al-Aqd al-Thamin fi Sharh Ahadith Usul al-Din
- Author died
- 1225 AH
- Editions
- Without publisher
al-Aqd al-Thamin fi Sharh Ahadith Usul al-Din (The Precious Necklace in Explaining the Hadiths of the Foundations of Religion) is a theological treatise written by the Maliki scholar and historian Husayn ibn Ghannam (d. 1225 AH / 1810–1811 CE) . The book compiles and expounds upon key prophetic traditions concerning the core principles of faith alongside relevant Quranic passages .
Title and Composition
The title appears on manuscripts as al-Aqd al-Thamin fi Sharh Ahadith Usul al-Din, a phrasing the author also uses within the text itself . In various biographical and bibliographic works, it is sometimes shortened to al-Aqd al-Thamin fi Sharh Usul al-Din or al-Aqd al-Thamin fi Usul al-Din .
Ibn Ghannam composed the work after the death of Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, following an instruction from the ruler of the first Saudi state, Imam Abd al-Aziz ibn Muhammad ibn Saud . The objective was to bring together the hadiths establishing the foundational tenets of Islam and faith (usul al-Islam wa-l-iman), pair them with corresponding verses from the Quran, and elucidate them concisely to facilitate religious understanding among the people .
Structure and Content
The author structured the treatise into seven chapters (fusul) . Ibn Ghannam explicitly selected the number seven to correspond to:
- The seven words that make up the Islamic testimony of faith: La ilaha illa Allah Muhammad rasul Allah (counting la, ilah, illa, Allah, Muhammad, rasul, and Allah) .
- The seven physical faculties or limbs of morally responsible individuals (a'da' al-mukallafin) .
- The seven gates of Hellfire, with the author expressing hope that each chapter would act as a barrier against Hellfire on the Day of Judgment .
The commentary provides explanations of the cited traditions and verses, detailing essential doctrines and offering refutations of deviant beliefs and doubts .
Reception and Theological Critique
While scholars acknowledged the book as a beneficial work supporting the teachings of the Najdi reform movement, its theological position regarding the speech of God was criticized . On the issue of the Quran, Ibn Ghannam followed the doctrine of the Ash'ari school rather than the traditional Athari/Hanbali approach dominant among contemporary Najdi scholars . This departure was explicitly noted by his student Sulayman ibn Abd Allah Al al-Shaykh, as well as later by the scholar Muhammad ibn Mani' .
Manuscripts and Editions
A manuscript of the work is preserved at the Saudi National Library in Riyadh (under manuscript accession number 86/57) .
The work has been prepared for publication and academic study through multiple efforts:
- It was edited as part of a master's thesis by Ibrahim Yusuf al-Masi in 1403 AH, collated from four manuscript copies .
- It was edited with annotations by Muhammad ibn Abd Allah al-Habdan and published by Dar al-Qasim in Riyadh (1st edition, 1423 AH / 2003 CE) .
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