Refutation of Accusations Against Ibn Taymiyyah Part 8

Refutation of Accusations Against Ibn Taymiyyah Part 8



No matter how we take it,
to rule someone’s deviancy or unbelief based on this is not possible, for only
one who contradicts a consensus that is firmly established to exist, and
unequivocal in it’s meaning can be ruled to be a deviant or a disbeliever. This
is not the case here despite the efforts of some scholars to make it seem so.
Even if it were so, then neither ibn Taymiyyah or ibn al-Qayyim held this view,
so do not be deceived by what the likes of as-Subki writes in his ‘al-I`tibaar
bi Baqaa al-Jannah wa an-Naar’ (forming part of his ‘Risaa`il’).


As-Subki says, in the
course of his discussion on this point,


"…I came across the
aforementioned book and he mentioned in it three opinions over the Hellfire
coming to an end. 1) both
Paradise
and Hell will end and he said that no one from the salaf held this opinion. 2)
that both are eternal. 3) that
Paradise
remains and Hellfire will come to an end. And he inclined to this position and
said that this was the madhab of the Salaf." [‘al-I’tibaar’ (pg. 201)]


The opponents who read this
book, thought that as-Subki was referring to ibn Taymiyyah and hence the origin
of this accusation against ibn Taymiyyah. But in reality this is from the words
of ibn al-Qayyim and it seems that as-Subki did not even fully read what this
Imaam had to say!"


Ibn al-Qayyim says:
‘Al-Haadee al-Arwaah’ (pg. 429+),


"And this is an issue over
which the latter people differed over, falling into three opinions:





1. That both
Paradise
and Hell will come to an end and are not eternal, rather just as all created
things they will come to an end.


2. That both will remain,
never coming to an end.


3. That
Paradise
is eternal, and the Hellfire will come to an end.


We will mention these
opinions and their proponents along with their evidences, and we will reject
what contradicts the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger.


1) As for the first saying,
then it was said by Jahm bin Safwaan, the Imaam of the Jahmiyyah, and he did not
any precedent in this from the Salaf - neither in the Companions, nor the
Taabi`een, nor any of the Imaams of Islaam, or indeed anyone from Ahlus Sunnah.
Rather this saying was one that was rejected by the Imaams and they declared the
unbelief of the ones that held to it, as is mentioned in ‘as-Sunnah’ of
Abdullaah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal reporting from Khaarijah bin Mus`ab that he said,
"I declare the Jahmiyyah to be unbelievers due to three verses from the Book of
Allaah, Azza wa Jall, ‘its (Paradise) provision and food is eternal’ and
they say it will end. ‘Verily this is Our provision which will never finish’,
and they say they will. ‘Whatever is with you will pass away, and what is
with Allaah will remain’"…


2) As for the saying that
the Hellfire is eternal, then Shaykh al-Islaam said, "there are two famous
opinions from the Salaf and Khalaf and this difference is known to exist amongst
the Taabi`een." I say: and here are seven opinions on this:





1. That the one entering it
will never leave, this being the saying of the Khawaarij and Mu`tazila.



2. That it’s inhabitants
will be punished for a time but then this punishment will be changed for them
and they will live in a normal manner, gaining pleasure from the Fire, due to
its being in conformity to their nature. This is the saying of the Imaam of the
Ittihaadiyyah (anthropomorphists) ibn Arabee at-Taa`ee…


3. That its inhabitants
will be punished for a time, then they will be removed from it, and another
creation placed in Hell. This opinion was one that the Jews related to the
Messenger (SAW) and he declared them liars due to it as did Allaah by saying,
"and they (the Jews) say: the Fire will not touch us but for a few days. Say:
have you taken a covenant from Allaah, so that Allaah will not break His
Covenant? Or is it that you say of Allaah what you know not. And those who
believe and do righteous deeds, they are dwellers of
Paradise,
they will dwell therein forever."
This saying is then the saying of the enemies of Allaah, the Jews, and they are
the shaykhs of its proponents. The Qur`aan, Sunnah, and the consensus of the
Sahaabah and the Taabi`een and the Imaams indicate this opinions invalidity.
Allaah says, ‘and they will not leave it’….


4. That its inhabitants
will leave it and the Fire will remain, being empty, this is related by Shaykh
al-Islaam (ibn Taymiyyah). And this opinion is also refuted by the Qur’aan and
Sunnah as has preceded.


5. That it will come to an
end due to its being created. It is impossible for anything that is created to
remain forever, this is the saying of Jahm bin Safwaan, and he does not
distinguish in this between the Fire and
Paradise.



6. That its inhabitants
will die and lose movement and remain in there as inanimate things, and they
will not be affected by pain. This is the saying of Abu al-Hudhail al-Alaaf, the
Imaam of the Mu`tazila, and in this ruling he does distinguish between
Paradise
and Hell.


7. That its Creator and
Lord will cause it to come to an end, for He has given it a limited period.



Shaykh al-Islaam said,
"this (last) saying was related from Umar, ibn Mas`ud, Abu Hurayrah, Abu Sa`eed
and others." Abd bin Humaid related - and he is from the most noble of the
scholars of hadeeth - in his famous tafseer, ‘Sulaymaan bin Harb reported
to us, from Salma, from Thaabit from Hasan who said, "Umar said: if the people
of Hell were to remain in the Fire to the extent of the stones in a mountain
there would be a day that they would leave it."’


And he said, ‘Hajaaj bin
Minhaal, from Hammaad bin Salma, from Humaid from Hasan that Umar bin al-Khattaab
said, "if the People of the Fire were to remain in the Fire to the extent of the
stones in a mountain there would be a day that they would leave it.’" He
mentioned this in the tafseer of His saying, "they will stay in there
for periods" (Naba`a: 23).


So Abd, who is from the
Imaams of the Huffaadh and scholars of Sunnah relates from these two noble
personalities: Sulaymaan bin Harb and Hajjaaj bin Minhaal, who in turn narrate
from Hammad bin Salma, and he narrates from Thaabit and Humaid, and these two
from Hasan. And this is sufficient to show the excellence of this isnaad.



And Hasan, even if he did
not hear anything from Umar, relates this also from some of the Taabi`een. If
this was not authentic from Umar, according to him, then why did he narrate it
and designate his narration with certainty by saying, "Umar said"? And why did
those Imaams narrate it from him without rejection or refutation when it is
known that they rejected anything that contradicted the Sunnah and refuted
matters less than this? So if this saying was from those that contradicted the
Qur’aan and Sunnah and ijmaa of the Imaams then they would have been the
first to reject it.


There is no doubt that the
one who sticks to this opinion of Umar, and narrates it from him means a
portion/type of the inhabitants of the Fire. For the people (i.e. Muslims)
that are punished due to their sins, then these people would leave it and they
would not stay in it the extent of the stones in a mountain. And the word,
‘People of the Fire’ is not specific to the believers in the Oneness of Allaah,
rather it is specific to their enemies, as the Prophet (SAW) said, "as for
the People of the Fire who are it’s inhabitants, then they will neither live or
die in their." [Saheeh Muslim]What has preceded does not contradict His
saying, ‘they will remain in their forever’ and His saying, ‘and they
will never leave it’."…


…Ibn Mas`ud said, "there
will come a time in which there will be no-one in the Fire and that is after
they have remained in there for periods." The likes of this is related from Abu
Hurayrah, both being reported by al-Baghawee in his tafseer. Then he says
after this, "and the meaning of these according to Ahlus Sunnah, if they are
established, is that no one of the People of faith will remain in there."…."
[‘al-Haadee al-Arwaah’ (pp. 429 +)]


So with this it is clear
that both ibn Taymiyyah and his student did not hold the Hellfire to come to an
end or that the punishment would cease for the unbelievers. Were it not for the
fear of lengthening the discussion beyond what is necessary, we would quote from
the tafseer of ibn Taymiyyah in which he makes clear that certain types
of people would remain in the Hellfire forever, for example, Pharaoh.