Sharia and power in the views of Ibn Taymiyyah

Abstract

In the article devoted to the activities of Ibn Taymiyyah (1263–1328), a theologian, the most authoritative representative of the Hanbali school, we will review the main ideas that influenced the formation of one of the strictest branches of Sunni Islam. Drawing attention to the historical and socio-political conditions of the Middle East of the 13th century, we trace the connection and origins of Ibn Taymiyyah's ideas. We will analyze the key tenets and views of this outstanding philosopher of the Islamic Middle Ages. Such ideas primarily include a pure perception of the Qur'an, with the impossibility of the appearance of subjective distortions. Also, a key paradigm will be the rejection of any innovations in Islam, which will later be twisted and become a symbol of the struggle for isolation and opposition to Western values. No less important will be the idea of returning to the righteous ideas of the first Muslims as a symbol of purity and righteousness. The specific concept of jihad is redefined, which will be key in accusing the author as the founder of the philosophy of Islamic radicalism. Let's analyze the connection between Ibn Taymiyyah's ideas and the modern world, because recently there has been a tendency to depict the philosopher as the founder of a radical branch of Islam. Such an idea arose during the use of the philosophy of Ibn Taymiyyah in the teachings of Muhammad Abd al-Wahhab, and, in turn, the teachings of Wahhab are mistakenly portrayed as the beginning of an extremist direction of Muslims. The present study attempts to refute such judgements by drawing attention to the humanist and theocentric origins of Ibn Taymiyyah's ideas. The author emphasizes the impossibility of literally applying and interpreting medieval ideas in the modern world, due to their absolute inconsistency with the new time and value orientations.