I cannot recall the name of the Greek pre Socratic philosopher who was equally prolific. The comment on him was “ good that most of it was lost”. I can understand the fervour and the fatwas against the Mongols in the 13 th century; I am at a loss for understanding it nowadays.
I'm not sure who that might be. But yea, it made sense at the time. In Islamic jurisprudence, it's quite normal to take a related ruling from the past and apply it across time.
What do you think was responsible for Ibn Taymiyyah’s fame? As you say, most people tend to find the harsh demands of fundamentalism a challenge (or at least one would have thought so.) Is it that the people he influenced became famous and that he therefore did by association? Or something else completely? Great article as always!
Thank you, David. I think his fame and noteriety stem from his steadfast stance in the face of religious innovation, political instability, invasion, and imprisonment. It's easy to see how he might have been made into a hero or a saint were it not for his own rigid stance against the praising of fallible men. His lasting contributions to Islamic theology, creed and jurisprudence in the midst of innovation and hardship made him somewhat of a beacon for future generations. His academic contributions and the personification of what he believed in was honorable, if not the specifics. You could compare him to the church fathers in many ways. The religion in it's purist form was preserved by men like him. His work aligns itself with the scriptures, so if you're orthodox, he's simply hard to ignore. All of this to be taken in the context of religion, of course.
I cannot recall the name of the Greek pre Socratic philosopher who was equally prolific. The comment on him was “ good that most of it was lost”. I can understand the fervour and the fatwas against the Mongols in the 13 th century; I am at a loss for understanding it nowadays.
I'm not sure who that might be. But yea, it made sense at the time. In Islamic jurisprudence, it's quite normal to take a related ruling from the past and apply it across time.
What do you think was responsible for Ibn Taymiyyah’s fame? As you say, most people tend to find the harsh demands of fundamentalism a challenge (or at least one would have thought so.) Is it that the people he influenced became famous and that he therefore did by association? Or something else completely? Great article as always!
Thank you, David. I think his fame and noteriety stem from his steadfast stance in the face of religious innovation, political instability, invasion, and imprisonment. It's easy to see how he might have been made into a hero or a saint were it not for his own rigid stance against the praising of fallible men. His lasting contributions to Islamic theology, creed and jurisprudence in the midst of innovation and hardship made him somewhat of a beacon for future generations. His academic contributions and the personification of what he believed in was honorable, if not the specifics. You could compare him to the church fathers in many ways. The religion in it's purist form was preserved by men like him. His work aligns itself with the scriptures, so if you're orthodox, he's simply hard to ignore. All of this to be taken in the context of religion, of course.
I see, thanks for your insight!