Regarding Ibn Taymiyyah's Statement, "I'm a clergyman, not a statesman."
Some of us may have come across the following statement reported to have been made by Ibn Taymiyyah, “I am a clergyman, not a statesman.” (أنا رجل ملة لا رجل دولة).
His student, Ibn ‘Abdul Hadi al-Hanbali (d. 744 A.H.), reports this remark in his book Al-‘Uqud al-Durriyyah.
Some have tried to use this statement to suggest that Ibn Taymiyyah had no desire to be involved in politics. However, the best understanding of this statement that several people have offered is that Ibn Taymiyyah was clarifying that he was not pursuing political power for himself and that he said this to allay the worries of the different amirs and sultans.
Sultan Nasir Muhammad Ibn Qalawun was concerned about Ibn Taymiyyah’s growing popularity to the extent that one day he summoned Ibn Taymiyyah and said:
إنني اُخبرت أنَّك قد أطاعك الناس، وأن في نفسك أخذ الملك
“I am told that the people obey you and that you seek a position of authority.”
To which Ibn Taymiyyah replied:
أنا أفعل ذلك؟ والله إن ملكك وملك المغول لا يساوي عندى فلسين
“I am doing this? By Allāh, your kingdom and the kingdom of the Mongols are worth nothing to me!”
Back to the statement in question, the context in Al-‘Uqud al-Durriyyah shows that Ibn Taymiyyah uttered this remark when many of the influential leaders of Sham were highly praising him, looking up to him, and seeking his religious guidance. He was being hailed and praised by a considerable number of soldiers as he accompanied one of the Islamic armies entering Sham, and amid that lauding, he uttered the statement, “I am a clergyman, not a statesman.”
Ibn Taymiyyah was not naïve, he understood well how sensitive the political terrain was, and he had to reaffirm and make clear that he was not seeking power for himself. He possibly also wanted to clarify that despite speaking truth to power, he was not seeking to rebel and stir problems, especially during a sensitive time where unity was direly needed to resist the Mongols.
Let us ask ourselves why all these people were praising and cheering for him to begin with. It was precisely because of his active political and Jihadi role in repelling the Mongols.
Dr. Hakem al-Mutairi has authored an Arabic series of articles, entitled, “Ibn Taymiyyah and the Battle for Freedom,” (ابن تيمية ومعركة الحرية),[1] and those who could read Arabic are encouraged to do so and ask themselves whether there is any basis for suggesting that Ibn Taymiyyah did not influentially involve himself in politics.
It must be stressed that Ibn Taymiyyah did not merely play a role in giving Shar’i advice on what is halal and haram, but rather engrossed himself in political affairs of dire importance. They were so important to the point that the stability and economic state of the Ummah, in addition to countless Muslim lives, were at stake. And Ibn Taymiyyah was not unique in this regard. A simple search on “Role of Ulama in Politics” in Arabic would unveil several studies that have been conducted showing the same across our Islamic history.
None of this suggests that those who are unqualified and reckless be allowed to play such influential roles, but it does suggest how extremely essential Shari’ input is, even in these major political decisions.
In conclusion, we need to make sure that we understand this statement in its proper context and in light of everything else that Ibn Taymiyyah stood for in his speech and actions. Reading this remark in isolation could give an erroneous impression that Ibn Taymiyyah had secular or apolitical tendencies, while that is far from the truth.