destroy a town, We command its affluent, but they defiantly disobey therein; then the sentence becomes binding upon it and We raze it to the ground” (Q 17:16)—that is, We command them by universal decree and predestination. He also said, “Whomever Allah intends to test, you will never have power to protect him from Allah in anything” (Q 5:41), and, “If Allah intends to lead you astray, He is your Lord, and to Him you will be returned” (Q 11:34).
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On page 201 Abū Zahrah concludes his discussion of predestination with the words: “These are Ibn Taymiyyah’s views on the issues of compulsion, free choice, and the rationale behind Allah’s actions; he always attributes what he holds to the righteous predecessors, the Companions and their Followers.” End quote. By phrasing it thus he seems to accuse the Shaykh of ascribing to the Salaf—merely on the basis of his own opinion—matters that do not belong to their school. The facts, however, disprove this allegation. The Shaykh, may Allah have mercy on him, never attributed to the Salaf anything except what is found in their books and reliably transmitted from them. He is far too God-fearing to claim that they said what they did not say; rather, it is Abū Zahrah who either failed to consult the Shaykh’s works or deliberately sought to obfuscate matters.
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On pages 202–206, after citing the Shaykh’s words forbidding tawassul through the dead, seeking their aid, visiting graves for the purpose of obtaining blessing or requesting needs from the deceased, and travelling for that purpose, he then says: “With this statement Ibn Taymiyyah has opposed the vast majority of Muslims; indeed, he challenged them harshly with regard to visiting the grave of the Chosen One ﷺ and making vows for it. We agree to some extent with his position on visiting the graves of the righteous and vowing for them, but we are in complete disagreement with him concerning the visit to the Noble Chamber, because the very basis upon which he prohibits visiting the Noble Chamber for blessing and auspiciousness is the fear of idolatry, and that fear of