Fath Allah al-Hamid al-Majid fi Sharh Kitab al-Tawhid
- Author died
- 1318 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-Mu’ayyad
Fath Allah al-Hamid al-Majid fi Sharh Kitab al-Tawhid (The Opening of God, the Praised, the Glorious, in Commentary on the Book of Monotheism) is a theological commentary on Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab's Kitab al-Tawhid, written by Hamid ibn Muhammad ibn Hasan ibn Muhsin (d. after 1317 AH / 1899 CE). Originating from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, the author's work holds historical significance as the first complete commentary on Kitab al-Tawhid to be printed in its entirety.
Structure and Methodology
The work adopts a blended expository format (sharh mamzuj), directly weaving the text of Kitab al-Tawhid into its explanation to clarify its objectives. The author addresses the prologue of Kitab al-Tawhid as well as its individual chapters, with the sole exception of the twenty-sixth chapter—concerning counter-spells (al-nushrah)—which he records without adding commentary.
Within each chapter, the commentary is systematically confined to three elements:
- Clarifying the thematic import of the chapter heading (tarjamah).
- Interpreting the cited Quranic verses (tafsir).
- Explaining the transmitted hadiths and traditions (athar).
The author entirely omits the derived legal and doctrinal conclusions (al-masa'il) that Ibn Abd al-Wahhab appended to the conclusion of each chapter, providing neither their text nor commentary on them.
Reception and Publication History
The commentary is characterized by accessible language, precision in meaning, and articulated reasoning, though containing occasional expressions and grammatical phrasings that deviate from standard classical style.
The book was first printed in 1317 AH (1899/1900 CE) in Amritsar, India, by Matba'at al-Quran wa-al-Sunnah in 161 pages. Appended to the original edition was another composition by the author: Jala' al-'Aynayn fi Bayan al-Dinayn, a didactic poem on creed spanning approximately one thousand verses. The commentary was subsequently edited and annotated by Bakr Abu Zayd—who integrated the missing chapter headings and source referencing for traditions—and published in a single volume by Dar al-Mu'ayyad in Riyadh in 1417 AH (1996 CE).
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