al-Radd al-Sadid ala Mataain Hasan al-Maliki ala Aimmat al-Dawa wa Muqarrarat al-Tawhid
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al-Radd al-Sadid 'ala Mata'in Hasan al-Maliki 'ala A'immat al-Da'wah wa-Muqarrarat al-Tawhid (The Sound Refutation of Hasan al-Maliki's Defamations of the Imams of the Call and the Monotheism Curricula) is a polemical and theological treatise written by the contemporary Saudi scholar Ibrahim bin Amir al-Ruhayli. The book is a point-by-point rebuttal of a treatise by Hasan Farhan al-Maliki titled Manahij al-Ta'lim: Qira'ah Naqdiyyah li-Muqarrarat al-Tawhid li-Marahil al-Ta'lim, which criticized the religious education curriculum and creedal texts taught across schools in Saudi Arabia.
Background and Purpose
The composition of the work was initiated after the scholar Abd al-Muhsin ibn Hamad al-Abbad—who had authored separate refutations against Hasan al-Maliki's writings on the Prophet's Companions and theological texts—sent a copy of al-Maliki's treatise on the educational curricula to al-Ruhayli accompanied by a personal letter urging him to produce a specialized academic refutation. Al-Ruhayli undertook the response to counter what he viewed as deceptive critiques that could mislead students and readers lacking sufficient grounding in Islamic theological fundamentals.
Structure and Methodology
Before addressing the specific arguments regarding the educational curricula, al-Ruhayli opens with an introductory analysis citing al-Maliki's other writings to document his theological trajectory and ideological divergences from the mainstream Sunni consensus (Ahl al-Sunnah wa-l-Jama'ah), highlighting his sympathies toward groups such as the Jahmiyya, Mu'tazila, and Shia (Rafida), as well as his disparagement of early Sunni scholars and the Companions. Through this, al-Ruhayli argues that al-Maliki's critiques were motivated by sectarian opposition to Sunni creed rather than genuine, disinterested educational reform.
The remainder of the work follows the sequential order of al-Maliki's treatise, quoting his propositions verbatim under distinct topical headings and following them with systematic counter-arguments.
Key Arguments and Content
Al-Ruhayli addresses several core issues raised in al-Maliki's treatise:
- Renewal of Religious Curricula: Al-Ruhayli disputes al-Maliki's call for curriculum reform, distinguishing between legitimate pedagogical development and ideological alterations aimed at weakening fundamental theological principles.
- Division of Monotheism (Tawhid): Al-Maliki contested the standard tripartite classification of Tawhid into lordship (Rububiyyah), worship (Uluhiyyah), and names and attributes (al-Asma' wa-l-Sifat), claiming it was an eighth-century AH innovation invented by late Hanbalis to justify declaring Muslims to be disbelievers. Al-Ruhayli defends the classification by citing textual evidence from the Quran, noting that chapters such as Surah al-Fatihah and Surah al-Nas encapsulate all three categories.
- Defense of Ibn Taymiyyah: Al-Ruhayli refutes al-Maliki's accusation that Ibn Taymiyyah laid the foundations for unjustified excommunication (takfir) and improperly bifurcated the concepts of Rububiyyah and Uluhiyyah.
- Scope of Tawhid Subject Matter: Al-Ruhayli counters al-Maliki's contention that chapters concerning love and reverence for the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ should be excised from monotheism textbooks and relegated solely to the topic of prophethood (Nubuwwat), establishing their intrinsic connection to the obligations of faith.
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