Ibn Taymiyyah

Taqi ad-Din Ahmad ibn Abdul-Halim ibn Taymiyyah (661-728 AH / 1263-1328 CE) was one of the most influential and controversial scholars in Islamic history, a Hanbali jurist, Athari theologian, and reformer whose impact on Sunni thought continues to be felt across the Muslim world. Born in Harran (in present-day Turkey), his family fled the Mongol invasions to Damascus when he was a child. He studied under his father and numerous other scholars, mastering jurisprudence, hadith, tafsir, theology, philosophy, and Arabic language at a remarkably young age.

Ibn Taymiyyah's scholarly output was prolific, covering virtually every Islamic discipline. His most notable works include Dar Taarud al-Aql wan-Naql (on the relationship between reason and revelation), Minhaj as-Sunnah an-Nabawiyyah (a refutation of Shia theology), Iqtida as-Sirat al-Mustaqim (on opposing the customs of non-Muslims), al-Aqidah al-Wasitiyyah (a concise creed), and numerous fatwas collected in Majmu al-Fatawa. He championed the Athari theological methodology, arguing that the Quran and Sunnah should be understood according to their apparent meaning without the reinterpretations (tawil) employed by the Ash'ari and Maturidi schools.

Ibn Taymiyyah was imprisoned multiple times for his theological positions, particularly his views on certain Sufi practices, the attributes of Allah, and his fatwa permitting military jihad against the Mongols even though they had nominally converted to Islam. He died in prison in Damascus in 728 AH (1328 CE). His influence on later reformist movements has been enormous, and his works are studied intensively by scholars of all orientations, whether in agreement or critical engagement.