Since the writing style of Ibn taymiyyah is a bit typical so we see some people often play with his words and statements to conclude things which he might not have said. One of those things is his view on Yazeed ibn Mu’awiyah.
The longest discussion by Ibn Taymiyyah regarding Yazeed, according to my knowledge, is in Majmu’ al-Fatawa (4/481-488). Following is taken from it completely.
According to Ibn Taymiyyah, people are divided into three groups with regards to Yazeed.
First groups view:
- Yazeed was Kafir and a Munafiq.
- He rushed to Kill the grandson of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) to avenge the death of his grandfather Utba and his uncle Waleed who were killed during Badr.
- And some other beliefs of that sort.
Second group’s view:
- Yazeed was a righteous man.
- He was a Just leader.
- He was from Sahaba for whom the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) made Du’a.
- Some even raised him to the status of a prophet.
- Faces of seventy Auliya were turned away from Qibla for their silence against Yazeed. They attribute this to Sheikh ‘Adi b. Musafir who was from Banu Umayya.
Then he said:
وَكِلَا الْقَوْلَيْنِ ظَاهِرُ الْبُطْلَانِ عِنْدَ مَنْ لَهُ أَدْنَى عَقْلٍ وَعِلْمٌ بِالْأُمُورِ وَسَيْرُ الْمُتَقَدِّمِينَ؛ وَلِهَذَا لَا يُنْسَبُ إلَى أَحَدٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ الْمَعْرُوفِينَ بِالسُّنَّةِ وَلَا إلَى ذِي عَقْلٍ مِنْ الْعُقَلَاءِ الَّذِينَ لَهُمْ رَأْيٌ وَخِبْرَةٌ
“Both these views are falsehood in sight of anyone who has some sense and knowledge about early people (in Islamic history). That is why these two views have not been attributed to any known scholar of Sunnah and anyone from the people of ‘Aql who have views and knowledge.”
After that he mentioned the third view which he considered the balanced view which include following points;
- He was from the rulers of Muslim land.
- He had good acts.
- He had bad acts.
- He was born during the caliphate of Uthman.
- He was not a Kafir.
- It was because of him that Husain was persecuted.
- He did what he did with the people of Harrah (in Madina).
- He was not a Sahabi.
- He was not from the righteous Auliya of Allah.
These points are derived from the following passage:
وَالْقَوْلُ الثَّالِثُ: أَنَّهُ كَانَ مَلِكًا مِنْ مُلُوكِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ لَهُ حَسَنَاتٌ وَسَيِّئَاتٌ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ إلَّا فِي خِلَافَةِ عُثْمَانَ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ كَافِرًا؛ وَلَكِنْ جَرَى بِسَبَبِهِ مَا جَرَى مِنْ مَصْرَعِ ” الْحُسَيْنِ ” وَفِعْلِ مَا فُعِلَ بِأَهْلِ الْحَرَّةِ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ صَاحِبًا وَلَا مِنْ أَوْلِيَاءِ اللَّهِ الصَّالِحِينَ
Then he said, “This is the view of majority of people of ‘Aql and ‘Ilm, Ahlussunnah wa al-jama’ah.”
Then out of third Madhhab, which is the view of Ahlus-Sunnah, he further mentioned three opinions of scholars within it:
- Those who curse him.
- Those who love him (for being a muslim). He mentioned Al-Ghazali and al-Dashti.
- Those who neither curse him nor love him.
Then he said that the third view is the view of Imam Ahmad b. Hanbal. Ibn Taymiyyah quotes Saleh b. Imam Ahmad that he asked his father, “O father, a group of people says that they love Yazeed.” Imam Ahmad replied, “My son, how can a person who believe in Allah and the Hereafter?” Then Saleh said, “Then why do you not curse him?” He replied, “O son, When did you see your father cursing anyone?”
Then Ibn taymiyyah goes on to provide the evidences to support the third view. In that he says:
وَأَمَّا تَرْكُ مَحَبَّتِهِ فَلِأَنَّ الْمَحَبَّةَ الْخَاصَّةَ إنَّمَا تَكُونُ لِلنَّبِيِّينَ وَالصِّدِّيقِينَ وَالشُّهَدَاءِ وَالصَّالِحِينَ؛ وَلَيْسَ وَاحِدًا مِنْهُمْ وَقَدْ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ” {الْمَرْءُ مَعَ مَنْ أَحَبَّ} ” وَمَنْ آمَنَ بِاَللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ: لَا يَخْتَارُ أَنْ يَكُونَ مَعَ يَزِيدَ وَلَا مَعَ أَمْثَالِهِ مِنْ الْمُلُوكِ؛ الَّذِينَ لَيْسُوا بِعَادِلِينَ
“As for the reason for not loving him, then that is because this specific love is special for Anbiya, Siddiqeen, Shuhada and Saliheen, and he was none of them. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said, “A person (in Hereafter) will be with those whom he loves.” And anyone who believes in Allah and the Hereafter will never love to be with Yazeed and any other rulers of his kind who were not just.”
Allah knows best