Mahmud Abd al-Razzaq Ridwani
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Mahmud Abd al-Razzaq Ridwani is a contemporary Egyptian scholar specializing in Islamic creed (aqida) . He is known for his research on theology and the foundational principles governing the divine names and attributes in Islam .
Academic Career and Methodology
Ridwani served as an associate professor in the Department of Creed and Contemporary Sects within the Faculty of Sharia and Usul al-Din at King Khalid University . In his theological discourse, he emphasized that Islamic creed grounded in the Quran and the Sunna is characterized by clarity and simplicity, cautioning against the excessive reliance on speculative theology (ilm al-kalam) and philosophical terminology . He maintained that contemporary challenges require addressing intellectual deviations by returning directly to textual evidence rather than settling for vague formulations of faith .
Research on the Divine Names
A major focus of Ridwani's scholarly output centers on identifying and enumerating the authentic names of God according to strict scriptural criteria . In his treatise Asma Allah al-Husna al-Thabita fi al-Kitab wa-al-Sunna (The Beautiful Names of God Established in the Book and the Sunna), he examined the textual proofs for divine appellations . His research concluded that twenty-nine of the widely circulated ninety-nine names—frequently drawn from the well-known narration in Sunan al-Tirmidhi—do not fulfill the rigorous conditions required by scholars to be affirmed strictly as divine names, including titles such as al-Khafid, al-Rafi, al-Muizz, al-Mudhill, and al-Adl .
This thesis prompted substantial discussion and critical assessment among contemporary scholars, including a published critique by Muhammad Muhibb al-Din Abu Zayd titled Al-Intisar li-l-Salaf al-Akhyar (Vindication of the Noble Predecessors), which recognized the utility of Ridwani's compilation while evaluating specific methodological points . In Al-Mukhtasar fi al-Ta'arruf ala Asma Allah al-Husna (The Abridgment on Knowing the Beautiful Names of God), Ridwani also addressed names occurring in the Bible, arguing that while certain terms conform to linguistic enumeration criteria, they cannot be affirmed as divine names in Islamic law, though they may be used within the permissible scope of divine description and informative reporting (ikhbar) .
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List of Works
Mukhtasar al-Qawaid al-Salafiya fi al-Sifat al-Rabbaniya (Abridgment of Salafi Principles Regarding the Divine Attributes) is a contemporary theological treatise dedicated to clarifying the foundational principles of affirming the divine attributes according to the Salafi school of Islamic creed. Serving as an accessible and concise pedagogical manual, the text outlines the methodology of the early Muslim generations (al-salaf al-salih) regarding the divine names and attributes in clear, direct language.