The Lofty Virtues Of Ibn Taymiyyah

He also mentioned the names of the books in which each narration was found, as well as
where in the books to find them. All of this was purely from his memory, as at the time he
did not have a single book with him to use as a reference. These books were then published
and looked over, and - praise be to Allah - not a single mistake was found in any of them,
nor did anything need to be changed in them. And from these books is ‘as-Sārim al-Maslūl ‘alā
Shātim ar-Rasūl,’ 12 and this is from the virtue that Allāh - the Exalted - reserved especially for
him. 13
And Allāh also blessed him with the ability to know the differences of opinion amongst the
scholars, their statements, their ijtihād in various matters, and what was recorded of the
strong, weak, accepted, and rejected opinions of each scholar of each era. He had deep
insight into which of their opinions were the most correct and closest to the truth, and was
even able to ascribe to each scholar in what location he had come to each opinion. This was
to the point that if he were asked about any of this, it was as if every single saying of the
Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him), his Companions, and the scholars – from the first
of them to the last of them – was a projected image in his mind, with him picking what he
wanted and leaving what he wanted. This is something that everyone who ever saw him or
came across his knowledge and was not overtaken by ignorance or desires agreed on.
As for his books and writings, they are more than I can mention or think of all their titles. In
fact, I doubt that anyone can name them all, as they are many in number, are of varying
lengths, and are spread throughout the lands. In fact, I never visited a country except that I
saw one of his books in it.
Some of them reached twelve volumes in length, such as ‘Talkhīs at-Talbīs ‘alā Asās at-Taqdīs,’
etc. Some of them are seven volumes long, such as ‘al-Jam’ Bayn al-‘Aql wan-Naql.’ 14 Some of
them are five volumes long, such as ‘Minhāj al-Istiqāmah wal-I’tidāl.’ Some of them are three
volumes, such as ‘ar-Radd ‘alā an-Nasārā.’ Some of them are two volumes, such as ‘Nikāh al-
Muhallal’ and ‘Ibtāl al-Hayl’ and ‘Sharh al-‘Aqīdah al-Asbahāniyyah.’ Some of them are just a
single volume or less, and these are too many to encompass. However, I will try my best to
mention a few to satisfy the curiosity of those who wish to know: ‘Tafsīr Sūrat al-Ikhlās,’ his
commentary on the verse {“The Beneficent ascended the Throne.”}, his book ‘as-Sārim
al-Maslūl ‘alā Shātim ar-Rasūl,’ ‘al-Furqān al-Mubīn Bayn at-Talāq wal-Yamīn,’ ‘al-Furqān Bayn
Awliyā’ ar-Rahmān wa Awliyā’ ash-Shaytān,’ ‘Iqtidā’ as-Sirāt al-Mustaqīm fī Mukhālafat Ashāb al-
Jahīm,’ ‘al-Kalim at-Tayyib,’ ‘Ithbāt al-Kamāl,’ ‘ar-Radd ‘alā Ta’sīs at-Taqdīs,’ ‘al-Jam’ Bayn al-‘Aql
wan-Naql,’ ‘Naqd Aqwāl al-Mubtadi’īn,’ ‘ar-Radd ‘alā an-Nasārā,’ ‘Minhāj al-Istiqāmah,’ ‘Ibtāl al-
Hayl wa Nikāh al-Muhallal,’ ‘Sharh al-‘Aqīdah al-Asbahāniyyah,’ ‘al-Fatāwā,’ ‘ad-Durr al-Multaqit,’
‘Ahkām at-Talāq,’ ‘ar-Risālah,’ ‘I’tiqād al-Firqah an-Nājiyah,’ ‘Raf’ al-Malām ‘an al-A’immah al-
A’lām,’ ‘Taqrīr Masā’il at-Tawhīd,’ ‘al-Istighāthah wat-Tawassul,’ ‘al-Masā’il al-Hamawiyyah,’ ‘al-
12 Translates as ‘The Loose Sword on the Insulter of the Prophet’
13 The book contains over 250 ahādīth, 100 āthār, the mention of over 600 famous personalities from the history
of Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jamā'ah, and collected information from over forty references - all from his memory, and
the entire book was written in response to one single incident in which Ibn Taymiyyah heard a Christian
insulting the Prophet (peace be upon him)!
14 Commonly known as ‘Dar’ Ta’ārud al-‘Aql wan-Naql’ and ‘Muwāfaqat Sahīh al-Manqūl li Sarīh al-Ma’qūl,’ and it
deals with the relationship between reason and Revelation
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