Imam Ibn Tayymiyah's advice to those refuting Shia

[Hani]

al-Salamu `Aleykum,


Although Ibn Tayymiyah lived a hard life, and was not the best of examples when it came to his method in Da`wah, due mainly to his harshness, yet the man's intentions were pure and his advice was sound.


وَهَكَذَا الرَّدُّ عَلَى أَهْلِ الْبِدَعِ مِنَ الرَّافِضَةِ وَغَيْرِهِمْ: إِنْ لَمْ يَقْصِدْ فِيهِ بَيَانَ الْحَقِّ وَهُدَى الْخَلْقِ وَرَحْمَتَهُمْ وَالْإِحْسَانَ إِلَيْهِمْ، لَمْ يَكُنْ عَمَلُهُ صَالِحًا. وَإِذَا غَلَّظَ فِي ذَمِّ بِدْعَةٍ وَمَعْصِيَةٍ كَانَ قَصْدُهُ بَيَانَ مَا فِيهَا مِنَ الْفَسَادِ لِيَحْذَرَهَا الْعِبَادُ، كَمَا فِي نُصُوصِ الْوَعِيدِ وَغَيْرِهَا. وَقَدْ يُهْجَرُ الرَّجُلُ عُقُوبَةً وَتَعْزِيرًا، وَالْمَقْصُودُ بِذَلِكَ رَدَعُهُ وَرَدَعُ أَمْثَالِهِ، لِلرَّحْمَةِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ، لَا لِلتَّشَفِّي وَالِانْتِقَامِ


[This refutation against Ahlul-Bid`ah such as the Rawafidh and others: If the Muslim does not intend by it, to clarify the truth, to guide Allah's creations, and if he does not intend for it to be an act of goodness and mercy towards them, then his effort spoiled. If a Muslim is very harsh in attacking a certain innovation or attacking an act of disobedience, then his harshness is only intended to clarify their corruption so that Allah's slaves may be aware of this, as is the case with the religious texts which contain warnings by Allah. A Muslim may abandon a man as punishment, but what is meant from this is to deter him and his likes, out of mercy and goodness towards them, not out of spite and revenge.]


Source: Minhaj-ul-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah, volume 5 page 239.

[Moin]

al-Salamu `Aleykum,


Although Ibn Tayymiyah lived a hard life, and was not the best of examples when it came to his method in Da`wah, due mainly to his harshness, yet the man's intentions were pure and his advice was sound.

wa'alaikumussalam

I wouldn't say he was harsh in books. He was much polite than his student Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah when it comes to AhlulKalam. Similarly he was much more polite than Al-Ghazali, Ar-Razi and others whom he refuted. However he was harsh regarding shia but one may find the sense in it considering the content of Al-Hilli's book.

[Hani]

Helli's book is so bad, must get on anyone's nerves.