Lamahat Tarikhiyya min Hayat Ibn Taymiyya
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- Editions
- Majallat al-Jāmiʿah al-Islāmiyyah bi-al-Madīnah al-Munawwarah
Lamahat Tarikhiyya min Hayat Ibn Taymiyya (Historical Glimpses from the Life of Ibn Taymiyya) is a biographical study written by Salih bin Saeed bin Halabi that examines the intellectual background, theological refutations, and military leadership of Ibn Taymiyya (661–728 AH / 1263–1328 CE).
Publication and Purpose
The work was penned by Salih bin Saeed bin Halabi during his student years and published in successive installments within the "Student Forum" (Nadwat al-Talaba) section of the Journal of the Islamic University of Madinah (Majallat al-Jami'ah al-Islamiyyah bi-al-Madinah al-Munawwarah). The author’s stated aim was to provide a concise overview uncovering the key aspects of Ibn Taymiyya's personality and his continuous efforts against philosophical speculations, theological deviations, and external military threats.
Content and Structure
The study is organized across three main installments:
Early Life, Scholarly Reception, and Literature
The first part traces Ibn Taymiyya's birth in Harran in 661 AH and his family’s flight from the Mongols to Damascus, where he memorized the Quran, studied under prominent hadith scholars, read the Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal multiple times, and began issuing legal rulings in his teens. It records the praise of contemporary authorities such as Ibn Daqiq al-'Id, Yusuf al-Mizzi, Kamal al-Din al-Zamalkani, and Abu Hayyan al-Gharnati. The author also outlines major classical biographies of Ibn Taymiyya—such as those by Ibn Kathir, Ibn Rajab, and Shams al-Din al-Dhahabi—and surveys modern academic interest, mentioning works by Arab scholars (including Rashid Rida and Muhammad Abu Zahrah), the doctoral research and translations of French orientalist Henri Laoust, and the editorial project of Dr. Muhammad Rashad Salim.
Creedal Context and Controversies
The second installment analyzes the intellectual conditions of the seventh and eighth centuries AH, addressing the emergence of various theological groups, scholastic philosophy (kalam), and esoteric movements. It details Ibn Taymiyya's polemics against the Shi'a in Minhaj al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah (written in refutation of Ibn al-Mutahhar al-Hilli's Minhaj al-Karamah) and his critique of monistic Sufism (wahdat al-wujud), focusing on Ibn Arabi and Ibn al-Farid. It also describes his doctrinal hearings, including the inquiry over al-Fatwa al-Hamawiyyah in 698 AH, the council held in 705 AH over the Wasiti creed before the Sultan’s deputy in Damascus, and his confrontation with the Ahmadiyya (Rifa'iyya) Sufi order regarding trickery and entering fire.
Political and Military Leadership
The third installment focuses on Ibn Taymiyya’s political writings—such as al-Siyasah al-Shar'iyyah and al-Hisbah—and his role during the Mongol invasions of the Levant. It recounts the panic in Damascus, Ibn Taymiyya heading a delegation to confront the Mongol ruler Mahmud Ghazan, his encouragement of the garrison to hold the Damascus Citadel, and his journey to Cairo to urge Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun to mobilize forces. It concludes with his participation in the Battle of Shaqhab (702 AH), where he issued fatwas permitting soldiers to break their fast in Ramadan, rallied the Syrian ranks, and fought on the battlefield.
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