Who was Taqi ibn Taymiyya? How did his teachings influence Muslim militancy?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

• Taqi al Din ibn Taymiyyah, an Islamic scholar, was appalled by the slaughter of the Crusades and sought to find an answer in his faith.
• He believed that Muslims had fallen away from the truth and must therefore internally purify themselves, calling for a jihad (struggle or effort), the destruction of heretics and invaders; he called this the sixth pillar of Islam.
• Ibn Taymiyyah fled Baghdad to escape invading Mongols.
• He believed that the Crusaders and Mongols defeated Islamic armies because Muslims had fallen away from the true practice of Islam.
• Emphasizing tawhid, or the oneness of God, ibn Taymiyyah attacked anything that threatened to come between humanity and God.
• He forbade prayers at gravesites, belief in saints, and other practices that had worked their way into Islam.
• He was especially harsh on the mystical Sufis, who believed that deep prayer revealed the will of God beyond the prophecy of Mohammed and the Quran.
• Individual Sufis pledged allegiance to various masters and followed their masters even when actions violated Islamic law.
• According to ibn Taymiyyah, any belief that went beyond Mohammed's revelation was to be subjected to a purifying jihad.
• He preached that holy war should be waged against all people who threatened the faith. His targets included Muslims and non-Muslims.
• Ibn Taymiyyah's shift is important. Islam is frequently described as a monotheistic religion based on five tenets, or pillars.
• Jihad has a place in this system, and different Islamic scholars interpret jihad in various ways.
• There are many meanings, but most Muslims defined jihad as defending a community and waging an internal struggle against one's own tendency toward evil.
• Ibn Taymiyyah expanded the meaning of jihad by advocating attacks on nonbelievers and impure Muslims; however, he preached toleration for Muslims who accepted one of the more rigid versions of Sunni Islam. He claimed that this was another pillar of Islam.