Aqawil al-Thiqat fi Tawil al-Asma wa al-Sifat wa al-Ayat al-Muhkamat wa al-Mushtabihat
- Author died
- 1033 AH
- Editions
- Mu'assasat al-Risalah
Aqawil al-Thiqat fi Tawil al-Asma wa al-Sifat wa al-Ayat al-Muhkamat wa al-Mushtabihat (The Statements of Trustworthy Authorities on the Interpretation of the Names, Attributes, and Decisive and Ambiguous Verses) is a treatise on Islamic creed by the Hanbali jurist Mari ibn Yusuf al-Karmi (d. 1033 AH / 1624 CE) . The book examines the theological handling of divine names and attributes (al-asma wa al-sifat) and the interpretation of ambiguous textual evidence (al-mutashabihat) in the Quran and the Sunnah .
Background and Purpose
In the prologue, al-Karmi states that while knowledge of Quranic exegesis (tafsir) is vital, understanding interpretation (ta'wil) is even more critical for purifying the intellect from doubts and improper assumptions . He emphasizes following the path of the early generations (al-Salaf), upholding that their methodology is safer (aslam) and rejecting the claim that the later scholars (al-khalaf) are more knowledgeable (a'lam) .
He observes that the early Muslims refrained from delving into the reality of the divine Essence or speculating on the modalities of divine attributes . Nonetheless, al-Karmi compiled the statements of authoritative scholars who discussed and interpreted these texts for educational purposes and guidance, noting that he had not encountered a dedicated single work synthesizing these dispersed discussions .
Content and Method
The treatise begins by defining the concepts of muhkam (decisive) and mutashabih (ambiguous) according to legal theorists (usuliyyun), discussing the divine wisdom in revealing ambiguous texts—such as testing the intellect and compelling human humility before God's majesty . It analyzes the grammatical pause in the verse: وَمَا يَعْلَمُ تَأْوِيلَهُ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَالرَّاسِخُونَ فِي الْعِلْمِ ("And none knows its interpretation except Allah. And those firmly grounded in knowledge..."), citing differing stances among the Companions and later authorities on whether those well-grounded in knowledge can know the interpretation of ambiguous passages . The author references scholars across various traditions, including al-Khattabi, al-Suyuti, al-Ghazali, al-Nawawi, and Ibn al-Hajib .
Al-Karmi defends the Hanbali school against accusations of anthropomorphism (tajsim), arguing that Hanbali scholars follow the Salaf by affirming the attributes established in revelation without distortion (tahrif), negation (ta'til), assigning modality (takyif), or drawing resemblance to creation (tamthil) . He discusses specific attributes, such as God's descent (al-nuzul) and divine love (al-mahabba), incorporating citations from Najm al-Din al-Tufi and al-Bayhaqi . The work concludes with passages from Ibn Taymiyyah supporting the methodology of the Salaf and censuring speculative theology (kalam) .
Reception and Editions
The book has been examined in modern creedal studies, where some commentators note that al-Karmi's discourse incorporates expressions of tafwid al-ma'na (relegating the intended meaning to God) alongside his affirmation of the Salafi methodology .
The text was edited by Shu'ayb al-Arna'ut and published in Beirut by Mu'assasat al-Risalah in 1406 AH (1985–1986 CE) .
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