Al-Aqida al-Tahawiyya

Al-'Aqida al-Tahawiyya (Arabic: العقيدة الطحاوية) or Bayan al-Sunna wa al-Jama'a (Arabic: بيان السنة والجماعة, lit. 'Exposition of Sunna and the Position of the Majority') is a popular exposition of Sunni Muslim doctrine written by the tenth-century Egyptian theologian and Hanafi jurist Abu Ja'far al-Tahawi.^[1][2]

Al-'Aqida al-Tahawiyya

Imam al-Tahawi's Creed of Islam: An Exposition by Siraj al-Din al-Ghaznawi
Author	Abu Ja'far al-Tahawi
Original title	Bayan al-Sunna wa al-Jama'a
Translator	Amjad Mahmood
Country	Egypt
Language	Arabic, Albanian, English, French, Indonesian, Malay, Persian, Russian, Turkish, and Urdu
Subject	'Aqida, Tawhid, Usul al-Din (Islamic theology)
Publisher	Heritage Press UK
Pages	200 pages
ISBN	978-0993475665

Summary

The sole aim of al-Tahawi was to give a summary of the theological views of Abu Hanifa, the founder of the Hanafi school, as he states at the very beginning of his work that it is written in accordance to the methodology of the jurists, Abu Hanifa, Abu Yusuf and Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Shaybani. However, it can be said to represent the creed of both the Ash'aris and the Maturidis, especially the latter, given his being a follower of the Hanafi school. The Shafi'i scholar Taj al-Din al-Subki (d. 771/1370) writes that the followers of the four main schools of law, the Hanafis, the Malikis, the Shafi'is and the Hanbalis are all one in creed:^[3]

All of them follow the opinion of Ahl al-Sunna wa al-Jama'a (the People of the Prophetic Way and the Majority). They worship Allah in accordance with the creed of Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari (and Abu Mansur al-Maturidi). None of them deviates from it, save the riffraff among the Hanafis and the Shafi'is who adopted the Mu'tazili creed and those among the Hanbalis who adopted anthropomorphism. However, Allah protected the Malikis from such things, for we have never seen a Maliki except that he was Ash'ari in creed. In summation, the creed of al-Ash'ari (and al-Maturidi) is what is contained in the creed of Imam Abu Ja'far al-Tahawi, which the scholars of the various legal schools have endorsed and are content with as a creed.

The doctrines enumerated in this work are entirely derived from the Qur'an and the authentic Hadith. It starts with the monotheistic oneness of God, then goes on to the assertion of His positive and eternal attributes. Al-Tahawi asserts the reality of the beatific vision without modality (bila kayf). Most of the other theoretical issues relating to the next world are not rationally explained. God can predetermine some people to be happy and others to be miserable. Knowledge of the decree of God is not given to mankind. Belief consists of assent by heart and confession by tongue. Sinners cannot be declared to be unbelievers. The actions of man are the creation of God and the acquisition of man.^[4]

Commentators

Several scholars have written commentaries on this work. Among them are the following:^[5]

• Isma'il ibn Ibrahim al-Shaybani (d. 629/1231).
• Najm al-Din Mankubars (d. 652/1254).
• Mahmud al-Qunawi (d. 771/1369), entitled al-Qala'id fi Sharh al-'Aqa'id.^[6][7]
• Shuja' al-Din al-Turkistani [ar] (d. 733/1332).
• Siraj al-Din al-Ghaznawi [ar] (d. 773/1371).
• Akmal al-Din al-Babarti (d. 786/ 1384).
• Ibn Abi al-'Izz (d. 792/1390). His commentary is rejected by both Maturidis and Ash'aris, accepted and praised by the Salafis.^[8][9][10]
• Hasan Kafi al-Aqhisari/Pruščak (d. 1025/1616), entitled Nur al-Yaqin fi Usul al-Din.
• 'Abd al-Ghani al-Maydani (d. 1298/1880).
• Qari Muhammad Tayyib (d. 1403/1983).
• Ahmad Jabir Jubran (d. 1425/2004).^[11]
• 'Abdullah al-Harari (d. 1429/2008).
• Omar Abdullah Kamel [ar] (d. 1436/2015).
• Sa'id Foudah.
• Nidal Ibrahim Alah Rashi (Arabic: نضال إبراهيم آله رشي).

Contents

The texts raises many points of creed that are essential matters and defines the belief of the Sunni Muslim, covering following the topics:

1. Exposition of the Creed of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah
2. Divine Unity
3. Allah's Eternal and Everlasting Names and Attributes
4. Allah's Preordination
5. Muhammad (S) and His Description
6. The Qur'an: the Eternal Word of Allah
7. The Beatific Vision
8. The Prophet's Night Journey (S) and Ascension
9. The Prophet's Basin (S) and Intercession
10. The Covenant Made with Adam (a.s) and His Progeny
11. Divine Decree and Predetermination
12. The Preserved Tablet and the Pen
13. Allah's Attribute of Creating
14. The Throne and the Footstool
15. The Angels, the Prophets and the Revealed Books
16. Declaring the People of the Qiblah to be Muslims
17. Debating about Allah's Essence
18. Arguing about the Qur'an
19. The Impermissibility of Accusing a Muslim of Disbelief
20. The Meaning of Faith
21. Faith Neither Increases nor Decreases
22. The Fate of Major Sinners
23. The Status of a Muslim
24. Rebelling Against Muslim Leaders
25. Wiping Over Footwear
26. Hajj and Jihad
27. The Guardian Angels who were Scribes
28. The Grave and its States
29. Resurrection
30. Paradise and Hellfire
31. The Ability that Accompanies Acts
32. Slaves' Actions
33. Supplication and Alms on Behalf of the Deceased
34. Allah's Wrath and Pleasure
35. Loving the Companions of the Prophet (S)
36. The Order of the Caliphate
37. The Ten Given the Glad Tidings of Paradise
38. Speaking Well of Scholars
39. The Rank of Sainthood
40. Portents of the Final Hour
41. Diviners and Soothsayers
42. Adhering to the Congregation

Manuscripts

The earliest manuscripts preserved in Alexandria were written in AH 783 (1381/1382).^[12]

Translations

English edition

The work has been translated into English and published under the title:

• Islamic Belief, translated and published in 1995 by IQRA International Educational Foundation.^[13]
• Islamic Belief: Al-Aqidah at-Tahawiah (Revised Edition), edited by Iqbal Ahmad Azami. Translated and published in 2002 by UK Islamic Academy.^[14]
• The Creed of At-Tahawiyy (A Brief Explanation of The Sunniy Creed), 2nd edition published in 2003 by The Association of Islamic Charitable Projects in USA.^[15]
• Aqeedatul Tahawi, with commentary by Qari Muhammad Tayyib, the former rector of Darul Uloom Deoband. English translation by Afzal Hoosen Elias. First published in 2007 by Zam Zam Publishers.^[16]
• The Creed of Imam al-Tahawi, translated, introduced and annotated by Hamza Yusuf. First published in 2009 by Fons Vitae.^[17]
• The Creed of Imam Tahawi, translated by Mohammad Ibrahim Teymori. According to the translator himself, this translation is heavily indebted to the works of Hamza Yusuf and Iqbal Ahmad Azami.
• Al-'Aqidat at-Tahawiyyah (Kindle Edition), translated by Tahir Mahmood Kiani. First published in 2012 by T. M. Kiani.^[18]
• Al-'Aqida al-Tahawiyya: Arabic Text with English Translation and Commentary, translated and prepared by Fahim Hoosen. This edition includes a brief and simple commentary. First published in 2015 by Azhar Academy.^[19][20] The second edition published by Dar Ul Thaqafah in 2018.
• Commentary on the Creed of at-Tahawi by Ibn Abi al-Izz (731-792 AH), translated by Muhammad Abdul-Haqq Ansari. First published in 2017 by Istinarah Press.
• Imam al-Tahawi's Creed of Islam: An Exposition, translated by Amjad Mahmood. This edition includes a commentary by the Hanafi scholar, judge and Maturidi theologian Abu Hafs Siraj al-Din al-Ghaznawi [ar] (d. 773/1372). First published in 2020 by Heritage Press.^[21]

Indonesian edition

• ‘Aqidah Ath-Thahawiyah: Matan dan Terjemah translation by Nor Kandir. First published in 2017 in Surabaya.^[22]

French edition

• La 'Aqîda Tahâwiyya (La profession de foi des gens de la Sunna), translated and commented on by Corentin Pabiot.^[23] Published in 2015 by Maison d'Ennour.^[24]

Kinyarwanda edition

• Ibisobanuro By'imyemerere ya a-twahawiyat : Kugaragaza imyemerere y'abagendera ku migenzo y'Intumwa y'Imana (Ahlu Sunat wal Djama'at), translated by Maktabat al-Qalam, 2020

Malay edition

• Terjemahan Al-Aqidah Al-Thahawiyyah, translated by Raja Ahmad Mukhlis al-Azhari.^[25]

Persian edition

• Aqida Tahawi, translated by Mohammad Ibrahim Teymori, with foreword by Saeed Ahmad Palanpuri.
• Aqida Tahawi, translated by Sa'di Mahmudi.^[26]

Russian edition

• Акыда ат-Тахавийя, translated with notes by Ahmad Abu Yahya al-Hanafi.^[27]

Turkish edition

• Ehl-i Sünnet Akâidi; Muhtasar Tahâvî Akidesi Şerhi, translated by Ebubekir Sifil [tr].^[28][29]
• Tahâvî Şerhi Bâbertî Tercümesi, translated with commentary of Akmal al-Din al-Babarti (d. 786/1384) by İsmailağa Fıkıh ve Te'lif Kurulu.^[30]
• Tâhâvi Akâidi Baberti Şerhi, translated with commentary of al-Babarti (d. 786/1384) by İzzet Karasakal.^[31]
• Tahâvi Akîdesi Bâbertî Şerhi, translated with commentary of al-Babarti (d. 786/1384) and Siraj al-Din al-Ghaznawi [ar] (d. 773/1372) by Yasin Karataş.^[32]
• İslam Akâid Metinleri, translated by Ali Pekcan.^[33]

Urdu edition

• Sharh al-'Aqidah al-Tahawiyyah, translated with commentary by Ehsanullah Shayeq.^[34]
• Al-Aseedah as-Samawiyyah Sharh al-Aqeedah At-Tahawiyyah, translated with commentary by Rida-ul-Haq.^[35]
• 'Aqidat al-Tahawi wa al-'Aqidah al-Hasanah, translated by Abd al-Hamid Khan Swati. The book contains two works on aqidah translated and published together due to sharing the same topic. The first is al-'Aqida al-Tahawiyya, and the second is al-Aqidah al-Hasanah of Shah Waliyyullah.^[36]

Uzbek edition

• Aqidatut Tahoviya sharhining talxiysi, Muhammad Anwar Badakhshani's "Talkhees Sharh Al Aqeedah Al-Tahawiyya" translated by Sheikh Muhammad Sadik Muhammad Yusuf.^[37]

Further reading

• The Creed of Imam Al-Tahawi; ISBN 097028439X^[38]
• Voices of Islam: Voices of tradition, p 208. ISBN 0275987337^[39]

See also

•  Books portal
•  Islam portal

• Al-Fiqh al-Akbar
• Al-Sawad al-A'zam
• Al-'Aqida al-Nasafiyya
• Kitab al-Tawhid
• List of Sunni books

References

1. Vincent J. Cornell, Voices of Islam: Voices of tradition, p 208. ISBN 0275987337
2. Bosworth, C.E.; van Donzel, E.; Heinrichs, W.P.; Lecomte, G.; Bearman, P.J.; Bianquis, Th. (2000). Encyclopaedia of Islam. Vol. X (T-U) (New ed.). Leiden, Netherlands: Brill. p. 101/102. ISBN 9004112111.
3. Abu Ja'far al-Tahawi. "The Creed of Imam Tahawi (4th SPECIAL EDITION)" (PDF). afghanicc.com. Translated by Mufit Mohammad Ibrahim Teymori (4th ed.). Afghan Islamic Cultural Centre, London. pp. 3–4.
4. Oliver Leaman, ed. (2015). The Biographical Encyclopedia of Islamic Philosophy. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 475. ISBN 9781472569455.
5. Husain Kadodia (23 April 2010). "Arabic Commentaries and Resources for al-'Aqidah al-Tahawiyyah". ilmgate.org. IlmGate. Archived from the original on 17 Mar 2023.
6. Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf Mangera (12 September 2014). "One of the Best Commentaries of 'Aqīdah Tahāwiyya". ilmgate.org. IlmGate. Archived from the original on 17 Mar 2023.
7. "Mahmud ibn Ahmad ibn Mas'ud al-Qunawi (d. AH 771/1369 AD): Al-qala'id fi sharh al'aqa'id". christies.com. Christie's. Archived from the original on 16 Mar 2023.
8. Mufti Ismail Moosa (31 October 2012). "Shar al Aqidah Tahawiyyah by Ibn al-Izz al-Hanafi". IslamQA.org. Archived from the original on 16 Mar 2023.
9. "Scholarly verdicts on Ibn Abi'l Izz and his Sharh on al-Aqida al-Tahawiyya". darultahqiq.com. Archived from the original on 16 Mar 2023.
10. Muhammad Hisham Kabbani. "New Kharijism". livingislam.org. Archived from the original on 16 Mar 2023. Ibn Abi al-ʿIzz's commentary on al-Tahawi's ʿAqida. The latter is a normative classic of Islam but Ibn Abi al-ʿIzz is an unknown, unacceptable as a source for Ahl al-Sunna teachings. Examples of his unreliability are his rejection of al-Tahawi's articles §35 ("The Seeing of Allah by the People of the Garden is true, without their vision being all-encompassing and without the manner of their vision being known") and §38 ("He is beyond having limits placed on Him, or being restricted, or having parts or limbs, nor is He contained by the six directions as all created things are") by the statements, "Can any vision be rationally conceived without face-to-face encounter? And in it there is a proof for His elevation (ʿuluw) over His creatures," and "Whoever claims that Allah is seen without direction, let him verify his reason!"2 down He also endorses Ibn Taymiyya's view of the finality of Hellfire3 down in flat contradiction of the al-Tahawi's statement, §83. "The Garden and the Fire are created and shall never be extinguished nor come to an end." There is also doubt as to Ibn Abi al-ʿIzz's identity and authorship of this Sharh (cf. 4.1.3).
11. "الشيخ أحمد جابر جبران المكي الشافعي" [The Biography of Ahmad Jabir Jubran]. islamsyria.com (in Arabic). Association of Syrian Scholars. Archived from the original on 17 Mar 2023.
12. Ibn-Abi-Al-Izz, Ibn Abi. Commentary on The Creed of At-Tahawi. Al-Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University. pp. xxxiv.
13. Islamic Belief. IQRA International Educational Foundation. 1995. pp. 22 pages. ISBN 9781563160585.
14. "Islamic Belief (Al-Aqidah at-Tahawiah)". Archived from the original on 14 November 2020. Retrieved 21 June 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
15. "The Creed of At-Tahawiyy (A Brief Explanation of The Sunniy Creed)". islamicplace.com. Archived from the original on 14 November 2020.
16. . Archived from the original on 15 November 2020. Retrieved 15 November 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
17. "The Creed of Imam al-Tahawi". Archived from the original on 14 November 2020. Retrieved 21 June 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
18. . Goodreads. Archived from the original on 14 Nov 2020.
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20. "Al-Aqida al-Tahawiyya (With English Commentary)". meccabooks.com. Archived from the original on 14 November 2020.
21. "Imam Al-Tahawi's Creed of Islam". heritagepress.co.uk. Heritage Press.
22. Abu Ja’far Ath-Thahawi (2017). Kandir, Nor (ed.). 'Aqidah Ath-Thahawiyah/العقيدة الطحاوية (in Indonesian and Arabic). Pustaka Syabab Surabaya. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
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32. Tahavi Akidesi Baberti Şerhi: İsmiyle Meşhur Olan Gaznevi Şerhi. Ilim ve Hikmet Yayinlari. 2018. pp. 346 pages. ISBN 9786052451694.
33. . Rağbet Yayınları. 14 July 2017. ISBN 9786054074228. Archived from the original on 17 November 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2020.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
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36. . Archived from the original on 16 November 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
37. ""Ақийдатут-Таҳовия шарҳининг талхийси"".
38. Yusuf, Hamza (2008), The Creed of Imam Al-Tahawi, Oxford: Zaytuna Institute (1 Oct 2008), ASIN 097028439X
39. Cornell, Vincent J. (1 Dec 2006), Voices of Islam: Voices of tradition, Praeger, ASIN 0275987329{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

External links

• Al-'Aqida al-Tahawiyya by Iqbal Ahmed A'zami
• Imam al-Tahawi's beliefs of Ahl Al-Sunna wa Al-Jama'a 2018-10-10 at the Wayback Machine — As-Sunnah Foundation of America
• Al-'Aqida al-Tahawiyya (Arabic Text with English Translation)
• Arabic Commentaries and Resources for al-'Aqida al-Tahawiyya
• Scholarly verdicts on Ibn Abi al-'Izz and his Sharh on al-'Aqida al-Tahawiyya