◈ Allama Umar bin Ali al-Bazzar (رحمه الله) (died 749 AH) writes about Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (رحمه الله):
"He (رحمه الله) would never mention the name of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) without sending blessings and peace upon him. By Allah! I have never seen anyone who had more reverence for the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), was more devoted to following his Sunnah, and more eager to support and defend what he brought. Whenever he came across a Hadith of the Prophet (ﷺ) regarding a particular matter, and he was convinced that it had not been abrogated, he would act upon it, issue rulings, and give fatwas according to it. He paid no attention to the statements of others, no matter who they were. He used to say: 'The statement of every individual, except for Allah and His Messenger, requires evidence; their words alone are not proof.'"
[Al-I'lam al-'Aliyya fi Manaqib Ibn Taymiyyah, p. 29]
"He (رحمه الله) would never mention the name of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) without sending blessings and peace upon him. By Allah! I have never seen anyone who had more reverence for the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), was more devoted to following his Sunnah, and more eager to support and defend what he brought. Whenever he came across a Hadith of the Prophet (ﷺ) regarding a particular matter, and he was convinced that it had not been abrogated, he would act upon it, issue rulings, and give fatwas according to it. He paid no attention to the statements of others, no matter who they were. He used to say: 'The statement of every individual, except for Allah and His Messenger, requires evidence; their words alone are not proof.'"
[Al-I'lam al-'Aliyya fi Manaqib Ibn Taymiyyah, p. 29]