Why, when Ibn Taymiyyah fought the Tatars, did he say "We will be victorious" and not say "if Allah wills"?

The questioner : In that, Ahmad ibn Taymiyyah, during the Mongol invasion, said, "We will be victorious." He was told, "Say 'if Allah wills.'" He did not say "if Allah wills," but rather, "We will be victorious." How do you reconcile this with Ahmad?

The Shaykh : Yes, Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) said this based on the statement . He said that the Muslims will be victorious because Allah, Mighty and Majestic, has sworn that He will support whoever supports Him. He swore based on the evidence, because this is not of their own doing; Allah's victory for them is not of their own doing, but it is established by the news of Allah. This is the reason he says, "I say it as a realization, not as a condition." He also took this from the statement of Allah the Exalted . The Tatars were disbelievers, and a disbeliever cannot succeed. Even if they prevail over the people of truth for some reason, they cannot prevail over the people of truth in a stable manner. He also said that the oppressors will not succeed. The Tatars were oppressors who killed the Muslims, looted their wealth, and violated their women. So he took from these verses that the matter is certain. Yes.

The questioner : What is the case with the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) "I will strike him"?

The Shaykh : It falls under this, but it appears that he was relying on the promise of Allah.