Fatya wa Jawabuha fi Dhikr al-Itiqad

Fatya wa Jawabuha fi Dhikr al-Itiqad (A Fatwa and Its Answer Concerning Creed) is a short theological epistle by the hadith master and Quranic reader Abu al-Ala al-Hamadhani (d. 569 AH / 1173 CE) addressing doctrinal controversies, sectarian divergence, and the affirmation of divine attributes Fatya wa Jawabuha fi Dhik…+1.

Context and Composition

The treatise originated as a written inquiry (fatya) sent from Damascus by Abu al-Abbas Ahmad ibn al-Husayn ibn Muhammad al-Muqri al-Iraqi on behalf of a circle of traditionalist scholars in Syria Fatya wa Jawabuha fi Dhik…+1. The question reached Abu al-Ala al-Hamadhani in Rajab 562 AH Fatya wa Jawabuha fi Dhik….

The questioners sought guidance regarding theological disputes in Damascus, complaining that practitioners of speculative theology (kalam) were resorting to figurative interpretation (ta'wil) of hadiths regarding the divine attributes or rejecting them as solitary reports (ahad) Fatya wa Jawabuha fi Dhik…+1. They further reported that individuals nominally affiliated with the school of Ahmad ibn Hanbal were adopting theological dialectic and accusing those who affirmed the attributes literally of anthropomorphism (tajsim) and assimilation (tashbih) Fatya wa Jawabuha fi Dhik…+1. The letter noted that traditionalists in the region felt isolated, especially following the deaths of sympathetic figures such as the jurist al-Qadi Abu Ya'la and the Abbasid vizier Awn al-Din Ibn Hubayrah Fatya wa Jawabuha fi Dhik…. In his response, Abu al-Ala al-Hamadhani kept his answer concise, noting that he had previously elaborated on sectarian trials and eschatological portents in his larger book al-Jumal wa-al-Ghayat fi Bayan al-Fitan wa-al-Ayat Fatya wa Jawabuha fi Dhik….

Structure and Contents

The epistle is structured around the original petition followed by the author's point-by-point reply:

• The Text of the Inquiry (Nas al-Fatya): Details the specific theological challenges facing the scholars in Damascus, their questions about divine aboveness (uluww) and spatial description, and their request for an authoritative doctrinal statement and a list of the author's compositions Fatya wa Jawabuha fi Dhik…+1.
• The Opening of the Response (Nas al-Jawab): Cites Quranic verses illustrating that discord and division were foretold in scripture, followed by prophetic reports with complete chains of transmission (isnads) warning against misguiding leaders, internal strife, and the splitting of the Muslim community into seventy-three sects Fatya wa Jawabuha fi Dhik…+1.
• Disagreement in Interpretation (Ikhtilaf al-Ta'wil wa-Tanafur al-Qulub): Gathers prophetic traditions addressing theological disputes, the estrangement of hearts, and turmoil before the Last Hour Fatya wa Jawabuha fi Dhik….
• Censure of Heretical Desires (Dhamm al-Ahwa al-Mardiyyah): Contains reports warning against innovators, following whims, and departing from the consensus of the early community (al-jama'ah) Fatya wa Jawabuha fi Dhik…+1.
• The Attribute of Ascension (Fasl fi al-Istiwa): Focuses on the affirmation of Allah's rising over the Throne (istiwa), citing Quranic proof-texts such as الرَّحْمَنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَى ("The Most Merciful rose over the Throne" [Ta-Ha: 5]) alongside hadiths describing the Throne and divine aboveness Ifrad Ahadith Asma Allah …+1.

Publication History

The work has been preserved in manuscript collections and was edited by Abd Allah ibn Yusuf al-Juday' under the title Fatya wa-Jawabuha fi Dhikr al-I'tiqad wa-Dhamm al-Ikhtilaf, published by Dar al-Asimah in Riyadh (1409 AH / 1989 CE) Khizanat al-Turath - Fihr…+1.