What was Ibn Taymiya's views on Sufis?

[Al-Fateh]

What was Ibn Taymiya's views on Sufis?

wasalamu alaikum

[waziri]

What was Ibn Taymiya's views on Sufis?

wasalamu alaikum

He didnt like em

actually what I should say is that he didnt like the biddah aspect of sufism and he refuted alot of the innovated practices that the sufis of his time were upon.

wasalam

[Al-Fateh]

was there sufis on a straight path to begin with ? before the bida's

[Abu_Abdillah2000]

Basically, Ibn Taymiyyah's view on tasawwuf was that in essence, or in theory, tasawwuf is something praiseworthy, however over the centuries many bid'ahs had crept into it. By the time of Ibn Taymiyyah, the bid'ahs had become so widespread that they were considered by many to be synonymous with tasawwuf itself!

Ibn Taymiyyah called for a purification and reformation of tasawwuf, i.e. getting rid of all un-Islamic influences and practices from it, not the abolition or condemnation of tasawwuf itself.

He also praised many of the early generations of sufis or zuhhad, like Ibrahim ibn Adham, Sahl at-Tustari, 'Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani, Sulayman ad-Darani etc. and he said that they were generally upon the way of the Salaf. He made a distinction between these kind of sufis and the pseudo-sufis who came later with their bid'ahs and strange beliefs.

The term "tasawwuf" itself is derived from "suf" or "wool", according to the most correct linguistic view, and implies zuhd and detachment from unnecessary dunya matters, which we all agree is an important part of the religion. Although the term was unknown in the time of the sahabah, it became a generally used and accepted terminology among the 'ulama during the era just after the first 3 generations. But as I said, later on it became identified with other things until its general everyday meaning or implication among the people became completely different to what it had originally been. Wallahu a'lam.

[Um Abdullah M.]

some deviant sufis of past were considered kafir, out of Islam, by many many scholars like
Ibn Arabi
and some others who were extreme heretic sufis.

and sadly, until today many many sufis consider Ibn Arabi to be their shaikh "al Akbar", while many scholars of past considered him shaikh "al akfar".

[student_of_ilm]

At least 70 scholars issued fatawas of Kufr against Ibn Tahmiyya in his time and after as well , but yet he is your "shaikh al islam"

[Abu Nusaybah]

Bismillah.
At least 70 scholars issued fatawas of Kufr against Ibn Tahmiyya in his time and after as well , but yet he is your "shaikh al islam"
And of course you can name ALL 70 of them, and quote ALL of their fataawaa. Although I won't hold my breath. :rolleyes:

['Abd al-Kareem]

Student of ilm, are you speaking about mutazila 'scholars' by any chance?

As for ibn arabi, his books contain outrageous comments that are pure 100% retarded kufr. He wasn't declared a kafir because he didn't have a salafi 'aqeedah. Rather he believed in wahdatul-wujood and other such things.

Anyway, followers of tasawwuf today will bring quotes from the salaf speaking about 'tasawwuf' in a praising manner. They clearly weren't speaking about the extremely deviated innovations that are synonymous with the word 'sufism' today.

[Adnan Jalaal]

At least 70 scholars issued fatawas of Kufr against Ibn Tahmiyya in his time and after as well , but yet he is your "shaikh al islam"

Uhmmm
I thought people didn't hesitate to call takfeer back then. So takfeer was probably not just restricted to Sheikh ibn Taymiyyah. I mean, what about ibn Arabi?

Why do you even bother posting retarded comments without a thorough research? If you don't know, consult with people here. Don't make blatant statements after reading articles written by haters.

[Adnan Jalaal]

Anyway, followers of tasawwuf today will bring quotes from the salaf speaking about 'tasawwuf' in a praising manner. They clearly weren't speaking about the extremely deviated innovations that are synonymous with the word 'sufism' today.

Is it just me or is it true that all it takes to prove sufisticated practices is by quoting few Salafs where they mention the word "tasawuf"?

I was listening to Dr. Ali al Tamimi explaining unorthodox practices of sufis, and he painted a scenario of Sufis crediting their practices by citing classical scholars. And he explained that the content of the word has changed from before. Today people don't apply shariah to back their methods of worship.

[Abdullah Ali al Hanafi]

Is it just me or is it true that all it takes to prove sufisticated practices is by quoting few Salafs where they mention the word "tasawuf"?

I was listening to Dr. Ali al Tamimi explaining unorthodox practices of sufis, and he painted a scenario of Sufis crediting their practices by citing classical scholars. And he explained that the content of the word has changed from before. Today people don't apply shariah to back their methods of worship.

i am a student of Tasawwuf , and indeed many ''evildoers'' abused the science of Tasawwuf , the Authentic Tasawwuf was praised by the scholars of the salaf and the khalaf even Imam ibn Abdul Wahab praised Tasawwuf , and ofcourse he exposed the ''evildoers'' that abused Tasawwuf ,

people like Hisham Kabbani , Qubrusi , Nuh Keller , Murad , Hamza Yusuf are not Sufi and they have totally no relationship to Tasawwuf

[Abdullah Ali al Hanafi]

At least 70 scholars issued fatawas of Kufr against Ibn Tahmiyya in his time and after as well , but yet he is your "shaikh al islam"

Shaikh ibn Taymiyya praised Authentic Tasawwuf , and he exposed the Evildoers that abused it , dont lie about ibn taymiyya , you sound like a Habashi or Bareilwi they are famous for attacking the Shaikh and lie about him

[suhail]

Ignore him because arguing with him will cause him to accumulate more sins by lying and it is not good to help shaytan against this idiot so just Ignore him.

[Suhaib Jobst]

The brothers (Abu Abdillah2000, jund-al-islam, Abdullah Ali al-Hanafi) have done an excellent job in explaining this matter, masha'Allah. I agree entirely with their assessments, may Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) reward them. But I would add some quotes from Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyya, rahimahullah:

"Tasawwuf has realities and states of experience which they talk about in their science. Some of it is that the Sufi is that one who purifies himself from anything which distracts him from the remembrance of Allah and who will be so filled up with knowledge of the heart and knowledge of the mind to the point that the value of gold and stones will be the same to him. And Tasawwuf is safeguarding the precious meanings and leaving behind the call to fame and vanity in order to reach the state of Truthfulness, because the best of humans after the prophets are the Siddiqeen, as Allah mentioned them in the verse:
"(And all who obey Allah and the Apostle) are in the company of those on whom is the grace of Allah: of the prophets, the sincere lovers of truth, the martyrs and the righteous; Ah! what a beautiful fellowship." (an-Nisa', 69,70)

"....some people criticised Sufiyya and Tasawwuf and they said they were innovators, out of the Sunnah, but the truth is they are striving in Allah's obedience [mujtahidin fi ta'at-illahi], as others of Allah's People strove in Allah's obedience. So from them you will find the Foremost in Nearness by virtue of his striving [as-saabiq ul-muqarrab bi hasab ijtihadihi]. And some of them are from the People of the Right hand [Ahl al-Yameen mentioned in Qur'an in Sura Waqi'ah], but slower in their progress.... And this is the origin of Tasawwuf. And after that origin, it has been spread and [tasha'abat wa tanawa'at] has its main line and its branches." [Majmu'a Fatawa Ibn Taymiyya, Vol. 11, Book of Tasawwuf, p. 497].

"The miracles of saints are absolutely true and correct, by the acceptance of all Muslim scholars. And the Qur'an has pointed to it in different places, and the Hadith of the Prophet (s) has mentioned it, and whoever denies the miraculous power of saints are only people who are innovators and their followers." [al-Mukhtasar al-Fatawa, page 603].

"What is considered as a miracle for a saint is that sometimes the saint might hear something that others do not hear and they might see something that others do not see, while not in a sleeping state, but in a wakened state of vision. And he can know something that others cannot know, through revelation or inspiration." [Majmu'a Fatawa Ibn Taymiyya, Vol. 11, p. 314].

some deviant sufis of past were considered kafir, out of Islam, by many many scholars like Ibn Arabi and some others who were extreme heretic sufis.

Ibn Arabi and Husain ibn Mansur al-Hallaj, the two who provided the framework of the "intoxicated" branch of Sufism, were repudiated by several leading Tasawwufa in their times. The teachers of al-Hallaj, Junayd and Amr al-Makki, rahimahumullah, repudiated him after uttering the statement of kufr "ana 'l-Haqq" (I am the Truth) and Junayd signed the order which executed Hallaj as a murtad.

The promoters of Ibn Arabi in this day and age, with little exceptions, are pseudo-"sufis" who propagate doctrines which have no basis in authentic Tasawwuf: Unity of Existence, secret batin knowledge passed down to the initiate, "esotericism", and the Unity of Religions, based on their "central" truths. May Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) expose the plots of the esotericists. Ameen.

[Um Abdullah M.]

. But I would add some quotes from Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyya, rahimahullah:

"Tasawwuf has realities and states of experience which they talk about in their science. Some of it is that the Sufi is that one who purifies himself from anything which distracts him from the remembrance of Allah and who will be so filled up with knowledge of the heart and knowledge of the mind to the point that the value of gold and stones will be the same to him. And Tasawwuf is safeguarding the precious meanings and leaving behind the call to fame and vanity in order to reach the state of Truthfulness, because the best of humans after the prophets are the Siddiqeen, as Allah mentioned them in the verse:
"(And all who obey Allah and the Apostle) are in the company of those on whom is the grace of Allah: of the prophets, the sincere lovers of truth, the martyrs and the righteous; Ah! what a beautiful fellowship." (an-Nisa', 69,70)

"....some people criticised Sufiyya and Tasawwuf and they said they were innovators, out of the Sunnah, but the truth is they are striving in Allah's obedience [mujtahidin fi ta'at-illahi], as others of Allah's People strove in Allah's obedience. So from them you will find the Foremost in Nearness by virtue of his striving [as-saabiq ul-muqarrab bi hasab ijtihadihi]. And some of them are from the People of the Right hand [Ahl al-Yameen mentioned in Qur'an in Sura Waqi'ah], but slower in their progress.... And this is the origin of Tasawwuf. And after that origin, it has been spread and [tasha'abat wa tanawa'at] has its main line and its branches." [Majmu'a Fatawa Ibn Taymiyya, Vol. 11, Book of Tasawwuf, p. 497].

"The miracles of saints are absolutely true and correct, by the acceptance of all Muslim scholars. And the Qur'an has pointed to it in different places, and the Hadith of the Prophet (s) has mentioned it, and whoever denies the miraculous power of saints are only people who are innovators and their followers." [al-Mukhtasar al-Fatawa, page 603].

"What is considered as a miracle for a saint is that sometimes the saint might hear something that others do not hear and they might see something that others do not see, while not in a sleeping state, but in a wakened state of vision. And he can know something that others cannot know, through revelation or inspiration." [Majmu'a Fatawa Ibn Taymiyya, Vol. 11, p. 314].



akhi we have no problem with that.
Salafis do not deny karamat of awliya', but some sufi books have really sickening stories they call "karamat", no wali would have something like it happen to him or would do something like that.

[I_Am_A_Hermit]

73 sects within Islam.
Every sect claiming to be the right one and attacking others.

What I don't understand is, why don't people surround themselves with love?

[Abdullah Ali al Hanafi]

The brothers (Abu Abdillah2000, jund-al-islam, Abdullah Ali al-Hanafi) have done an excellent job in explaining this matter, masha'Allah. I agree entirely with their assessments, may Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) reward them. But I would add some quotes from Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyya, rahimahullah:

"Tasawwuf has realities and states of experience which they talk about in their science. Some of it is that the Sufi is that one who purifies himself from anything which distracts him from the remembrance of Allah and who will be so filled up with knowledge of the heart and knowledge of the mind to the point that the value of gold and stones will be the same to him. And Tasawwuf is safeguarding the precious meanings and leaving behind the call to fame and vanity in order to reach the state of Truthfulness, because the best of humans after the prophets are the Siddiqeen, as Allah mentioned them in the verse:
"(And all who obey Allah and the Apostle) are in the company of those on whom is the grace of Allah: of the prophets, the sincere lovers of truth, the martyrs and the righteous; Ah! what a beautiful fellowship." (an-Nisa', 69,70)

"....some people criticised Sufiyya and Tasawwuf and they said they were innovators, out of the Sunnah, but the truth is they are striving in Allah's obedience [mujtahidin fi ta'at-illahi], as others of Allah's People strove in Allah's obedience. So from them you will find the Foremost in Nearness by virtue of his striving [as-saabiq ul-muqarrab bi hasab ijtihadihi]. And some of them are from the People of the Right hand [Ahl al-Yameen mentioned in Qur'an in Sura Waqi'ah], but slower in their progress.... And this is the origin of Tasawwuf. And after that origin, it has been spread and [tasha'abat wa tanawa'at] has its main line and its branches." [Majmu'a Fatawa Ibn Taymiyya, Vol. 11, Book of Tasawwuf, p. 497].

"The miracles of saints are absolutely true and correct, by the acceptance of all Muslim scholars. And the Qur'an has pointed to it in different places, and the Hadith of the Prophet (s) has mentioned it, and whoever denies the miraculous power of saints are only people who are innovators and their followers." [al-Mukhtasar al-Fatawa, page 603].

"What is considered as a miracle for a saint is that sometimes the saint might hear something that others do not hear and they might see something that others do not see, while not in a sleeping state, but in a wakened state of vision. And he can know something that others cannot know, through revelation or inspiration." [Majmu'a Fatawa Ibn Taymiyya, Vol. 11, p. 314].



Ibn Arabi and Husain ibn Mansur al-Hallaj, the two who provided the framework of the "intoxicated" branch of Sufism, were repudiated by several leading Tasawwufa in their times. The teachers of al-Hallaj, Junayd and Amr al-Makki, rahimahumullah, repudiated him after uttering the statement of kufr "ana 'l-Haqq" (I am the Truth) and Junayd signed the order which executed Hallaj as a murtad.

The promoters of Ibn Arabi in this day and age, with little exceptions, are pseudo-"sufis" who propagate doctrines which have no basis in authentic Tasawwuf: Unity of Existence, secret batin knowledge passed down to the initiate, "esotericism", and the Unity of Religions, based on their "central" truths. May Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) expose the plots of the esotericists. Ameen.

JazakAllah khair akhi for the excellent post and exactly the fatawa i meant in my previous response to talib

[Abdullah Ali al Hanafi]

akhi we have no problem with that.
Salafis do not deny karamat of awliya', but some sufi books have really sickening stories they call "karamat", no wali would have something like it happen to him or would do something like that.

i know Salafis dont because they also rely on the Hanafi Text : Aqeedahtul Tahawi , most ''Evildoers'' that claim to be Sufis and make up ridiculous stories are Bareilwis(closet Shiites) they heavily rely on the stories of their evil scholars if you debate with a Bareilwi you will notice they dont debate with you based on daleel but based on so called dreams and stories from their ''scholars'' , only a deviant would praise ibn arabi or al al hallaj

[leo]

Brelvis enjoy cordial relations with Rafida. Atleast I never witnessed them arguing or debating with each other. Both commit shirk and have kufria beliefs. Both love visiting tombs, shrines and graves :D

In Indo-Pak region especially, its very easy to become a pir sahib (spiritual master), all you have to do is:-

1. Remain dirty and don't take bath for months, living years w/o bath is expected to pay rich dividends :D

2. Don't change your clothes at all.

3. Select a grave, if you wish to establish your separate identity and don't want to be recognised by a shrine or a tomb.

4. Take multi coloured flags and put them all around the grave.

5. Keep sitting there for few days and you will see people coming in groups for fulfilment of their wishes and desires :D