al-Manzuma al-Tabriziya fi al-Aqida al-Sahiha al-Sunniya
- Author died
- 740 AH
- Editions
- Maktabat al-'Ulūm wa-al-Hikam
al-Manzuma al-Tabriziya fi al-Aqida al-Sahiha al-Sunniya (The Tabrizi Poem on the Sound Sunni Creed) is a short didactic poem on Islamic theology composed by the Shafi'i jurist, poet, and judge Jamal al-Din Abd al-Qahir ibn Muhammad al-Tabrizi (648–740 AH / 1250–1339 CE) .
Authorship and Context
The author, Abd al-Qahir al-Tabrizi (also referred to as Ibn Abd al-Wahid), was born in Harran in mid-Sha'ban 648 AH, raised in Damascus, and studied jurisprudence under scholars including Taj al-Din al-Fazari and al-Najm al-Muwaghani . He served as a deputy judge in Safad, Ajlun, and Salamya . The historian Shams al-Din al-Dhahabi was among his students and recorded that al-Tabrizi recited this didactic poem to him in 704 AH .
Al-Tabrizi's theological stance in the poem adheres to the traditional Sunni creed of the early generations (al-salaf) . According to al-Dhahabi, the chief judge Jalal al-Din al-Qazwini dismissed al-Tabrizi from judicial office because al-Tabrizi affirmed divine attributes without resorting to allegorical interpretation (ta'wil) . Al-Tabrizi subsequently traveled to Egypt, where Chief Judge Badr al-Din Ibn Jama'a appointed him deputy judge of Damietta, a post he held until his death in Jumada al-Akhira 740 AH at the age of ninety-two .
Structure and Contents
The work consists of twenty-two lines composed in the majzu' al-rajaz poetic meter . It covers key theological and devotional themes:
- Opening and Devotional Exhortation (lines 1–7): Opens with a conventional lyrical prelude (nasib) referencing locations such as al-Ajra', Ramya, and La'la', framing it as an elevation above base worldly desires toward spiritual devotion, night vigil (tahajjud), and weeping out of fear and hope before God .
- Adherence to Scripture (lines 8–10): Urges steadfast adherence to the Quran without distortion, avoidance of theological controversies and heretical innovations, and affirms that the Quran is God's literal speech .
- Divine Attributes (lines 11–16): Warns against figurative reinterpretation (ta'wil) of divine attributes such as hearing and hands, affirms that God spoke directly to Moses, asserts God's ascension (istiwa') above the Throne in the heavens while being transcendent and with His creation without modality (bi-ghayr kayf), and declares that likening the Creator to creation constitutes disbelief .
- Eschatology and Conclusion (lines 17–22): Reflects on the scarcity of righteous deeds and the terrors of the Day of Judgment, describes the punishment of Hellfire and the rewards of Paradise for devoted worshippers, and concludes with prayers and blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad .
Commentary and Publication
A dedicated modern commentary and verification of the poem was prepared by Marzuq ibn Hayyas al-Zahrani, an associate professor of Hadith sciences at the Islamic University of Madinah, and published in Madinah in 1426 AH / 2005 CE .
Answer updated