al-Tawdih wal-Bayan li-Shajarat al-Iman
- Author died
- 1376 AH
- Editions
- al-Tawdih wal-Bayan li-Shajarat al-Iman
al-Tawdih wal-Bayan li-Shajarat al-Iman (Clarification and Exposition of the Tree of Faith) is a theological treatise on the definition, foundations, and fruits of faith written by the Hanbali scholar Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi (1307–1376 AH / 1890–1956 CE) .
Composition and Theme
Al-Sadi completed writing the treatise on 8 Dhu al-Hijjah 1374 AH (1955 CE) . He drew its discussions directly from the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to address what he characterized as the most important principles of religion and certainty . The book takes its central motif from the Quranic verse comparing the good word of faith in the heart of a believer to a wholesome tree: أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ ضَرَبَ اللَّهُ مَثَلًا كَلِمَةً طَيِّبَةً كَشَجَرَةٍ طَيِّبَةٍ أَصْلُهَا ثَابِتٌ وَفَرْعُهَا فِي السَّمَاءِ ("Have you not considered how Allah presents an example, making a good word like a good tree, whose root is firmly fixed and its branches high in the sky") [Ibrahim: 24], often analogized in tradition to the date palm .
Structure and Contents
The work is organized into three principal chapters:
- The Definition and Nature of Faith: Examining the exact definition and interpretation of faith, as well as the theological principle of its increase and decrease .
- The Foundations and Sources of Faith: Detailing the elements from which faith derives its strength and nourishment, both in summary and in detail . This includes knowledge of God's names and attributes—encompassing the three categories of tawhid (divine Lordship, divinity, and names and attributes)—which the author describes as the spirit, foundation, and ultimate aim of faith .
- The Fruits and Benefits of Faith: Outlining the spiritual, moral, and practical yields and blessings that faith produces for the believer in both this world and the Hereafter .
Publication
The work has been issued in standalone printings, including editions published in Riyadh by Matabi' al-Isha' (1405 AH / 1985 CE) and Maktabat al-Ma'arif (1406 AH / 1986 CE) . It was also published as part of the collected works of the author (al-Majmu'ah al-Kamilah li-Mu'allafat al-Sa'di) by the Salih ibn Salih Cultural Center in Unayzah in 1412 AH / 1991 CE .
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