Safi al-din al Hanafi the Maturidi defending Ibn Taymiyah on the claim that he went against Imams.

Refutations of batil Aqaids

The claim that Ibn Taymiyah went against 4 Imams and he had no Salaf in his fatawa.

In response Shaykh Safi al-din al Hanafi the Matureedi (d 1200 h) said in his book
القول الجلي في ترجمة الشيخ تقي الدين ابن تيمية الحنبلي that:

“قد نص على أنه بلغ رتبة الاجتهاد جمع من العلماء؛ منهم الإمام أبو عبد الله الذهبي، والحافظ ابن حجر، والحافظ السيوطي في طبقات الحفاظ، ولم يتفرد بمسألة منكرة قط، وإن كان قد خالف الأئمة الأربعة في مسائل فقد وافق فيها بعض الصحابة أو التابعين”
This is clear that He (Ibn Taymiyah) reached the level of Ijtihaad, A group of scholars mentioned this. Among them are Abu Abdullah ad-Dahabee, Hafidh Ibn Hajar (al asqalani) and Hafidh as-Suyuti in Tabqaat al Huffaadh. He was not alone in any of his fatwa, even though he disagreed with four Imams in Masaail but those were in agreement of some companions or Tabiyeen. [al Qawl al Jalli fe Tarjuma Shaykh Taqi al Din Ibn Taymiyah al Hanbali page 6, Ghayat al Amani 1/484]

Safi al din al Hanafi said in the introduction of his book.
فهذا جزء لطيف في ترجمة شيخ الإسلام وبركة الأنام علم. الزهاد وأوحد العباد سيد الحفاظ و فارس المعاني والألفاظ تقي الدين أبی. العباس أحمد بن عبد الحليم بن مجد

This is a small tract giving a biographical sketch of the Shaykh al Islam Ibn Taymiyah, who is blessing for the people, a sign of the pious, a great unitarian from among HIS servants, a leader of the conners, a cavalier of words and ideas, known as Taqi al Din abul Abbas… [al Qawl al Jalli page 1]

Shaykh Safi al Din was a Mautureedi Imam of his time and went against few stances of Ibn Taymiyah like Travelling to visit the graves and the issue of divorce but he defended his aqeeda and refuted the claims of the likes of Taqi al Hisni (the liar who said Ibn Rajab Hanbali made takfeer of Ibn Taymiyah) and Ibn Hajar al Haytami that Ibn Taymiyah was a Mujassami. Apart from Aqaid, he also defended his stance on fiqhi issues like divorce etc that Ibn Taymiyah was not alone giving these fatawa.

Before him various scholars said this for example Ibn Kathir said:

والاجتهاد في الأحكام الشرعية ففي بعض الأحكام يفتي بما أدى إليه اجتهاده من موافقة أئمة المذاهب الأربعة، وفي بعضها يفتي بخلافهم وبخلاف المشهور في مذاهبهم، وله اختيارات كثيرة مجلدات عديدة أفتى فيها بما أدى إليه اجتهاده، واستدل على ذلك من الكتاب والسنة وأقوال الصحابة والسلف.
In some of Ahkam he did Ijtihad and went with four school of thought. And in some he went against them. And He gave fatawa against famous things in their school of thought. There are many volumes of his Ijtihad and he provided evidence from Quran, Sunnah, the sayings of Sahaba and Salaf. [Al Bidaya wal Nihaya 14/81]
 
he also said:
وبالجملة كان رحمه الله من كبار العلماء وممن يخطئ ويصيب ولكن خطأه بالنسبة إلى صوابه كنقطة في بحر لجي، وخطأه أيضاً مغفور له كما في ‏(‏صحيح البخاري‏)‏‏:‏
 
‏(‏‏(‏إذا اجتهد الحاكم فأصاب فله أجراً وإذا اجتهد فأخطأ فله أجر‏)‏‏)‏ فهو مأجور‏.‏
 
وقال الإمام مالك بن أنس‏:‏ كل أحد يؤخذ من قوله ويترك إلا صاحب هذا القبر‏.‏
In brief he Rahimaullah was one of the great scholars who may err or maybe correct in their decisions. But his slips are like a small speck in a vast deep ocean (i.e. very few), and his mistake is also forgiven as it is mentioned in Saheeh al Bukhari “”When a judge gives judgement and strives to know a ruling (ijtahada) and is correct, he has two rewards. If he gives judgement and strives to know a ruling, but is wrong, he has one reward” So he (Ibn Taymiyyah) will be rewarded. and Maalik bin Anas said: ‘Take and leave the words of all men, except the one in this grave,’ pointing towards the grave of Allah’s Messenger (sallalalhu alaihi wa-sallam). [al Bidaya wal Nihaya 14/162]
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