Fath al-Ali al-Hamid fi Sharh Kitab Mufid al-Mustafid fi Kufr Tarik al-Tawhid
- Author died
- 1435 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-Akhyār
Fath al-Ali al-Hamid fi Sharh Kitab Mufid al-Mustafid fi Kufr Tarik al-Tawhid (The Victory of the Exalted, the Praiseworthy: A Commentary on the Book of Benefit for the Beneficiary Regarding the Disbelief of the Abandoner of Monotheism) is an Islamic theological commentary by the Egyptian scholar Midhat ibn al-Hasan Al Farraj (d. 1435 AH / 2014 CE) on the doctrinal treatise Mufid al-Mustafid fi Kufr Tarik al-Tawhid by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab (1115–1206 AH / 1703–1792 CE) .
Background and Context
The original treatise, Mufid al-Mustafid, was authored by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab in response to an incident in which the people of Huraymila turned against the monotheistic movement out of enmity, hatred, and warfare against its adherents . When doubts arose among some individuals claiming scholarship in al-Uyayna regarding the theological status and excommunication of specific individuals who profess Islam while committing acts that nullify it, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab composed the work to delineate the ruling on specific excommunication (takfir al-mu'ayyan) . Al Farraj wrote his commentary to elucidate and expand upon these core doctrinal themes .
Themes and Contents
The commentary covers fundamental issues of Islamic creed (aqidah), monotheism (tawhid), and jurisprudence related to apostasy and warfare:
- The Foundations of Prophetic Mission and Monotheism: The author explains that God sent the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to uphold ties of kinship, destroy idols, and command that God alone be worshipped without partners . It emphasizes that adhering to obedience to the Prophet ﷺ is a strict condition for the validity and acceptance of one's Islam .
- Prohibition of Imitating Disbelievers: The work stresses the categorical prohibition of imitating disbelievers and oppressors, noting that such imitation can lead to a complete departure from the religion and apostasy, and identifies imitation of disbelievers as a fundamental cause for the decay of religious practices and the emergence of disbelief and disobedience . As an applied legal example, it equates sewing garments for oppressors and selling to them with selling weapons during times of civil strife (fitnah) .
- Historical and Juridical Rulings: The commentary discusses the military conquest of Huraymila by force (anwatan), the seizing of its property as war spoils, and Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab's personal distribution of those spoils among the monotheists . It also expounds upon the legal establishment of armed struggle (jihad) against polytheists until there is no discord and religion belongs entirely to God .
Publication
The book was published in Riyadh by Dar al-Akhyar in its first edition in 1428 AH (2007 CE) .
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