al-Intisar lil-Sahb wal-Al min Iftirat al-Samawi al-Dall
- Author died
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- Editions
- Maktabat al-‘Ulūm wa-al-Ḥikam
al-Intisar lil-Sahb wal-Al min Iftirat al-Samawi al-Dall (Vindicating the Companions and the Family [of the Prophet] from the Fabrications of the Misguided al-Samawi) is a polemical and theological work authored by the Saudi scholar Ibrahim ibn Amir al-Ruhayli in refutation of the claims leveled against the Companions of the Prophet and his household by Muhammad al-Tijani al-Samawi .
Background and Purpose
The work was composed as a targeted refutation of Thumma Ihtadayt (Then I Was Guided), an autobiographical polemic by the Tunisian author Muhammad al-Tijani al-Samawi in which he detailed his conversion from Sufism to Twelver Shiism (Rafidism) and attacked the integrity of the Companions . Al-Ruhayli noted that al-Samawi had authored four books published by the Mu'assasat al-Fajr in London—Thumma Ihtadayt, Li-Akuna ma'a al-Sadiqin, Fa-s'alu Ahl al-Dhikr, and al-Shi'a hum Ahl al-Sunna . Observing their wide distribution, translation into multiple languages, and reception among lay readers in regions lacking scholars to point out their errors, al-Ruhayli set out to refute them .
Al-Ruhayli initially indexed the problematic issues across all four works and arranged them thematically, intending to answer them in a single volume . However, because some of the books were circulating in certain areas while others were not, he chose instead to dedicate a separate, self-contained refutation to each book to avoid inadvertently introducing unread arguments to readers, beginning with Thumma Ihtadayt as the most misleading of them .
Structure and Content
Before detailing the refutation of Thumma Ihtadayt, al-Ruhayli arranged an introductory section (madkhal) divided into six chapters (mabahith) :
- Definition of the Rafida: An examination of the name and classification of the sect .
- Origins of the Rafida: A historical overview of their emergence and the role attributed to Jewish influence in their founding .
- Core Doctrines of the Rafida: A concise summary of their main theological tenets .
- Defamation of Sunni Imams and Scholars: An outline of the criticisms directed by the Rafida against the prominent figures of Ahl al-Sunnah .
- The Stance of Ahl al-Sunnah: The position of Sunni scholarship regarding the Rafida and their doctrines .
- General Critique of the Author and His Methodology: A broad critical evaluation of al-Samawi and his approach across his four writings .
Following this introduction, the text presents a systematic, point-by-point refutation of the individual claims and historical narratives raised throughout Thumma Ihtadayt, relying on documented reports and authenticated evidence .
Publication
The book has seen several editions, including a second edition published by Maktabat al-Ghuraba al-Athariyya, and a third edition published in Medina by Maktabat al-Ulum wal-Hikam in 1423 AH / 2003 CE .
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