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Al-Aqida al-Tahawiyya

Al-'Aqida al-Tahawiyya () or Bayan al-Sunna wa al-Jama'a () is a popular exposition of Sunni Muslim doctrine written by the tenth-century Egyptian theologian and Hanafi jurist Abu Ja'far al-Tahawi.

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:

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.

Legacy

According to Mizan Harun, it is impossible to precisely account for the countless scholars who have interpreted, taught, printed, and studied Al-Aqida al-Tahawiyya over the centuries. Among Islamic works that have profoundly influenced the Muslim community, this text holds among the first places. Al-Tahawi wrote from a perspective aimed at the entire Sunni community rather than any specific group, giving the work a universal character. Over time, however, later commentators often framed it according to particular doctrinal positions, portraying al-Tahawi as aligned with specific factions. This process diminished the text’s original universality, turning a clear exposition of Sunni creed into a more complex and nuanced work in the eyes of later generations.

Commentators

Several scholars have written commentaries on this work. Among them are the following:

Contents

The text raises many points of creed that are essential matters and defines the belief of the Sunni Muslim, covering the following 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 .

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.
  • Islamic Belief: Al-Aqidah at-Tahawiah (Revised Edition), edited by Iqbal Ahmad Azami. Translated and published in 2002 by UK Islamic Academy.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • The Creed of Imam al-Tahawi, translated, introduced and annotated by Hamza Yusuf. First published in 2009 by Fons Vitae.
  • 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.
  • 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. 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 (d. 773/1372). First published in 2020 by Heritage Press.

Indonesian edition

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

French edition

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

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.

Persian edition

Russian edition

Turkish edition

  • Ehl-i Sünnet Akâidi; Muhtasar Tahâvî Akidesi Şerhi, translated by .
  • Tahâvî Şerhi Bâbertî Tercümesi, translated with commentary of Akmal al-Din al-Babarti (d. 786/1384) by Ä°smailağa Fıkıh ve Te'lif Kurulu.
  • Tâhâvi Akâidi Baberti Şerhi, translated with commentary of al-Babarti (d. 786/1384) by Ä°zzet Karasakal.
  • Tahâvi Akîdesi Bâbertî Şerhi, translated with commentary of al-Babarti (d. 786/1384) and (d. 773/1372) by Yasin Karataş.
  • Ä°slam Akâid Metinleri, translated by Ali Pekcan.

Urdu edition

  • Sharh al-'Aqidah al-Tahawiyyah, translated with commentary by Ehsanullah Shayeq.
  • Al-Aseedah as-Samawiyyah Sharh al-Aqeedah At-Tahawiyyah, translated with commentary by Rida-ul-Haq.
  • 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.

Uzbek edition

Further reading

  • The Creed of Imam Al-Tahawi.
  • Voices of Islam: Voices of Tradition, p. 208.

See also

References

External links