Ibn Taahir reported that he heard Abu Ismaeel Al-Ansaaree al-Harawee - rahimahullah - saying:
'They placed the sword on my neck five times, they did not say:' 'Renounce your view' rather they said 'stop talking about those who oppose you (upon the Sunnah)'. I said: 'I will not keep shut.'
That was Al-Imaam al-Haafidh Abu Ismaeel Abdullah bn Muhammad Al-Ansaaree al-Harawee, the author of the popular book, 'Dhamm Al-Kalaam - Disprasing Scholastic Theology'.
He was born 396AH.
An erudite scholar of Sunnah and Zuhd which made some Sufis claimed he belonged to them.
He wrote Manaazil as-Saaireen which truly reflected some Sufi thoughts, perhaps he wrote that before becoming a person of Sunnah (as it occurred to Al-Imaam Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah regarding his Kitaab Rooh, the Book of Soul).
Imaam Adh-Dhahabi described Manaazil as-Saaireen as containing some irreconcilable and problematic reports.
(Alhamdulillah, Imaam Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah has solved all that in his Madaarik As-Saalikeen, which he wrote as a commentary on Manaazil As-Saaireen thus the book of Ibn Qayyim has sufficed the Ummah from the errors in Manaazil).
Imaam adh-Dhahabi therefore told the Sufis to stop associating themselves with al-Harawee.
He said - rahimahullah:
'There is a group of Sufi philosophers, the people of ittihaad who do subscribe to the words of al-Harawee in Manaazil As-Saaireen such that they take it as creed and claim that it supports their heretical thoughts. They should however throw that thought away for the man (al-Harawee) was an Atharee who made it clear the establishment of Attributes of Allaah which oppose the position of scholastic theology and its proponents massively...'
The matter of al-Harawee was later so clear that the heretics of his time had at different times tried to implicate him in the court of the rulers. He did defeat them in all the debates they had.
There was an occasion they tricked him to the ruler's court while they sent some people to implant an idol in his house. When they mentioned that to the ruler and brought the idol, he still defeated them. The ruler believed him and heavily reprimanded the heretics.
He was a fearless scholar that would always say the truth no matter what.
He was a zaahid (ascetic) to the core who would always wear shabby clothes but if he had a social engagement he would wear the best of apparel and ride the best of ride. He would say: 'I did that to honour the Deen and to spite the enemies, so that when they see my honour and beauty they might desire Islam.'
He used to avoid the ruler's palace for any favour so he was so much respected.
The people of Herat (his resident city) used to avoid naming their sons Abdullah Abdurrahman, etc, he was the one that convinced them to do otherwise. That the best of names to Allaah is Abdullah, Abdurrahman etc.
Imaam adh-Dhahabi - rahimahullah - said about him:
كان أثريا قحا
'He was an Atharee (Salafi) to the core.'
He died 481AH.
Rahmatullaah alayhi.
Substantially adapted from As-Siyar 14/38-46 by Aboo Aamir Al-Atharee, may Allaah forgive his parents.
