Abstract: This article aims to explore the Ibn Qayyim al-

Jawziyya’s original views on Sufism. Ibn Qayyim is regarded

as an authority in Salafi circles who reject Sufism as a
legitimate representation of Islam, especially its philosophical
orientation. This article uses a literature research model to
reach the finding that Ibn Qayyim understood Sufism as a
moral system and part of the science of Islamic morality.
Sufism aims to purify the soul to prepare it for its return to
God along the path of love. The basis of Sufism as revised
by Ibn Qayyim was the Qur’ān, the Sunnah, the traditions of
the companions, the ideas of Ibn Taymiyya, and the
teachings words of the early Sufi masters. Ibn Qayyim
strongly adhered to the orthodox principles of Islamic
scholarship later dubbed as Salafism, especially in terms of
prioritizing the shari‘a over reason and rejecting esoteric
interpretation (ta’wīl). For Ibn Qayyim, the Sufi philosophers
were misled in overly relying on ta’wīl and disregarding the
role of reason. His approach to Sufism was to perform an
objective evaluation of the Sufi teachings circulating at his
time. Instead of joining either side, the side of those who
condemned it as unlawful innovation (bid‘a) or the side of
those who accepted it uncritically, Ibn Qayyim chose to
conduct an extensive review of its ideas and practices,
rejecting those elements that he found objectionable and
accepting others that he found commendable.
Keywords: Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya; philosophical Sufism;
Salafi Sufism; morality.

Introduction
The notion of Salafi Sufism is a combination of the terms
Sufism and Salafi. The term Salafi is used to denominate the identity
and method of interpretation of a specific school of Islamic thought.

Teosofi: Jurnal Tasawuf dan Pemikiran Islam

Volume 12, Issue 1, June 2022 p-ISSN 2088-7957; e-ISSN 2442-871X; 71-96
DOI: 10.15642/teosofi.2021.12.1.71-96
8
Lalu Agus Satriawan

The original word salaf literally means predecessors,1 as opposite to

khalaf which means successors or succeeding generations. According
to the famous Arabic lexicographer Ibn Manz}ūr (d. 1311), salaf
designates the revered forefathers of those living today.2 Thus, salaf
refers to the previous first three generations of Muslims who lived in
the first three centuries of Islam, including those who lived during the
time of the Prophet Muhammad or the Companions (s}ah}ābah), the
successors (t}ābi‘ūn), and those succeeding them (t}ābi‘ al-t}ābi‘īn).3 The
term Salafi is used to describe a person who adheres to the teachings
of the Salafi school of thought.4
In general, the Salafi school follows a literal approach to reading
Islamic sources. Literalism is an approach that refers to the
pronunciation of a text explicitly as it is, without heeding the implied
intentions in the text, and without recognizing the social context in
which the texts were revealed and spoken, let alone paying attention
to the changing social context of today’s society.5 Thus, the source
text is understood in its outer meaning, without considering other
possible interpretations. According to the orientalist Montgomery
Watt, as quoted by Tholhatul Choir and Ahwan Fanani, this
fundamentalist interpretation refers to the general view that written
injunctions must be accepted and followed to the letter, without
leaving room for alternative opinions.6

1 Mufrih} b. Sulaymān al-Qūsī, al-Manhaj al-Salafī: Ta‘rīfuhu, Tarīkhuhu, Majālātuhu,

Qawā‘iduhu, Khas}ā’is}uhu (Riyad: Dār al-Fad}īla, 2002), 36.
2 Muh}ammad b. Mukarram b. Manz}ūr al-Ifrīqī al-Mis}rī, Lisān al-‘Arab, Vol. 6

(Beirut: Dār al-S{ādir, 1992), 331.

3 Sabine Damir-Geilsdorf and Mira Menzfeld, “Methodological and Ethical

Challenges in Empirical Approaches to Salafism”, Journal of Muslims in Europe 9, no.

2 (2020): 135-149. https://doi.org/10.1163/22117954-BJA10004.
4 Philipp Bruckmayr and Jan-Peter Hartung, “Introduction: Challenges from “The

Periphery”? – Salafī Islam Outside the Arab World. Spotlights on Wider Asia”, Die
Welt des Islams 60, no. 2-3 (2020): 137-169. https://doi.org/10.1163/15700607-
06023P01; Roel Meijer (ed.), Global Salafism: Islam’s New Religious Movement (London:
Hurst/New York: Columbia University Press, 2009); Quintan Wiktorowicz,
“Anatomy of the Salafi Movement”, Studies in Conflict & Terrorism 29, no. 3 (2006),
207-239.
5 Emad Hamdeh, “Qur’ān and Sunna or the Madhhabs?: A Salafi Polemic against

Islamic Legal Tradition”, Islamic Law and Society 24, no. 3 (2017): 211-253.
https://doi.org/10.1163/15685195-00240A01.
6 Tholhatul Choir and Ahwan Fanani (eds.), Islam dalam Berbagai Pembacaan

Kontemporer (Yogyakarta: Pustaka Pelajar, 2009), 428.

72 Teosofi: Jurnal Tasawuf dan Pemikiran Islam

 The Contribution of Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya to Salafi Sufism

‘Abd al-Qādir Mah}mūd states that the main characteristic of

Salafi thought is that it rejects any form of esoteric interpretation
(ta’wīl), which means that it places more emphasis on the outer than
the inner meaning of a text and rejects the possibility of alternative
readings.7 However, Muh}ammad ‘Imārah argues that not all Salafi
schools apply this principle. He identifies two distinctive Salafi
schools: the circle of conservative Salafis initiated by Ah}mad b.
H{anbal (d. 855/241) and Muh}ammad b. ‘Abd al-Wahhāb (d.
1792/1206), and the circle of rationalist Salafis headed by Ibn
Taymiyya (d. 1328/728) and Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya (d. 1350/751).
‘Imārah emphasizes that only the conservative Salafis reject applying
ta’wīl.8
In this sense Salafi Sufism is a rather perplexing term because
the terms Sufism and Salafi seem to negate one other.9 It is widely
known that Salafi organizations carried out many attacks on Sufi
shrines, such as their destruction of the tomb of Sheikh Muh}ammad
Mahdī al-Sanūsī, the famous Sufi cleric and parent of the first ruler of
Libya, King Idris. His tomb is located in the city of al-Kafrah in
southeastern Libya where armed extremists carried out an attack in
December 2017. This attack was preceded by the destruction of the
Zawiyah Shaykhah Rad}iyah in Tripoli in the previous month.10
Elizabeth Sirriyeh concludes that the Salafi group perpetrating these
violent attacks on Sufi shrines in Libya was decidedly opposed to
Sufism and any notion of reform.11 In response to this kind of Salafi
extremism, Yūsuf al-Qarad}awi called Muslims to action for the Taslīf
al-S{ūfiyya (Sufization of Salafism) and the Tas}wīf al-Salafiyya
(Salafization of Sufism).12 This is where the significance of this

7 ‘Abd al-Qādir Mah}mūd, al-Falsafah al-S{ūfiyya fī al-Islām: Mas}ādiruhā wa Naz}ariyātuhā

wa Makānatuhā min al-Dīn wa al-H{ayāh (Cairo: Dār al-Fikr al-‘Arabī, 1966), 79.
8 Muh}ammad ‘Imārah, al-Salaf wa al-Salafiyya (Cairo: al-Ahrām, 2007), 55.
9 Muh}ammad al-Hādī al-H{asanī, “al-S{ūfī al-Salafī,” last modified May 18, 2017,

accessed September 1, 2021, https://www.echoroukonline.com/ ‫الصوفى السلفى‬.

10 Frederic Wehrey and Katherine Pollock, “al-Hajamāt al-Akhīrah fī Libyā d}idda

Ahdāf S}ūfiyya,” last modified January 23, 2018, accessed September 1, 2021,
https://carnegie-mec.org/diwan/75327.
11 Elizabeth Sirriyeh, Sufi dan Anti-Sufi, trans. Ade Alimah (Yogyakarta: Pustaka Sufi,

2003), 135 & 146.

12 Hudā S{āli}h, “al-Qard}āwī: Ad‘ū Ila Taslīf al-S{ūfiyah wa Tas}wīf al-Salafiyah,” last

modified December 22, 2010, accessed September 1, 2021,

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Lalu Agus Satriawan

research on Salafi Sufism lies, as this phenomenon has yet to be

thoroughly investigated. Among the few academics who have
attempted to describe Sufi Salafism are Mus}t}afā H{ilmī, ‘Abd al-Qādir
Mah}mud, and Siham ‘Abd Allah Kuraydiyya.13 According to
Mah}mud, Sufism in this classification has long roots in Islamic
studies. The emergence and existence of this type of orthodox Sufism
coincided with the emergence of Sunni Sufism, whereby Salafi Sufism
and Sunni Sufism predate the emergence of philosophical Sufism.
However, the latter branch of Sufism has overshadowed the study of
Salafi Sufism by historians, so that its existence has been largely
overlooked.14
For this reason, it is necessary to examine the views of those
Muslim scholars who are deemed Islamic authorities in Salafi circles,
such as the figure of Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya who lived in the
fourteenth century. His works began circulating in Southeast Asia in
the late 1980s and early 1990s, and more and more Muslims became
aware of his views on Sufism.15 His Ranks of the Divine Seekers (Madārij
al-Sālikīn) and similar works were soon regarded as representative of
the new school of Salafi Sufism which stood in sharp contrast to
philosophical Sufism. Ibn Qayyim successfully deconstructed many
Sufi concepts that had become the cornerstone of philosophical
Sufism such as the unity of being (wah}dat al-wujūd). For example, he
argued that the opening chapter of the Qur’ān (al-Fātih}ah) firmly

https://archive.aawsat.com/details.asp?section=4&article=600505&issueno=11712
#.Xx58gOdx2Hs.
13 ‘Abd al-Qādir Mah}mūd, al-Falsafah al-S{ūfiyya fī al-Islām: Mas}ādiruhā wa Naz}ariyātuhā

wa Makānatuhā min al-Dīn wa al-H{ayāh (Cairo: Dār al-Fikr al-‘Arabī, 1966); Mus}t}afā
H{ilmī, al-Tas}awwuf wa al-Ittijāh al-Salafī fī al-‘As}r al-H{ādīth (al-Iskandariyya: Dār al-
Da‘wa, 1982); Sihām ‘Abd Allāh Kuraydiyya, al-Tas}awwuf al-Islāmī al-Salafī: As}luhu wa
Us}ūluhu fī al-Qur’ān wa al-Sunnah wa Khas}āʾis}uhu al-Ma‘nawiyya wa al-Uslūbiyya (Beirut:
al-Maktaba al-‘Arabiyya, 2000).
14 Ghozi, “Ma‘rifat Allah Menurut Ibn ‘At}ā’Allah al-Sakandarī” (PhD Thesis UIN

Sunan Ampel Surabaya, 2017), 90; Ghozi, “Landasan Ontologis dan Kualifikasi
Makrifat Ibn ‘Atâ’ Allâh al-Sakandarî”, Teosofi: Jurnal Tasawuf dan Pemikiran Islam 6,
no. 1 (June 3, 2016): 57-91. https://doi.org/10.15642/teosofi.2016.6.1.57-91.
15 Syamsuddin Arif, “Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya in the ‘Lands Below the Wind’: An

Ideological Father of Radicalism or a Popular Sufi Master?,” in Birgit Krawietz and

Georges Tamer (eds.), Islamic Theology, Philosophy and Law: Debating Ibn Taymiyya and
Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya (Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter, 2013), 230.
https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110285406.220/html.

74 Teosofi: Jurnal Tasawuf dan Pemikiran Islam

 The Contribution of Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya to Salafi Sufism

denies the Sufi understanding of wah}dat al-wujūd, as it clearly

established the oneness of Allah’s lordship (rubūbiyya). It means that
Allah is clearly and unmistakably identified as the originator and the
creator of the universe. It cannot be said that Allah is the originator
of nature that would deny the existence of God and His creation, or
there would be neither God nor His servants.16 Ibn Qayyim further
argued that those who think that God is the essence of nature are
misguided and in fact disbelievers,17 because the teachings of wah}dat
al-wujūd run contrary to the fundamental Islamic principle of oneness
(tawh}īd). Therefore, the oneness of God is paramount, and Allah is
not part of the universe. He has no beginning and no end, and no one
is equal to Him in any respect.18
Ibn Qayyim also emphasized that tawh}īd is the first station
(manzila) where a spiritual seeker (sālik) begins his spiritual journey
but also his last station. In other words, tawh}īd is not only an essential
part of theology and central part of a seeker’s faith, it also marks the
limit and end of his spiritual journey.19
Another teaching of Sufism which Ibn Qayyim criticized is the
concept of annihilation in God (al-fanā’ fī Allāh). He thought it a
major philosophical error to declare that the goal of tawh}īd is
annihilation in the unity of Allah’s lordship (al-fanā’ fī tawh}īd al-
rubūbiyya) because the goal is annihilation in the unity of worship (al-
fanā’ fī tawh}īd al-ulūhiyya). He not only criticized the standard Sufi
concept of fanā’ but also offered a viable alternative.20
Therefore, this article aims to explore Ibn Qayyim’s views on
Sufism and his criticism of widely accepted Sufi concepts.

Salafi Sufism: An Overview

Salafi Sufism denotes a type of orthodox and pristine Sufism
that is in accordance with the original teachings and practices of the salaf
in person of the Companions (s}ah}ābah) and the following generation

16 Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, Madārij al-Sālikīn bayn Manāzil Iyyāka Na‘budu wa Iyyāka

Nasta‘īn (Beirut: Dār al-Kutub al-Ilmiyya, 2004), 42.

17 Ibid., 923.
18 Mulyadhi Kartanegara, Lentera Kehidupan: Panduan Memahami Tuhan, Alam, dan

Manusia (Bandung: Mizan, 2017), 30.

19 Ibn Qayyim, Madārij al-Sālikīn, 559.
20 Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, T{arīq al-Hijratayn wa Bāb al-Sa‘ādatayn (Makka al-

Mukarrama: Dār ‘Ālam al-Fawā’id, 1429), 60.

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Lalu Agus Satriawan

(tābi‘ūn) of the early Muslims and in accordance with the Qur’ān and
the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad. In other words, they
practiced a type of Qur’ānic Sufism which included teachings about
piety (warā’) and ascetism (zuhd), remembrance of Allah (dhikr), and
contemplation (tafakkur), in addition to practicing the Prophet’s
Sunnah out of fear (khawf) and hopefulness (rajā’). In this sense, Salafi
Sufism is type of Sufism that is oriented towards spiritual education
and training, purifying the soul, and habitually engaging in the
worship of Allah.21 In other words, Salafi Sufism is understood as a
type of Sufism that applies the Salafi methodology.
Several Salafi principles are applied to Sufism, as put forward by
H{ilmī.22 First is prioritizing the uncritical and literal reading of the
religious texts and not allowing reason to override the revealed and
divinely inspired truth. This means that the Qur’ān and h}adīth must
be adhered to without questioning or further interpretation. Muslims
must not alter the original message contained in the Qur’ān and
h}adīth, even though they may seem contrary to reason. Rather than
arriving at an own understanding, the Salafi Muslim takes the
Companions as role models and emulates their understanding and
interpretation of both sources, unquestioningly. The Companions
witnessed the revelation and were taught directly by the Prophet
Muhammad; therefore, they understand the Qur’ān and h}adīth best,
and their explanations should be given due credence. This principle of
the authority of the Companions is the most visible characteristic of
Salafi thought: the Islamic injunctions are clear and require no further
interpretation of what is true and lawful and what is not, and there is
no need for reasoning. In other words, the Salafi method prioritizes
narration (riwāya) over thought (dirāya), and acceptance and rejection
of an argument must be based on the Qur’ān and h}adīth. Their stated
goal is to maintain Islamic law, act charitably, and worship Allah in
the most authentic way possible. The criterium of authenticity also
entails that any arising matter is resolved by referring it back to the
Qur’ān, being certain that it contains all the knowledge and wisdom
necessary to answer all questions.

21 Kuraydiyya, al-Tas}awwuf al-Islāmī al-Salafī, 95.

22 Mus}tafā H{ilmī, Qawā‘id al-Manhaj al-Salafī fī al-Fikr al-Islāmī: Buh}ūth fī al-‘Aqīdah al-
Islāmiyya (Beirut: Dār al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyya, 2005), 159-165.

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 The Contribution of Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya to Salafi Sufism

The second Salafi principle is rejecting esoteric interpretation

(ta’wīl).23 The use of ta’wīl in general requires the use of reason to
derive new meaning; thus, reason takes precedence over Shari‘a,
which is deemed erroneous. If there is a conflict between reason and
shari‘a, then religious texts must be interpreted according to reason.
In the philosophical approach the religious text is not understood in
its literal meaning, and it is the task of reason and logic to arrive at the
metaphorical or actual meaning which is hidden. This system of
thinking is often applied to verses of the Qur’ān that describe God as
having physical attributes (tajsīm), such as Allah having hands and a
face, and sitting on a throne. This stands in stark contrast to the Salafi
approach, whereby the literal meaning is accepted as it is given,
without further interpretation and elaborate explanations. In the Salafi
mind the verses of the Qur’ān are very clear, and there is no need to
twist their literal meaning into a complex metaphorical meaning.24
The argument is that the human mind is not able to know the divine
reality behind those truths, and it is not man’s place to speculate
about them.25 It is this second principle that reveals the most
noticeable difference between the methods applied in Salafi Sufism
and Sunni Sufism, which arrive at different conclusions.
The third Salafi principle is adhering strictly to the text of the
Qur’ān and h}adīth. This means in practice that revelation and not
reason should guide human conduct and thinking. It is the duty of
every Muslim to obey the legal injunctions contained in the Qur’ān
and h}adīth and direct one’s attention to what is said in the Qur’ān
rather than ponder about what has not.26 Furthermore, opinion,
preference, and intuition must not stand in the way of accepting the
words of Allah and His Messenger, as revealed in QS. 49:1. The role
of human reason is to understand the revelation and apply it in
practice, in addition to justifying its veracity.

23 Mah}mūd, al-Falsafah al-S{ūfiyya fī al-Islām, 39.

24 Adis Duderija, “Neo-Traditional Salafi Qur’an-Sunnah Hermeneutic and the
Construction of a Normative Muslimah Image”, Hawwa 5, no. 2-3 (2007): 289-323.
https://doi.org/10.1163/156920807782912526; Wasim Shiliwala, “Constructing a
Textual Tradition: Salafī Commentaries on al-‘Aqīda al-T{ah}āwiyya”, Die Welt des
Islams 58, no. 4 (2018): 461-503. https://doi.org/10.1163/15700607-00584P03
25 H{ilmī, Qawā‘id al-Manhaj al-Salafī, 162.
26 M. Yunan Yusuf, Alam Pikiran Islam: Pemikiran Kalam dari Khawarij ke Buya Hamka

hingga Hasan Hanafi (Jakarta: Prenadamedia Group, 2014), 185.

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The eminent Salafi figures laid out a spiritual path that is built
on a legitimate purpose, basis, principles, and methods. They invite
modern Muslims back to the teachings of the early ascetics among the
Companions and their followers. In their view, the Companions are
the people who knew the stages of sainthood and were the people
closest to Allah after the Prophet Muhammad. Their spiritual
practices were firmly rooted in Islam and not influenced by other
traditions, which cannot be said of later Sufi masters.
Regarding its historical development, ‘Abd al-Qādir Mah}mūd
describes three major periods of Salafi tas}awwuf.27 The first period
began with the establishment of the Muqatilite school founded by
Muqātil b. Sulaymān (d. 150 H/767 CE) who lived one time with
Ja‘far al-S{ādiq (d. 148 H/765 CE), and Abū H{anīfa (d. 150 H/767
CE). The second period commenced with the circle of Imam Mālik
(d. 179 H/795 CE) known as the Sufi legalist (al-faqīh al-s}ūfī) who
reportedly said, “Whoever follows fiqh but does not practice Sufism is
a fāsiq. Whoever practices Sufism but does not follow fiqh is a zindīq.
Whoever practices Sufism and adheres to fiqh reaches the truth.”28
The third and last period is closely related with Abū Ismā’īl ‘Abd
Allah b. Muh}ammad al-Ans}ārī al-Harawī (d. 481 H/1088 CE), author
of Stations of the Wayfarer (Manāzil al-Sā’irīn ilā Rabb al-‘Ālamīn), an
authoritative representation of Salafī Sufism. He followed by other
eminent figures such as Ibn Taymiyya (d. 728 H/1328 CE) and his
student Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya who commented on al-Harawi’s work
in Ranks of the Divine Seekers (Madārij al-Sālikīn fī Ma‘rifat Iyyāka
Na‘budu wa Iyyāka Nasta‘īn), generally viewed as a compendium of
Salafi thought on tas}awwuf.

The Perspective of Ibn Qayyim on Sufism

Most scholars conclude that today’s Salafis categorically reject
Sufism and consider it a heretical practice that has deviated from the
true teachings of Islam. However, Salafi scholars of the past were

27 Mah}mūd, al-Falsafah al-S{ūfiyya fī al-Islām, 79.

28 Abū al-‘Abbās Ah}mad b. Ah}mad b. Muh}ammad b. ‘Īsā Zarrūq al-Fāsī al-Burnusī,
Qawā‘id al-Tas}awwuf (Beirut: Dār al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyya, 2005), 22; Ah}mad b.
Muh}ammad b. ‘Ajībah al-H{asanī, Īqaz} al-Himam fī Sharh} al-H{ikam (Cairo: Dār al-
Ma‘ārif, n.d.), 18; Muh}ammad b. Ja‘far al-Kattanī, Jalā’ al-Qulūb min al-As}dā’ al-
Ghayniyya bi-Bayān Ih}āt}atihi ‘alayh al-Salām bi-l-‘Ulūm al-Kawniyya, Vol. 1 (Beirut: Dār
al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyya, 2005), 38.

78 Teosofi: Jurnal Tasawuf dan Pemikiran Islam

 The Contribution of Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya to Salafi Sufism

more accepting of Sufism.29 In this respect, al-Makkī stated that the

Sufi scholars were acknowledged as experts of tas}awwuf such as there
were experts of h}adīth, fiqh, kalām, and the like. In other words, Salafi
scholars who reject Sufism are not real Salafi scholars, as they do not
apply the Salafi methodology correctly.30 In the following paragraphs,
the views of Ibn Qayyim as a representative authority of the Salafi
school of Sufism are presented.
Ibn Qayyim was a prominent student of Ibn Taymiyya.
According to al-Makkī, Ibn Qayyim was the ideological and spiritual
son of Ibn Taymiyya.31 They shared a life-long and close friendship as
teacher and student, as evidenced in the frequency in which Ibn
Qayyim referred to Ibn Taymiyya’s opinion and their shared positions
on various issues. Although Ibn Qayyim continued his teacher’s
debates in philosophy, theology, and Sufism and shared many of his
views, he developed his own it cannot be stated that there is a clear
agreement between the methods and views of Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya
and his teacher, Ibn Taymiyya, in defining and viewing Sufism.32 Ibn
Qayyim’s accomplished level of scholarship meant that he developed
his own approach and arrived at his own conclusions. Compared to
Ibn Taymiyya his tone was more respectful in his criticism, less
inclined to condemn, and more intuitive. Unlike his teacher he
developed a keen interest in tas}awwuf and dedicated some of his works
exclusively to the study of Islamic spirituality.33 What further
distinguishes him from his teacher is the notion of affectionate love

29 H{ilmī, al-Tas}awwuf wa al-Ittijāh al-Salafī, 21.

30 ‘Abd al-H{āfiz} b. Mālik ‘Abd al-H{aqq al-Makkī, Mawqif A’immat al-H{arakah al-
Salafiyya min al-Tas}awwuf wa al-S{ūfiyya (Cairo: Dār al-Salām, 2001), 8.
31 Diego Sarrió Cucarella, “Spiritual Anti-Elitism: Ibn Taymiyya’s Doctrine of

Sainthood (Walāya)”, Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations 22, no. 3 (2011), 277. DOI:
10.1080/09596410.2011.568812; Alina Kokoschka and Birgit Krawietz,
“Appropriation of Ibn Taymiyya and Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya: Challenging
Expectations of Ingenuity”, Birgit Krawietz and Georges Tamer (eds.), Islamic
Theology, Philosophy and Law: Debating Ibn Taymiyya and Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya (Berlin,
Boston: De Gruyter, 2013), 1. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110285406.1; Yossef
Rapoport, “On Taqlīd: Ibn al Qayyim’s Critique of Authority in Islamic Law by
Abdul-Rahman Mustafa, Journal of Islamic Studies 25, no. 3 (2014), 353-354.
https://doi.org/10.1093/jis/etu053.
32 Arjan Post, “A Glimpse of Sufism from the Circle of Ibn Taymiyya”, Journal of

Sufi Studies 5, no. 2 (2016): 156-187. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/22105956-

12341289.
33 H{ilmī, al-Tas}awwuf wa al-Ittijāh al-Salafī, 67.

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Lalu Agus Satriawan

(mah}abba) which colors his works. Ibn Qayyim concluded that the Sufi
path is essentially a path of love that is determined by the seeker’s
longing to re-unite with the beloved. The only object truly worthy of
love is Allah, and only He “is the one who is loved”.34
Ibn Qayyim studied Sufism systematically and extensively and
produced many influential works on Sufism. The legitimacy of this
discipline was hotly contested at the time, and Ibn Qayyim not only
took part in the ongoing debate but eventually resolved it, a feat
which demonstrates the height and depth of his insight and
understanding. His Ranks of the Divine Seekers (Madārij al-Sālikīn), for
example is still a popular reference today because of its spiritual and
psychological insight, its erudition, and its refreshing lack of
polemics.35
Ibn Qayyim’s carefully studied views on Sufism prove far
superior to the imbalanced views of its most ardent proponents as
well as its harshest critics. He offered a thorough and critical
evaluation of the major Sufi concepts, solely based on their
compatibility with the basic tenets of Islam. If they are in accordance
with Islam, then they must be accepted, and if they are contrary to
Islam, then they must be rejected. Thus, Ibn Qayyim’s calm and
analytical approach offered an alternative stance that is both
spiritually as well as intellectually satisfying to the reader.
Unlike many of his contemporaries, Ibn Qayyim neither
condemned Sufism outright nor did he accept it uncritically. His
single criterion is that any of its teachings are in accordance with the
basic tenets of Islam. In the Madārij al-Sālikīn certain statements can
be found to illustrate this point. For instance, he praises the good
behavior of the Sufis when claiming, “They are the people of the
highest and noblest desire and concern. They are persistent in gaining
wisdom and knowledge, purifying the heart, purifying the soul, and
improving behavior in their association.”36 Similar positive
observations about Sufism can be found in his Path of the Two
Migrations (T{arīq al-Hijratayn) where he stated, “Indeed this knowledge
[Sufism] is a noble science. There is no knowledge that is more noble

34 Ibn Qayyim, T{arīq al-Hijratayn, 116.

35 Ovamir Anjum, “Sufism without Mysticism? Ibn Qayyim al-Ğawziyyah’s
Objectives in Madāriǧ al-Sālikīn”, Oriente Moderno 90, no. 1 (2010): 166-188.
https://doi.org/10.1163/22138617-09001009.
36 Ibn Qayyim, Madārij al-Sālikīn, 90.

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after the knowledge of monotheism. This knowledge is only suitable

for noble souls.”37
On the other hand, he was ready to criticize and denounce
those Sufi concepts and practices that are not compatible with the
Qur’ān and h}adīth. His critique is mainly directed at certain
philosophical concepts related to the much-contested wah}dat al-wujūd.
Without hesitation he stated that those who think that God is the
essence of nature, and that nature is the essence of God are in fact
disbelievers and misguided in their belief.38 His harsh criticism was
especially directed at the Sufi sects that were popular in his time. He
rejected their fanatical insistence on renouncing all worldly life (zuhd)
which only led to passivity and fatalism and rendered their followers
incapable of enjoining the good (amr bi-l-ma‘rūf) and forbidding the
evil (nahi ‘an al-munkar). A Muslim who does not enjoin the good and
forbid the evil is worse than a sinner.39 Further, there are the
contentious issues of annihilation (fanā’) and fatalism (jabr) that al-
Harawi discussed in his commentary of the Manāzil al-Sāirīn.40
However, Ibn Qayyim and al-Harawī agreed in defining Sufism
as morality. The latter stated that Sufism is mostly about morality in
the form of personal piety, which forms the basis of the primary duty
of the Muslim community namely to enjoin goodness and forbid
evil.41 Ibn Qayyim agreed on this definition42 and considered tas}awwuf
as reflecting proper Islamic morality. He explained that “all religion is
morals; whatever makes your morals increase, then it has added to
your religion, as well as Sufism.”43 Elsewhere he stated, “Sufism is one
part of the proper conduct (sulūk), purification, and purification of
the soul, so that it is ready to travel to Allah and be friends with Him,
and be together with the loved ones, because one will be with the one
he loves”.44 In other words, the scope of morality or mysticism is
wider than Sufism, because Sufism is only part of morality. In

37 Ibn Qayyim, T{arīq al-Hijratayn, 260.

38 Ibn Qayyim, Madārij al-Sālikīn, 923.
39 Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, I‘lām al-Muwaqqi‘īn ‘an Rabb al-‘Ālamīn (Beirut: Dār al-

Kutub al-‘Ilmiyya, 1993), 119.

40 H{ilmī, al-Tas}awwuf wa al-Ittijāh al-Salafī, 88.
41 ‘Abd Allāh al-Ans}ārī al-Harāwī, Manāzil al-Sā’irīn (Beirut: Dār al-Kutub al-

‘Ilmiyya, 1988), 59.

42 Ibn Qayyim, Madārij al-Sālikīn, 289.
43 Ibid., 519.
44 Ibid., 525.

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essence, Sufism revolves around three aspects of personal

developments namely to stop hurting, to bear pain, and to realize
peace.45 Thus, the goal of this sulūk journey is to reach the station of
love (maqām al-mah}abba). Anyone on this path has to practice patience
in respecting the religious commands and prohibitions.46 Ibn Qayyim
also draws the figure of the enlightened seeker on the path:
An ‘ārif [knower] according to them [the Sufis] is a person who
knows Allah through His names, attributes, and deeds, then
shows his belief through behavior, makes his intentions and
goals only for Him and frees himself from bad morals, cleanses
his heart of its impurities, and then is patient in all the
blessings and trials that come. Then he invites to Allah’s
religion with confidence, and he invites to Allah only with
what His messenger brought and does not mix it with the
opinions of other people, with their feelings, intuition, and
reasoning.47
Examining his theoretical approach, Ibn Qayyim consequently
applied the Salafi method in the following points: 1) prioritizing
Shari‘a over reason; 2) rejecting the use of ta’wīl; 3) referring to the
evidence in the Qur’ān; 4) eliminating any contradictions with
revelation by reason, opinion, and analogy; 5) taking instructions from
the s}ah}āba, tābi‘ūn, and other trustworthy people; 6) accepting the
validity of solitary h}adīths (ah}ādīth al-āh}ād).48 Thus, Ibn Qayyim
insisted on applying the rigorous principles of orthodox scholarship
and rejected any form of speculative interpretation that was not
supported in the source texts. If there was a conflict between the
sources and reason, then the sources had to be interpreted in
accordance with reason. He defended this Salafi principle and
criticized those scholars who supported their ideas solely on ta’wīl. In
his view those were the people who had lost their path as described
QS. 18: 103. They were no longer guided by the light of revelation
and were following pure conjecture and their own desires.49 Ibn
Qayyim strongly advised them to stop this erroneous practice and
instead submit themselves fully to the revealed truth of the Qur’ān

45 Ibid.
46 Ibid., 618.
47 Ibid., 857.
48 al-Qūsī, al-Manhaj al-Salafī, 357-400; H{ilmī, Qawā‘id al-Manhaj al-Salafī, 157-163.
49 Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, Ijtimā‘ al-Juyūsh al-Islāmiyya ‘alā H{arb al-Mu‘at}t}ilah wa al-

Jahmiyya (Makka al-Mukarrama: Dār ‘Ālam al-Fawā’id, 1431), 32.

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which is God’s uncorrupted word. The Qur’ān is eternal and will not
be lost and swallowed up by time, while individual trends and
opinions will come and go.50
This principle of prioritizing revelation over reason is also
evident in his introduction to the Madārij al-Sālikīn. In order not to go
astray as mentioned above a person must submit his reason to
revelation, perfect his faith with righteous deeds, and combine them
with patience. Ibn Qayyim placed great emphasis on the virtues of
knowledge and charity, both inspired by the Qur’ān. The way
(t}arīqah), experience (dhawq), and rapture (wajd) originate from the
light of the Qur’ān and are the fruit of it.51
Besides their over-reliance on ta’wīl, the philosophical Sufis
erred in placing their own notions of experience, rapture, and state
(h}āl) above the Qur’ān and h}adīth. He said:
Whoever shows you other than akhbaranā or ha} ddathanā, then
he has led you to the imaginings of the Sufis or the analogies
of the philosophers. There is nothing after the Qur’ān and
h}adīth; they are only the assumptions of theologians, the
opinions of people who deviate, and the illusions of the Sufis.
Whoever does not use the evidence of the Qur’ān and h}adīth
has gone astray. There is no way to Allah and Paradise other
than through them.52
Elsewhere he said:
The beginning of the error of the Sufis was that they raised
their own devices like experience and rapture, and other things
as valid criteria of judgment. They make them the judges of
right and wrong. They used to walk towards Allah, but
eventually started walking towards themselves, so that they
were no longer worshipping Allah; instead, they were
worshipping themselves.53
It follows from this description that the characteristics of the
Salafi Sufism devised by Ibn Qayyim differed from those expressed
by the Persian jurist and theologian Abū al-Wafā al-Ghanīmī al-
Taftāzānī (d. 792 H /1390 CE), author of Madkhal ilā al-Tas}awwuf al-
Islāmī. Ibn Qayyim did not make use of any symbolism when
discussing Sufism because he wanted to avoid any form of ta’wīl. Its

50 Ibn Qayyim, Madārij al-Sālikīn, 8.

51 Ibid., 9.
52 Ibid., 618.
53 Ibid., 308-309.

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primary purpose is moral perfection (ih}sān) which is the pinnacle of

true worship.
Another characteristic of Ibn Qayyim’s take on Sufism is the
depth of discussion and analysis in terms of describing all the role of
the heart and the soul in spiritual development, in addition to being
able to uncover hidden secrets and explain their essence.54 His Sufism
focused on the faith (īmān) that is embedded in the heart and
supported and protected trough the shari‘a.
This faith that is firmly planted in the heart will produce
knowledge about the nature of God’s creation. With this knowledge,
the believer can interact with nature which will lead him back to its
Creator. This will increase his understanding of life, makes him ready
to submit himself wholly to his Creator and worship Him alone. In
short, only the believer truly knows his purpose in life, his role, and
his way home.
Ibn Qayyim was aware of the human tendency to deviate from
the truth and follow one’s desires. This nature must be corrected and
fortified so that man can get closer to His Creator. The heart has to
be freed from what pollutes it so that it can be purified and become
pure, glowing with divine light. He emphasized that “the origin of all
goodness and happiness of a servant, even all humans, is the
perfection of life and the light of his heart. Life and light are goodness
itself”.55
Another characteristic of his understanding of tas}awwuf is its
wide scope and comprehensiveness. It is related to life, existence, and
the universe, and life in the hereafter. It is also related to the events
experienced by humans and the impressions generated by these
events. People have by nature material needs but also psychological,
emotional, and spiritual needs that must be fulfilled in order to
achieve a proper balance in his life. However, these needs must be
fulfilled in legitimate ways, and man must not have complete freedom
to follow his instincts and lustful tendencies. Instead, he must
discipline his body, mind, and heart and focus on his primary purpose
in life, which is to worship God. Life in this world is temporary, while
the hereafter is eternal. Ibn Qayyim states:

54Kuraydiyya, al-Tas}awwuf al-Islāmī al-Salafī, 455.

55Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, Ighātha al-Lahfān min Mas}āyid al-Shayt}ān, ed. Muh}ammad
Sayyid Kaylānī, Vol. 1 (Cairo: Maktaba Dār al-Turāth, n.d.), 27.

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Creatures were created for the afterlife, and all pleasures in

their various forms are found there. The world is a place to
enjoy temporary pleasures, the hereafter is the place to enjoy
permanent pleasures. He must know that pleasure is an
adornment and a means to the pleasures of the hereafter.
Every pleasure that can help in achieving the pleasures of the
hereafter pleases Allah. Pleasures that a reasonable person
should pursue are not pleasures that cause misery and take
away the greatest pleasure, namely the pleasure to enjoy the
pleasures of the hereafter.56
This statement confirms the conclusion expressed by
Kuraydiyah and Barowi that the goal of Salafī tas}awwuf is to reach the
level of ih}sān in worshiping Allah.57

The Basis of Ibn Qayyim’s Salafi Sufism

After explaining the views and opinions of Ibn Qayyim related
to Sufism, in the following paragraphs, the foundations and sources
he relied upon will be presented. ‘Abd al-‘Az}īm ‘Abd al-Salām Sharaf
al-Dīn stated that the basis of Ibn Qayyim’s Sufism is the Qur’ān, the
Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad, and the teachings of the
Companions in renouncing the temporary delights of this world, the
words of the early Sufis, and the words of his teacher, Ibn Taymiyya.58
1. Qur’ān and Sunnah
The Qur’ān and the Sunnah constitute the basis of Islam, and
all spiritual teachings must be based on these two sources. The
commitment of the scholars to these source texts reflects their
willingness to submit reason to revelation. The Qur’ān is the word of
Allah which was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad SAW who
recited its words and practiced its contents in form of his Sunnah, and
in extension the words, actions, and provisions of his early successors,
the four rightly guided caliphs.
Many verses of the Qur’ān and h}adīths command the Muslims
to hold fast onto the Qur’ān and the Sunnah. All religious affairs and
matters relating to religion must refer to these two sources, as shown

56 Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, Rawd}a al-Muh}ibbīn wa Nuzha al-Mushtāqīn (Makka al-

Mukarrama: Dār ‘Ālam al-Fawā’id, n.d.), 235-236.
57 Kuraydiyya, al-Tas}awwuf al-Islāmī al-Salafī, 77.
58 ‘Abd al-‘Az}īm ‘Abd al-Salām Sharaf al-Dīn, Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya: ‘As}ruhu wa

Manhajuhu wa Arāuhu fī al-Fiqh wa al-‘Aqāid wa al-Tas}awwuf (Beirut: Dār al-Qalam,

1984), 392.

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by the Companions who were committed to these two sources in all

their attitudes, words, and actions. This commitment to the Qur’ān
and the Sunnah they passed on to the generation after them, namely
the tābi‘ūn. Especially QS. 4:59, QS. 8:20, QS. 25:54, QS. 33: 21
highlight the importance of following the Messenger of Allah SAW in
all his words, actions, and thoughts.
Further, Allah reminds the Muslims to obey the Prophet
Muhammad because obeying him means in fact obeying Allah.
Happiness in this world and in the hereafter can only be obtained by
following the path of guidance and mercy that was sent down through
His messenger. Every dispute should be returned to Allah and His
Messenger or to the Qur’ān and the Sunnah. The return of disputes in
religious matters will be complete and perfect if they are returned to
the Messenger of Allah. Ibn Qayyim asserted that:
If there was no explanation of a law that they contradicted in
the Qur’ān and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad, and
that explanation was not sufficient, surely Allah would not
have ordered them to return to them. It would be impossible if
Allah had ordered them to return the matter to them if there
were no explanations or the information they disputed.59
Thus, making the Messenger of Allah as a judge is like making
him the locus of Islam (maqām al- islām), ruling on him the locus of
faith (maqām al-īmān), and willing to accept the results of his decision
the locus of perfection (maqām al-ih}sān). There are many verses of the
Qur’ān and Prophetic h}adīth that command obedience to Allah and
His Messenger and prohibit the Muslims from disobeying them.
These orders and prohibitions were carried out by the Companions
and their followers dubbed later as the righteous predecessors (al-salaf
al-s}ālih}) who serve the later generations of Muslims as examples, up to
this day.
The same injunction was followed by Ibn Qayyim when
critically reviewing the tenets of Sufism. He believed that the task of
teaching how to purify the soul (tazkīyat al-nafs) was left to the
prophets who were sent for this purpose. He believed that those on
the path of spiritual practice (riyād}at al-nafs) would not be able to
purify themselves, and their lack of knowledge would cause harm.60

59 Ibn Qayyim, I‘lām al-Muwaqqi‘īn, 39.

60 Ibn Qayyim, Madārij al-Sālikīn, 523.

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2. Opinion of Ibn Taymiyya

Ibn Taymiyya is frequently referred to by Ibn Qayyim. The
opinions of his teacher were often identical with his own opinions
whom he admired for his strong sense of pride in his work and his
patience.61 This ideological closeness between teacher and student is
described by Ibn H{ajar al-‘Asqalānī (d. 852 H/1449 CE) with the
following words:
He was conquered by his love for Ibn Taymiyya, so that he did
not veer from his opinion in the slightest, and in fact he always
defended every opinion of Ibn Taymiyya. It was Ibn Qayyim
who played a major role in selecting and disseminating the
various works and sciences of Ibn Taymiyya. Both were
imprisoned in al-Qal‘ah, after being humiliated, beaten, and
forced from their homes. Only after Ibn Taimiyah died in
prison, Ibn Qayyim was released from the prison. However, he
was still punished for his words which he took from the fatwas
of Ibn Taymiyya. Therefore, Ibn Qayyim received many
attacks from the scholars of his time, some of which he had
openly criticized.62
Ibn Qayyim’s love for his teacher was inspired by Ibn
Taymiyya’s humility towards Allah but fierce determination to fight
injustice, falsehood, and oppression. Further, he admired his teacher’s
solemn attitude and lack of worldly aspirations which he had never
been seen in other people.63 Likewise, Ibn Taymiyya’s example helped
Ibn Qayyim understand the importance of the Sufi principle of
renunciation (zuhd).64 He quoted the words of his teacher when he
stated that “renunciation is leaving what does not benefit in the
hereafter, while watchfulness (wara’) is leaving what is feared to
endanger the hereafter”.65
Another opinion taken from Ibn Taymiyya is about the
happiness growing in the believer’s heart when striving hard to please
Allah.66 When Ibn Qayyim described the happiness one feels because
of the increased closeness to Allah, he not only referred to the h}adīths
of the Prophet Muhammad but also quoted the words of his teacher.
61 Sharaf al-Dīn, Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, 392.
62 Ah}mad b. H{ajar al-‘Asqalānī, al-Durar al-Kāmina fī A‘yān al-Mi’a al-Thāmina, Vol. 4
(Egypt: Mat}ba‘at al-Madanī, n.d.), 21.
63 Ibn Qayyim, Madārij al-Sālikīn, 327.
64 Sharaf al-Dīn, Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, 394.
65 Ibn Qayyim, Madārij al-Sālikīn, 335.
66 Sharaf al-Dīn, Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, 394.

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Verily, the happiness and joy of the heart is from Allah, and there is
nothing that can match it from the pleasures of this world. There is
no doubt that this enjoyment will encourage one to always walk
towards Allah and devote all efforts in seeking His pleasure. This is in
accordance with what was stated by the Prophet Muhammad that
people who are willing to accept Allah as their God, Islam as their
religion, and Muhammad as their Prophet and the Messenger of God
will taste and feel the pleasures of faith.
Further, his division of patience into three parts was also the
opinion of Ibn Taymiyya.67 According to him, there are three kinds of
patience, namely patience with obedience, patience with immorality,
and patience in trials. The first and second types of patience are the
results of efforts, while the third type of patience is not the result of
efforts because of a higher position in the level of patience.68 To
support this point he added the opinion of Ibn Taymiyya by stating
that:
Yusuf at the temptation the king’s wife was more perfect than
her patience to endure the trials of being put into a well by his
brothers, sold into slavery, and separated from his father. This
is because all of that happened without any choice for him and
not as the result of his efforts. There is no reason for him but
to be patient. As for his patience with disobedience, then it is
patience that he can choose and willing do so, and it is a form
of struggle against desire, especially if there are reasons for
giving in to this temptation, because he is a teenager prone to
be overpowered by lust, a foreigner, and a slave. The woman is
a beautiful woman who has a powerful position and is the wife
of his master. No one is watching the two of them, and the
woman tries to coerce him into committing a sinful act,
because he will be imprisoned if he does not do as told. Yet,
despite all these conditions, Yusuf prefers to be patient and
put God first.69
When describing heart’s diseases, Ibn Qayyim stated that there
are two major diseases that a servant must know how to identify and
cure them: hypocrisy (riyā’) and arrogance (takabbur). Both diseases of
the heart will lead to the destruction of one’s faith. Ibn Qayyim
referred to his teacher when stating, “often I heard Shaykh Ibn

67 Ibid., 395.
68 Ibn Qayyim, T{arīq al-Hijratayn, 577.
69 Ibn Qayyim, Madārij al-Sālikīn, 426.

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Taymiyya say that “you alone we worship” (iyyāka na‘budu) will protect
from hypocrisy and “you alone do we beseech” (iyyāka nasta‘īn)
protect from arrogance”.70
These examples clearly illustrate Ibn Taymiyya’s profound
influence on Ibn Qayyim. Ibn Taymiya’s opinions were not
revolutionary but were firmly grounded in Islam and reflected the
exact sentiments that Ibn Qayyim wanted to emphasize. Like his
teacher Ibn Qayyim was highly influenced among his contemporaries
but also had many enemies. Both were imprisoned and punished for
their unwillingness to compromise with the truth and be silenced.
After the death of his teacher, he continued to propagate their shared
ideas and disseminate Ibn Taymiyya’s works. The profund
relationship between teacher and student is a well-recognized
principle in psychology and educational science. In his wish to
emulate his teacher whom he loves and trusts for his knowledge and
righteousness the student internalizes his teacher’s methods and ideas.
In the same manner Ibn Qayyim adopted and expanded much of Ibn
Taymiyya’s thought on tas}awwuf.

3. Opinions of the Early Sufis

The foundation of Ibn Qayyim’s reviewed version of Sufism is
based on the opinion of the earlier Sufi masters (al-mutaqaddimūn).
Abū al-Qāsim al-Qushayrī (d. 465 H/1072 CE) and Abū ‘Abd al-
Rah}mān al-Sullamī al-Naysābūrī (d. 412 H/1021 CE) mention figures
like al-Junayd al-Baghdādī (d. 298 H/910 CE), Dhū al-Nūn al-Mis}rī
(d. 245 H/859 CE), Sufyān al-Thawrī (d. 161 H/778 CE), Abū Yazīd
al-Bust}āmī (d. 261 H/874 CE), Sahl b. ‘Abd Allah al-Tustarī (d.
283/896 CE), Sarrī al-Saqat}ī (d. 253 H/867 CE), and Abū Sulaymān
al-Dārānī (d. 215 H/830 CE). Ibn Qayyim quotes their sayings and
opinions to support his arguments criticizing certain Sufi concepts.71
In his view these early ascetics represented the authentic form of
Islamic tas}awwuf included people who were steadfast in their positions,
leaders of the t}arīqahs on the way towards Allah, and the knowers of
God (al-‘ārifūn bi-Allāh).
In the following section some opinions of the early ascetics and
Sufis are discussed that corroborate the opinions of Ibn Qayyim. First
are the opinions of al-Junayd and al-Nas}r Abadi about the necessity
70 Ibid., 39.
71 Sharaf al-Dīn, Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, 396.

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of Sufis to adhere to the Qur’ān and the Sunnah. Al-Junayd stated

that “all paths have been closed except those who follow the path of
the Messenger of Allah, outwardly and inwardly”.72 Elsewhere al-
Junayd wrote, “Our school is bound by the Qur’ān and the Sunnah.
Whoever does not read the Qur’ān and does not record the h}adīth,
his opinion cannot be followed”.73 Nasr al-Abadi explained that
“there are three foundations of Sufism: holding fast to the Qur’ān and
the Sunnah, leaving lust and heresy, repeated invocation, and
abandoning interpretation”.74
In summary, Ibn Qayyim was very respectful and considerate of
the opinions of the early ascetics and Sufi masters. He frequently
quoted their teachings to support his own opinion or to reject other
opinions that were not in accordance with the Shari‘a.

4. Intellect and Natural Disposition

The epistemological foundation of Ibn Qayyim’s approach to
Sufism is based on the intellect and the natural disposition (fit}ra).75
The intellect is the source of human knowledge and understanding,
but “the knowledge produced by intellect is more limited”.76 Intellect
is the characteristic that differentiates humans from animals. Humans
are burdened with religious obligations because of their reason but
also higher in rank because of their faith.77 It is also the intellect that
enables the believers to understand revelation and obey its laws. Thus,
without it the Shari‘a brought by the messengers has no wisdom or
benefit for mankind.78
According to Ibn Qayyim, there are two kinds of intellect. First,
the innate intellect which is the father of knowledge, its educator, and
the one who produces it. Second is the acquired intellect which is the
result of that knowledge. Intellect is the instrument of all knowledge,

72 Ibn, T{arīq al-Hijratayn, 9. Ibn Qayyim, Madārij al-Sālikīn, 739.

73 Ibn Qayyim, Madārij al-Sālikīn, 354.
74 Ibid., 617.
75 Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, Miftāh} Dār al-Sa‘ādah wa Manshūr Wilāyah al-‘Ilm wa al-

Irādah (Cairo: Dār al-H{adīth, 1994), 342.

76 Muh}ammad Muh}ammad b. al-Maws}ilī, Mukhtas}ar al-Sawāiq al-Mursalah ‘alā al-

Jahmiyya wa al-Mu‘at}t}ilah li al-Imām Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, Col. 1 (Riyad: Maktaba

Adwā’ al-Salaf, 2004), 156.
77 Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, al-Fawā’id, ed. Muh}ammad Azīz Shams (Makka al-

Mukarrama: Dār ‘Ālam al-Fawāid, 1429), 151.

78 Ibn Qayyim, Miftāh} Dār al-Sa‘ādah, 353.

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 The Contribution of Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya to Salafi Sufism

and its scales determine what is good and what is bad.79 The intellect
allows humans to reason and think about the universe, life, and all
observable phenomena. Reflection and contemplation also allow
humans to believe and unveil the essence of all things.80 Thinking is
the basis of all theoretical knowledge because thinking will generate
new ideas, while ideas will motivate the growth of desires that must
be realized in an action or deed. When this process is often repeated it
becomes a mental habit.81
In the view of Ibn Qayyim knowledge (ma‘rifa) that comes from
reason can be regarded as true and useful knowledge. Similarly, the
knowledge of Allah, His names and attributes, His power, and the
teachings of the Prophets in form of the Shari‘a are known through
reason.82 However, Ibn Qayyim goes further by highlighting the
important role of reason as one of the epistemological foundations of
Sufism. This can mean that the literalist method embedded in the
Salafi school cannot be fully applied, which is the reason for Imarah
to group Ibn Qayyim in the rationalist Salafi school together with his
teacher Ibn Taymiyya.83
The second epistemological foundation of Ibn Qayyim’s Sufism
is the natural disposition (fit}ra).84 He offers the many meanings of the
word which can mean to split, start, create, create, and something that
Allah gives to His creatures in the form of knowledge.85 Fit}ra is also
interpreted as a straight religion and straight instincts. He asserts that
the human instinct entails worshipping its Creator and reflects its
religious nature.
Ibn Qayyim understood fit}rah as one of the sources of human
knowledge. Combined with reason it has a very important role in
knowing Allah and His nature. He emphasized that “the human
disposition, which is a religious instinct, believes that this world has a
creator who is all-powerful, gentle, and perfect in His substance and
nature, who wants nothing but goodness for His servants”.86 Thus,
fit}ra is a priori knowledge that is known instinctively without research
79 Ibid., 120.
80 Ibid., 215.
81 Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, al-Fawā’id, 252.
82 Ibn Qayyim, Rawd}a al-Muh}ibbīn, 11.
83 ‘Imārah, al-Salaf wa al-Salafiyya, 55.
84 Ibn Qayyim, Miftāh} Dār al-Sa‘ādah, 216.
85 al-Qūsī, al-Manhaj al-Salafī, 241.
86 Ibn Qayyim, Miftāh} Dār al-Sa‘ādah, 342.

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Lalu Agus Satriawan

and reasoning. This knowledge is embedded in man and cannot be

erased.

Concluding Remarks
Based on the discussion above the researcher has been able to
draw several conclusions. First, the basis of the thought of the Salafi
tas}awwuf of Ibn Qayyim is the Qur’ān, the Sunnah, and the teachings
of the trusted authorities. He emphasized the necessity of consistency
in adhering to the two foundations, the Qur’ān and the Sunnah. He
also heavily relied on the ideas of his teacher, Ibn Taymiyya who
exerted a strong influence on him, yet allowed him to grow and
further develop his own position independently. Ibn Qayyim’s
analytical approach allowed him to incorporate many of the teachings
of previous ascetics and Sufi shaykhs who had proven steadfast in
their faith, and founded their own t}arīqahs, as long as their opinions
did not contradict the two main sources of Islam. Second, Ibn
Qayyim established that reason and fit}rah play a very important role in
generating knowledge, especially the knowledge of God. Reason is the
key tool for accepting the divine message. Likewise, fit}ra encompasses
the aspect of intuitive knowledge that shapes man’s religious nature
and awareness of the Creator. Third, Ibn Qayyim equalled the
discipline of tas}awwuf with morality. It aims to purify the soul so that
the soul is ready to travel to God, which is a path of love. Fourth, he
consequently applied the Salafi method, specifically in terms of
placing revelation above reason, rejecting the use of ta’wīl and closely
adhering to the words of the Qur’ān. His approach to Sufism was to
perform an objective evaluation of the Sufi teachings circulating at his
time. Instead of joining either side, the side of those who condemned
it as unlawful innovation (bid‘a) or the side of those who accepted it
uncritically, Ibn Qayyim chose to conduct an extensive review of its
ideas and practices, rejecting those elements that he found
objectionable and accepting others that he found commendable. By
assuming the role of an independent arbitrator and applying his
methodology consequently, he succeeded in influencing both camps,
and his authority as a scholar was acknowledged in Sufi and non-Sufi
circles alike.

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 The Contribution of Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya to Salafi Sufism

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