A medieval derelict jihad canon: Ibn Taymiyya’s Qā‘ida muḫtaṣara fī qitāl al-kuffār on combating non-believers

The Qā‘ida muḫtaṣara fī qitāl al-kuffār: Hal sababuhu l-muqātala aw l-kufr?, one of the less known epitomes of Ibn Taymiyya’s treatises, is notably important as a summarized gloss of his take on unbelief (kufr) as the mere ratio legis to fight or kill non-Muslims. Though its authenticity can be claimed, the controversy is less about its attribution to Ibn Taymiyya and more about its content. In this work, Ibn Taymiyya seems to legitimize only defensive jihad and problematize the legitimacy of offensive jihad. The Saudi editor of Maǧmū‘ al-fatāwā states that he did not include this treatise in his edition because it contains corrupt transmission of Ibn Taymiyya’s views on jihad. This poses significant questions on the credibility and integrity of the printed editions of the original manuscripts of the Taymiyyan corpus, as it was recently argued for the case of his Mardin fatwa. However, the Qā‘ida muḫtaṣara still creates a controversy about a crucial issue at the core of the jihad discourse. Examples of the challenging discrepancies of contested texts on the issue of offensive/initiatory jihad (ǧihād al-ṭalab/al-ibtidā’), spread over Ibn Taymiyya’s large corpus, may allegedly offer contradictive perspectives. The analysis and discussion of this treatise, compared to his extant legacy, shows how Ibn Taymiyya does not categorically refute initiating jihad against non-Muslims. He rather stresses a conceptualization of defensive jihad (ǧihād al-daf‘) as the basic legitimate rule, even when initiating (ibtidā’) a fight is necessary as a preventive anticipatory measure. It reveals a zealous apologia of qitāl (fighting) as an exceptional proactive jihad to protect both Muslim belief and believers and secure an unscathed spread of God’s word. A crucial thread in his discussions of the tensions with non-Muslims and deviant groups is to repel aggression, suspend hostilities, and ensure the integrity and loftiness of Islam and an inviolable supremacy of God’s word. Accordingly, the amalgamation of his views in the QM within his jihad corpus can be plausibly justified.