In his epic book of history, al-Hāfidh ibn Kathīr mentions the death of his teacher ibn Taymiyyah.
He shares that he died during the last part of the night and that the mu’adhdhin of the fortress where he was imprisoned announced his death. Business did not open that morning and people gathered around the fortress and his close relatives and friends were let in to see the body. Ibn Kathir then shared the following news from ibn Taymiyah’s brother who had been in prison with him:
[وَأَخْبَرَ الْحَاضِرِينَ أَخُوهُ زَيْنُ الدِّينِ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ أنه قرأ هو والشيخ منذ دخل الْقَلْعَةَ ثَمَانِينَ خَتْمَةً وَشَرَعَا فِي الْحَادِيَةِ وَالثَّمَانِينَ، فانتهينا فيها إلى آخر اقْتَرَبَتِ السَّاعَةُ ٥٤: ١ إِنَّ الْمُتَّقِينَ في جَنَّاتٍ وَنَهَرٍ في مَقْعَدِ صِدْقٍ عِنْدَ مَلِيكٍ مُقْتَدِرٍ ٥٤: ٥٤- ٥٥ ]
His brother Zayn al-Deen ‘Abd al-Rahman told those present that since he and sheikh ibn Taymiyah had been imprisoned they had completed 80 complete readings of the Qur’an and has started on their 81st reading and had reached to the end of surah al-Qamar [54]:
[إِنَّ الْمُتَّقِينَ فِي جَنَّاتٍ وَنَهَرٍ * فِي مَقْعَدِ صِدْقٍ عِندَ مَلِيكٍ مُّقْتَدِرٍ]
“The righteous ones will be among gardens and rivers * In a seat of honor near an Almighty King.” [54-55]
[al-Bidayah w’al-Nihayah 14/138]
