Ibn Taymiyya
- Died
- 728 AH
- Born in
- Harran
Ibn Taymiyya (661–728 AH / 1263–1328 CE) was a Syrian Hanbali jurist, theologian, and traditionist based in Damascus, widely known for creedal and legal treatises such as al-Aqida al-Wasitiyya and al-Fatwa al-Hamawiyya al-Kubra .
Early life and education
He was Taqi al-Din Abu al-Abbas Ahmad ibn Abd al-Halim ibn Abd al-Salam ibn Abd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn al-Khidr ibn Ali ibn Abd Allah ibn Taymiyya al-Numayri (and reported as al-Sulami) al-Harrani, later al-Dimashqi . Multiple accounts explain the surname Ibn Taymiyya: one states that Taymiyya was the name of his ancestor Muhammad's mother, who was an admonisher; another relates that his grandfather Muhammad saw a girl during the pilgrimage route through Tayma and named his newborn daughter after her .
He was born in Harran on Monday, 10 Rabi' al-Awwal 661 AH . In 667 AH, at the age of seven, he fled with his family to Damascus due to the Mongol advance . He was raised in a prominent scholarly household; his paternal grandfather was the Hanbali jurist Majd al-Din Abu al-Barakat Abd al-Salam ibn Taymiyya, and his father was Shihab al-Din Abd al-Halim . Following his father's death in 682 AH, he began teaching at Dar al-Hadith al-Sukkariyya in Muharram 683 AH, delivered regular Friday exegesis lectures at the Umayyad Mosque, and later commenced teaching at the Hanbaliyya madrasa in 695 AH . In Rajab 693 AH, following an incident involving a Christian accused of insulting the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, he composed al-Sarim al-Maslul ala Shatim al-Rasul .
Public activism and the Mongol invasion
During the Mongol incursion into Syria under Mahmud Ghazan in 699 AH, he played an active civic and military role: he urged the commander of the Citadel of Damascus to maintain defense, personally met Ghazan and secured the release of captives including both Muslims and protected non-Muslims (dhimmīs), and confronted tavern keepers in Damascus to pour out wine and enforce public morality . When the Mongols threatened Aleppo in 700 AH, he traveled on post horses to Cairo to successfully petition the Mamluk Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun and the state officials to mobilize an army for the defense of Syria, declining royal gifts and stipends offered to him .
Theological controversies and trials
His assertive stances on theological and legal matters provoked intense opposition from various contemporary judges and scholars:
- Creedal disputes and Egyptian imprisonment: In 698 AH, he composed al-Fatwa al-Hamawiyya al-Kubra regarding divine attributes, sparking an initial interrogation in Damascus . He also wrote al-Aqida al-Wasitiyya at the request of a judge from Wasit, which prompted further contentious public debates before the four chief judges in Damascus . Following allegations raised to Sultan Baybars al-Jashnakir and instigated by Sufi master Nasr al-Manbiji, he was summoned to Cairo in Ramadan 705 AH . He was tried before the Maliki chief judge Ibn Makhfuf, whom he objected to as an opposing party, and was subsequently imprisoned in the Cairo Citadel pit (al-Jubb) and various towers . In 709 AH, he was banished to Alexandria for seven months until Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad regained power and recalled him to Cairo . He eventually returned to Damascus in Dhu al-Qa'da 712 AH .
- Divorce rulings and the Damascus Citadel: After his return, he issued legal rulings departing from the majority position, maintaining that an oath of divorce (al-half bi-l-talaq) functions as an expiable oath rather than an irrevocable repudiation, and that a triple divorce pronounced in a single sitting counts as a single revocable divorce . Refusing orders to cease issuing these fatwas, he was imprisoned in the Citadel of Damascus from 720 to 721 AH for over five months .
- Grave visitation: In Sha'ban 726 AH, opponents submitted complaints to the sultan regarding his fatwa prohibiting dedicated journeys to visit tombs, resulting in his final internment in the Citadel of Damascus . In 728 AH, five months prior to his death, all books, paper, and writing implements were confiscated from his cell to prevent further writing .
Teachers and students
He studied under more than two hundred scholars, prominently including his father Abd al-Halim ibn Taymiyya, Ahmad ibn Abd al-Da'im al-Maqdisi, Ibn Abi al-Yusr, Shams al-Din Abd al-Rahman al-Maqdisi, and Abu al-Abbas Ibn al-Zahiri .
His students included many leading scholars of the fourteenth century, such as Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, al-Dhahabi, Ibn Kathir, Ibn Abd al-Hadi, Yusuf ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Mizzi, and Salah al-Din al-Ala'i .
Death
He died while imprisoned in the Citadel of Damascus on the night of 20 Dhu al-Qa'da 728 AH (a variant report gives 20 Dhu al-Hijja) at the age of sixty-seven . His funeral was attended by an immense gathering in Damascus, with the markets closing across the city and attendance estimated between fifty thousand and over sixty thousand mourners .
Answer updated
List of Works
Al-Tadmuriyya (in full: al-Tadmuriyya: Tahqiq al-Ithbat li-l-Asma' wa-l-Sifat wa-Haqiqat al-Jam' bayn al-Qadar wa-l-Shar') is a theological treatise focusing on the affirmation of divine names and attributes and the reconciliation between religious law and divine decree.
al-Siyasa al-Shar'iyya fi Islah al-Ra'i wal-Ra'iyya (Governance According to Islamic Law for the Rectification of the Ruler and the Ruled) is a treatise on Islamic political theory and governance. It outlines the foundational principles of public administration, judicial authority, and social order grounded in the Quran and the Prophetic Sunna.
al-Furqan bayna Awliya al-Rahman wa Awliya al-Shaytan (The Criterion Between the Allies of the Merciful and the Allies of Satan) is a theological treatise dedicated to distinguishing between genuine saints of God and those affiliated with Satan.
al-Tuhfa al-Iraqiyya (al-Tuhfat al-'Iraqiyya fi al-A'mal al-Qalbiyya, "The Iraqi Gift on the Actions of the Heart") is a theological and spiritual treatise on inward worship and spiritual psychology.
Sharh al-Aqida al-Asfahaniyya (Commentary on the Asfahanian Creed) is a theological treatise expounding and critically evaluating a concise creed composed by Shams al-Din Muhammad ibn Mahmud al-Asfahani.
al-Jawab al-Sahih liman Baddala Din al-Masih (The Correct Answer to Those Who Changed the Religion of Christ) is a polemical and theological work dedicated to refuting Christian doctrines and defending the validity and universality of Islam.
al-Iman (also known as Kitab al-Iman) is a theological treatise on the definition and nature of faith.
Iqtida al-Sirat al-Mustaqim li-Mukhalafat Ashab al-Jahim (The Requirement of the Straight Path in Differentiating from the Companions of Hellfire) is a treatise dedicated to establishing the legal and theological necessity for Muslims to avoid imitating non-Muslims in their specific religious practices, customs, and festivals.
al-Wasita bayna al-Haqq wal-Khalq (The Intermediary Between the Truth and Creation) is a theological treatise and legal responsa clarifying the distinction between affirmed prophetic mediation and prohibited polytheistic intermediaries between God and mankind.
al-Qasida al-Ta'iyya fi al-Qadar (The Ode Rhyming in Tāʾ on Divine Predestination) is a didactic theological poem composed to defend the Islamic orthodox doctrine of divine decree and human responsibility.
al-Risala al-Madaniyya fi Tahqiq al-Majaz wal-Haqiqa fi Sifat Allah (The Medinan Epistle on Verifying Metaphor and Reality in the Attributes of God) is a theological treatise addressing the rules of literal (haqiqa) and figurative (majaz) language regarding the divine attributes. Composed as a response to an inquiry from Medina, the work outlines four necessary criteria required when diverting words from their literal sense to a metaphorical meaning.
Majmuat al-Rasail wa al-Masail (A Collection of Treatises and Legal Inquiries) is a multi-volume compilation of theological, legal, and interpretive writings edited and annotated by Muhammad Rashid Rida. Organized into five parts, it gathers treatises and legal rulings spanning Quranic exegesis, hadith, creed, legal theory, ethics, and Sufism.
Tahqiq al-Iman (also known as Kitab al-Iman or al-Iman al-Kabir) is a theological treatise examining the nature, definitions, and rulings of faith (iman) and submission (islam). Drawing directly from scriptural sources, the work sets forth the composite reality of faith as consisting of speech and action, analyzes the designations of faith and disbelief, and addresses various theological doctrines on the subject.
al-Zuhd wa al-Wara wa al-Ibada (Asceticism, Scrupulousness, and Worship) is a treatise outlining an orthodox framework for asceticism (zuhd), scrupulous piety (wara'), and devotion ('ibada) grounded in the Sunnah. The work focuses on establishing moderation in worship, clarifying legally sanctioned practices, and defining the distinct boundaries between asceticism and scrupulousness.
Sharh Umdat al-Fiqh – Kitab al-Siyam is a detailed legal commentary on the "Book of Fasting" from Ibn Qudama's foundational primer Umdat al-Fiqh. The work elucidates the legal rulings, prophetic traditions, and doctrinal narrations governing fasting, evaluating textual evidence, hadith authenticity, and divergent Hanbali positions alongside the linguistic definitions of key legal terms.
This theological treatise, written in the form of a fatwa, addresses the shape of the divine Throne (al-Arsh), astronomical conceptions of celestial spheres, and the theological rationale for orienting toward the upward direction during prayer and supplication.
This legal treatise addresses the theology, history, and legal status of the Nusayri sect, examining an extensive legal query regarding their doctrines, esoteric rituals, and practical rulings concerning them.
This theological fatwa and treatise expounds the relative virtues, theological precedence, and scholarly consensus regarding the four Rightly-Guided Caliphs.
This critical treatise evaluates the litanies and mystical writings of the Sufi master Abu al-Hasan al-Shadhili, assessing their compatibility with scriptural proofs and the principles of Islamic worship.
Abridged from a larger work, this legal treatise analyzes the juristic basis of warfare in Islamic law, arguing that military engagement against non-Muslims is legally grounded in active combatancy rather than mere disbelief.
al-Radd ala al-Subki fi Masalat Taliq al-Talaq (The Refutation of al-Subki Regarding the Issue of Conditional Divorce) is a legal treatise written to counter the critique of the Shafi'i chief judge Taqi al-Din al-Subki concerning oaths and conditional pronouncements of divorce.
Jawab fi al-Half bi-Ghayr Allah wa al-Salat ila al-Qubur, wa yalihi: Fasl fi al-Istighatha (Response on Swearing by Other than God and Praying toward Graves, Followed by: A Chapter on Seeking Aid) is a legal and theological epistle addressing the prohibition of taking oaths by created entities, praying at gravesites, and seeking aid (istighatha) from other than God.
al-Masaʾil wa-l-Ajwiba (Questions and Answers) is a collection of legal and theological responses to questions posed by the people of al-Rahba to the preacher of the village of Ushara, addressing a wide range of doctrinal and jurisprudential issues.
Fasl fi Tazkiyat al-Nafs (Chapter on the Purification of the Soul) is a treatise that expounds the concept and methodology of spiritual purification through obedience to divine commands and the abandonment of prohibitions.
al-Aqida al-Wasitiyya (The Wasiti Creed) is a concise theological treatise summarizing the creed of the Sunni community regarding the core tenets of faith, particularly the divine names and attributes.
Daqaiq al-Tafsir (Daqaiq al-Tafsir: al-Jami' li-Tafsir al-Imam Ibn Taymiyya) is a compilation of Quranic commentary collected and edited by Muhammad al-Sayyid al-Julaynid, bringing together exegetical writings and discussions of Quranic verses into a unified arrangement.
Takhrij al-Kalim al-Tayyib (The Graduated Good Word) is a work of prophetic supplications (adʿiya) and daily remembrances (adhkār), assembled from the Quran and prophetic Sunnah and edited with hadith authentication (takhrīj) by Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani.
Sharh Umdat al-Fiqh (Explanation of the Pillar of Jurisprudence), also known as Sharh al-Umdah, is an extensive legal commentary on the foundational Hanbali primer Umdat al-Fiqh by Muwaffaq al-Din Ibn Qudama.
Huquq Al al-Bayt (Rights of the Prophet's Household) is a theological epistle dedicated to outlining the status, virtues, and legal rights of the family of the Prophet Muhammad (Ahl al-Bayt) according to the Sunnah.
Qa'ida fi al-Inghimas fi al-'Aduw wa-Hal Yubah ("A Principle on Plunging into Enemy Ranks and Whether It Is Permissible") is a juristic treatise addressing the legal ruling on Muslim fighters penetrating enemy lines under circumstances where death is almost certain.
al-Ikhnaiyya, also known as al-Radd ala al-Ikhnai ("The Refutation of al-Ikhnai"), is a polemical and legal treatise addressing the legal rulings on visiting the Prophet's grave and undertaking journeys to tombs.
Sharh Umdat al-Fiqh: Sifat al-Salah is the section dedicated to the description and performance of ritual prayer within a legal commentary on the Hanbali jurisprudence manual Umdat al-Fiqh by Ibn Qudama.
Bayan Talbis al-Jahmiyya fi Tasis Bida'ihim al-Kalamiyya is an extensive theological refutation written to critique Ash'arite speculative theology (kalam), systematically dismantling the arguments presented by Fakhr al-Din al-Razi in his treatise Ta'sis al-Taqdis.
Qaida Mukhtasara fi Wujub Taat Allah wa Rasulihi wa Wulat al-Umur is a theological and legal epistle addressing the duty of obedience to God, the Prophet, and Muslim rulers.
al-Nubuwwat is a theological treatise examining the reality of prophecy, the evidential nature of prophetic signs, and the differentiation between miracles and other supernatural phenomena.
Mukhtasar Minhaj al-Sunna (Abridgment of the Path of the Prophetic Sunna) is an epitomized edition of Minhaj al-Sunna al-Nabawiyya, condensing its extensive refutation of Imami Shi'i doctrines and theological arguments surrounding the Imamate and the early Caliphate.
Qa'ida Tatadamman Dhikr Malabis al-Nabi wa-Silahihi wa-Dawabbihi (A Principle Encompassing the Mention of the Prophet's Garments, Weapons, and Mounts) is a short biographical and legal treatise addressing the material possessions of the Prophet Muhammad and their corresponding legal rulings.
al-Safadiyya (The Safadian Treatise) is a theological and polemical treatise written to refute philosophical doctrines regarding prophetic miracles and the eternity of the world.
al-Arbaun al-Taymiyya (The Taymiyyan Forty) is a collection of forty hadiths documenting selected Prophetic traditions.
Sharh Umdat al-Fiqh (including its surviving sections on ritual prayer, Kitab al-Salah) is an extensive legal commentary on the Hanbali primer Umdat al-Fiqh by Ibn Qudama.
Sunnat al-Jumua is a legal treatise addressing the legal status of supererogatory prayers performed before and after the Friday congregational prayer. Composed as an extended legal response, the work examines whether a designated prayer following the first call to prayer on Friday was practiced by early generations or prescribed across the recognized schools of jurisprudence, while clarifying the authentic traditions surrounding post-Friday prayers and critiquing non-canonical devotions.
al-Sarim al-Maslul ala Shatim al-Rasul is a treatise in Islamic jurisprudence and theology addressing the legal rulings, penalties, and doctrinal definitions regarding reviling the Prophet Muhammad. Composed in Rajab 693 AH following an incident involving an accusation of insult against the Prophet, the work articulates the mandatory legal consequences of such acts, examines the impact of repentance, and defines the precise doctrinal boundaries of reviling.
Masala fima idha kana fi al-abd mahabbah lima huwa khayr wa haqq wa mahmud fi nafsihi is a theological and ethical treatise addressing the nature of human innate disposition (fitra), voluntary acts motivated by an intrinsic love for virtue, and the relationship between natural inclination and divine law. It examines whether an individual is blameworthy for performing righteous deeds purely out of an innate love for the acts themselves rather than explicit religious devotion, while engaging with theological debates on rational good and bad.
al-Qawaid al-Nuraniyya (also known as al-Qawaid al-Nuraniyya al-Fiqhiyya or al-Qawaid al-Kulliyya) is a treatise on Islamic legal maxims and regulatory principles. The book organizes legal principles across substantive areas of jurisprudence, beginning with worship and proceeding into transactions, while integrating legal reasoning and scholarly disagreements among the various Islamic schools of law.
al-Intisar li-Ahl al-Athar al-Matbu bi-Ism Naqd al-Mantiq is a theological treatise defending the methodology of the early Muslim generations (al-Salaf) and the People of Hadith (Ahl al-Hadith), alongside a critique of formal logic. Originating as a detailed response to an inquiry, the work argues for adhering to the creed of the early generations regarding divine names and attributes, while addressing the legal ruling on studying formal logic and refuting its necessity as a communal obligation.
al-Istighatha fi al-Radd ala al-Bakri is a theological and polemical treatise that addresses the doctrines and practices surrounding supplication, intercession, and seeking deliverance (istighatha) through created beings. Written to refute arguments defending the invocation of the deceased and righteous individuals, the work examines the linguistic and legal categories of seeking aid, distinguishes between intercession and direct requests, and evaluates relevant scriptural proofs and hadith reports.
Ras al-Husayn is a historical and theological treatise investigating the whereabouts of the head of al-Husayn ibn Ali and refuting the authenticity of the shrines attributed to it in Ashkelon and Cairo. Written in response to an inquiry regarding the Cairo site, the work evaluates historical timelines, early narratives, and scholarly positions to demonstrate that claims locating the head in Egypt or Ashkelon lack historical basis, maintaining instead that it was sent to Medina.
Qaidah Jami'ah fi Tawhid Allah wa Ikhlas al-Wajh wal-Amal lahu Ibadah wa Isti'anah is a theological treatise on Islamic monotheism centered on the distinction between divine lordship (rububiyyah) and divine worship (uluhiyyah). Framed around Quranic principles uniting worship and reliance, the work demonstrates that acknowledging God as the sole creator and sustainer is insufficient on its own and necessitates directing all acts of devotion, purpose, and seeking of aid exclusively to Him.
al-Radd ala al-Mantiqiyyin, originally titled Nasihat Ahl al-Iman fi al-Radd ala Mantiq al-Yunan, is a treatise on epistemology and logic offering a systematic critique of Greek logic. Organized around four primary stations concerning definitions and syllogisms, the work challenges the necessity and utility of formal Aristotelian definitions for conceptualization and questions the claim that categorical syllogisms are the sole means of acquiring certain knowledge.
Raf al-Malam an al-Aimma al-Alam is a legal and methodological treatise that examines the legitimate excuses and scholarly reasons why recognized Muslim jurists diverged in certain rulings from explicit prophetic traditions. The work outlines three broad categories and ten detailed causes for such disagreement—such as non-receipt of a narration, differences in evaluating transmitters, or perceived abrogation—to demonstrate that such divergences stemmed from valid interpretive factors rather than deliberate disregard for texts.
Qaidah fi al-Mahabbah (A Principle Concerning Love) is a theological treatise addressing the reality of love, will, and spiritual psychology in Islamic theology.
al-Tis'iniyya (The Ninety-Point Treatise) is a theological work dedicated to refuting the Ash'ari doctrine of divine speech as an internal meaning subsisting in the divine essence (kalam nafsi) across approximately ninety systematic arguments.
Tahqiq al-Qawl fi Masalat: Isa Kalimat Allah wal-Quran Kalam Allah (Verification of the Statement Regarding the Issue: Jesus Is the Word of God and the Quran Is the Speech of God) is a theological treatise addressing the distinction between Jesus being designated as the "Word of God" and the Quran being the uncreated speech of God.
al-Amr bil-Ma'ruf wal-Nahy 'an al-Munkar (Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil) is a specialized legal and theological treatise expounding the jurisprudential principles, ethical conditions, and sociopolitical limits of public and private moral correction in Islam.
Mas’ala fi Tawhid al-Falasifa (A Question on the Monotheism of the Philosophers) is a theological and philosophical treatise dedicated to refuting the concept of divine unity (tawhid) and its logical proofs as formulated by the philosophers.
al-Ahadith al-Awali min Juz Ibn Arafa al-Abdi is a hadith work comprising elevated narrations with short chains of transmission drawn from the original compilation of al-Hasan ibn Arafa al-Abdi.
Qaidah Hasanah fi al-Baqiyat al-Salihat is a theological and devotional treatise dedicated to explaining the meanings, virtues, and structural pairings of the four foundational phrases of remembrance (dhikr).
al-Hisba fi al-Islam, aw Wazifat al-Hukuma al-Islamiyya is a treatise on Islamic administrative and economic governance. It examines the institution of hisba, the duties of public officials, and the scope of state intervention in social and economic affairs.
Dar Ta'arud al-Aql wa al-Naql is an extensive theological and philosophical treatise dedicated to refuting the claim that rational intellect and divine scripture inherently contradict one another.
al-Hasana wa al-Sayyia is a theological and exegetical treatise on divine decree (qadar), human accountability, and the origins of good and evil.
Sharh Umdat al-Fiqh - Kitab al-Tahara is an extensive legal commentary on the purification section of Muwaffaq al-Din Ibn Qudama's Hanbali jurisprudence primer Umdat al-Fiqh. Expanding on the concise manual, it forms the foundational opening division of an encyclopedic commentary focusing on acts of worship, detailing transmitted narrations, internal school opinions, and the legal rulings of early Hanbali authorities.
al-Kalim al-Tayyib is a concise handbook and primer compiling prophetic supplications, words of remembrance, and daily invocations. The work gathers established traditions covering morning and evening supplications, prayers for sleep, entering and leaving dwellings, seeking relief from distress, and various everyday occasions, presenting the texts with attributions across the hadith corpus.
Sharh Umdat al-Fiqh: Kitab al-Hajj is an in-depth legal commentary on the pilgrimage section of Ibn Qudama's legal primer Umdat al-Fiqh. Forming the concluding part of a broader commentary on acts of worship, the work provides detailed analyses of legal transmissions, variant interpretive positions within the Hanbali school, early authoritative doctrines, and prophetic traditions governing the rites of pilgrimage.
al-Ubudiyya is a theological treatise expounding the Islamic concept of worship and servitude to God. Composed in response to an inquiry regarding Quran 2:21, the work examines the definition, branches, and spiritual reality of worship, distinguishing between compulsory and voluntary servitude and establishing that true worship unites complete humility with complete love of God.
Mas'ala fi al-Murabata bil-Thughur Afdal am al-Mujawara bi-Makka Sharrafaha Allah Taala is a legal treatise examining the relative virtues of military garrisoning on Muslim frontier outposts compared to devotional residence in the sacred sanctuaries. Grounded in jurisprudence and scriptural proofs, it addresses the prioritization of frontier defense and distinguishes between accidental geographic virtues and intrinsic holy sites.
Qaidah Jalilah fi al-Tawassul wa al-Wasilah (A Sublime Rule on Intermediation and Seeking Means of Nearness) is a theological treatise dedicated to delineating the legal and creedal rulings on seeking means of approach to God (tawassul), supplication (duʿāʾ), and intercession (shafāʿah).
Jami' al-Masa'il (Compendium of Inquiries) is a multi-volume collection of previously unpublished treatises, legal responsa (fatawa), and doctrinal principles gathered from manuscript collections across various libraries.
Qaida fi al-Sabr (A Principle on Patience) is a treatise on the spiritual virtues and practical means of enduring hardship, with a particular focus on bearing harm inflicted by other people.
al-Risala al-Akmaliya fi ma yajibu lillah min Sifat al-Kamal (The Most Perfect Epistle on the Attributes of Perfection Due to God), also known as al-Akmaliya, is a theological treatise addressing the rational and scriptural foundations for affirming God's attributes of perfection and negating all deficiencies.
Jami al-Rasail (also cited as Jami al-Rasail wa-al-Masail) is a collection of theological and doctrinal treatises bringing together several independent works and responses that were not incorporated into earlier major compilations of legal and theological rulings.
Jawab al-Itiradat al-Misriyya ala al-Fatya al-Hamawiyya (The Answer to the Egyptian Objections to the Hamawa Fatwa) is an extensive theological refutation written to defend the creedal treatise al-Fatya al-Hamawiyya against criticisms raised by Egyptian scholars.
Fadl Abi Bakr al-Siddiq (The Virtue of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq) is a theological treatise and legal responsa (fatwa) examining the relative virtues of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad and establishing the superiority of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq over Ali ibn Abi Talib and the rest of the Companions.
Bughyat al-Murtad fi al-Radd ala al-Mutafalsifa wa al-Qaramita wa al-Batiniyya (The Seeker's Desire in Refuting the Philosophizers, Qarmatians, and Batinites) is a theological and polemical treatise dedicated to refuting philosophical esotericism, monism, and allegorical interpretations of Islamic scripture.
Risala fi Usul al-Din (Treatise on the Principles of Religion) is a theological treatise written in response to a series of inquiries regarding the permissibility, epistemic requirements, and scope of investigating the fundamentals of Islamic theology.
al-Radd 'ala man qala bi-fana' al-Janna wa-l-Nar (Refutation of Whoever Asserts the Annihilation of Paradise and Hellfire) is a theological treatise addressing the debate surrounding the eternity and annihilation of Paradise and Hellfire.
Naqd Maratib al-Ijma (Critique of the Levels of Consensus) is a legal treatise that critically examines and refutes numerous claims of consensus (ijma) recorded by the Zahiri scholar Ibn Hazm in his compendium Maratib al-Ijma.
Ahadith al-Qisas (Traditions of the Storytellers) is a concise treatise dedicated to evaluating and classifying popular narrations and anecdotes circulated by preachers and public storytellers (qussas).
Al-Iman al-Awsat (The Intermediate Book of Faith) is a theological treatise composed as an exposition of the Hadith of Gabriel concerning the definitions and ranks of Islam, faith (iman), and spiritual excellence (ihsan).
al-Fatawa al-Kubra (The Major Legal Rulings) is a major multi-volume collection of legal responsa and treatises arranged systematically according to the standard chapters of Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh).
al-Iklil fi al-Mutashabih wa al-Tawil (The Diadem on the Ambiguous and Interpretation) is a theological treatise addressing the concepts of the unequivocal (muhkam) and ambiguous (mutashabih) texts of the Quran, as well as the meaning and theological classifications of scriptural interpretation (ta'wil).
Masala fi al-Kanais (The Issue Concerning Churches) is a legal treatise and fatwa addressing the legal status, construction, maintenance, and demolition of non-Muslim houses of worship under Islamic law.
Tanbih al-Rajul al-Aqil ala Tamwih al-Jadal al-Batil (Alerting the Intelligent Man to the Deceptions of False Dialectic) is a critical treatise on legal dialectic and disputation theory. The work provides a passage-by-passage refutation of Fusul fi al-Jadal (also known as al-Muqaddima al-Burhaniyya), a dialectical manual by Burhan al-Din al-Nasafi.
Tahqiq al-Ihtijaj bil-Qadar is a theological treatise addressing the invalidity of using divine decree (al-Qadar) as an excuse for committing sins or abandoning religious obligations.
Muqaddima fi Usul al-Tafsir (An Introduction to the Principles of Quranic Exegesis) is a concise treatise on Quranic hermeneutics and the methodology of interpretation.
al-Masā'il al-Mārdīniyya (The Mardin Inquiries) is a legal treatise addressing juristic questions of frequent occurrence that present common practical hardships to Muslims.
Majmu al-Fatawa (Compendium of Legal Rulings) is an encyclopedic compilation of fatwas, treatises, essays, and doctrinal works arranged across thirty-seven volumes. The collection brings together writings spanning theology and creed, Quranic exegesis, hadith, spiritual conduct and ethics, and jurisprudence and legal theory.
Minhaj al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah (The Methodology of the Prophetic Sunnah), fully titled Minhaj al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah fi Naqd Kalam al-Shi'ah wa-al-Qadariyyah, is a multi-volume theological and polemical treatise refuting Twelver Shi'i and Mu'tazili doctrines.
Amrad al-Qulub wa Shifauha (Diseases of the Hearts and Their Cure) is a treatise on spiritual purification and ethics focusing on the spiritual ailments that afflict the human heart and their remedies through Quranic guidance.
Ziyarat al-Qubur wa al-Istinjad bi al-Maqbur (Visiting Graves and Seeking Aid from the Entombment) is a theological treatise and legal response addressing the rules governing grave visitation, intercession, and rituals performed around burial places.
al-Istiqama (Uprightness) is a theological and critical treatise dedicated to evaluating Sufi concepts and doctrines through a detailed critique of Abu al-Qasim al-Qushayri's al-Risala al-Qushayriyya (The Qushayri Epistle).
This legal treatise examines the regulations governing dress and covering during prayer, delineating them from the rules of veiling and looking outside of prayer.
This legal and interpretive treatise addresses the linguistic significance, Quranic foundations, and jurisprudential rulings governing the prostration of Quranic recitation (sujud al-tilawa).
This theological treatise is dedicated to analyzing and affirming the prophetic narration concerning the descent of God to the lowest heaven in the final third of each night.
This concise legal treatise provides a practical guide to the rituals and stages of the Hajj and 'Umrah pilgrimages.
Composed in 698 AH (1298–1299 CE), this theological treatise outlines the creed of early Muslim generations regarding divine names and attributes.
Qa'ida 'Azima fi al-Farq bayna 'Ibadat Ahl al-Islam wal-Iman wa-'Ibadat Ahl al-Shirk wal-Nifaq (A Major Principle on the Distinction Between the Worship of the People of Islam and Faith and the Worship of the People of Polytheism and Hypocrisy) is a theological treatise on the essential foundations of Islamic worship and the demarcation between monotheistic devotion and polytheistic practices.
al-Mustadrak ala Majmu al-Fatawa (Supplement to the Compendium of Legal Rulings) is a five-volume collection of legal rulings, treatises, and scholarly choices compiled and arranged by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Qasim as a direct supplement to the thirty-seven-volume compendium Majmu al-Fatawa.