A claim about Sheikh Al-Islaam Ibn Taymiyah, may Allaah have mercy upon him.

5-4-2023 | IslamWeb

Question:

Assalamu Alaikum,A Barelwi scholar claims that Ibn Kathir in his book, Al-Bidayah wa- Nihayah mentions that Ibn Taymiyyah's students took tabarruk from the water washed from his corpse and people also read Quran before giving him bath. Is this true?Jazakallah.
Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu`alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and messenger.

Ibn Katheer may Allaah have mercy upon him recorded this narration in his Al-Bidaayah Wa An-Nihaayah when mentioning the biography of Sheikh Al-Islaam Ibn Taymiyah may Allaah have mercy upon him maintaining that he did not attribute this act to his disciples, but rather to another group. On that, he said, “A group of ordinary people drank the water remaining from his ritual Ghusl of death while another group divided the remaining lotus among them.” This makes it clear that this action has been done by ordinary people, which is the habit of such kinds of people in such circumstances, not to mention that it is difficult for anybody to have control over this big crowd. Even if this act had been done by Ibn Taymiyah’s may Allaah have mercy upon him disciples, it should not be attributed to him.

In the same vein, Ibn Katheer may Allaah have mercy upon him previously mentioned that some people had gathered and recited the Quran before offering him the ritual Ghusl of death, stating “A group of people sat around him before offering him the ritual Ghusl of death and recited the Quran and sought blessing by seeing and kissing him.” However, the opinion we state concerning the first case totally applies to this very second case.

Allah knows best.

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