Al Dhahabi's critical advise to Ibn Taymiyya- Al-Nasihah Al-Dhahabiyah La Ibn Taymiyya.

Translation of the scathing advise given by Al Dhahabi to Ibn Taymiyya when the latter was in a prison.

Though Al Dhahabi was one of the students of Ibn Taymiyya and followed him even in his disastrous doctrine of anthropomorphism, to an extent that he wrote an encyclopedia, known as Al Uluw, trying to validate this kufr. But sooner or later, he had to accept the fallacy of Ibn Taymiyya's irrational arguments. Al Dhahabi, thou late in his life, was guided by Allah on the path of truth. He soon gave up all the foolish doctrines which Ibn Taymiyya embodied in him and also refuted those doctrines in his works composed later in his life. For eg: His sensibility while dealing with Mushabi'yat in Siyar Al Alam and criticism of Mujassima and also his scathing advise to Ibn Taymiyya, when he was in a prison which we are going to translate in this article. We want our readers to get acquainted about the fact that, not only the later scholars criticized Ibn Taymiyya for his madness, but also his own favorite student denied his teachings and critically advised him to return back to the path of truth. For knowing the revised and precise stance of Al Dhahabi on anthropomorphism, read this article which I have posted earlier on how Al Dhahabi changed his opinion later in his life  Al Dhahabi and Anthropomorphic beliefs of Ibn Taymiyya

There have been many attempts by his followers to discredit this risalah, which exposes the insanity of their "Shaykh ul Islam". They made many false claims that it lacks a chain and even went on to say that this risalah was not scribed by Al Dhahabi. They claimed that, it was the work of one of the enemies of Ibn Taymiyya but we find many obvious proofs that it is the work of Al Dhahabi which was transmitted to us with a sound chain. Its authenticity will be discussed later. This article is composed, solely to present an accurate translation of the Nasihah.

Note: Followers of Ibn Taymiyya will cite references from early works of Al Dhahabi where he praised Ibn Taymiyya for his immense knowledge. They do not reveal the fact that Al Dhahabi later exposed Ibn Taymiyya's arrogance and criticized him heavily as we will see in this article.

This Nasihah was written by Al Dhahabi when he was around 55 years of age.

 بسم الله الرحمن الرحيمز يا رب ارحمني واقلني عشرتي، واحفظ علي ايماني. واحزناه على قلة حزني، واأسفاه على السنة وذهاب اهلها، واشوقاه الى إخوان مومنين يعاونونني على البكاء، واحزناه على فقد اناس  كانوا مصابيح العلم، واهل التقوى، وكنوز  الخيرات، آه على وجود درهم حلال، وأخ مونس طوبى لمن شغله عيبه عن عيوب الناس، وتبا لمن شغلته عيوب الناس عن عيبه

In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful. All praise is for Allah lone. O my Lord! Have mercy on me in view of my weakness and humility. Pardon my lapses and maintain my faith. O the agony I suffer on the loss of sunnah and of those devoted to it. O my brethren who join me in my cry for faith. How badly I miss those treasure houses of Knowledge, piety and virtues. What a pity there is no concern now for lawful earning or for a sympathizing brother. Fortunate is he who refrains from finding faults in others. Cursed is he who, while looking for others lapses, turns blind to his own errors.

الى كم تمدح نفسك وشقاشقك وعباراتك، وتذم العلما، وتتبع عورات الناس؟ وع علمك بنهي الرسول صلي الله عليه و سلم: لا تذكروا موتاكم الا بخير فاٍ نهم قد أفضوا الى ما قدموا. بلى أعرف أنك تقول لي لتنصر نفسك: إنما الوقيعة في هولاء الذين ما شموا رائحة الاسلام، ولا عرفوا ما جاء به محمد صلى الله عليه و سلم وهو جهاد بلى و الله عرفوا خيراٌ كشيراٌ مما إذا عمل به العبد فاز، وجهلوا شيئاٌ كشيراٌ مما لا يعنيهم و "من حسن إسلام المرء تركه ما لا يعنيه

How long will you engage in criticizing others while disregarding your own self? How long will you indulge in self praise and in speaking highly of your writings? How long will you be devoted to condemning Ulama and in finding fault with others? You know well the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم prohibition against it. He advised that we should speak only good of the deceased. They are destined to be recompensed for what they did. I know in your defense you will argue: “My criticism is against those who are unfamiliar with Islam and who do not understand the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم Shariah. Therefore I am engaged in Jihad against them”. By God! People do know what is good and if they act upon it, they will attain deliverance. They are unaware of unnecessary details. It is one of the features of Islam that a Muslim avoids what is trivial.

يا رجل بالله عليك كفٌ عنا، فاٍنك محجاج، عليم اللسان لا تقر ولا تنام. إياكم والاغلو طات في الدين، كره نبيك صلى الله عليه و سلم المسائل وعابها، ونهى عن كشرة السوال وقال: "ان اخوف ما اخف على امتي كل منافق عليم اللسان" وكشرة الكلام بغير دليل تقسي القلب اذا كان في الحلال والحرام، فكيف اذا كان في عبارات اليونسية والفلاسفة، وتلك الكفريات التي تعمي القلوب

O servant of Allah! Do restrain your tongue against us. Of course you are eloquent and loquacious. You cannot sit idle. Save yourself against the trials of faith of too much interrogation and of hair splitting. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم disapproved all this. Rather, he condemned one who indulges in all this. He is on record saying: “I fear against that member of my community who has duality of character and is loquacious.” Unnecessary talk about the halal (lawful) and the haram (unlawful) leads only to the hardening of the heart. What is the point in engaging with Yunusiya and philosophical text? These are manifestations of falsehood which turn the hearts blind

Note: Yunusiya refers to the followers of Sheikh Yunus Ibn Yusuf Ibn Musa‘id Shaybaani (d. 619H), of Mardin, Quniya. He was a pious spiritual master. Ibn Khalqan has recorded his marvels. His followers are known as Yunusis. It seems that their followers got distracted from the true path. Allama Ibn Imad has written in Shazarat-az-zahab- “May Allah do away with their evil!” Perhaps Ibn Taymiyya wanted to eliminate their evils

والله قد صرنا ضحكلة في الوجود، فاٍلى كم تنبش دقائق الكفريات الفلسفية، لنرد عليها بعقولنا؟ يا رجل قد بلعت (سموم) الفلاسفة وتصانيفاتهم مرات، وبكشرة استعمال السموم، يدمن عليها الجسم، وتكمن والله في البدن

By Allah! We have been reduced to a laughing stock in the world. How long will you engage in your philosophical hair splitting and how far we will keep refuting it with reasons? O servant of Allah! You have drunk deep the poison of philosophers & of their books. When we consume poison frequently, the body becomes habitual of it and it remains hidden in the body.

واشوقاه الى مجلس فيه تلاوة بتدبر، وخشية بتذكر، وصمت بتفكر. واها لمجلس يذكر فيه الابرار، فعند ذكر الصالحين تتنزل الرحمة، لا عند ذكر الصالحين يذرون بالازدراء واللعنة.

Ah! my love for such blessed gatherings in which we used to reflect, on reciting the Qur'an, remembering Allah with humility and silent meditation. I miss those sessions in which the pious were mentioned. Allah’s mercy descends as they are mentioned. In contrast, Allah’s mercy does not bless those gatherings in which the pious are dismissed contemptuously.

 كان سيف الحجاج ولسان ابن حزم شقيقين فواخيتهما. بالله خلونا من ذكر بدعة الخميس واكل الحبوب، وجدوا في ذكر بدع كنا نعدها من أساس الضلال قد صارت هي محض السنة، وأساس السوحيد، ومن لم يعرفها فهم كافر أو حمار، ومن لم يكفره فهو أكفر من .فرعون وتعد النصارى مشلنا

Hajjaj’s sword and Ibn Hazm’s tongue were the pebbles of the same pouch. You have adopted both of these. For Allah’s sake, leave us alone and also give up the meal of Thursdays as innovative. Be more careful about the innovation, which we regarded as the mother of all evil. Now the same (that innovation) lies at the core of monotheism. If someone is unaware of this (monotheism) he is an unbeliever (Kafir) and whoever does not regard him as an unbeliever is an unbeliever worse than pharaoh. Even Christians areparaded as someone similar to us.

والله في القلوب يكوك، ان سلم لك إيمانك بالشهادتين فأنت سعيد. يا خيبة من اتبعك فإنه معرض للزندقة والانحلال، لاسيما اذا كان قليل العلم والدين باطوليا شهرانيا لكنه ينفعك و يجاهد عنك بيده ولسانه، وفي الباطن عدو لك بحاله وقلبه، فهل معظم اتباعك الا قعيد مربوط، خفيف العقل او عامي كذاب، بليد الذهن او غريب واجم قوي المكر او ناشف صالح، عديم الفهم، فإن لم تصدقني ففتشهم وزنهم بالعدل

By Allah! I have serious doubts regarding you. If you die proclaiming your testimony to Islam, it will be your felicity. Ruined is he who follows you, because he makes himself vulnerable to the loss of faith and heresy, especially he who is weak in faith, lacks knowledge, follows his base desires and seeks greatness for himself. Such a person will be your associate both physically and verbally yet he will oppose you in his heart. Most of your followers are your yes men, foolish, ignorant, liars and dim-witted. Some of them are of foreign origin, deceitful or harshly pious fools. If you do not trust my estimate, find out about them. Judge them fairly.

يا مسلم اقدم حمار شهوتك لمدح نفسك. الى كم تصادقها وتعادي الاخيار؟ الى كم تصادقها وتزدري بالابرار؟ الى كم تعظمها وتصغر العباد؟ الى متى تخاللها وتمقت الزهاد؟ الى متى تمدح كلامات بكيفية لا تمدح بهاـ والله ـ احاديث الصحيحين؟ يا ليت احاديث الصحيحين تسلم منك، بل في كل وقت تغير عليها بالتضعيف والاهدار او التاويل والانكار

O Muslim! Desires seem to have overwhelmed you. How long will you consider yourself to be true and keep belittling the noble souls? How far will you follow this attitude while deprecating pious servants of Allah? How much more will you indulge in self praise? By Allah, you do not praise so much the standard Ahadith in the collections of Bukhari and Muslim. I wish you had not attacked these. All the time you are keen on proving their weakness or lowering their value or misinterpreting or rejecting these.

 اما آن لك ان ترعوي؟ اما حان لك ان تتوب وتنيب؟ اما انت في عشر السبعين وقد قرب الرحيل؟ بلى والله ما اذكر انك تذكر الموت بل تزدري بمن يذكر الموت، فما اظنك تقبل على قولي، ولا تصغي الى وعظي، بل لك همة كبيرة في نقض هذه الورقة بمجلدات، وتقطع لي اذناب الكلام ولا تزال تنتصر حتى اقول: والبتة سكت فاذا كان هذا حالك عندي، وانا الشفوق المحب الواد، فكيف يكون حالك عند اعدائك؟ واعداوك ـ والله ـ فيهم صلحاء واخيار، وعقلاء وفضلاء، كما ان اولياءك فيهم فجرة وكذبة، وجهلة وبطلة وعور وبقر

Is it still not time for you to recant? Is it not time for repentance and turning to Allah? You are in your seventies. It is time for the journey to the next world. By Allah! I believe you never think of death. Rather, you may mock those who remember death. I do not think you will pay heed to my advice because you are a spirited person. You may write volumes, refuting my (this) one page letter to you. You may keep thundering against me until I give in. Since you can treat me thus who is your sincere advisory, you can behave worse towards those whom you take as your enemy. I can say it on oath that among your enemies some are wise, scholars as well. Likewise among your supporters, however, there are wicked, deceitful, lying, ignorant and dim-witted persons.

قد رضيت منك بان تسبني علانية، وتنتفع بمقالتي سراٌ (رحم الله امراٌ اهدى الي عيوبي) فاٍني كثير العيوب، غزير الذنوب، والويل لي ان انا لا اتوب، ووافضيحتي من علام الغيوب، ودوائي عفو الله ومسامحته وتوفيقه وهدايته. والحمد الله رب العالمين وصلى الله  على سيدنا محمد خاتم النبين و على اله وصحبه اجمعين

I am reconciled to your public reviling on the condition you act on my advice. May Allah have mercy on him who brings to my attention my weaknesses! I am a sinner, full of lapses. If I do not repent, I am doomed for destruction. Alas! I shudder at my disgrace before the One Who knows the Unseen. My only hope is His pardon, guidance and strength to me. All praise is for Lord of the worlds. May Allah bestow special blessings upon our leader, the seal of the Messengers, Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم, his household and his Companions رضوان الله اجمعين. 

The original manuscripts of  this risalah are still available in Dar Al Kutub Al Misriyya (no: 18823) and Maktabah Al Zahiriyyah (no: 1347).

A picture of the original manuscipt of the Nasihah
copied by Qadi Shuhbah (d.779H).

original manuscipt edited by Shaykh Zahid Kawthari.

A model from the book of Ibn Al Siraj, Al Tashwiq.

Al Nasihah Al Dhahabiya, Dar Al Mamun.

Al Nasihah Al Dhahabiya, Pg 1.

Al Nasihah Al Dhahabiya, Pg 2.

Al Nasihah Al Dhahabiya, Pg 3.

Al Nasihah Al Dhahabiya, Pg 4.

Al Nasihah Al Dhahabiya, Pg 5.

Al Nasihah Al Dhahabiya, Pg 6.

Among the proofs of its authenticity is that the hadith Master Abu Sa‘id Al-‘Ala'i said he copied it himself from Al-Dhahabi’s autograph manuscript. The Mufassir Qadi Burhan Al-Din Ibn lama‘a, Abt'i Ishaq Ibrahim ibn ‘Abd al-Rahim ibn Muhammad Al-Misri Thumma Al-Maqdisi Al-Dimashqi (725H-790H) then copied it himself from Al-Ala’i’s autograph manuscript, then Taqi Al-Din Abu Bakr Ibn Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Ibn Qadi Shuhba (d. 779H) copied it himself from the autograph manuscript of Ibn Jami‘a. Al Kawthari published its facsimile edition as written by lbn Qadi Shuhba. 

To all the scholars mentioned in this article, May Allah be pleased with them All.