The Thoughts of Ibn Shamsud-Deen: Haafidh Ibn Hajar's position on the Sufi Ibn Arabi

Haafidh Ibn Hajar`s position on the Sufi Ibn Arabi

Allaamah Burhaanud-Deen Al-Biqaa`ee

Reference: Tanbeehul-Al-Ghabee be Takfeer Umar bin Al-Faaridh wa Ibni Arabi, translated as: `Warning and advising the ignorant one with regards to the infidelity of Umar bin Al-Faaridh and Ibn Arabi.` Page 137-138, Darul-Iman for publishing & distributing, Khalil Al-Khayyat Road, Alexandria, Egypt, with the editing and notes of Shaykh Abdur-Rahmaan Al-Wakeel

Category: Creed

Allamah Burhaanud-Deen Al-Biqaaee[1] narrated:

Our Shaykh, Shaykul-Islam, the Haafidh of his era, chief justice, Abul-Fadal Shihaabud-Deen Ahmed bin `Ali bin Hajar Al-Kanaanee, Al-Asqalanee[2], As-Shafee, from Egypt, narrated to us:

I also saw this incident transcribed and transmitted from Al-Haafidh Taqiud-Deen Al-Faasee[3] [in his book] which our Shaykh Ibn Hajar Asqalanee himself amended - with his own handwriting – as part of the subject of declaring Ibn `Arabi4 a disbeliever [Takfeer of Ibn `Arabi].

Ibn Hajr Al-Asqalanee said: In the days of Az-Zaahir Barqooq[4], there was a person known as Ibnul-Al-Ameen, who was extremely fanatical and bigoted with Ibn Arabi[5], the author of Al-Fusoos [`Bezels of widsom`], and I was constantly elucidating his [Ibnul-Arabi] faults, and manifesting his mistakes and errors.

And there was a Shaykh in Egypt known as As-Shaykh Safaa, and he was closely associated with Az-Zaahir. Ibnul-Al-Ameen threatened me, saying he would disclose my identity to Shaykh Safaaa so that he may mention to the ruler Az-Zaahir that in Egypt there is a group of people - and I being amongst them - who speak ill of the pious people and other things of the same kind.

And in those days, there were outrageous acts of injustice, calamities and business losses. I was a person who possessed wealth; therefore I feared its consequences and I apprehensively feared its calamity.

And then I said to Ibnul-Ameen, `indeed here is something that is more likely better than what you intend, something that some of the Haafidh [of Hadeeth] have described as an accomplished fact based upon the occurrence of past events that whenever any two people have invoked the curse of Allah upon each other regarding a matter, a [complete] year does not elapse by for the one who is upon falsehood amongst them both. Therefore, come on then! Let us both invoke the curse of Allah upon ourselves, so that it can be known who is upon the truth amongst us on this issue and who is upon falsehood.

Then we both, he and I, invoked the curse of Allah upon ourselves, I said to him invoke the curse of Allah upon yourself with the following words:

`Oh Allah if Ibn Arabi is upon misguidance, curse me with your curse,` He said that. Then I said: Oh Allah if Ibn Arabi is upon true guidance then curse me with your curse.` And then, we both separated from one another [left].

He used to live in a place called Ar-Rawdaah[5]. One of the sons of a soldier took him in as his guest, then for some reason he [Ibnul-Ameen] suddenly decided to leave them. So then he left in the early part of the night, with the soldiers` sons also accompanying him to escort him and bid him farewell.

Then suddenly, he felt something that passed over his feet. He said to his companions, `something soft just passed over my feet; please see what it was.` They searched to see what had passed by but didn`t see anything, so then he continued walking [alone]. He did not reach his home except that he became blind, and morning did not come except that he died. And this was in the month of Dhul-Qadah in the year 797 AH, and the Mubahalah - invoking the curse of Allah upon the liar - had taken place between us in the month of Ramadan.

Ibn Hajar, with his final words, said:

Indeed at the time when the Mubahalah took place, I informed those who were present at the Mubahalah, that the [one amongst us] who would be upon falsehood [as a result of this Mubahalah] would not even live a full year, and that is exactly what happened, and All praise is due to Allah for that. So I was relieved from the evilness of this person, and safe from his plotting and deceiving.

Footnotes

[1] He is Ibrahim bin Umar bin Hasan Ar-Rubaat bin Ali bin Abee Bakr, Abul-Hasan Burhaanud-Deen Al-Biqaaee As-Shafee. He was born in the year 809 AH at the ruins of a village in the vicinity of Biqaa [currently in Lebanon]. He spent his early life there before travelling to Damascus, where he learned how to recite the Qur`aan, and memorized it, with different types of recitation. He then occupied himself with learning syntax of the Arabic language, subsidiary issues of the Shariah [Fiqh], and many other different sciences of Islam. He studied under many scholars, including Haafidh Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalanee and Ibn Naseerud-Deen. He authored many books, including: 1. Tanbeehul-Al-Ghabee be Takfeer Umar bin Al-Faaridh wa Ibni Arabi [on the issue of declaring Umar bin Al-Faaridh and Ibn Arabi disbelievers], and 2. Al-Munaasibaatul-Al-Qur`aaniyyah. [on the subject of the science of the Qur`an]. He died at the age of 76 during Rajab, 885 AH Egypt, in Cairo, Egypt. [TN]

[2] He was born in Egypt during the month of Sha`ban of the year 773 AH on the coast of the Nile River. His father died when he was young. He memorized the Qur`an when he was nine years old. Allah had blessed Haafidh Ibn Hajr with such a great memory that it has been said about him that he memorized all of Surah Maryam in a single day. He wrote over a hundred books, his most famous book being the explanation of Sahih Bukhari known as Fathul-Baree. Among his other books were Bulugul-Muraam, a book on fiqh regulations based upon the A-Haadeeth of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be with him; and Al-Isaabah Fee Tameez-Asahaabah, on the biographies of the companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah be pleased with them all. He died in the year 852 AH. [Refer to Al-Isaabah Fee Tameez-Asahaabah of Haafidh Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalanee, Volume 1, pages 90- 123, Editors Introduction, printed by Darul-Maarifah, Beirut, Lebanon, second edition, 1423 AH/2002 CE.] [TN]

[3] He is Muhammad bin Ahmed bin Ali. He was born in Makkah in the year 775 AH, and died in the year 832 AH. He was assigned as the judge of the judiciary of the Mâlikis at Makkah.

[4] He was the founder of the Barjiyyah Empire, their origin being Turkish slaves. He ruled from the year 784 AH till 801 AH, and died at the age of 60.

[5] He was born in Murcia, Spain, on the 17th of Ramadan, 560 AH (July 28, 1165 CE). His family moved to Seville when he was eight. He began disciplined Sufi practice (Sulook) at the age of twenty. He studied the traditional sciences, Hadeeth in particular, with many teachers; he mentions ninety of these in an autobiographical note. In 597 AH/ 1200 CE, he left Spain for good, with the intention of performing hajj. In 601 AH/1204 CE, he set off from Mecca on his way to Anatolia with Majd-al-Din Eshaq, whose son Sadr-al-Din Qunawi (606-673 AH /1210-1274 CE) would be his most influential Sufi disciple. After moving about for several years in the central Islamic lands, never going as far as Persia, he settled in Damascus in 620 AH/1223 CE. There, he taught and wrote until his death. Some of the books that he authored include: al-Fotuhat al-makkiya (`The Meccan Openings`), and Fosus al-hekam (`Bezels of widsom` is less than 180 pages long). Refer to Ibn al-`Arabi, by Professor William Chittick, State University of New York. [TN]

[6] I asked my teacher Shaykh Yusuf Al-Muhammadee, teacher of `Principals of Islamic Jurisprudence` Institute of Secondary Islamic Studies, at the Islamic University of Madeenah, about whether the word Ar-Rawdaah meant a garden or a specific place. He replied from that which is apparent, it meant a garden but it could mean a specific place and Allah knows best.

Translator: Zulfiker Ibrahim al-Memoni al-Athari

Date Published: Thursday, 24 May 2007

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