Is it true that Ibn Taymiyyah is quoted as saying of himself that he was Ash'ari?

First, it should be noted that this misconception does not align with what is widely known and accepted about Ibn Taymiyyah, nor with what is found in his writings. It is closer to strange, anomalous narrations that contradict well-established reports.

Second, those who propagated this misconception relied heavily on what Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar mentioned in "Al-Durar al-Kaminah."

The refutation of this misconception is as follows:

1. Ibn Taymiyyah was imprisoned under the authority of his adversaries, who threatened him with death if he did not write what they proposed to him. 2. Some historians did not mention the story or the written statement, while others referred to it without details, mentioning the threat. In contrast, those who detailed it did not mention the threat. 3. The most probable position is that Ibn Taymiyyah wrote general statements under duress, which did not constitute a retraction of his creed or an adoption of a false one. 4. This written statement contradicts his creed, which he defended throughout his life, both before and after this incident. There is no trace of such a retraction in his writings. 5. Ibn Taymiyyah never retracted any of his opinions for which he was previously imprisoned and reproached. Rather, he used to say, "It is not permissible for me to conceal knowledge." 6. His adversaries distorted and lied about him, forging his words and signature. 7. The greatest proof of the falsity of this misconception is that in the year 708 AH, they demanded that he write in his own hand a statement indicating his retraction on the issues of the Throne and the Qur'an. He vehemently refused and supplicated against them, which proves that what they claimed he wrote in 707 AH was a lie and a forgery. 8. Sheikh al-Islam himself mentioned in "Al-Tis'iniyyah" that he confronted his adversaries and rejected their demands to change his creed, clarifying that what they demanded from him was a distortion of his words.

Thus, the falsehood of this slander becomes evident.