Böcker av Ibn Taymiyyah

Two major elements drove me to shoulder the responsibility of introducing a publication of such as imminent Imam like Ibn Taymiyyah to those who learn Islam from English Literature. The first is the author who, undoubtedly, needs no word that may attempt to crystallize his stance among other jurists, be they of his time or any other generation of place. The second is the subject itself which grasps the interest of the people at any time. As men and women enjoy an equal share as to rights, responsibilities and duties, all of which are best suiting her nature. Since science confirmed that woman is created with so many differences in her biological nature, physical capabilities and mental faculties, it would be unfair to assign her the same responsibilities, duties and rights as man. In other words, there is a difference between similarity and equality. As man and woman are not the same in terms of biological nature, physical capabilities and mental faculties, so they are not the same and it would be injustice to deal with both the same. But to put into consideration this difference of nature is regarded as the core of justice and equality, the methodology adopted by Islam, the religion of the Creator of both man and woman.

Actions are distinguished, one from the other, with respect to their excellence in the Sight of Allah in accordance with the condition of the heart, not by their number or form, but rather due to the strength of the caller, his truthfulness, his sincerity and the extent to which he prefer Allah over himself. The heart has been singled out for this because it is the leader of the body, and through the purification of the leader the subjects become purified, and with his corruption they become corrupted. So if you, Observant of Allah, wish to cure your hear then it is upon you to be truthful with regards to seeking refuge with Allah and putting your trust in Him, to pray a great deal of supererogatory prayers, to perform the actions of obedience to Allah frequently, to pray the night prayer while the people are sleeping, and to treat your heart by making it continuously stick to the remembrances and by befriending only the righteous and to frequently recite the Quran. And Allah will indeed allow all of this to be preserved by him.

Imagine there is only one way to find yourself. Imagine this path is a way to your heart and not to your mind. Imagine that your mind is in your heart when you find yourself. Heart illness is about what you cannot see that is disturbing you and causing you to suffer uncontrollably. The symptoms of heart illness come out in your relationships with other God and people. Nothing worthies the state of nothingness more than the lack of hope that what is bothering your state of affairs will never end. In other words, only you can decide what is curable and what is hopeless.

The first translation of this work by Ibn Taymiyya, one of the greatest thinkers of medieval Islam, the book is a critique of Greek logic, which he saw as the source of the erroneous and heretical metaphysics propounded by medieval philosophers, theologians and mystics.