Download Political Thought of Ibnu Taimiyah

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His name was Ahmad ibn Abdul Halim Ibn
Abdussalam ibn Taimiyah, was born in Harran –
syiria, on monday, 10 rabiul awal 661 H/ 22
January 1263 M and was died in damaskus on
Sunday night, 20 zulkaidah 728 H/ 26 September
1328
From educated family – his father was a
professor
In 7 years he was able to memorize the whole
alquran, then he memorize all bukhari – muslim
hadits
He was envolved in some political moments of
Abbasiyah in his time to protect his country from
the invation of mongolian people (Tartar tribe).
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Some other political issues in his time were
treachery of the Fatimites in their alliance
with the crusaders against the Islamic state,
the conflict with the christian invander,
corruption of kings and rulers, and their
distance from Islam, and the spread of rigid
blind-followingof Madhhabs causing deep
sectarian divides
Though he had experience in jail, but he said
to his student Ibnul-Qayyim that 'The one
who is (truly) imprisoned is the one whose
heart isimprisoned from Allah and the
captivated one is the one whose desires have
enslaved him.' [Al-Wabil as-Sayyib, p.61].
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Ibn Taymiyyah passed away while in prisonin the
year 728H. His funeral was one of the rare
funerals like that of Imam Ahmed Ibn Hambal,
who used to say, 'Say to the people of bidah,
'Between us and between you are the funerals.’
Al-Bazzar says, 'Once the people had heard of
his death,not a single person in Damascus who
was able to attend the prayer and wanted to,
remained until he appeared and took time out for
it. As a result, the markets in Damascus were
closed and all transactions of livelihood were
stopped. Governors, heads, scholars, jurists
came out. They say that none of the majority of
the people failed to turn up, according to my
knowledge - except three individuals; they were
well known for their enmity for Ibn Taymiyyah
and thus, hid away from the people out of fear
for their lives.' [Al-A'lam al-'Aliyyah, p.82-83]
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was a great Islamic scholar, jurist, theologian
and logician of his time and produced work
on many topics. He wrote more than 500
books
Some of Islamic scholars who were influenced
by his thoughts were Muhammad bin Abdul
Wahab di Saudi Arabiah, Muhammad Abduh
and Rasyid Ridha in Egypt, and Syah Wali
Allah in India.
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Allow tha taqlid for the new students with tauhid as
basic understanding. Sebagaimana diketahui, bahwa
The essence of Ibn Taymiyyah's Dawah can be seen in
these scholars or institutions, in that they …1.
Givepriority to establishing the pure worship of Allah,
and warn against all manifestations of Shirk.2. They
promote the correct understanding of the Deen and
clarify the doubts and distortions of the innovative
sects.3. They appreciate and refer to the teachings of
all the scholars of Ahlus-Sunnah but refrain from
bigoted partisanship towards particular individuals
thus opposing the destructive blind-following. 4.
They call for the practical implementation of Islamic
teachings whether in one's personal behavior, in
transactions or in the society, and in taking Allah's
Legislation to be the most supreme.
He compromise the position of revelation and aql
(logic)
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Politics and leadership is a part of religion
where religion will be thoughly implemented
without the existence of leadership.
To regulate the affairs of people and religion
cannot be established truly without
government and the duty of commanding the
good and forbidding the evil cannot be
completely discharged without power and
authority. He brings the concept Siyasa
Shariyah, Government according to Shariyah
(Divinely Revealed Law).
It can be seen through the command of
prophet to appoint the leader when there are
more that two people are traveling – for people
live in peace. But it doesn’t mean the imamah
concept as what shiah does believe in.
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To elect such great leader, Ibn Taymiyyah says
that it is to be decided by consensus of an
electoral body, ahl al-hall wa’l-‘aqd (those
empowered to bind and loose) and finally the
choice should not be imposed on public rather
presented for ratification. Ultimate power of
choice of leadership rests with the public. Just as
any contract, neither side should be under
compulsion.
He against the coup to government though they
are not fair in governing as long as they still
perform praying. This ideas acknowlegded by the
weakening of Abbasid caliphate which no longer
had the resources to enforce its central tributary
system and local leaders became economically
and militarily independent, some local leaders
maintained a nominal relationship with the
caliphate as the basis of their political legitimacy
while others declared independence.
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The most important what he explain about the leader is
the hadits of prophet Muhammad,
“Everyone of you is a shepherd, and everyone of you is
responsible for his flock; the Caliph who rules the
people is a shepherd and he is responsible for those
whom he governs; the woman is a shepherdess in her
husband’s house, and she is responsible for the
household; the youngster is a shepherd in regard to his
father’s wealth, and he is responsible for the money at
his disposal; the slave is a shepherd as regards to his
master’s possessions, and he is responsible for these
possessions. Lo! Everyone of you is a shepherd and
everyone of you is responsible for his flock.” (Sahih
Bukhari & Sahih Muslim)
“Any shepherd to whom Allah has entrusted his flock
who dies one day, after having cheated his subjects (but
without repenting of his faults), Allah will not allow him
to breathe the odor of Paradise.” (Sahih Muslim)
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In his opinion, Quran neither prescribes any
specific form of the government, nor it
explicitly say anything concerning the question
of succession. The Quran also does not lay
down any number of the Amirs (rulers)
Thus, within Islamic community, Ibn Taymiyyah
accepts the plurality of separate states. Within
each state, the ruler is responsible for the
application of Legal Punishments, the
observation of fast and pilgrimage, the
performance of public services, the application
of social and economic norms and above all,
the conduct of prayer and Jihad.
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The state is only the tool to make the moslems
become closer to Allah so they can bring the
islamic values such as justice, brotherhood,
security, obidience, law enforcement, peace, etc
within their daily life. So that, state should
manage the jihad, zakat, and force all of the
criminality actions.
Though the state should not be islamic state, but
in term of its function, state should be able to
protect the people from cheating, riba, gambling,
corruption, manipulation, tyrany, etc.
But monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy are
not compatible to Islam – because islam should
guarantee that the leader should be the best
person and support the implementation of
syariah. It should not be secular state as what
implemented in western tradition
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In this case, nationalisme is compatible with the
islamic principles which demand the unity among
moslems.
So that, Khilafat is not the compulsary, which
means that the moslem people can have more
than one leaders in one time as long as the
places is not he same. But still all of the moslems
should be united by the name of religion, not
based on political unity.
With another words, He has major influences on
current Islamic revivalism" - did not view the
establishment of a Caliphate, or an Islamic state,
as a fundamental duty or as inherently axiomatic
in Islam. Rather, he viewed the formation of
political associations as part of the natural
propensity of humans, and considered it better
to have religious associations.
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In his opinion, he believed that excessive
insistence on political unity can be harmful on
the Islamic community. The community held
together only through political or military is not
truly united.
In islamic brotherhood, members of the Muslim
community are required to support and sustain
one another – socially, spiritually, and even
physically. Therefore, if someone in the
community falls on hard times, it is the
responsibility of others to furnish whatever is
necessary to restore his/her to a life of
meaningful faith.
He asserts that the identifying feature of an
Islamic society is not its leader's character, but
rather the people's responsiveness to the
shari'ah"
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In term of solving the society problems, he
demands jihad. Ibn Taymiyyah defined jihād
"as the struggle to remove fitnah and until
the religion, all of it, is for Allah“.
He posited two kinds of fitnah: fitnah of the
kuffar or polytheists and fitnah of sharr
(evil) or transgression, disobedience and
ignorance.
He divided jihād into jihād makki, which is
struggle with knowledge, argumentation and
da'wah, enjoining good and preventing
wrong, and jihād madani, which is military
fighting.