His Upbringing

The scholar and educator of this Ummah - the Imam, the mujtahid, the defender of the pure Shari’ah and Prophetic Sunnah, Shaykh al-Islam Taqi ad-Din Abi al-‘Abbas Ahmad bin ‘Abd al-Halim bin ‘Abd as-Salam bin Taymiyyah (may Allah sanctify his soul and brighten his grave)

As for his birth, it is as many of the scholars told narrated to me: he was born in Harran on the 10th of Rabi’ al-Awwal 661 H, and remained in it until he was seven years old. Then, his father (may Allah have Mercy on him) took him to Damascus (may Allah protect it), and he was best upbringing possible there, and Allah implanted in him the best of traits. The signs of excellence, dedication, and sharpness were clear in him from an early age.

From trustworthy sources, it is known that when the Shaykh (may Allah be Pleased with him) was still in the midst of his youth and would to walk to the library, he would be stopped in his path by a Jew who lived on the road leading to the library. The Jew would ask him about various issues and would be insistent with his questioning due to Ibn Taymiyyah’s intelligence and brightness. Ibn Taymiyyah would answer him so swiftly that the Jew became fascinated with him. Eventually, whenever Ibn Taymiyyah would come across him, he would provide him with bits of information that would confirm to the man the falsehood he was upon. This went on until he accepted Islam and became a fully practising Muslim, and this was due to the barakah that the Shaykh had despite his young age.

And since he entered his youth, he spent all of his time engrossed in effort and exertion, and he memorised the entire Qur’an as a youth and proceeded to study and memorise Hadith, Fiqh, and the Arabic language until he excelled at them all. This was in addition to his strict adherence to attending the circles of knowledge and his listening to the narration of Hadith and athar. He heard many books from numerous scholars of high caliber. As for the great texts of Islam such as the ‘Musnad’ of Ahmad, the ‘Sahih’s of al-Bukhari and Muslim, the ‘Jami’’ of at-Tirmidhi, the ‘Sunan’ of Abu Dawud as-Sijistani, an-Nasa’i, Ibn Majah, and ad- Daraqutni - he (may Allah have Mercy on him) had each of them recited to him in their entirety numerous times. The first book that he memorised in Hadith was al-Humaydi’s ‘al- Jam’ Bayn as-Sahihayn.’

There was rarely a book in the sciences of Islam except that he would come across it, and Allah had blessed him with an ability to quickly memorize and rarely forget. He would hardly come across or hear something except that it would remain in his memory, either in wording or meaning. It was as if knowledge had become infused in his flesh, blood, and entire body. He did not merely take pieces of knowledge here and there. Rather, he had complete understanding and comprehension, and was amongst the most outstanding people in virtue and excellence. Allah tasked him with what would normally destroy anyone else, led him to joy and happiness in all aspects of his life, and made the effects of his leadership from the clearest of signs to all, to the point that everyone with a bit of intelligence agreed that he is from those that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was referring to when he said: “Indeed, Allah sends at the beginning of every century he who will revive for this Ummah the affair of its religion,”as Allah has revived through him the laws of this Religion that had long been forgotten, and made him a proof upon all the people of his era, and praise is to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.