Aqidat al-Iman bil-Qada wal-Qadar inda al-Salaf wa Atharuha ala al-Mumin
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- Aqidat al-Iman bil-Qada wal-Qadar inda al-Salaf wa Atharuha ala al-Mumin
Aqidat al-Iman bil-Qada wal-Qadar inda al-Salaf wa Atharuha ala al-Mumin (The Creed of Belief in Divine Decree and Predestination according to the Predecessors and Its Effect on the Believer) is a treatise on Islamic theology by Abd al-Majid bin Muhammad al-Wa'lan exploring the concept of divine decree and predestination (al-qada wal-qadar) according to the early generations of Muslims (al-Salaf) .
Purpose and Scope
The author composed the work as a concise study intended to elucidate the creed of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah regarding belief in divine decree and predestination . Its stated objective is to enable Muslims to worship God with knowledge and clarity, and to realize the spiritual and worldly fruits of this pillar of faith .
Structure and Contents
The book consists of an introduction, five thematic chapters, and a conclusion :
- Introduction: Discusses the significance of the subject and outlines the research plan .
- Chapter One: Divided into three sections covering the linguistic and legal definitions of al-qada and al-qadar, the status and importance of this belief within Islamic creed, and textual evidence from the Quran and the Sunnah .
- Chapter Two: Examines the four levels of divine decree—knowledge, writing, divine will, and creation—along with their respective textual proofs, and details the categories of divine apportionment (aqsam al-taqdir) .
- Chapter Three: Comprises two sections addressing the core issues underlying historical disputes over divine decree and analyzing the doctrinal positions of various theological groups, including the Jahmiyyah, the Mu'tazilah, and the Ash'aris, contrasted with the stance of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah .
- Chapter Four: Details the practical and spiritual effects (thamarat) of sound belief in divine decree on the individual believer .
- Chapter Five: Investigates the relationship between secularism and distortions regarding the concept of destiny, defining secularism and critiquing the Sufi perspectives on al-qadar, while addressing how secular ideologies utilized certain mystical misinterpretations of destiny in intellectual challenges facing the Muslim world .
- Conclusion: Summarizes the principal findings and conclusions reached in the study .
Method
In presenting the material, the author cites Quranic verses with their surah names and verse numbers, documents hadiths and narrations with their scholarly sources, provides brief historical overviews of the theological sects discussed, and appends a bibliography of referenced works alongside a table of contents .
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