity, his helping the truth and standing firm on it for the sake of Allah alone, his adherence to the path of the salaf and his abundant taking from it, and his strangeness in this time, nay any time.” [ad-Durar al-Kaamina of ibn Hajr under the biography of ibn Taymiyyah (1/159) and Dhail Tabaqaat al-Hanaabilah (2/392) of ibn Rajab al-Hanbalee.]
As for his son, Taaj ad-Deen, then unfortunately, he went to extremes in criticising ibn Taymiyyah, due to his highly partisan and sectarian attitude. Such that as-Sakhaawee endorsed the following words about him, following his statement, “did any of the Hanbalees raise their heads (i.e. become prominent)”:
“This is from the strangest of things, and the most sectarian/partisan of attitudes, and this is why the Qaadee of our time, and Shaykh of the madhab al-Izz al-Kanaanee wrote under this statement, and likewise Allah did not raise the heads of the Mu`attila and then he said about Taaj ad-Deen Subki, he is a man having little manners, lack of scholarly integrity, ignorant of Ahl as-Sunnah and their ranks.” [ al-I`laan bi at-Tawbeekh liman Dhamma at-Taareekh (94-95) of as-Sakhaawee]
A glimpse of his attacks can be seen in Albani Unveiled (pp 114-116) and in what follows the truth of the above criticism will become clear, and a more severe and devastating reality will become apparent, and that is the amount of lies that are heaped around the pillars of Ahlus Sunnah in all ages by individuals that claim to be supporting the truth.
On the book Naseehah adh-Dhahabiyyah
A book ascribed to adh-Dhahabee in which he launches a severe attack on ibn Taymiyyah, but in reality was not written by him, but falsely ascribed to him, this due to many reasons:
No one who is familiar with the works of adh-Dhahabee mentioned this as one of his works.
Adh-Dhahabee remained the student of ibn Taymiyyah until the latters death.
All of the sayings of adh-Dhahabee in the books that are affirmed to be from him, to do with ibn Taymiyyah, revolve around praise and respect of him. (A glimpse of these has preceded).
This letter is written in the handwriting of ibn Qaadee ash-Shuhba, an enemy of ibn Taymiyyah.
We have not seen one who ascribes this book to adh-Dhahabee after Qaadee ash-Shuhba except for his contemporary, al-Haafidh as-Sakhaawee, may Allah have mercy on him, who merely followed him. [From the book, at-Tawdeeh al-Jallee fee ar-Radd alaa Naseeha adh-Dhahabiyyah al-Manhula alaa al-Imaam adh-Dhahabee (pp85-86) by Shaykh Muhammad bin Ibraaheem ash-Shaybaanee, with summary]
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