Shaykh al-Islām ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله
Shaykh al-Islām Taqī al-Dīn Aḥmad ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله arose in a time when deviation had once again spread, the Ummah had suffered political collapse, foreign invasion, theological corruption, and widespread innovations in belief and worship.
Just as Shaykh al-Islām Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb رحمه الله revived the original foundations, Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله before him returned the Ummah to the very same principles established by Imām Aḥmad رحمه الله before him — and by the Salaf before them all.
- Restoring the pure creed of Tawḥīd, refuting Hulūl, Ittiḥād, Taʿṭīl, Ta’wīl, Wahdat al-Wujūd, and all corrupt philosophies.
- Reaffirming the authority of the Qur’an and Sunnah above kalām, philosophy, and political pressure.
- Re-establishing the manhaj of the Salaf as the only valid path for understanding revelation.
- Purifying worship, calling to sincerity, abandoning bidʿah, and reviving iḥsān through the actual words of the Salaf — not Sufi innovations.
Just as the Ummah gathered around Imām Aḥmad during the Miḥnah, they gathered around Ibn Taymiyyah during the trials of philosophical error, political corruption, and spiritual deviation. Each of them stood as a revivalist not because of personal prominence, but because Allah revived through them the pure path of the Salaf in their age.
IMĀM Ahmad ibn Hanbal رحمه الله
The revival of Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal رحمه الله stands as one of the greatest historical demonstrations of what “reviving the religion” truly means according to the Salaf: preserving the actual wording of revelation, rejecting innovation without compromise, and standing firm upon the Sunnah even when everything seems to be against you. His era was marked by one of the most dangerous ideological assaults on Islam: the Miḥnah, when rulers, judges, and scholars were pressured to declare that the Qur’an was created. At that time, thousands yielded under fear, pressure, or political gain — except Imām Aḥmad رحمه الله
His revival was the revival of the sunnah itself. Imām Aḥmad’s firmness was not based on philosophy, rhetoric, or political ambition. It was based on transmitted proof — and the manhaj of the early generations. He revived, in his age, the exact same standard by which truth is known:
- Revelation as it came — without ta’wīl, distortion, or philosophical reinterpretation.
- The manhaj of the Companions — not the theories of the innovators.
- The obligation to separate oneself from innovation and its people.
- The principle that the Sunnah is not subject to the approval of others or rulers.
Imām Aḥmad رحمه الله represents the central pillar of revival between the early generations and the later revivers like Ibn Taymiyyah and the scholars of Najd. His revival anchors the Salafi methodology in the age after the Tābiʿīn. Ibn Taymiyyah explicitly built upon his usūl and the scholars of Najd explicitly revived his creed and relied on his transmitted words. And just as Imām Aḥmad was a pillar in this chain of revival, he stands in the middle of a greater lineage — a lineage of Imams of the Salaf who preserved Islam generation after generation, carrying the religion through trials, innovations, and deviations, while safeguarding every foundation, every principle, and every transmitted text.
THE IMĀMS OF THE SALAF WHO PRESERVED ISLAM
Before every revival there stood the Imams of the early generations — those who transmitted Islam exactly as it came, protected its meanings, clarified its boundaries, and distinguished the straight path from the paths of desire and innovation. Their goal and task was not invention, but preservation; not reinterpretation, but safeguarding the intended meanings; not partisanship, but truth. They form the backbone of the entire revival and preservation — the living isnad of The Qur’an and Sunnah.
The Imāms of the Salaf stood as pillars - transmitting the correct Islam (that of the Companions) with clarity, precision, courage, and unwavering truthfulness and through them Allah protected His religion from alteration. Their scholarship, integrity, and firmness formed the living chain by which Islam reached us exactly as revealed. Among the greatest of these preservers were:
- Imām ash-Shāfiʿī رحمه الله
- Imām Mālik رحمه الله
- Sufyān ath-Thawrī رحمه الله
- al-Awzāʿī رحمه الله
- ʿAbdullāh ibn al-Mubārak رحمه الله
- al-Layth ibn Saʿd رحمه الله
- And many others
Through these Imāms and those like them, Allah safeguarded:
- The correct belief and ʿaqīdah of the Sahabah, intact and unaltered.
- The ‘Ibādah exactly as practiced by the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions.
- The Sunnah, authenticated, distinguished, and defended.
- The transmitted legacy, with exact wording, chain verification, and complete honesty.
- The principles of the Salaf, unmodified by rulers, philosophers, groups or sects.
- The integrity of isnād, ensuring that no falsehood entered the religion.
These are the Imāms by whom Allah fulfilled His promise to preserve the religion, generation after generation.
THE SAHĀBAH: THE CARRIERS OF ISLAM
The Sahābah رضي الله عنهم are the foundation of this entire religion — the first carriers of the Qur’an and Sunnah. The witnesses to the Revelation, the transmitters of every word, meaning, ruling, command, and principle of the Prophet ﷺ. Allah selected them, purified their hearts, strengthened their resolve, and made them the vessels through which Islam reached the Ummah in its purest and most perfect form. Every belief we hold, every Sunnah we practice, every ḥadīth we narrate, every detail of worship, law, and guidance — all of it passed through their hands with truthfulness, integrity, and unmatched sincerity.
They combined what no generation after them ever combined:
- Submission to the Prophet ﷺ without hesitation.
- Complete honesty and truthfulness in conveying his words and actions exactly as spoken and performed.
- Courage and sacrifice in defending the message when the world opposed it.
- Purity of heart, free from innovation and philosophical corruption.
- Distinction, for they lived Islam before books were written and preserved it before deviation appeared.
They are the generation Allah Himself praised in the Qur’an: “Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him.” (Surah at-Tawbah 9:100)
And the Prophet ﷺ testified to their unique status: “The best of people is my generation.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
The Sahabah did not only transmit Islam; they embodied it. Their speech and action was truth. Their worship was sincere and their striving was pure. Allah elevated them as the teachers of the Ummah through the correct understanding and intended meanings — the definitive scale for all who come after.
“The religion is only what came from the Companions of Muhammad ﷺ.” (From the statements of al-Awzāʿī and others).
To honor the Sahābah is to honor revelation. To follow their path is to follow the Prophet ﷺ. To adopt their understanding is to secure the straight path and to deviate from their way is to deviate from Islam itself.
They are the carriers of Islam — and through them, Allah established, preserved, and clarified every aspect of this dīn before the emergence of innovations, sects, and philosophical intrusions.
From them begins the chain of revival, the chain of preservation, and the chain of guidance that flows through every era and every age.
BOOKS OF REVIVAL
Shurūṭ Lā Ilāha illā Allāh
Shurūṭ Lā Ilāha illā Allāh
Shurūṭ Lā Ilāha illā Allāh
This treatise sets forth the established conditions by which the testimony of Tawḥīd becomes valid and accepted by Allah, transforming it from mere speech into a truthful, binding declaration and covenant. It details the essential requirements — knowledge, certainty, sincerity, truthfulness, love, acceptance, and submission — through which a servant enters Islam in its correct, genuine and legislated sense.
Nawāqiḍ al-Islām
Shurūṭ Lā Ilāha illā Allāh
Shurūṭ Lā Ilāha illā Allāh
This work identifies ten major nullifiers that invalidate a person’s Islam, clarifying the gravest beliefs, statements, and actions that sever the reality and validity of one’s Islam. It provides a structured framework for recognizing the matters that expel an individual from the religion, enabling the servant to safeguard faith through knowledge, vigilance, and adherence to clear textual evidence.
Al-Qawāʿid al-Arbaʿ
Shurūṭ Lā Ilāha illā Allāh
Al-Uṣūl al-Thalāthah
This concise treatise presents four foundational principles that distinguish pure Tawḥīd from the various forms of shirk, using clear evidences to expose the false assumptions people rely upon in worship. It establishes essential criteria for recognizing the true nature of devotion to Allah, enabling the servant to discern between sincere worship and practices that contradict it.
Al-Uṣūl al-Thalāthah
Masāʾil al-Jāhiliyyah
Al-Uṣūl al-Thalāthah
This pivotal treatise clarifies the three foundational matters that every servant is required to know—knowledge of Allah, knowledge of His Messenger ﷺ, and knowledge of the religion of Islam with evidences. It establishes the essential framework by which a Muslim understands faith, worship, and obedience, forming the basis upon which one’s creed and practice are correctly built.
Kitāb at-Tawḥīd
Masāʾil al-Jāhiliyyah
Masāʾil al-Jāhiliyyah
This authoritative work presents the evidences for Tawḥīd in all its categories, demonstrating the rights of Allah alone in worship and exposing the beliefs and practices that violate pure monotheism. It systematically guides the reader through Qur’ānic verses and authentic aḥādīth to establish the correct understanding of ʿibādah, directing the servant toward exclusive devotion to Allah in belief, speech, and action.
Masāʾil al-Jāhiliyyah
Masāʾil al-Jāhiliyyah
Masāʾil al-Jāhiliyyah
This treatise identifies the defining traits and practices of Jāhiliyyah that the Prophet ﷺ was sent to oppose, highlighting the stark contrast between pre-Islamic falsehood and the guidance of Islam. It equips the reader with clear criteria for recognizing beliefs and behaviors that oppose the Sunnah, enabling a deeper understanding of how Islam purifies individuals and societies from ignorance and misguidance.
Shurūṭ aṣ-Ṣalāh wa Arkānihā wa Wājibātihā
Shurūṭ aṣ-Ṣalāh wa Arkānihā wa Wājibātihā
Shurūṭ aṣ-Ṣalāh wa Arkānihā wa Wājibātihā
This treatise systematically outlines the conditions of the prayer (shurūṭ), its pillars (arkān), its obligatory acts (wājibāt), and its recommended sunnan, clarifying how each category determines the validity, completeness, and corrective requirements of ṣalāh. It provides a clear evidential framework for performing the prayer correctly, understanding what validates it, what constitutes its structure, what must be made up through sujūd as-sahw, and what is perfected through additional sunnah acts.
Ṣifat Ṣalāt al-Nabī ﷺ
Shurūṭ aṣ-Ṣalāh wa Arkānihā wa Wājibātihā
Shurūṭ aṣ-Ṣalāh wa Arkānihā wa Wājibātihā
This work presents a detailed, evidence-based description of the Prophet’s ﷺ prayer from beginning to end, gathering authentic narrations to demonstrate precisely how he performed each position and action. It enables the student to align their own ṣalāh with the prophetic model by clarifying the movements, supplications, and rulings established in the authentic Sunnah.
Ādāb al-Mashī ilā aṣ-Ṣalāh
Shurūṭ aṣ-Ṣalāh wa Arkānihā wa Wājibātihā
Ādāb al-Mashī ilā aṣ-Ṣalāh
This concise treatise outlines the manners and etiquettes a Muslim observes while proceeding to the prayer, emphasizing tranquility, humility, and reverence as one approaches the standing before Allah. It highlights the prophetic guidance related to intention, demeanor, and composure, fostering the inward and outward conduct befitting the act of worship.
Al-Arbaʿīn al-Nawawiyyah
Al-Arbaʿīn al-Nawawiyyah
Ādāb al-Mashī ilā aṣ-Ṣalāh
This renowned collection gathers forty-two foundational aḥādīth that encapsulate the essential principles of Islam, covering sincerity, intentions, īmān, ethics, lawful and unlawful matters, and comprehensive maxims of conduct. It provides the student with a concise yet far-reaching framework of prophetic guidance, offering core texts upon which both creed and practice are correctly shaped and understood.
Uṣūl al-Sunnah
Al-Arbaʿīn al-Nawawiyyah
Sharḥ al-Sunnah
This foundational treatise outlines the core principles of the Sunnah as transmitted from the early Salaf, establishing the correct creed regarding Allah’s Attributes, īmān, Qadar, the Companions, and obedience to the Muslim rulers. It provides a concise framework for distinguishing the path of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jamāʿah from the ways of innovation, anchoring the student in the essential markers of orthodox belief and methodology.
Sharḥ al-Sunnah
Al-Arbaʿīn al-Nawawiyyah
Sharḥ al-Sunnah
This treatise presents one hundred and seventy points outlining the foundational principles of the Sunnah as understood by the early Salaf, detailing correct belief, worship, loyalty to the Companions and the rulers, and the imperative to adhere strictly to transmitted guidance. It stands as one of the most important manuals for distinguishing the path of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jamāʿah from the ways of Ahl al-Bidʿah, equipping the student with clear, authoritative criteria for preserving ones Islam and opposing innovation and desires.
Al-Qawāʿid al-Muthlá fī Ṣifātillāh wa Asmāʾih al-Ḥusná
This treatise outlines the foundational principles governing the Names and Attributes of Allah, establishing clear rules for affirming what He affirmed for Himself without distortion, denial, inquiry into modality, or resemblance to creation. It provides a precise methodological framework rooted in the understanding of the Salaf, enabling the student to approach this subject with clarity, reverence, and adherence to the evidences of the Qur’ān and Sunnah.
Al-ʿAqīdah al-Wāsiṭiyyah
This concise creed presents a clear, comprehensive exposition of the Names and Attributes of Allah as affirmed in the Qur’ān and Sunnah, rejecting all forms of distortion, denial, and deviation introduced by the sects. It serves as a foundational text for understanding the creed of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jamāʿah, establishing the principles of sound belief alongside key matters of īmān, worship, and religious adherence and steadfastness.
Al-ʿAqīdah al-Ṭaḥāwiyyah
Al-ʿAqīdah al-Ṭaḥāwiyyah
This classical treatise summarizes the creed of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jamāʿah in concise, authoritative statements, covering belief in Allah, His Attributes, His decree, the Messengers, the Qur’ān, the Companions, and the Last Day. It provides a foundational, textually grounded framework that has been relied upon across generations for establishing correct belief and ʿaqīdah, while clearly distinguishing the creed of Ahl al-Sunnah from the doctrines of the deviant sects.
ʿUmdat al-Aḥkām
Al-Ibānah al-Kubrā
Al-ʿAqīdah al-Ṭaḥāwiyyah
This essential compilation gathers authentic aḥādīth from Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim concerning purification, prayer, fasting, zakāh, ḥajj, and foundational rulings of daily worship. It offers the student a direct textual pathway to understanding the legal practice of the Prophet ﷺ, forming a reliable basis for fiqh grounded entirely in sound prophetic narrations.
Kashf al-Shubuhāt
Al-Ibānah al-Kubrā
Al-Ibānah al-Kubrā
This treatise dismantles the doubts and misconceptions used to justify shirk, systematically exposing their falsity through clear Qur’ānic evidences and sound reasoning upon the way of the Salaf. It equips the reader with firm criteria for recognizing and refuting erroneous claims about intercession and worship, strengthening one’s grasp of Tawḥīd and safeguarding the heart from confusion and misguidance.
Al-Ibānah al-Kubrā
Al-Ibānah al-Kubrā
Al-Ibānah al-Kubrā
This expansive, isnād-based work preserves the creed and methodology of the early Salaf, compiling their statements on Allah’s Attributes, īmān, Qadar, the Companions, the rulers, and the obligation to oppose the people of innovation. It stands as one of the most comprehensive early references for understanding the principles of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jamāʿah, providing authoritative documentation of their beliefs and positions across generations.